Overview:
To ensure proper planning and preparation for the upgrade, iConsortium will assign a senior upgrade specialist as Investigator. The purpose of this phase will be to gather required information related to customers JD Edwards environment, usage, and level of customizations and modifications. Also as part of this phase, the Investigator will clearly identify the prerequisite tasks to complete prior to the Installation phase (technical upgrade and conversion process).
In order to properly evaluate the success factors of the upgrade, it is imperative that the Investigator clearly understand the customer business and the application of JD Edwards to fulfill the business requirements. This portion of the Investigation will include interviews with both IT analysts as well as key business leaders as well.
The Investigator will inventory and gather specifications of all existing Modifications, Customizations, Legacy Programs, and Integrations. Definition of these terms is as follows:

• Modifications: Changes in original JD Edwards programs
• Customizations: Newly created RPG code within JD Edwards programming model, or modified copies of JD Edwards code
• Legacy Programs: Standalone RPG applications interacting with JD Edwards
• Integrations: Data exchange programs to JD Edwards data model, including Z file transactions, EDI, batch uploads, etc.

The Investigator will install and run iConsortium proprietary and partner analytical tools (referred to as iTOOLS further in this document) to gather clinical data regarding the JD Edwards systems, both from the aspect of upgrade impact as well as continued systems management. These tools will analyze the following:

• Historical Usage Analyzer: Inventory and prioritization of application and reporting usage
• Code Delta Analyzer: Impact analysis/estimation of effort for customizations/modifications as compared to base JD Edwards version delta
• Data Performance Analyzer – Physical file data volume reporting and analysis to ensure cutomer physical file size will not negatively impact upgrade and will identify potential performance gains resulting from purge and archive efforts
• Test Data Volume Analyzer: iSeries storage and performance recovery estimates for creation of subset based non-production environment creation
• Security Analyzer: Application security audit reporting for management and compliance
  
  Duration/Scheduling:
  Standard duration: 1 week
  Standard Scheduling: 1-2 months prior to Initiation

Goals:
Investigation Report delivered and reviewed within 5 business days of completion of assessment service. Report will include all analytical reporting along with recommendations for project preparation and execution.

Resource Requirements:
Standard iConsortium Assignment: Investigator assigned for 4 days
Customer Assignment: Please refer to Investigation Schedule for customer resource scheduling

Overview:
The Initiation phase will prepare the customer for an official “kickoff” of the upgrade project. Within this phase the iConsortium assigned project manager will work closely with IT management, project management, and steering committee to create the Project Charter Document outlining the objectives, scope, deliverables, approach, time scales and resource requirements to deliver the upgrade. This document will also clearly define the project change control, issue management, risk management and progress reporting procedures and processes.
This phase will also finalize environment definition and utilization, ensure all Installation prerequisites have been met, and refine the iConsortium standard upgrade project template to meet the customer specific resource, timeline, and deliverable variances.

Duration:
Standard Duration: 1 week

Goals:
Deliver and get customer approval on Initiation document outlining all the aforementioned criteria.

Resource Requirements:
Standard iConsortium Assignment: iConsortium Project Manager assigned for 4 days onsite
Customer Assignment: Please refer to Initiation Schedule for customer assignment

Overview:
The iConsortium will assign a technical upgrade specialist to deliver the initial upgrade and conversion to customer’s non-production environment. This service will be delivered either onsite or through iONLINE remote services, depending on scheduling and customer preference. An overview of tasks to be accomplished includes:

• Architect a solid plan to create a World A9.1 environment on the existing AS/400 and prepare it for the project.
• Provide the technical expertise to create a World A9.1 environment on the AS/400, migrate data and control tables to the new environment, and prepare the environment for additional configuration and testing.
• Assist Customer staff to understand the extent of post-install instructions that must be completed. Work with the staff to complete these instructions.
• Work with Customer to develop a production Inversion plan that includes the timing and execution of the final data conversion and library renaming process.
• Deliver functioning 9.1 environment with Client data

Tasks

• Plan the upgrade
• Refresh target upgrade environment from prod.
• Execute the LODRUN
• Create upgrade plan
• Run the upgrade.
• Post-upgrade instructions.
• Review all upgrade reports.
• Application Specific Instructions

Details of the upgrade process and checklists are included in the iPROJECT online project tracking systems.
In addition to the above upgrade and conversion procedures listed above, iConsortium will deliver the following:

• Surface test execution of base JD Edwards applications
• Settings Delta Analytics: Impact analysis/estimation of effort for processing options, data dictionary, vocabulary overrides, menu/options, and user defined codes
• Provide Inspection template populated with customer specific data

Duration:
Standard Duration: 2 weeks

Goals:
Deliver 9.1 environment with customer data, post upgrade reporting, and initial draft of Inversion plan.

Resource Requirements:
Standard iConsortium Assignment: iConsortium Technical Upgrade Specialist assigned for 2 weeks
Customer Assignment: Customer should assign internal iSeries operations staff to support iConsortium personnel. Customer should also provide analyst and business support to deliver decisions on application specific change accommodation.

Overview:
TECHNICAL INSPECTION
During the initial portion of the Inspection phase, iConsortium or internal resources will review the Code Variance Analysis with customer IT management to define clear retrofitting modus operandi. The high level approach to this clinical analysis will be as follows:
• Compare the level of code variance from 7.3 to 9.1 base JD Edwards objects matching the modified objects
• Compare the level of code variance from modified 7.3 objects to base 7.3 objects
• Evaluate total retrofit impact through combined code variance analysis

Example:

Program	7.3-9.1 Base Variance	7.3 MOD-7.3 Base Variance	Impact/Action
P4211	1%	42%	Use As Is
P4210	28%	35%	High Impact
P42101	10%	5%	Low Impact

The goal of the upgrade is to avoid taking on functional net change as part of the upgrade path. All functional net change should be implemented following the upgrade Inversion. The only exception to this rule would be for small action items that fit within the Indemnification phase, or those enhancements that can replace the need for high impact/action retrofitting.

FUNCTIONAL INSPECTION
Because our customers are very well versed in JD Edwards, we developed the Inspection phase to facilitate a more clinical approach to identifying the implementation requirements. The goal is to isolate specific areas to be addressed with retrofitting, net change, and training. The iConsortium will provide templates in which the customer business and analyst team will run through standard applications and processes to identify the following:
• Menu/Option changes
• Application errors
• Report validation
• Functional application changes
• Application net change requiring training
• Legacy RPG applications and integrations impacted
The Inspection phase is not meant to replace any integrated testing from the Iteration phase, but to provide an initial review of the new systems from the user’s perspective to gauge level of effort for each area of the project.

Duration:
Standard Duration: 2 weeks

Goals:
Baseline validation of applications and reports delivered into Inspection templates.

Resource Requirements:
Standard iConsortium Assignment: iConsortium Project Manager assigned for 2 weeks
Customer Assignment: Customer should assign SMEs from each functional area for Inspection approximately 50% per day.

Overview:
Upon completion of the Inspection phase, iConsortium personnel and project management will import the issue list, task lists, and retrofitting efforts along with detailed estimations into iPROJECT for tracking. iPROJECT will track project lifecycle phases, progress, and communication related to these efforts.
In order to minimize travel related expenses, iConsortium will deliver services with a combination of onsite and remote iONLINE delivery.
iConsortium will provide use of enhanced technical change management tool, which will reduce the consulting effort for code and configuration retrofitting.
iConsortium will provide the application and technical expertise on 9.1 functionality to support all JD Edwards applications run by customer.
iConsortium will provide standard Implemetnation documentation templates.
iConsortium will deliver weekly project reporting to customer management and executive sponsor including project progress, issue/task completions, issue escalations, and scope variances.

Key Success Criteria:
All necessary system permissions and access will be provided upon request without delay.
Customer will set up an Oracle support user account for iConsortium to log and track any issues needing escalation to Denver Oracle Support.
Customer QA test returns MUST be completed within 2 business days from submission
Project meetings should not exceed one hour in duration. Any project decisions required must be finalized or deferred for further preparation. Consulting staff should not be included in internal meetings.

Duration:
Varied by customer requirements definition

Goals:
All application configuration, code retrofitting, integration validation and unit testing will be delivered in preparation for Iteration Phase.

Resource Requirements:
Standard iConsortium Assignment: iConsortium will provide part time Project Manager, one Technical/Analyst for duration of phase, and Developer 1 for approximately 50% of phase duration.
Customer Assignment: Customer should assign SMEs from each functional area for Inspection approximately 50% per day.

Overview:
The iConsortium adheres to the principle of always meeting budget and timeline objectives with our customers. It is for this reason that we always include this “Window of Opportunity” phase. The purpose of this phase is to budget a predefined period of time for the purpose of accommodating those unforeseen project issues or delays. With this project buffer, we will accurately estimate the tasks at hand, without offset or padding. Should no issues arise through the implementation phase of the project, there are options for utilizing this buffer period:

• Provide external teams with a hiatus to tighten up loose ends and internal teams the ability to catch up on non-project duties
• Implement quick win tasks resulting from user wish lists captured in prior phases

Duration:
Standard Duration: Varied by project scope and scale, minimum 1 week

Goals:
Buffer for unforeseen issues to be absorbed
If no issues, point to address “quick wins”

Resource Requirements:
Full consultant and internal staff allocation for planning and budgeting purposes

Overview:
The Iteration phase follows the recognized integrated testing protocols including IT1 (application test cycle followed by issue resolutions), IT2 (repeat of IT1 with inclusion of integrations and system processes), and UAT (User Acceptance Testing with final signoff).
The value that iConsortium provides to the customer is additional clinical execution and validation.
Prior to the Iteration phase, the technical team will exercise the conversion routines as an additional validation of Inversion procedures. Our team will also run our Historical Usage Analytics against the 9.1 environment following each test phase to ensure applications have been thoroughly exercised.
The iConsortium methodology leverages customer driven test script creation and management, with iConsortium assuming the role of support to the Iteration efforts. Should a customer decide that they will move forward without suitable scripts, iConsortium will support their decisions, however the customer assumes full responsibility for final validation. This situation is an additional reason for the Historical Usage Analytics in order to ensure proper testing has occurred.

Duration:
Standard Duration: 4 - 6 weeks, depending on customer scope and scale

Goals:
Successful full lifecycle test execution with business signoff for each test script group.

Resource Requirements:
Standard iConsortium Assignment: iConsortium would provide project management, application support, and development support to address any Iteration issues.
Customer Assignment: Key user scheduling for testing along with IT personnel for integration and system process testing.

Overview:
The Isolation phase, or “Dry Run” is a mock go-live scenario where all planned procedures and testing are executed to ensure that the actual Inversion is flawless. This phase is especially important in larger or more complex upgrades. The entire consulting and internal team will be scheduled to run the mock cutover with all procedures adhered to exactly.
The Isolation exercise requires a “pre-production” Isolation environment to be available for mock go-live procedures to be run.

Duration:
4 days for preparation and execution

Goals:
Provide executive sponsor of project with cutover procedure validation for “GO/NO-GO” approval for Inversion.

Resource Requirements:
Standard iConsortium Assignment: iConsortium Inversion personnel assigned for Isolation
Customer Assignment: Internal Inversion personnel assigned for Isolation

Overview:
The iConsortium partners with Intelligo, leaders in JD Edwards training, documentation, and UPK Development. The reason for this partnership is that Intelligo not only was the original 9.1 documentation team, but is also the only group that has standardized a 9.1 training offering.
For reference purposes, the following is the standardized training program for 9.1 upgrades:
• Common Foundations: Four ½-day sessions delivered over 2 days
• General Accounting: 1 day
• Accounts Receivable: 1 day
• Accounts Payable: 1 day
• Inventory Management: 1 day
• Procurement/Purchasing: 2 days
• Sales Order Processing: 2 days

After the completion of the Inspection phase, an Intelligo representative will be assigned to scope the required training areas and further customize training offerings.

Duration:
3 weeks

Goals:
Provide customer with module specific training based on user response to net change

Resource Requirements:
Standard iConsortium Assignment: Intelligo trainer assigned for approximately 3 weeks
Customer Assignment: Key user scheduling for training

Overview:
The Inversion phase includes the preparation, execution of go-live procedures, and successive go-live support. This plan will execute the cutover on the assigned weekend with all relative personnel scheduled.

Duration:
Standard Duration: 1 week including Inversion weekend

Goals:
Standard Goals: Execute successful Inversion and provide short term user and IT support

Resource Requirements:
Standard iConsortium Assignment: iConsortium personnel assigned for continuous onsite support for week prior, Inversion weekend, and week following.
Customer Assignment: Key user and IT staff scheduling for Inversion procedures