From the course: Project Management Foundations: Risk

Solution: Technology deployment

From the course: Project Management Foundations: Risk

Solution: Technology deployment

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(upbeat music) - In the last video, I described a scenario and asked you to recommend appropriate risk responses to address the situation. Here's the scenario. You're managing a project to replace a 25 year old warehouse and product distribution system, or WPD. The current WPD system is so old it can't even support the use of a mouse. Most employees who use the existing WPD system, have been around as long as the system has. So leveraging new technology at work will be a new concept for most who will use the new system. Also, deploying the proposed new WPD system will require your IT group to obtain new skills, which are hard to come by in the marketplace. Given this situation, there are significant risks that can create trouble for the project. Here are the risk responses I'd recommend in this situation. First, the shock of having to do with a big new system must be addressed. Have your technical and business representatives, directed by a team leader, walk through the processes in the new system, step by step, so team members are less overwhelmed by the change that will be coming with the new system. This may not be an uncommon task, or an atypical risk response, but the detail required for this is the difference in this situation. Second, talk with others that have implemented the new system in other businesses. Get their advice about the technical challenges, so your staff can be prepared to implement and support the new system. Plan training in advance by working with the software vendor. As a contingency, have funds allocated to hire a contractor to join your technical team if needed to support the new system until your staff gets up to speed. Third, let users get used to using the new technology by opening a new systems' lab. This would have easy and fun to use applications, things like games or small systems related to the project's business. Staff members could come in and literally play with the new technology, with or without guidance. This would bring people up to speed on what to expect from new user interfaces, use of a mouse, or touchscreen technology, and other aspects that will make the new system less new to stakeholders. In short, these risk mitigation actions have a common theme. They strive to make a new system seem less new or unique once it's implemented.

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