Vendor Products and Services Implementation Report (Assessment)

Describe a sample implementation failure that could possibly occur when deploying a third-party product or service, and explain a possible risk treatment.

There are a lot of reasons the companies face the implementation failure of different projects, sometimes even before the project was actually implemented. In order to get better involved in the subject, the examples should be taken into account. As a matter of fact, there are ten most widespread reasons why the projects fail to be successfully implemented; among them are the following ones, namely:

1. The destination is not determined;
2. The project is pioneering in the sphere;
3. The plan is not improved;
4. Part-time management of the project;
5. Underestimation of the resources;
6. Overestimation and reliance on the services that provide consultations;
7. Customization;
8. Lack of training;
9. Poor testing;
10. Lack of training for users (Whitman & Mattord, 2011).

One of the brightest examples of the implementation failure is Hershey’s. In 1999, the company failed to deliver the products to the customers during the Halloween season (Wailgum, 2009). The company faced ERP and supply chain problems, and thus, was unable to perform (Monahan, 2013). Possible risk treatment is the highly professional management, control, and testing.

How could the enterprise treat the risk of potentially underestimating network bandwidth requirements when implementing a third-party cloud computing system?

Although it is unquestionable that cloud-computing systems provide a number of benefits (online environment, IT costs, no installation), however, the risks should be taken into account as well. The most common risks involve:

1. The security of the information;
2. Privacy of the information;
3. Business continuity.

As a matter of fact, when implementing a project using a third-party cloud computing system and underestimating network bandwidth requirements, the company faces potential risks. In order to treat them and reduce to the minimum, the enterprise should use appropriate technical countermeasures (Whitman & Mattord, 2011). In addition, it should be stressed that control and tests should be implemented into the working process in order to get better acquainted with the risks and find possible ways to reduce or eliminate them.

Working in a digital environment, sometimes it is impossible to forecast all the potential problems, and thus, some issues can be managed only after the project is already functioning. The network bandwidth requirements should not be underestimated when implementing a third-party cloud computing system because it can lead to crucial problems in future (Whitman & Mattord, 2011). Highly professional management, good control, and ability to adjust the project to the current needs are essential for the project to be successful.

Describe testing and validation steps that could be taken in the post-implementation phase to ensure network connectivity has been properly configured.

In order to be sure that network works appropriately, and the possible risks are reduced to the minimum, it is worth stating that the system should undergo the testing and validation phase. First and foremost, it is essential to make sure that the system is built according to specifications. In addition, it should be noted that certain testing is needed, for example, the testing of the users or the staff (Whitman & Mattord, 2011). The next stage is centered on the process implementation and data control. The last two stages involve the fact that privileges should be removed, namely the privileges of administrator and vendor. The human being is not prevented from the mistakes, and thus, the systems created by a human are not perfect and contain certain risks. In order to eliminate them and test the network, the validation steps are essential to be taken into consideration and are needed for implementation (Whitman & Mattord, 2011).

How should requirements for administrator-level access be evaluated during the post-implementation phase?

As it was stated above, after the project is completed, on the post-implementation stage, the administrator should be restricted in the privileges. However, on the post-implementation stage, the project is still controlled. In case, there is a need to make some changes, then, the administrator is supposed to have privileges to access the project.

In order to minimize risks and manage some issues on time, it is essential to take into account. Notwithstanding, in case the project is performed successfully, the privileges should be restricted (Whitman & Mattord, 2011). The completion of the project does not necessarily means that the work on the project is ended. A number of issues may still arise, and people should be ready to deal with them. Thus, the control over the project is essential.

Explain the potential value of having end-user/business areas formally sign off to indicate their agreement a third party solution was successfully implemented.

Every product or service is the reflection of the current needs of the customer; however, it should be noted that in the vast majority of cases what was designed does not correspond to the needs of the client, or correspond just partly. There are a lot of examples when the project is already in progress, but the client is not satisfied and claims that everything is wrong, and his words were misinterpreted. In order to eliminate the risk of such situations, it is essential to have an end-user or business areas formally signed (Whitman & Mattord, 2011).

This way, the agreement will be more understandable by the parties and the risk of misunderstanding or misinterpretation will be reduced to the minimum. The agreement and the details of it should be discussed, and possible ways of the project development should be addressed. Moreover, the end-user or business areas formally signed provide the company with an opportunity to stand for their interests and avoid critical situations (Whitman & Mattord, 2011).

References

Monahan, M. (2013). Top Six ERP Implementation Failures.

Wailgum, T. (2009). 10 Famous ERP Disasters, Dustups and Disappointments.

Whitman, M., & Mattord, H. (2011). Roadmap to information security: For IT and InfoSec managers. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.