Completion Report

Project Summary:

Whilst the project has delivered a solution to enable;  specified waste suppliers to be registered on the system; specified waste types to be logged for collection;  controlled scheduled collections supplied to the waste contractor for uplift and subsequent re-charging, the delivery of the project was not without considerable difficulty.

In reviewing the deliverables specified in the project brief, the project has delivered

• Define and document business requirements  - delivered
• Identify and procure (if required) a software solution that meets the business requirements – delivered
• Implementation of a new software solution that will enable the University of Edinburgh to
  • Effectively track the disposal of waste from source, via various routes, to the point of  treatment / destruction  - delivered
  • Accurately re-charge departments (both internal and external to the University) according to defined charging models – delivered
  • Integrate (or at least provide data transfer facility) with existing University of Edinburgh systems such as EBIS and Finance eIT for the logging monitoring (tracking), reporting on the re-charging of high-risk waste items – only requirement to supply billing details to Finance
  • Enable a mechanism to import data such as specified building details from the EBIS system – not required
  • Provide management information with regards to weight, price and carbon dioxide omissions  - delivered
  • Provide a mechanism to track the subsequent treatment / disposal of waste – delivered as part of the process flow
• Identify and procure  (if required) associated infrastructure to host solution; and appropriate devices such as scanners, printers, docking stations required by the system to function - delivered
• Provide user training and support documentation regarding system usage and on-going maintenance – delivered by the Waste management team
• Define on-going Service Level Agreement with IS Applications – not applicable as this is currently being worked on in conjunction with all Estates and Buildings system

In reflecting on this project, it has been noted that there were a combination of factors that contributed to the difficulties encountered. These can be summarised, as follows with no particular significance in the specified order; product awareness, technical installation and associated procedures, project governance and lack of resource. 

However, taking into account all the delays and difficulties, it should be noted that all members of the project team, both locally within the University and the external supplier FalconData, have demonstrated both remarkable resilience and employed considerable effort in delivering the solution.  In addition, it is worth recording that the working relationships with the supplier have greatly increased over the latter phase of the project, through an understanding of requirements and procedures required by both.

Due to the nature of the project a full project review was undertaken and the details can be viewed here .  However, a summary of the lessons learned are noted below;

• Representation from Development Technology should be present during the collations of the business requirements and any subsequent product evaluations
• During the project evaluation, time should be set aside to provide the ability to undertake a brief proof of concept to to minimise any misunderstandings on the part of either the customer or the supplier
• Always undertake a site visit to a specified reference site
• Requirement to ensure that there is a full technical specification of the all aspects of the required infrastructure and associated implementation plan
• Requirement to ensure that the supplier fully understands the infrastructure responsibilities and the associated process to effect change within the University, e.g. firewall changes are specified well in advance, particularly if required for a site visit
• Any risks or uncertainties regarding the technical installation (e.g. difference in SQL Server version) should be confirmed through a test installation by the supplier prior to any installation on-site
• When working with external organisations, ensure there is a recognised and enforceable escalation process
• For any additional product enhancement, ensure that the same test script is agreed and used by both the supplier and the customer
• Ensure that sufficient training iis available to provide the business users with a full understanding of the application capabilities prior to on-site configuration and testing
• Ensure that repeatedly missed milestones are questioned and justified through more rigorous stop / go decision points   
• Ensure that the business team fully appreciate their roles and responsibilities within the project and that staff have sufficient time to fully participate through all the project stages.
• Regular and minuted project meetings enabled all to be aware of the project activity
• Vitally important to maintain communication with all stakeholders
• A single call logging system accessible should be accessible to both the customer and the supplier

Analysis of Resource Usage:

Staff Usage Estimate: 102 days

Staff Usage Actual: 150 days

Staff Usage Variance: 47%

Other Resource Estimate: 0 days

Other Resource Actual: 0 days

Other Resource Variance: 0%

Explanation for variance:

Key Learning Points:

Outstanding issues: