AIM Process - Quick Reference

"AIM methodology is a set of guidelines or principles that can be tailored and applied to a specific situation." In a project environment, these guidelines might be a list of things to do. A methodology could also be a specific approach, templates, forms, and even checklists used over the project life cycle. Therefore that was the driving factor for bringing AIM's as methodology which was initially used by Oracle consulting, which is now most acceptable methodology for oracle application roll out. The AIM Advantage product gives you all the tools you need to make your implementation successful by providing guidelines for: * Business Process Architecture * Business Requirements Definition * Business Requirements Mapping * Application and Technical Architecture * Module Design and Build * Data Conversion * Documentation * Business System Testing * Adoption and Learning * Performance Testing * Production Migration AIM Processes A process in AIM represents a related set of objectives, resource skill requirements, inputs, and deliverable outputs. A task can belong to only one process. Project team members are usually assigned to a process according to their specialization and background. A brief description of the AIM processes are given below: 1. Business Requirements Definition: Business Requirements Definition defines the business needs that must be met by the implementation project. You document business processes by identifying business events and describing the steps that respond to these events. 2. Business Requirements Mapping: Business Requirements Mapping compares the business requirements to standard application software functionality and identifies gaps that must be addressed to fully meet business needs. As gaps between requirements and functionality emerge, they are resolved by documenting workarounds, alternative solutions, application extensions, or by changing the underlying business process. 3. Application and Technical Architecture: During the Application and Technical Architecture you design an information systems architecture that reflects your business vision. Using the business and information systems requirements, this process facilitates development of a plan for deploying and configuring the hardware required for a successful implementation.

4. Module Design and Build: Module Design and Build produces custom software solutions to gaps in functionality identified during Business Requirements Mapping. Custom software solutions include program modules that must be designed, built, and tested before they can be incorporated into the system. 5. Data Conversion: Data Conversion defines the tasks and deliverables required to convert legacy data to the Oracle Applications tables. The first step of this process explicitly defines the business objects that are required for conversion and the legacy source systems that store these objects. The converted data may be needed for system testing, training, and acceptance testing as well as for production. 6. Documentation: Documentation begins with materials created early in the project. Using detailed documents from the project, the writing staff develops user and technical material that are tailored to the implementation. 7. Business System Testing: Business System Testing focuses on linking test requirements back to business requirements and securing project resources needed for testing. It supports utilizing common test information including data profiles to promote testing co-ordination and to minimize duplication of test preparation and execution effort. 8. Performance Testing: Performance Testing enables you to define, build, and execute a performance test. Use the results to make decisions on whether the performance is acceptable for the business and to help propose tactical or strategic changes to address the performance quality shortfall. Performance Testing is closely related to Application and Technical Architecture; they are interdependent. 9. User Training: Training prepares both users and administrators to assume on the tasks of running the new application system. It includes development of materials and methods as well as administration. Instructors and course ware developers orient their material toward roles and jobs, and not toward application modules. 10. Production Migration: Production Migration moves the company, system, and people to the new enterprise system. Following production cut over, it monitors and refines the production system and plans for the future. The Production Migration process encompasses transition to production readiness, production cut over, and post-production support AIM Phases: An AIM project is conducted in phases that provide quality and control checkpoints to co-ordinate project activities that have a common goal. During a project phase, your project team will be executing tasks from several processes. A brief description of the AIM processes are given below: 1. Definition: This consist of review the organization's business objectives, evaluate the

feasibility of meeting those objectives under time, resource, and budget constraints. Moreover this can be best consider as SOW(statement of work) preparation phase. 2. Operations Analysis: During Operations Analysis, the project team develops Business Requirements Scenarios based on deliverables from Definition that are used to assess the level of fit between the business requirements and standard application functionality. Gaps are identified and corresponding solutions developed. The analysis results in a proposal for conducting business operations under the envisioned application technical architecture. Solutions for gaps evolve into detailed designs during Solution Design. 3. Solution Design: The purpose of Solution Design is to develop the detailed designs for the optimal solutions to meet the future business requirements. During this phase, project team members create detailed narratives of process solutions developed during Operations Analysis. Supporting business requirements may require building application extensions to standard features; several alternative solutions may have been defined during Operations Analysis. The project team carefully scrutinizes these solutions and chooses the most cost effective alternatives. 4. Build: The coding and testing of all customizations and other custom software including enhancements, data conversions, and interfaces is done during Build. Policy and procedure changes relating to business process modifications are developed. Business system testing is performed to validate that the developed solutions meet business requirements. If customizations, extensions, or conversions are not required, Build is still important because it includes the business system test, which is commonly conducted as a formal conference room pilot. The business system test validates the solutions and is performed in an environment that closely resembles production. 5. Transition: During Transition, the project team deploys the finished solution into the organization. All the elements of the implementation must come together to transition successfully to actual production. The project team trains the end users while the technical team configures the production environment and converts data. Transition ends with the cutover to production, when end users start performing their job duties using the new system. 6. Production: Production begins immediately with the production cutover. It marks the last phase of the implementation, and the beginning of the system support cycle. Included in this final phase is a series of refinements and performance measurement steps. The in house MIS/IT Department personnel work quickly to stabilize the system and begin regular maintenance. They will provide the ongoing support to the organization for the remaining life of the system. During Production, you compare actual results to project objectives. Oracle A.I.M. Methodology encompasses a project management methodology with documentation templates that support the life cycle of an implementation. The life cycle methodology and documentation template allows A.I.M. to be a very useful tool for

managing implementation projects successfully. This is a depiction of the A.I.M. methodology life cycle: Application Implementation Method is a proven approach for all the activities required to implement oracle applications. There are eleven processes of implementation. 1. Business Process Architecture [BP] - This phase outlines: Existing Business Practices Catalog change practices Leading practices Future practices BP.010 Define Business and Process Strategy BP.020 Catalog and Analyze Potential Changes BP.030 Determine Data Gathering Requirements BP.040 Develop Current Process Model BP.050 Review Leading Practices BP.060 Develop High-Level Process Vision BP.070 Develop High-Level Process Design BP.080 Develop Future Process Model BP.090 Document Business Procedure 2. Business Requirement Definition [RD] - This phase explains about the initial baseline questionnaire and gathering of requirements. RD.010 Identify Current Financial and Operating Structure RD.020 Conduct Current Business Baseline RD.030 Establish Process and Mapping Summary RD.040 Gather Business Volumes and Metrics RD.050 Gather Business Requirements RD.060 Determine Audit and Control Requirements RD.070 Identify Business Availability Requirements RD.080 Identify Reporting and Information Access Requirements 3. Business Requirement Mapping [BR] - In this phase the requirements of business are matched with the standard functionality of the oracle applications. BR.010 Analyze High-Level Gaps BR.020 Prepare mapping environment BR.030 Map Business requirements BR.040 Map Business Data BR.050 Conduct Integration Fit Analysis BR.060 Create Information Model BR.070 Create Reporting Fit Analysis BR.080 Test Business Solutions BR.090 Confirm Integrated Business Solutions

BR.100 Define Applications Setup BR.110 Define security Profiles 4. Application and Technical Architecture [TA] - This outlines the infrastructure requirements to implement oracle applications. TA.010 Define Architecture Requirements and Strategy TA.020 Identify Current Technical Architecture TA.030 Develop Preliminary Conceptual Architecture TA.040 Define Application Architecture TA.050 Define System Availability Strategy TA.060 Define Reporting and Information Access Strategy TA.070 Revise Conceptual Architecture TA.080 Define Application Security Architecture TA.090 Define Application and Database Server Architecture TA.100 Define and Propose Architecture Subsystems TA.110 Define System Capacity Plan TA.120 Define Platform and Network Architecture TA.130 Define Application Deployment Plan TA.140 Assess Performance Risks TA.150 Define System Management Procedures 5. Build and Module Design [MD] - This phase emphasizes the development of new functionality (customization) required by the client. It mainly details how to design the required forms, database and reports. MD.010 Define Application Extension Strategy MD.020 Define and estimate application extensions MD.030 Define design standards MD.040 Define Build Standards MD.050 Create Application extensions functional design MD.060 Design Database extensions MD.070 Create Application extensions technical design MD.080 Review functional and Technical designs MD.090 Prepare Development environment MD.100 Create Database extensions MD.110 Create Application extension modules MD.120 Create Installation routines 6. Data Conversion [CV] - Data Conversion is the process of converting or transferring the data from legacy system to oracle applications. Ex. Transferring customer records from the legacy to the Customer Master. CV.010 Define data conversion requirements and strategy CV.020 Define Conversion standards

CV.030 Prepare conversion environment CV.040 Perform conversion data mapping CV.050 Define manual conversion procedures CV.060 Design conversion programs CV.070 Prepare conversion test plans CV.080 Develop conversion programs CV.090 Perform conversion unit tests CV.100 Perform conversion business objects CV.110 Perform conversion validation tests CV.120 Install conversion programs CV.130 Convert and verify data 7. Documentation [DO] - Documentation prepared per module that includes user guides and implementation manuals. DO.010 Define documentation requirements and strategy DO.020 Define Documentation standards and procedures DO.030 Prepare glossary DO.040 Prepare documentation environment DO.050 Produce documentation prototypes and templates DO.060 Publish user reference manual DO.070 Publish user guide DO.080 Publish technical reference manual DO.090 Publish system management guide 8. Business System Testing [TE] - A process of validating the setups and functionality by QA (functional consultant) to certify status. TE.010 Define testing requirements and strategy TE.020 Develop unit test script TE.030 Develop link test script TE.040 Develop system test script TE.050 Develop systems integration test script TE.060 Prepare testing environments TE.070 Perform unit test TE.080 Perform link test TE.090 perform installation test TE.100 Prepare key users for testing TE.110 Perform system test TE.120 Perform systems integration test TE.130 Perform Acceptance test 9. Performance Testing [PT] - Performance testing is the evaluation of transactions saving time, transaction retrieval times, workflow background process, database performance, etc

PT.010 - Define Performance Testing Strategy PT.020 - Identify Performance Test Scenarios PT.030 - Identify Performance Test Transaction PT.040 - Create Performance Test Scripts PT.050 - Design Performance Test Transaction Programs PT.060 - Design Performance Test Data PT.070 - Design Test Database Load Programs PT.080 - Create Performance Test Transaction Programs PT.090 - Create Test Database Load Programs PT.100 - Construct Performance Test Database PT.110 - Prepare Performance Test Environment PT.120 - Execute Performance Test 10. Adoption and Learning [AP] - This phase explains the removal of the legacy system and oracle application roll out enterprise wide. AP.010 - Define Executive Project Strategy AP.020 - Conduct Initial Project Team Orientation AP.030 - Develop Project Team Learning Plan AP.040 - Prepare Project Team Learning Environment AP.050 - Conduct Project Team Learning Events AP.060 - Develop Business Unit Managers Readiness Plan AP.070 - Develop Project Readiness Roadmap AP.080 - Develop and Execute Communication Campaign AP.090 - Develop Managers Readiness Plan AP.100 - Identify Business Process Impact on Organization AP.110 - Align Human Performance Support Systems AP.120 - Align Information Technology Groups AP.130 - Conduct User Learning Needs Analysis AP.140 - Develop User Learning Plan AP.150 - Develop User Learning ware AP.160 - Prepare User Learning Environment AP.170 - Conduct User Learning Events AP.180 - Conduct Effectiveness Assessment 11. Production Migration [PM] - The process of decommissioning of legacy system and the usage (adoption) of oracle application system. PM.010 - Define Transition Strategy PM.020 - Design Production Support Infrastructure PM.030 - Develop Transition and Contingency Plan PM.040 - Prepare Production Environment PM.050 - Set Up Applications PM.060 - Implement Production Support Infrastructure PM.070 - Verify Production Readiness

PM.080 - Begin Production PM.090 - Measure System Performance PM.100 - Maintain System PM.110 - Refine Production System PM.120 - Decommission Former Systems PM.130 - Propose Future Business Direction PM.140 - Propose Future Technical Direction