Overview
Get the most from SAP Customer Data Cloud with this established Project Framework
With a philosophy of “Start Fast, Stay Fast”, we believe that the early pace of your project dictates the trajectory of your success. We begin, therefore, by developing a strategy for your project that starts with a clear initial use case and roadmap. We establish an iterative delivery process comprised of objective-based releases with discrete timelines, conducting value impact analysis during each stage of deployment. This continuous adoption methodology ensures that your business objectives form the groundwork of your digital strategy.
Continue reading to learn more about our recommended project phases and milestones. These have been put into practice by our field experts. We have established document templates which help to better organize your efforts and record project plans, architecture, solutions and more. With a combination of this project delivery framework and strong collaboration from dedicated resources, we've successfully launched projects in 90 days, then used the documented solutions to iterate across the client's organization.
Project Delivery Framework Fundamentals
Before going into the details on how each phase works, there is a set of fundamental principles and practices that need to be understood for an SAP Customer Data Cloud solution project. These principles are important across all phases.
- Prepare, design and document before development
- Iterative documentation
- Iterative development
- Downstream and upstream data management
- Acceptance criteria
- Lightweight change control
- Quality baked-in
- Continuous improvements
- Compliance with consent and legal regulations
Delivering SAP Customer Data Cloud with Phases
Project Phases
The project delivery framework for SAP Customer Data Cloud has been adapted and aligned with the below phases, which have been summarized for quick reference purposes. The four phases and high-level stream view are presented below.
Discover
- Explore and define the "where", "why", "how" and "what" of the project, including scope, architecture, planning and costs.
- Create an initial solution design.
- Secure resources and consultants to start rapidly.
Prepare
- Align project teams and validate key decisions made at the Discover phase.
- Initial training on application setups.
Explore & Realize
- Strategic design of the technical solution and user experience based on architecture, requirements, use cases, third party integrations.
- Document all solutions, schema setups and application integrations.
Deploy
- Migration of users, development and on-going quality assurance reviews.
- Launch.
Run
- Regular analysis and measurement of value received from the project.
- Technical reviews as needed.
Stream View
Releases and Iteration
A large project is often broken down into slices or increments called a 'release'. The size of a release can vary depending on the context. The duration of a release can also vary based on the complexity of the features. When possible, we recommend to schedule releases with relatively equal duration. Smaller releases can help to reduce project risk, improve time to market and give immediate visibility to the business and end users. However, they need to be balanced and take into consideration the overheads that are involved with the start and end of each release.
An example of release features may be:
Release 1
- Migration of preexisting user data
- Launch of SAP Customer Identity on the web
- Launch of SAP Customer Consent
- Launch of an integration to a CMS (content management system)
Release 2
- Launch of registration and login on Android and iOS applications
- Launch of an integration to a ESP (email service provider)
Release 3
- Iterate or duplicate above solutions to a second division/brand/operating company
Conclusion
During development, there will always be complexity and uncertainty that customers and delivery teams must manage. Although this cannot be entirely eliminated, it can be significantly reduced by developing on a stable software platform such as SAP Customer Data Cloud. The remaining complexity and uncertainty can be managed by using an appropriate methodology. There is no one-size-fits-all method for successful software development. The 'right' approach depends on your project needs which may even require combining different methods. The key is to have the appropriate skills and experience to understand the different options and how best to apply them.
Now, that you have SAP Customer Data Cloud's solution, project delivery framework, take a look at the below articles to support you through the project. Many of the articles include document templates which can help you align all the details, from project management, architecture, technical solutions, data strategies and more.
Disclaimer: Original version of this article was written in SAP CX Works.
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