Major Insurance Organization Plans PeopleSoft Upgrade of Highly Customized System
A $16 billion publicly held insurance company in Chicago operates a highly customized version 7.0 of the PeopleSoft General Ledger (GL) module.
The Challenge
Developing a reliable plan for the timely, cost effective upgrade of a highly customized version of PeopleSoft General Ledger. Volumes are in the tens of millions of rows and there are ten or more database instances supporting the implementation. A separate Allocations module and a Data Warehouse are integral components of the environment. Upgrade objectives include the following:
- Remain current on support for the PeopleSoft General Ledger
- Avail itself of PeopleSoft’s Internet Architecture
- Achieve expected cost savings associated with PeopleSoft 8
- Begin to utilize a more standard implementation of the PeopleSoft GL
- Improve functionality where possible to do so
- Reduce the number of customizations currently part of the production environment
- Lower the cost and effort associated with future upgrade projects
This client had conducted prior upgrades and knew that in order to achieve its objectives, it needed to conduct a comprehensive upgrade planning engagement. It was expected that this engagement would not only develop an upgrade approach and plan but also would develop reliable estimates for staffing, budgeting, and conducting the upgrade.
The Solution
Teaming with the right partner with the right resources for success. To meet these challenges, this client partnered with Beacon Application Services. The customer provided executive sponsorship, project management, technical support, and knowledgeable functional users of the system. Beacon provided highly experienced PeopleSoft upgraders as well as PeopleSoft functional and technical expertise highly knowledgeable of PeopleSoft GL 8 features and functions.
The planning project involved the following major activities:
- Planning – confirm scope and timeframes; finalize project activities; commit team personnel; set project standards; develop planning engagement project plan
- Generate and Review Compare Reports – these became the benchmark for identifying and analyzing customizations that could be eliminated as well as for developing estimates for bringing forward customizations that could not be eliminated
- Assess Business Needs and Related Impacts – interviews, focus groups, and JAD sessions were conducted to gather, analyze, and document system requirements. This process focused on existing business requirements as well as future improvements to processes and operations.
- Conduct Gap Analysis and Work Practice Reviews – develop a Gap Analysis and high level gap solutions for addressing identified gaps
- Provide Upgrade Planning Documents that address plans and estimates for: environment; testing and conversion; change management and training; component development; and a final upgrade plan at the object level
Benefits
This successful engagement has laid the foundation not only for this and future upgrades but also for improving processes and operations through elimination of customizations and implementation of PeopleSoft 8 functionality. Reliable estimates for staffing, budgeting, and conducting the upgrade are now available.
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