Kick Off Presentation: Enterprise Systems

Not everything can be an email, especially not the official kick off of an enterprise system project. For my clients, these projects range in cost from $150k to $1M, last 3–12 months, and have between 5 and 15 people on the project (internal and external). Getting everyone on the same page at the beginning is critical to the success of the project.

I insist on a kick off meeting that lasts no more than two hours to go over the details in the Project Document.

The Executive Sponsor is present for at least the first 30 minutes of the meeting while the Business Sponsor attends the entire meeting. Both internal and external team members attend. We do a team building exercise to get folks to introduce everyone and begin to establish the foundations of good working relationships.

Who creates: Project Manager. This should align with the details in the Project Document and is reviewed with key team members prior to the kick off meeting to avoid surprises.

Who approves: no approval is required for this deliverable. I recommend reviewing the details with the Executive and Business Sponsors to confirm they are on board and can be strong and vocal supporters of the overall plan as detailed in the Project Document.

When: this is created prior to the project kick off.

What’s Included

— Introductions: this is the first time that the internal and external team members are meeting each other so brief introductions are essential at the beginning of the kick off.

— Why we are here: this covers the project purpose / objectives and what everyone can expect from the kick off meeting. The Executive Sponsor often includes a statement as to the importance of the project to the organization.

— Project overview: this is the heart of the kick off meeting and includes the project timeline (high level), scope (both what is in and out-of-scope), implementation objectives, acceptance criteria, and assumptions.

— Project team: this details the project team members and their roles and responsibilities on the project.

— Project management: this details the deliverables, ground rules, communication management, issue management, testing, training, and document management processes.

— Risk management: this highlights the anticipated risks for the project and the mitigation plans for each risk.

— Next steps: this details the high level next steps for the following 2–4 weeks depending on the project so folks know what to expect in the near term.

— Team building activity: this is a quick but effective activity to give folks a chance to get to know each other and begin to establish trust.

Other Things to Note

If the system is being validated in accordance with 21 CFR Part 11, there is a section on validation.

If there are troublesome members of the team, it’s best to review the kick off presentation with them prior to the meeting to make sure their issues / questions are answered and they don’t derail the meeting (and project).

The implementation partner may want to have their own kick off meeting and presentation. I do not recommend this. Since the implementation partner tends to focus on a narrower project scope than what is necessary for the client, anything they might require should be included in the kick off presentation with the emphasis being on the overall project and not only their portion. The project kick off meeting should be facilitated / lead by the client project manager.

While we used to conduct the kick off meetings in person to aid in team bonding, most projects are primarily virtual at this point and can still be effective.

How long is this document? Once again it depends on the complexity of the project. This can be between 30 and 50 slides.

Why Share This Now? Back when I was an accountant, working for my dad’s accounting firm, we had a lot of small businesses as clients. The owners of the small businesses struggled with basic bookkeeping and accounting which meant that we couldn’t add value to them and their businesses because we were so focused on the fundamentals. We created a few accounting classes for them in the form of Accounting 101, 102, 201, and 202 so we could do more with them.

I’m applying the same principles here. If I can help my clients (prospective or current) help themselves with projects and project deliverables, then I get to elevate my role beyond the day-to-day and into a strategic and advisory role which, frankly, is a lot more fun!

Check out my blog post Project Deliverables: Enterprise Systems for the complete list of deliverables with links other blog posts.

Have Questions or Require Assistance?

Feel free to reach out to Terri with any questions you might have via email at terri.mead@solutions2projects.com or through the company website SolutionsProjects, LLC.

About the Author

Terri Hanson Mead, MBA, PMP, is a technology and compliance strategist for biotech, pharma, medical device, diagnostic, and digital health companies. Through her company, Solutions2Projects, she helps life sciences companies align technology roadmaps with corporate objectives and meet IT compliance requirements in a complex and regulated industry. As an expert witness, Terri provides pre-litigation consulting and expert witness services for failed technology projects, including enterprise systems.