Services
Salvaggio, Teal & Associates
focus on providing those services that can best
assist government organizations in planning,
selecting, implementing, and maintaining their
information systems in the most efficient and
cost-effective manner possible. Services
offered include:
Needs
Assessment & Requirements Definition.
Analysis of user needs and documentation of
system requirements for a proposed automated
system that will meet said needs. Requirements
definition will address, but not be limited
to, functional, technical, performance, interface,
conversion, and security requirements. All functional
requirements are developed based on "best business
practices". Deliverables may include a
requirements definition report for an in-house,
custom-developed system or specifications to
be included in a request for proposal (RFP),
invitation to bid (ITB), or request for offer
(RFO) for the purchase of vendor software systems
and implementation services or external custom-development
efforts.
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Development
of Requests for Proposal.
Development of requests for offer/proposal and
assistance in providing notice to the vendor
community. RFPs will typically address, but
are not limited to:
- Introduction and background information
- Scope of services requested
- Bidder's conference information
- Planned schedule of activities
- Current systems and technical environment
- Submittal instructions and required format
for proposals
- Criteria and process to be followed in evaluating
proposals
- Functional requirements (in matrix format
to facilitate evaluation)
- Technical requirements
- Implementation services requirements
- Cost
- Legal terms and conditions
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Business Case/Return
on Investment Studies. Using
its proven ROI Methodology, STA gathers the
required information using a combination of
interviews, surveys, document research and best
practices benchmarks. STA accumulates all of
costs for the new system as well as the systems
being replaced, and determines the business
process improvements that the new system could
reasonably be expected to bring. After
gathering this information, STA performs financial
analysis using common investment factors based
on a predetermined planning period. The
results are validated with executives and staff
to indicate the expected return on the client’s
investment.
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Software/Implementation
Services Evaluation & Selection.
Assistance in evaluating vendor proposals for
software and associated implementation services.
The vendor evaluation process will include,
but not be limited to:
- Organization of evaluation process and committee
- Development of evaluation criteria (published
in RFP)
- Organization and management of bidder's
conference for prospective vendors
- Draft responses to prospective vendor questions
in accordance with RFP instructions
- Assistance in evaluating vendor proposals
- Detailed cost analysis to ensure "apples
to apples" comparison
- Development of demonstration scripts to
be used in vendor demonstrations
- Management of vendor demonstrations
- Coordination of site visits
- Coordination of reference checks
- Management of contract negotiations process
Many firms offer "evaluation
and selection" services as well as ERP implementation
services that require them to develop formal
or informal alliances with specific ERP vendors.
Salvaggio , Teal & Associates provide an
unbiased third party perspective as the firm
is not a vendor or implementer of ERP hardware
or software systems and has no financial or
contractual connections to such firms.
Salvaggio, Teal & Associates has never received
compensation from any ERP vendors or their implementation
partners. The firm is truly independent
in fact and appearance.
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Independent
Project Management. Assistance
in managing large systems development projects
in accordance with the system development life
cycle, from initial project planning through
implementation. Activities may include:
- Development of high-level project plan (to
document project purpose, scope, estimated
costs, project schedule, expected agency impact,
external oversight requirements)
- Development and management of detailed project
workplan
- Management of project timelines and deadlines
(including submission of deliverables) per
the detailed project workplan; all variances
from planned schedule will be researched and
contingencies will be established where necessary
to ensure that the project remains on schedule
- Risk analysis and mitigation
- Attendance at all project status meetings
and other critical meetings
- Preparation of weekly/monthly status reports
to project executive management
- Conduction of executive management briefings
- Facilitation of issues and problems resolution
- Monitoring of vendor system compliance with
required specifications per RFP
- Management of project scope and client expectations
- Monitoring of all activities to ensure efficient
and effective use of project team resources
- Review of all project deliverables to ensure
that they are of the highest quality and meet
standards for deliverables per the RFP
- Management of the project budget
- Management of contract specifics between
system vendor and client (including enforcement
of penalties when necessary)
- Coordination of training activities
- Development and implementation of a change
management plan
- Development and implementation of an acceptance
test plan, and coordination of test script
development
- Overall day-to-day project direction
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Implementation
Support Services. Assistance
in supporting the project team and the software/implementation
services vendor on an "as needed" basis for
tasks that we are most qualified to perform.
Such tasks may include: clarification of functional
requirements for vendor project team members,
and support in developing the account coding
block and budgetary control structure, grant
and project accounting, federal reporting, cost
allocation, and cash management functions.
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Project
Monitoring/Quality Assurance.
Independent assessment of major systems development
projects to ensure such projects are completed
in a timely manner, within budget, according
to established specifications which reflect
user needs, adhere to established technical
standards and procedures, and make optimal use
of technology. The quality assurance function
will provide management with an independent
evaluation of project progress and identification
of actual/potential problems associated with
the project. Activities may include, but are
not be limited to:
- Participation in major system component
"walk-throughs"
- Review of system testing standards and procedures
- Review of system documentation and training
plan/materials
- Review of project approach, tools, techniques
and methodologies used
- Tracking of project timelines and deadlines
per the detailed project workplan
- Independent risk analysis and risk mitigation
planning
- Review of project deliverables to ensure
that they are of the highest quality and meet
standards for deliverables per the RFO/RFP
- Monitoring of contract specifics between
system vendor and state agency
- Preparation of periodic status reports to
project executive management, including recommendations
for corrective action/improvements
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Change
Management. When an organization
implements a new automated system, the greatest
risk to success does not arise from the software
configuration and implementation process, but
from the changes to the existing workplace.
The new system will utilize new business processes
that may radically change the work environment
and job tasks of employees. The risks associated
with not recognizing the change impact and properly
managing it can disrupt the project implementation
effort and system acceptance, decrease employee
productivity, and increase employee stress and
anxiety. Our change management services include
the development and implementation of an overall
change management approach and strategy to address:
- Readiness assessment of end users
- Evaluation of end-user training (including
curriculum, techniques, logistics, job aids,
etc.)
- Media for disseminating change management
information-keeping people informed (e.g.,
newsletter, workshops, project web site, etc.)
- End-user support and help desk operations
- Change management roles and responsibilities
- Implementation of a detailed cultural change
management and communications plan tailored
to the organization’s needs
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Strategic
Planning. Identification
of a governmental entity's information technology
(IT) needs and development of a plan for addressing
said needs through cost-effective solutions.
Goals, objectives and priorities should drive
the strategic plan. The strategic plan will
address, but not be limited to, the following:
- Documentation of information technology
needs
- Strategic direction
- Technical architectures and technology enablers
required in the future to meet the future
strategic direction
- Specific IT projects (new systems, enhancements
to current systems, etc.) to be initiated
in support of the strategic plan
- Prioritization of IT projects by each year
of the plan period
- Anticipated hardware requirements
- Anticipated software requirements
- Anticipated resource requirements (in-house
and external)
- Funding requirements
- Assistance in determining best use of electronic
government capabilities, including government
to government(G2G), government to business
(G2B), and government to citizen (G2C)functions.
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Feasibility/Alternative
Solutions Studies. Assistance
in determining whether to proceed with an IT
project and which solution to pursue when multiple
solutions are available. Activities may include,
but are not limited to: problem identification
and definition, identification and analysis
of alternative solutions (including risk analysis
and cost benefit analysis), and recommendation
of solution to be implemented.
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