Our Approach

Aligning people, process, and technology with business strategies.

WorldSolve's approach to technology and information management projects is founded by the firm belief that people, proce​ss, and technology must be aligned with business strategies. With a constant emphasis on this alignment, WorldSolve executes projects, regardless of size or scope, using a proven framework and time-tested methodologies.

Starting with a comprehensive understanding of the business challenges and opportunities, we work with our customers to create a clearly defined project mission and business case. Our integrated ROI Model and Project Management discipline provide customers with the assurance that expected results will be delivered according to plan.

Quantify, Measure, and Verify technology "investment" benefits — Return on Investment is more important than ever.

What is the WorldSolve ROI Model?

Return on Investment (ROI) analysis is rapidly becoming a requirement for all new Information Management investments. Measuring ROI enables companies to balance the benefits of an investment against the costs associated with that investment. Through the WorldSolve ROI Model, we can express, in monetary terms, the value that our Information Management projects deliver. Our ROI model demonstrates - in a quantitative fashion - the extent to which our services reduce the customer's total costs and/or generate new or increased revenue. Our customers use the WorldSolve ROI Model to build a solid business case to quantify the costs and benefits of a new initiative.

The WorldSolve Approach

Our approach focuses on three important components:

• Enterprise ROI
• Productivity
• Project Optimization

The Enterprise ROI component focuses on quantifying new revenue or hard cost reductions attributable to an investment. This component, which includes financial quantitative analysis, showcases the impact of the technology. As a result, management can directly measure the benefits of revenue impacts and cost savings. Enterprise ROI helps companies to quickly understand the business implications of the investment decision. They can specify exactly what they need - and how it directly impacts the business.

The Productivity component centers on how the investment increases organizational capabilities and improves business process. This area involves soft benefits, which are sometimes difficult to quantify and measure. WorldSolve utilizes the productivity component along with the Enterprise ROI approach to provide a more complete view of the total return.

The Project Optimization component of the WorldSolve ROI model, an integral part of the process, ensures that the Enterprise ROI and Productivity benefits are achieved. Instead of looking outside the project for benefits and cost savings, Project Optimization focuses on addressing implementation issues to increase the value and efficiency of the project. It identifies the financial benefits and importance associated with a sound project management approach and methodology, requirements analysis, risk mitigation, and project deployment. These financial benefits, often forgotten once technology investments are made, contribute significantly towards the success of the project and the ROI. Project Optimization helps improve project outcomes and assists in the delivery of a quality solution, on time, and on budget.

Building a Data-Driven Model through In-Depth Research

While many firms utilize "ROI Calculators" to flash high returns and extraordinary results, we work with our clients to conduct in-depth research and build a data-driven model to calculate ROI and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). The first step of the WorldSolve ROI Model is to identify the TCO of the project, such as hardware costs, software costs, implementation costs, and ongoing operational costs. The implementation costs include consulting services, internal resources, and training costs. The ongoing operational costs include support, system maintenance, and upgrades.

TCO = Hardware + Software + Implementation + Ongoing Costs

The next step is to perform the Enterprise ROI and Productivity analysis to identify and track revenue impacts, hard costs savings, and soft cost benefits. Possible new revenue impacts may include shorter time to product deployment, increasing the effectiveness of the sales cycle, and the creation of new revenue opportunities. Potential hard cost savings considered are automation of tasks, reduction of administrative tasks, better procurement, standardization, and the reduction of resources. The soft costs include improved productivity, opportunity costs, and cost avoidance. Possible opportunity costs are those additional costs incurred if the project is not done, and cost avoidance may refer to those benefits associated with increased employee retention and high customer satisfaction.

Once the TCO and the hard and soft cost benefits have been identified, we develop the business case. The business case helps our customers identify key business drivers and provides a mechanism to quantify the TCO and perceived benefits.

The most important component of the WorldSolve ROI Model is the project review and feedback loop. During this phase, we track and monitor the functional and performance metrics and focus on the project-level disciplines that minimize project risk and maximize the value of implementation-level costs. This ensures that the perceived benefits outlined in the business case become a reality.

The Benefits of the WorldSolve ROI Model

Our key objective is to provide services and solutions that help our customers align their people, processes, and technology with their business strategies. The WorldSolve ROI model is integral to achieving our objective. Rather than focusing on a single component to calculate ROI, WorldSolve utilizes Enterprise ROI, Productivity, and Project Optimization to provide a well-balanced model that helps to identify potential savings and benefits associated with a technology investment. We assist our customers with the steps necessary to develop a business case that will maximize the value and success of the investment. The WorldSolve ROI Model ensures that the business objectives and desired outcomes to be achieved by the project at the corporate, division, and functional levels are properly defined and communicated via the feedback loop.

The WorldSolve ROI model is not just a tool to calculate an end-result number. We utilize the model to illustrate the inherent benefits of an ROI analysis, which go well beyond the numerical result, and include:

• Capital Savings or deferred capital investment.
• Operational savings.
• Improvements in productivity.
• Opportunity Costs.
• Cost avoidance.

WorldSolve has a proven track record. We deliver on time, within budget, and with specified results.

WorldSolve Project Management Discipline

WorldSolve project management is based on a structure and a commitment to deliver value and results for our customers. This structure establishes the environment and provides the leadership, processes, and procedures required to organize and manage a team of professionals to achieve the expected business outcomes.

Successful project execution results from a project management structure that integrates the business ROI analysis with a project-level management approach.

The WorldSolve approach to project management addresses all the necessary components.

Plan

• Business Case
• Project Vision
• Requirements

The WorldSolve ROI Model is used to complete the business case and involves identifying the total cost of ownership, as well as hard and soft benefit costs of the project. The business case, utilized consistently throughout the project, continually tracks functional effectiveness and performance measurements.

The Project Vision includes the following:

• Define project objectives and business outcomes.
• Establish work schedule and task breakdown.
• Identify and involve appropriate resources.
• Perform risk assessment.

The Project Vision establishes a common mission for all project team members, and helps to ensure that the project will be delivered within budget and without surprises. The Project Vision is reviewed along with the business case at different checkpoints to assist with managing the project, the people, and the other resources critical to project success.

The Requirements Phase expands upon initial user requirements identified in the Plan stage. During the Requirements Phase, the functional processes are defined in more detail with regard to system inputs, procedures, outputs, and interfaces (both internal and external). The desired solution is described in terms of the functions to be performed, not in terms of computer programs, files, and data streams. Emphasis is placed on determining what functions must be performed rather than how to perform those functions. The requirements phase includes the following:

• Further define and refine functional and data requirements.
• Identify business process improvements.
• Develop detailed data and process models.
• Define functional and system requirements.
• Refine the high-level architecture and logical design to support the solution.
• Identify and mitigate risk associated with the project.

Design

• General Design
• Detailed Design
• Develop and Unit Test

During the General Design Phase, the entire development life cycle is broken down into discrete tasks and activities, so that team members can manage the development of systems with predictability and reliability. This framework provides methods and quality techniques to manage risk, and suggests deliverables and the skills required to ensure the delivery of a quality solution.

The Detailed Design Phase focuses on the development of a detailed design document. This document is the software developer's blueprint. It provides precise directions about how basic control and data structures will be organized. Typically, the Detailed Design Document consists of tables and diagrams that translate the functional specification into data structures, data flows, and algorithms. It describes how the solution will be structured and what functionality will be included. In this phase, we design a model that achieves the functional requirements while operating within key constraints, such as performance goals and available hardware. The goal is to create a design that is simple, easily understood, easily communicated, easily built, and easily tested. Additional documents include technical interface and conversion specifications.

During the Develop and Unit Test Phase, sometimes referred to as the build phase, the system is configured and constructed to meet the system requirements and detailed design specifications. Unit test programs are implemented to validate different components. The goal of unit testing is to verify that each module will function properly when inserted into the system. Continuous checkpoints and project reviews facilitate project success and possible risk identification.

Deploy

The Deploy component involves three key phases:

• System Test
• Rollout
• Support

The purpose of the System Test Phase is to show with a high level of confidence that the solution meets the acceptance criteria: function, performance, usability, features, and capabilities. The entire system testing and integration process continues until the solution has been finalized and tested by the end users. At this stage, our efforts focus on ensuring that the solution operates as intended, and that the user documentation is clear and accurate. After completing final acceptance testing the solution is approved for distribution.

The Rollout Phase includes system training and implementation. Within this phase, the project team works to prepare user manuals and system distribution details, making sure the appropriate technical and functional information is communicated effectively. Training is done for the end users and the appropriate resources are developed.

The Support Phase, probably the most important phase of any project, is often neglected. An important function performed in this phase, is the creation of the necessary support systems to ensure successful ongoing operation. It is vital to put monitoring procedures in place to follow the usage patterns and issues that may arise. Feedback obtained from this phase is used to help determine improvements for future enhancements.

Quality Control

Throughout the project life cycle, the WorldSolve project management approach focuses on Quality Control and Assurance. This area engages senior management, project managers, developers, team members, and end users. Required steps include weekly status reports and monthly reviews. In addition, regular project checkpoints and audits are performed on both a formal schedule and ad hoc basis. The objective of Quality Control is to provide a process and multiple communication channels to review and monitor the project by all involved personnel. At the completion of the project, a project review is conducted to ensure that all perceived achievements identified in the Plan Phase were accomplished and to make certain that the users and management are satisfied with the end result.