Irrespective of the methodology selected for overall implementation, we recommend the development phase to be executed in a CRP or agile methodology. This methodology uses a series of sprints to deliver implementation capabilities in incremental steps.
The following are some guidelines for using the CRP or agile methodology:
- For large implementation projects, create an implementation team for each functional area, for example, finance, supply chain, warehouse management, retail, and so on.
- Define the sprint cycle in full week increments. It is common to use 2 to 4-week sprints.
- Create a solution backlog containing all the customization and configuration activities and define their priority based on their business value.
- Do daily scrum meetings to discuss what each person in the team is working on and any roadblocks they may have.
- Do sprint planning sessions and select product backlog items from the backlog to work on in the next sprint to plan the activities that need to be completed.
- Use automated unit testing, functional testing, and automated build processes.
- At the end of each sprint, present the solution to stakeholders so that they can review the work and get early feedback.