targets of the project.' The extent to which a project is in the spotlight and is of strategic importance to the supplier is worth considering.
Implementation
Big bang versus a phased approach is a big decision. The former might mean a faster project, so that benefits are realised earlier, but tends to come with heightened risk. At Equity Bank in Kenya, the fact that customers were 'clamouring for improved service' pushed the bank towards a big bang even though, with hindsight, head of operations, AllanWaititu, admitted a phased route would have been preferable.
Universal Banks Installation Time: in-house & vendor vs. in- house, vendor & third party
The flexibility of some packages is notorious for creating problem projects. If you are able to configure everything within a system then this brings great flexibility but also requires firm project management.With Calypso, for instance, Dick Vlot, head of operations IT at
Rabobank, observed that you could start with a blank sheet of paper. To seek to address the associated risks, some suppliers, including Calypso, have sought to come up with pre-configured versions of their offerings. Temenos'Model Bank versions of T24 are the clearest example. Upfront planning is important, said Vlot, so too a relatively small, dedicated workflow team. There are also examples of banks taking pre-configured versions of systems from other bank implementations as the starting point for their own projects. AXA Bank in Switzerland did this.
