Overview
The Solution Planning Study (SPS) is a service offered to prospective SunSystems clients (or existing clients facing organizational change) to help determine how your business requirements can be met by a system using SunSystems products.

The service also helps to identify the best deployment for your organization, and how to address systems integration requirements.

Primary deliverable
Senior SunSystems consultants carry out the SPS in conjunction with your organization's staff. The primary deliverable is a Solution Planning Study Report that will:

• Summarize your key business requirements to be met by a SunSystems solution
• Outline the recommend solution, including a technical specification
• Outline the optimum process necessary to achieve your objectives
• Outline the principal build and configuration tasks that need to be undertaken
• Outline the recommended approach to integration
• Present a detailed estimate of the services work required to achieve the solution

While the SPS will not provide a full systems design, it will cover the basis necessary to build a SunSystems project, and can be expected to reduce the time required in subsequent design and build work.

Suitability
The SPS Service is appropriate for prospective SunSystems users that meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Need to clarify the best approach to the project, especially with regard to issues such as:
  • System design
    • Appropriate for the organization, in respect of both installation and longer-term management
    • Centralized or distributed
  • Implications of a core design and rollout
  • Phasing the project
  • Migrating data from existing systems
  • Integrating financial and order fulfilment software with external systems
  • Managing a business systems project
• Need for expert advice on technology issues relating to the use of SunSystems
• Concern over the ability of SunSystems to provide all the functionality required

Scope
The work carried out during an SPS may comprise all or some of the following elements, depending on the your specific needs:

• Review of business requirements
• Technology study
• Integration study
• Assessment of functionality required
• Review of reporting requirements

The SPS may cover one or more than one of the SunSystems products. An SPS will not extend to detailed design work, major prototyping or system testing.

Approach
An SPS will generally be run as follows - the weighting given to each element and the sequence in which they are carried out may vary from client to client.

SPS initiation

• Initial statement of your requirements
• Initiation meeting
• Terms of reference

Analysis stage

This includes workshops and meetings with your organization's staff, to cover all stated requirements. This phase may lead by agreement to a redefinition of requirements.

Delivery stage

• Draft report. This states how each of your requirements would best be met in a SunSystems project. Any exceptions are listed and recommendations made for proceeding.
• Report review and acceptance

Conclusion

• Review meeting or meetings to discuss recommendations and agree the way forward
• Follow-up action as required

Methodology
All Solution Planning Studies are delivered under the SunSystems PQIS methodology, which ensures that the service is delivered with maximum efficiency and minimum risk.