What is Oracle’s Application Implementation Methodology (AIM)

What is a methodology..

“A 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.

So then what oracle application methodology in short AIM’s based out of…

• Multi-track methodology
• Technology Modernization
• Business Process Reengineering
• Oracle Application/System Development
• Organizational Change
• Project Management

When it was first launched
Any Guess… The first version of AIM was initially released for use by Oracle Consulting staff in October 1994.

• Tasks, steps and deliverables for project life cycle
• Templates for many deliverables

AIM 2.0, a refined version of the method, was released in July 1997.

Oracle introduced AIM Advantage 3.0 in September 1999.

What is current version in market?
Oracle has launched AIM’s 3.1 version, which is also called as AIM’s Advantage, which is now a consider as web-deployed tool kit for planning, executing and controlling Oracle Applications implementation projects.

What is new in AIM’s?
In newer version couple of new enhancement has been made, they are
· Support for business process change using the new Business Process Architecture process
· Integration with Oracle products like Oracle Business Models and Oracle Tutor

Is any cost for holding AIM’s tool?
Yes, as reported on Oracle site it cost you USD $2195 for per Named User(.. this may be changed..check with Oracle site)

What other methods and tools are integrated with AIM 3.1?
AIM 3.1 is closely integrated with Oracle’s Project Management Method (PJM). AIM and PJM tasks are both reflected in the AIM Work Breakdown
Structure (WBS).

• Oracle Business Models (OBM)
• Solution Value Assessment (SVA)
• Oracle Support Assessment (OSA)
• Learning Needs Assessment (LNA)
• Enterprise Data Management System (EDMS)
• Oracle Tutor

How I get the AIM’s software?
AIM’s download is only limited to OPN (Oracle Partner Network)

What is software requirement for AIM’s 3.1
1. Windows 2000, XP, NT
2. Adobe Acrobat Reader 6.0 or later
3. Microsoft Office 2000 or later
4. Microsoft IE 6.0 or later, or Netscape 7.0 or later

What is covered in AIM’s

1. Technology Modernization
   This can be understood as the IT track contains tasks and steps relating to the creation and maintenance of procedures governing the hardware, systems software, toolsets, and databases.
2. Oracle Application/System Development
   The Oracle Application/System Development track contains the tasks and steps relating to the development of custom or tool code to support interfaces, conversions, extensions, reports, and integration testing exercises. This track overlaps the process reengineering track with the iterative design and setup of the application modules.
3. Business Process ReengineeringThe BPR track contains tasks and steps relating to process reengineering and application configuration. Prototyping is used to facilitate the design of “To Be” processes.
4. Organizational Change
   The Organizational Change track contains the tasks and steps relating to culture and change readiness assessment, organizational and job analysis, facilities analysis and preparation, user procedures and performance based training.
5. Project Management
   This track contains the tasks and steps relating to the development and management of work products on an Oracle Applications engagement. Its focus is to ensure that projects are estimated correctly, managed successfully, and properly integrated

Big -5 Implemenation consulting companies uses AIM (Application Implementation Methodology) to manage all of its Oracle Application projects. AIM can also be used for other different software implementations and does not limited to only Oracle Applications. However, the methodology was/is purposely built for Oracle Applications and the detailed deliverables produced are designed with the Oracle Application products in mind, as these are initially used for oracle consulting guys, and with time these are adopted methodology in Oracle application across the industry.

The following Oracle Applications Areas are covered by AIM:

• Oracle Financials
• Oracle Distribution
• Oracle Human Resources
• Oracle Manufacturing
• Oracle Projects
• Oracle Process Manufacturing
• Business Intelligence

AIM incorporates two things. First, it is a methodology showing what tasks are required, what order they should be completed in, and what resources are required . Secondly,it provides deliverable templates for all the tasks that require them. Hence the hybrid of methodology with a deliverable template tool makes AIM a powerful product.

One biggest disadvantage of AIM methodology is that is very complicated. Complicated in the sense it has ample number of deliverables which are more than 225 in number. In other word , the project time frame can be makes direct impact on this methodology , i mean to say if you tried to use them all you would be spending atleast 9-12 months implementing a 3 month project. AIM is supposed to be used by experienced project managers that pick and choose the tasks they require for each project.Most of Consulting company have fine tuned and took tailored approach for AIM’s methodology, based of there standard implementation practice.

AIM defines business needs at the beginning of the project and maintains their visibility throughout the implementation. It defines internal, external, and time sensitive business events and maps each event to the responding business and system processes. Using this method, the client gains an accurate understanding of the business requirements that need to be focused on during the course of the implementation.

AIM Structure Framework

AIM is a framework of related elements. It involves phases, processes, tasks and dependencies:

• A task is a unit of work, which results in a single deliverable. That deliverable may take many different forms like reports, schedules, code, or test results for example.
• A process is a closely related group of dependent tasks, which meets a major objective. A process is usually based on a common discipline.
• A phase is a chronological grouping of tasks. It enables a flexible way to organize tasks, schedule major deliverables, and deliver projects.

Processes and phases are explained in more detail below.

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 courseware 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 cutover, it monitors and refines the production system and plans for the future. The Production Migration process encompasses transition to production readiness, production cutover, and post-production support

The Process can easily understood by this diagram against Phases discussed below.

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 inhoues 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 templates allows A.I.M. to be a very useful tool for managing implementation projects successfully.

The A.I.M. methodology can actually be used for any type IT software implementations however the value of A.I.M is within the documentation template. The software includes the documentation templates, manuals and an html website to manage these templates.

This is a depiction of the A.I.M. methodology life cycle:

Business Process Architecture (BP)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

Business Requirements Definition (RD)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

Business Requirements MappingBR.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

Application and Technical Architecture (TA)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

Module Design and Build (MD)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

Data Conversion (CV)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

Documentation (DO)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

Business System Testing (TE)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

PERFORMACE TESTING(PT)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 TransactionPrograms
PT.090 – Create Test Database Load Programs
PT.100 – Construct Performance Test Database
PT.110 – Prepare Performance Test Environment
PT.120 – Execute Performance Test

Adoption and Learning (AP)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 CommunicationCampaign
AP.090 – Develop Managers’ Readiness Plan
AP.100 – Identify Business Process Impact onOrganization
AP.110 – Align Human Performance SupportSystems
AP.120 – Align Information Technology Groups
AP.130 – Conduct User Learning Needs Analysis
AP.140 – Develop User Learning Plan
AP.150 – Develop User Learningware
AP.160 – Prepare User Learning Environment
AP.170 – Conduct User Learning Events
AP.180 – Conduct Effectiveness Assessment

Production Migration (PM)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

Application Implementation Method is a proven approach for all the activities required to implement oracle applications.

The scope of the AIM is focused on an enterprise as a whole.

There are eleven processes of implementation.

1. Business Process Architecture [BP]

This phase outlines:

• Existing business practices
• Catalog change practices
• Leading practices
• Future practices

2. Business Requirement Definition[RD]

This phase explains about the initial baseline questionnaire and gathering of requirements.

3. Business Requirement Mapping[BR]

In this phase the requirements of business are matched with the standard functionality of the oracle applications.

4. Application and Technical Architecture [TA]

This outlines the infrastructure requirements to implement oracle applications.

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.

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.

7. Documentation [DO]

Documentation prepared per module that includes user guides and implementation manuals.

8. Business System Testing [TE]

A process of validating the setup’s and functionality by QA(functional consultant) to certify status.

9. Performance Testing [PT]

Performance testing is the evaluation of transactions saving time, transaction retrieval times, workflow background process, database performance, etc…

10; Adoption and Learning [AP]

This phase explains the removal of the legacy system and oracle application roll out enterprise wide.

11. Production Migration [PM]

The process of “decommissioning” of legacy system and the usage(adoption) of oracle application system.