IFS Implementation Methodology - Establish Solution

Purpose The Establish Solution phase focuses on the complete design, construction, and rigorous testing of the IFS Cloud solution, ensuring it aligns with the customer's needs and expectations.

Description In this phase, the aim is to create a fully functional solution that meets the client's specific requirements. Thorough testing is conducted to detect and resolve critical errors, followed by re-testing to ensure all issues have been addressed. Data migration processes are validated, with sample data testing performed on both manual and automated migration workflows. This step also includes defining and verifying user roles, profiles, and technical configurations tailored to the solution.

Partner consultants deliver training based on the customer's business processes, providing insights into the core features, concepts, and process flows within IFS Applications. Training on IFS Security, custom configuration, and the Data Migration toolkit ensures the customer's technical team is well-prepared to support the solution.

Solution workshops are then held, allowing the customer to test and confirm the solution’s alignment with their business processes. These workshops, typically spanning one or two days, consist of two parts:

1. In-depth training on specific solution configurations and their functional applications.
2. Scenario-based testing is used to validate business process flows, data element definitions, and essential reports.

Through this process, any gaps or interface requirements are documented, with corresponding updates made to the Book of Rules Document and Step-by-Step Guides. These guides are crafted to document the customer’s business processes in user-friendly language, ensuring clarity and usability for end-users.

All configurations, integrations, reports, and modifications (CRIM objects) are developed, tested, and refined during this phase. A step-by-step testing approach covers standard processes, common exceptions, and specific edge cases, with key users validating all significant functions.

The solution configuration is migrated to the Production environment with each verified element. Technical teams collaborate to map legacy data to IFS migration containers, performing iterative extraction, loading, and testing to confirm data accuracy. The final verification cycle involves a Solution Acceptance Test (SAT), where business flows are evaluated to confirm that the solution meets all requirements. This test evaluates customizations, integrations, and security roles, ensuring full readiness for the Implement Solution phase.

Solution Established Qualification Gate Criteria:

• Defined and validated security roles and profiles
• Completed Production environment configuration
• Validated data migration processes
• Developed and delivered CRIM objects
• Completed, documented, and approved Solution Acceptance Test
• Finalized end-user training materials
• Scheduled and resourced Implement Solution stage

This phase marks a critical point in the implementation, where rigorous validation and preparation ensure the solution is ready for deployment.