For AFL success is not the sale, it is on completion of the implementation. AFL's implementation projects are designed with each customer to meet their business objectives and timetable: project risks and budgets are closely controlled.
Project Definition: "Things went wrong from the start" is a phrase that can often be heard from people looking back on events. AFL recognise that system implementation projects have a history of exceeding cost and time budgets as well as under delivering on the processes and features that were expected to provide value for money improvements.
To guard against unsatisfactory implementations we ask customers to participate in a "project definition" meeting that establishes what is to be achieved. The benefits to the organisation are quantified and a mechanism for measuring the benefits agreed.
The project is then resourced and timetabled to obtain the benefit objectives. This approach ensures that all project personnel work towards a common goal - the benefits the organisation has set out to achieve.
AFL has not billed a customer in excess of their original budget for the scope of work defined.
Project Planning: Project planning is a core skill essential to software implementations. System implementation projects frequently compete for the customer teams time as they are still involved in their 'day job' as well as project tasks.
We use our project planning capabilities to identify the resource availability, tasks, and milestones. We then critically review the plans with our customers and look at acceleration techniques to ensure deadlines are successfully met.
Risk Analysis: All project milestones will have a variety of risks that affect their outcome. We work with our customers' risk control procedures to identify potential risks and determine contingency actions and project plan alterations.
Project Management and Resourcing: Working with our customers' project procedures we ensure that progress of all tasks that AFL is responsible for are monitored and the impact of any changes to the project plan is reported at an early stage.AFL will employ appropriate project progress tracking and reporting schedules. Where appropriate we can provide skilled implementation and accounting resource to assist project implementation.