Articles

Deployment:  

Application deployment for any product in the RidgeGarrett App Suite can typically be done within a short time. Deployment consists of RidgeGarrett provisioning the environment in our Data Center with the appropriate application, then forwarding a specific IP address (or a domain name) to the customer to begin accessing and using the app via their web browser.

It's important to recognize the application will not be populated with, nor connected to, any of the customer's internal systems or databases upon initial deployment. Services required to bring appropriate data into the newly deployed app (from the customer's other systems that currently contain the data) are usually considered part of the implementation. The quick deployment of an application allows the end users to immediately get familiar with the app functionalities, look and feel, and gain good understanding of the overall features included with deployment of the basic configuration of the app.

Implementation:  

RidgeGarrett provides the following items as part of our Standardized Application Implementation Methodology. Keep keep in mind, each application deployed will require additional implementation steps relative to the specific needs of the customer. Although your immediate objective may only be to successfully deploy an individual application, careful planning and long range considerations with an enterprise perspective will yield cost savings down the road.

Standardized Application Implementation Methodology  

• Whiteboard discussions regarding existing enterprise systems, architecture and applications.
• Demonstration and deployment of the application to customer; provide login credentials to customer for continued hands-on evaluation and utilization of the demo app during the implementation process.
• Understanding of Customer's existing methods and processes both departmentally and with an enterprise view in mind.  Includes: workflows, events, touch points, campaigns, contacts management, cross functional group activities, etc.
• Identification of current data and information flows relative to existing technology and processes.
• Identify all additions to, and/or changes to, the methods, processes, technology and workflows associated with the future state (aka "post implementation").
• Access and perform needed elements of the data strategy, including: restructuring, cleansing, synchronization and deduplication (as needed) prior to establishment of data mappings to the application.
• Perform (as needed) data migrations between database systems; establish any needed ETL (extract, transform, load) integrations between systems which may be desired for
   continual data feeds of cross-functional departmental data and/or external 3rd party data.
• Functional test, and user testing of application functionalities, including integrations between systems, if any.
• Troubleshoot needed items within a Test Environment; bring entire system into the Production Environment; snapshot and back up virtual machine states per the defined scheduling, and establish baseline implementation parameters of the application for any future needs.
• Perform Application customizations (if any).
• Integration with other departmental and BI systems (as reqd)
• Application Training: onsite and/or online (as req'd).
• Application Support and Management of the virtual infrastructure dedicated to Customer environment at the RidgeGarrett Data Center. 

Integration:   

Integrations (of deployed and implemented applications) to other unique systems and databases within the customer's company may occur at any time. Either as part of the overall application implementation process, or at a later time down the road. Often customers will deploy then implement the application with only immediate data required to drive the application functionality. This process gives end users time to familiarize and train with relevant data to conduct their present daily activities with minimal productivity lag.

Once users are fully comfortable with the "deeper" functionalities of the application, there may be a learned need to integrate other database systems and information into the application to realize the full extent of it's capabilities. Almost always as end users gain thorough knowledge of the app capabilities, there will be logical changes to some of the company's existing process methodologies. Think of it as "the way we used to do it before getting the application". When integrations occur as part of the overall implementation, there often are unrealized items that will require a later integration, anyway. Integrations can happen during, or post implementation. It's usually a matter of choice or preference based on many factors and is not a matter of "right or wrong".  

Hindsight post implementation can ultimately lead to better overall integration of the application. This is because of things learned during the implementation, and because of the insights your end users will gain from becoming more and more hands-on familiar with the application functionalities. This, the reason why RidgeGarrett thinks it critical to get end users working with the deployed application ASAP, even when not yet implemented.