3. Scope
Once the evaluation step is complete, the process will have a high level understanding of the fit of the proposed solution for the Penn community. The scope step will provide a clear picture on how the solution will be adopted by Penn. The scope step will answer the following questions:
- Is this a strategic or tactical solution? If it is a tactical solution this solves a specific business case, but does not fit in the larger IT architecture or culture at Penn. On the other hand a strategic solution would be appropriate for a long term adoption at Penn.
- What is the cost profile of this solution prior to negotiation? It is expected that we have detailed quotes from vendors as well as a comprehensive understanding of the operational and one time up front cost for the solution. This will be much more detailed than the costing obtained in the evaluate step and should give us a clear understanding of the final cost profile after negotiations.
- What are the business cases for this solution, including the expected users and clients of the solutions? Who will be the solution owner? Who is/are the sponsor(s) and other potential stakeholders? It should provide a clear plan on the adoption of the solution at Penn.
- Most times the test step will involve a trial or pilot project; what are the success criteria for this evaluation? These criteria should be clearly aligned with the business cases in the previous bullet and should be measurable.
After the completion of this step a report will be published that indicates how to progress with the solution. This step may make recommendations on scope, project plans and solution ownership.
If due to the work in this step the recommendation is not to progress with the solution, the report will indicate what the reasons are, which might be the scope of the implementation, cost implications or integration difficulties. This is step also may result in a continued discussion with the stakeholders and an iterative approach for progressing the solution.
Next step: Test