We follow Oracle's Application Implementation Methodology (AIM). GrayCell has a library of all the approaches taken to implement Oracle Applications (E-Business suite), all the sample programs developed to load data through interfaces and API's to the right place in Oracle Applications.For more details on Oracle's AIM, click here

GrayCell Oracle Applications Implementation Methodology (AIM)

GrayCell uses Oracle Applications Implementation Methodology (AIM) to ensure proper ERP project planning, execution and documentation. Documentation is especially important in ensuring long-term implementation support. The idea is to base your support structure on your documented information and not upon the availability of the specific consultants who designed your system.
Oracle AIM is a tool to effectively manage Oracle Application project implementations. It also simplifies the documentation process.

AIM Overview

AIM consists of a project management methodology together with the underlying documentation templates that support the tasks you perform within this methodology. This combination of a methodology together with documentation templates makes AIM a powerful tool for assisting implementation participants in running and managing projects successfully.

The methodology and structure

This six-phase methodology is similar to traditional software project management methodologies and includes the following phases:

• Definition - establish the business objectives and related requirements. Define the project work plan.
• Operations Analysis - analyze the operations and determine fit between organizational requirements and standard application functionality.
• Design - develop detailed designs for the optimal solutions to meet the future business requirements.
• Build - physical software system build and testing.
• Transition - deploying the finished solution into the organization.
• Production - go live.
  

Within these phases are the various processes - see the horizontally listed processes in the AIM Main Screen Project Phases and Processes Chart below.

Each process is made up of a number of tasks. Each task has a deliverable for which there is normally a documentation template. A process such as Application and Technical Architecture may phase stretches across all of the project phases. The level of work required for each process within each phase can immediately be ascertained by looking at the length of the bars for each process within the phases as displayed above.

In order to allow customization of the methodology according to user requirements, core and optional tasks have been defined. The core tasks in AIM define the minimum set of steps necessary to implement Oracle Applications.

Depending on your circumstances you may want to include a number of other optional tasks. For example, where there are interfaces to third party systems you can incorporate AIM tasks to help you examine, update and test those interfaces to work with the new system. Once you become more familiar with AIM you can therefore customize your implementation plan based on your knowledge of the tasks needed for a particular project.

AIM's Graphical User Interface has been crafted in such a way that it clearly illustrates the structure of the implementation methodology and provides easy access to the relevant deliverables for each particular task. The GUI allows you to drill down to the necessary deliverables as well as view the implementation plan in multiple different views.

The very first view that a user is presented with is shown above is where you are shown the relevant phases and the processes within these phases. By clicking on the word for each project phase you can look at all the tasks within that particular phase, which are also split according to process. Clicking on a particular process will show you all the tasks for that particular process divided up according to the relevant project phase.

Documentation Templates

One of the most important features of AIM are the documentation templates that it provides. There are more than 150 templates that you can make use of, which come in a variety of formats such as MS Word documents, MS Excel Spreadsheets and MS Project Files. Each of the document templates follows a standard coding convention that corresponds to the codes used in the template of the MS Project plan. Information on how to use each template can also be found in the comprehensive help system provided.

The document templates can be divided up into two types:

1) Generic Project Management Documents -These are standard templates that should be edited and adopted as standard documents for your organization so that they can be reused for subsequent implementations. Examples of these include the project work plan, change request documents, quality control documents, status monitoring and reporting documents.

2) Documentation Templates - These are designed specifically for Oracle Application implementations and make the documentation of the system setup and configuration relatively easy. Each of the setup documents is designed in accordance with the layout of the fields within the various forms contained in each module. So, capturing setup information simply involves transferring the data contained in your forms directly into the word documents provided.

GrayCell uses Oracle AIM:

• In the early stages of implementation - to establish what kind of solutions you want and how Oracle Applications need to be configured in response to you requirements.
• During the implementation process - to monitor and document the entire implementation process.
• At the end of each phase of the implementation process - to provide an organized system for signing off on deliverables at the completion of each phase of the process.
  

Using Oracle AIM, GrayCell provides you with:

• Standard Interface Design and Development Documents
  
• Data Conversion Design and Development documents
  
• EDI setup and implementation documents
  
• Sample Customized Reports, i.e. Invoice, PO, etc.
  
• WEB Interfaces
  
• Oracle Forms customization and development document and code
  
• SQL, PL/SQL, Pro*C, Java and JDeveloper procedure development and modification
  
• Setup documents

GrayCell's unique methodology for effectively prioritizing ERP and CRM projects and our unparalleled data management expertise will help you position your company to respond to unpredictable change, and capitalize on emerging growth opportunities.