Closure Report
Project Summary
The Estates department currently utilise the heavily customised Archibus windows client and the EBIS system environment to manage all financial management aspects of the business activity. Whilst the current system has proven to be successful, increasing cost and delivery issues associated with maintaining and upgrading the system are becoming unacceptable.
The project commenced in January, 2017 with an objective to:
- develop and implement a new integrated system that would provide the Estates department with the ability to manage the entire Purchase to Payment(P2P) process whilst aligning with the ‘new’ WebCentral based helpdesk, central procurement and finance systems, and ensuring the necessary financial controls were in place.
The scope included:
- developing the appropriate interfaces between the existing core applications; Archibus, eFinancials and SciQuest;
- developing any appropriate business solutions outwith the functionality of the core systems required to support the Estates P2P process;
- identification and decommissioning of system processes no longer deemed necessary.
In September, 2017 the project was formally suspended before the Project Brief had been completed/signed off, with an issue raised as follows:
“Due to competing business related priorities, it has not been possible to complete the planning process and as a result the project is being suspended.”
The total resource effort at that point was 37.3 days (noted incorrectly as 2 days out of the 200 day budget in the logged Issue #2). WIS notes from 1st September show the project suspension (Issue #2) as ‘Noted’.
In May, 2018, a new Project Manager was assigned and work undertaken to prepare for moving the project back into an ‘active’ status.
WIS approved the project re-start on 8th June and the project objective and scope was necessarily reconsidered as the initiation of the University-wide ‘Core Systems Programme’ deemed the initial requirements for the project, inappropriate.
A new Project Brief was drafted with focus on the financial controls within the Estates department, which historically were lacking and the potential for financial ‘exploitation’ identified and acknowledged. With additional due consideration for the ‘Core Systems Programme’ and for the recommendations made to Estates Finance following a departmental audit, the revised project scope was determined.
The revised project objectives were to:
- Define business requirements with consideration for Core Systems Programme and Estates Finance Audit;
- Implement System (Archibus) Controlled Delegated Authority Levels for Estates Purchase Ordering;
- Present Business Case proposal(s) for project scope 'nice to have' elements;
- Successfully implement a change to the Archibus AFM password*, delivering enhanced security associated with the Archibus solution.
The revised scope, discussed and agreed with the Head of Estates Finance/Project Sponsor was:
- The implementation of system controlled delegated authority levels associated with the Purchase Ordering process in Archibus for contract services (Must have) and goods (Should have, subject to Mass quote);
- Batch sorting/processing (Nice to have);
- Secondary authorisations/authorisation work flow (Nice to have);
- Role and responsibility restrictions for the raising of PO’s/authorisation i.e. PM’s to be restricted to raising/authorising PO’s only for projects they ‘own’ (Nice to have);
- PO/Goods Receipting/Invoicing – 3-way matching (Nice to have);
- Restrictions to having only authorised and contracted suppliers ‘usable’ in the system (Nice to have).
All ‘Nice to have’ elements were to be investigated and Business Case proposals generated, which, if subsequently approved by the Project Board, would be delivered by the project via a formal change control process.
*A requirement to change the Archibus AFM password was raised during the re-assessment period. This systems administration level user name and password is extensively known and hasn’t been changed since the original implementation over 18 years ago. Although an unrelated requirement to the financial P2P element, it was considered appropriate to build this requirement into the project to minimise project management and governance overheads.
Whilst the Project Brief was under review, work commenced on both work streams.
On 10th April, notification was given by the Project Sponsor to stop work on the P2P activities. This was due to anticipated ‘gaps’ between what the new University Core System would/wouldn’t deliver against Estates Finance requirements. The ‘gap’ issue was discovered following due diligence workshops carried out by the Core Systems Programme.
The P2P related activities were de-scoped with an associated WIS submission, which was approved on 10th May. A subsequent request to withdraw/close the project was submitted to WIS 17th May. WIS did not approve and requested a Project Closure report, due to the level of spend incurred.
Analysis of Resource Usage:
|
Description |
Phase 1 (01/01/17 - 30/09/17) |
Interim (01/10/17 - 30/04/18) |
Phase 2 (01/05/18 - 31/05/19) |
Overall Totals |
|
Budget |
|
|
|
200 days |
|
Staff Usage Estimate: Initial Project Estimate Revised Estimate |
|
|
|
580 days 85 days (65xP2P; 20xAFM) |
|
Staff Usage Actual:
Project Management Business Analysis Production Management Development Services Software Development Development Technology
TOTAL
|
15.1 19.2 1.0 0.2 1.2 0.6
37.3 days |
0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0
0.1 days |
30.5 11.5 0.6 0.2 0.0 0.0
42.9 days |
45.6 30.7 1.7 0.4 1.2 0.6
80.3 days |
Outcome
The original project ran for 9 months between January, 2017 and September, 2017, before being suspended. The outcome from this period covered project set up and initial scoping, planning and costing. A draft Project Brief was written but not approved.
In May, 2018, the project was re-opened. Other Estates projects priorities impacted the early completion of the requirements re-assessment, causing a delay in confirming the revised scope, costs and delivery schedule. A revised Project Brief was written and partially signed off.
During this latter period, the supplier (Mass) proposal associated with the anticipated system change requirement was reviewed in line with the existing financial processes, which were captured and documented. Additional analysis was undertaken to discover what processes and associated work procedures would need to change (and how) in order to implement a fully operational solution for the P2P process, with the system controlled elements in place. Any additional system configuration requirements that the supplier would need to deliver, were also being considered. This element of work was not concluded before the direction to stop work on the P2P elements was given.
Investigation into the AFM password structure and change risk assessment was also undertaken and a technical analysis document drafted.
From the revised Project Brief the following deliverables were identified and the outcome achieved as follows:
|
tem |
Description |
MoSCoW |
Outcome |
|
|
O1 |
D1 |
Gather and review (Define) current 'As is' business processes in relation to Purchase Ordering (goods and contract services) |
M |
In progress - Existing processes (end to end P2P) captured and documented but not fully signed off |
|
O1 |
D2 |
Gather and review (Define) current delegated authority levels to be implemented as part of the system solution |
M |
In Progress - Existing DA levels gathered |
|
O2 |
D1 |
System Design - Review and refine system design/implementation document covering the system controlled delegated authority level solution |
M |
In Progress - Mass proposal reviewed and analysed in line with process definition work, but was found to be not 'fit for purpose' |
|
O2 |
D2 |
Build - Review and refine build
|
M |
Not started |
|
O2 |
D3 |
Test solution with consideration of business process
|
M |
Not started |
|
O2 |
D4 |
Implement the solution
|
M |
Not started |
|
O2 |
D5 |
Define and deliver an effective user communication/training and support plan |
M |
Not started |
|
O3 |
D1 |
Deliver quote(s) and timescale estimates for each element |
M |
Not started |
|
O3 |
D2 |
Prepare Business Case proposals and submit to Project Board for authorisation/rejection |
M |
Not started |
|
O3 |
D3
|
Create project change control documentation for any authorised elements and implement accordingly |
S |
Not started |
|
O4 |
D1
|
Investigate/Understand the password structure across the Archibus platform and update the TAD accordingly
|
M |
In Progress - Investigations undertaken with various IS, Supplier and business resources. Technical overview document drafted ready for review. |
|
O4 |
D2
|
Create a risk profile associated with the proposed change(s) |
M |
In Progress - In line with O4, D1 above |
|
O4 |
D3 |
Document options to manage the password(s) on-going and agree outcome (Project Board sign-off) |
M |
Not started |
|
O4 |
D4 |
Test solution
|
M |
Not started |
|
O4 |
D5
|
Implement the solution
|
M |
Not started |
The Project Sponsor and delivery parties have agreed that the AFM password change work stream will conclude as BAU activity and should be completed as soon as practically possible.
Explanation for variance
Given the extensive change in scope, driven by external factors to Estates i.e. Core Systems, and then outcomes from Core Systems due diligence, project requirements and priorities have changed on more than one occasion. This resulted in repeated scoping and planning activities.
Changes in resource assignment have also impacted the cost of initiation activities and some element of background knowledge and solution investigation has been incurred.
Key Learning Points
The following learning points have been captured:-
- Earlier sign off of the Project Brief would have seen the project move formally into Delivery Stage, with costs assigned across both Initiation and Delivery Stages;
- Business resources availability impacted timeline of deliverables.
Outstanding Issues
The following outstanding issues exist:-
- Existing ‘manual’ financial controls will be retained with the associated operational inefficiencies and risks as previously known/reported in the Financial Audit;
- Additional Financial Audit recommendations will not be investigated further;
- The understanding of exactly what Core Systems will/won’t deliver for Estates Finance is still to be established (gap analysis) and needs to be considered in line with the recent CAFM Options appraisal recommendations and drive towards EBIS Online decommissioning.
Ownership of the above issues remain with the Head of Estates Finance.
A ‘gap analysis’ has subsequently been commissioned by The Head of Estates Finance and will be delivered under the Programme level code.