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Solution Decision
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Prepare Trial Documents

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Produce a plan for testing the application from a business and technical perspective
  • High Level Scope
  • Solution Evaluation Report
    1. Review the business processes and functional requirements and create a checklist of functions to examine.
    2. Take the data modeling sheet and add columns to record results.
    3. Gather existing reports and decide which should be generated from the new solution.
    4. Workshop the technical considerations to be investigated.
    5. Produce the evaluation documents.
  • Technical Evaluation Document
  • Functional Evaluation Document
  • Data Evaluation Worksheet
  • Report Evaluation Document

In preparing the functional component, start with the business processes. Each of the processes should be examined and where functionality is required, that should be checked. For example, if the process flow is to set up a new customer, put into the document 'Set up new customer'. If functionality required is to associate customers with a company, then add that as something to check.

The existing data modeling worksheet should be modified to include new columns for 'Available' and 'Issues'. This can be used to ensure the system stores the information we want to track.

Collect all current reports and decide what reports need to be generated from the new system. This may include some additional reports. List the reports in the Report Evaluation Document.

The Business Evaluation User Guide gives more comprehensive information on these activities.

In terms of a technical assessment, a workshop should be held to review what technical aspects need to be checked. A checklist is available below. Remember to look at implementation as well as operational issues. It is useful to have the vendor run through a dummy installation on your system, and try migrating data.

Part of the technical assessment is also used to estimate the effort to set up the new system and convert data. An examination should take place of current data to understand where there might be data cleansing or data conversion problems.

The Technical Evaluation User Guide gives more comprehensive information on these activities.
Functional Evaluation Document Document to list all functional requirements and evaluate how well they are met by the solution
Data Evaluation Worksheet A worksheet to record data investigation. Use your existing data modeling worksheet and add columns. This is for information only.
Report Evaluation Document Document for listing all available reports and whether they exist in the program
Technical Evaluation Document A template to use when preparing for a technical evaluation and recording results.
Business Evaluation User Guide Instructions on undertaking a Functional Evaluation
Technical Evaluation User Guide Instructions on undertaking a Technical Evaluation

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