Transition to Business as Usual (BAU)

Overview

Rationale:

Smoothly transitioning the organisation to the new operating model is essential to minimise disruption, maintain productivity, and achieve the desired outcomes of the transformation. This involves ensuring that new systems, processes, and structures are fully integrated into the organisation’s day-to-day operations.

Transition to BAU involves planning and executing a phased transition, providing support to employees during the transition, and addressing any issues that arise.

Key Activities & Outputs:

Transition planning; go-live checklist, go/no-go assessment, execution of the transition plan; post-implementation support; and issue resolution.

Introduction

The Transition to Business as Usual (BAU) component of the Transformation Management Framework is crucial for ensuring the seamless integration of new IT systems within the organisation. This component comprises two elements Technical Transition and Business Transition.

Technical Transition

Environment Transition and Release Management: This sub-component involves planning and executing the transition of the technical environment, including migrating data and applications, and managing releases and changes to the system. By carefully coordinating and controlling the transition, organisations can minimise disruption to the business and ensure a smoother integration of new digital solutions.

Artifacts: Environment transition plan, release management plan, release schedule, data migration plan.

Help Desk Setup and Support: Establishing a help desk to provide technical support for the new digital solutions ensures that users have access to assistance when needed. The help desk should be staffed and equipped to handle user requests and incidents effectively, minimizing downtime and frustration for employees.

Artifacts: Help desk setup plan, help desk processes and procedures, help desk staffing plan.

Hypercare and Incident Management: Hypercare support during the initial period after go-live is critical for addressing any issues or incidents that may arise. Providing this additional support ensures a smoother transition for users and helps maintain business continuity. Incident management processes should be established for ongoing support once the hypercare period ends.

Artifacts: Hypercare plan, incident management plan, incident tracking and reporting system.

Business Transition

Handover to Business Owners: Transferring ownership of the new digital solutions to the appropriate business owners ensures that they have the necessary resources and support to manage and maintain the solutions effectively. This handover process should include a clear delineation of responsibilities and expectations, along with any necessary training or documentation.

Artifacts: Handover plan, roles and responsibilities matrix, training materials for business owners.

Embedding of New Resources and Processes: To support the digital solutions, new resources and processes must be effectively embedded within the organisation. Ensuring that employees are trained and supported in their use of these resources and processes is vital for a successful transition and long-term success.

Artifacts: Embedding plan, process documentation, resource allocation and distribution plan.

Hypercare during Go-live Stage: Providing additional support during the go-live stage helps to address any issues or concerns that may arise, ensuring that the digital solutions are working effectively. This extra support helps to alleviate stress on users and maintain business continuity during the critical transition period.

Artifacts: Go-live support plan, issue tracking and resolution system, escalation process.

Post Go-live Support and Processes: Establishing ongoing support processes for the transformation activities, including maintenance and updates, user training, and help desk support, is essential for maintaining the effectiveness and efficiency of the new digital solutions.

Artifacts: Post go-live support plan, maintenance and update schedule, user training plan.

Other artifacts for the overall transition to BAU component include the Transition Plan, which outlines the steps and milestones for the entire transition process, and the Lessons Learned register, which captures insights and feedback for future improvement and reference.

Artifacts

Below is an inventory of possible artifacts associated with Transition to BAU. Many of these may be covered already as deliverables within the Project Management Plan. They are presented here for completeness – users should carefully select the artifacts that will best support the transition to BAU for the project they are working on. Some examples are provided in the Templates section.

Environment transition plan: This document outlines the steps, timelines, and resources required to transition the technical environment, including any necessary infrastructure upgrades, software installations, and hardware replacements. It serves as a roadmap for the technical team to ensure a smooth transition with minimal disruption to business operations.
Release management plan: This plan provides a structured approach to managing software releases, including release scheduling, testing, and deployment. It ensures that changes to the IT environment are introduced in a controlled and predictable manner, minimizing the risk of unforeseen issues and downtime.
Data migration plan: This plan outlines the process for migrating data from existing systems to the new digital solutions. It includes the scope of data to be migrated, the mapping of data between old and new systems, the data validation and cleansing process, and the schedule for migration activities.
Help desk setup plan: This plan outlines the necessary steps to establish a help desk that will support the new digital solutions. It covers staffing requirements, the selection of help desk software, and the development of processes and procedures for handling user requests and incidents.
Help desk processes and procedures: This document describes the standard operating procedures for the help desk, including the handling of user requests, incident prioritization, escalation processes, and resolution timeframes. These procedures help ensure consistent and efficient support for users.
Help desk staffing plan: This plan details the human resources required to staff the help desk, including the number of personnel needed, their roles and responsibilities, and any required training or certifications.
Hypercare plan: This plan outlines the approach for providing additional support to users during the critical go-live period. It includes the identification of key resources, the provision of dedicated support channels, and the processes for monitoring and resolving issues that arise during this time.
Incident management plan: This plan outlines the processes and procedures for handling incidents and issues that occur after the go-live period. It includes incident categorization, prioritization, escalation, resolution, and reporting processes, ensuring that issues are effectively managed and resolved.
Handover plan: This plan details the process for transferring ownership of the new digital solutions to the appropriate business owners. It includes a clear delineation of roles and responsibilities, any necessary training or documentation, and the schedule for the handover process.
Embedding plan: This plan outlines the steps required to embed new resources and processes within the organisation. It covers the allocation and distribution of resources, the development of process documentation, and the training and support needed for employees to effectively use the new resources and processes.
Go-live support plan: This plan outlines the support provided to users during the go-live stage of the transition. It includes the identification of key resources, dedicated support channels, and processes for monitoring and resolving issues that arise during this critical period.
Go-live checklist: The go-live checklist is a comprehensive list of tasks and activities that must be completed before the new digital solution can be launched. It serves as a final verification tool to ensure that all necessary steps have been taken and that the solution is ready for deployment. The checklist may include items such as completion of user training, data migration, technical environment setup, integration testing, user acceptance testing, and any required approvals or sign-offs.
Go/no-go assessment: The go/no-go assessment is a critical decision-making process conducted prior to the go-live event. It involves a thorough evaluation of the project’s readiness to launch, taking into consideration various factors such as the completion status of tasks in the go-live checklist, the results of testing, the availability of resources, and any known risks or issues. The assessment aims to determine whether the project is ready to proceed with the go-live event or if further work is required to address any outstanding concerns. The go/no-go decision is typically made by the project sponsor and other key stakeholders, based on the information and recommendations provided by the project team.
Post go-live support plan: This plan outlines the ongoing support processes for the transformation activities, including maintenance and updates, user training, and help desk support. It ensures that the organisation has the necessary resources and processes in place to maintain the effectiveness and efficiency of the new digital solutions.

Summary

The Transition to BAU component of the Transformation Management Framework is crucial for ensuring a seamless shift from the project phase to the regular operations of the organisation. This component encompasses both Technical Transition and Business Transition elements, addressing aspects such as environment transition, help desk setup, hypercare support, incident management, handover to business owners, and embedding new resources and processes. By utilizing essential artifacts such as the go-live checklist, go/no-go assessment, transition plan, and lessons learned register, the framework guides organisations through a structured approach to mitigate risks, maintain system stability, and ensure the digital transformation achieves its intended outcomes in a sustainable manner.

In summary, the artifacts associated with the Transition to BAU component provide a comprehensive and structured approach to managing the technical and business aspects of the transition. These artifacts ensure that the organisation has a clear roadmap for the transition process, including the necessary resources, processes, and support mechanisms to minimise disruption and ensure a smooth and successful integration of the new digital solutions.

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