During the feasibility study, W&GS reviews the whole enterprise in order to identify domains that are candidates for one or several group technologies (Document Management, Workflow, Groupware, Work Management, Knowledge Management). For each potential domain potential benefits as well as an order of magnitude of related investments are estimated, leading to first ROI level predictions.

Train to benefits analysis first

A feasibility study can start only after a first level of training of all the participants to the main effects of group technologies deployment. Through adequate training, participants should become aware of what they can obtain, in which conditions, at which cost, in which time frame. The efficiency of their contribution to the process depends critically upon the quality of this training phase. Then they will progressively contribute to identify the domains that should later be analyzed in their smallest details before launching any project. A proper selection of a reduced number of high potential domains will reduce the total cost of any project.

For each technique, identify and quantify target domains

For each technique (Document Management, Workflow, Groupware, Work Management, Knowledge Management) identify, for each domain, potential applications. For each application, a quantitative analysis will size: the number for people impacted, the level of their involvement (intensive, daily, monthly), the benefits category (quality, response time, survive to customer, productivity, creativity), evaluation of their financial outcome, implementation and deployment costs, operation costs, and project duration.

With direct involvement of the top level management, and enterprise experts

The main goal of the feasibility study is to expedite the next detailed analysis phase by determining the target domains which present the best possible ROI opportunities. This phase must be as short and economical as possible. This is the reason why the participation of those that are experts in the way the enterprise is operated, its strategic goals, main costs of operation, existing infrastructures is essential. As is of paramount importance the constant involvement of the top level management and more precisely those that are in charge of defining strategic goals on the medium term,  to which any potential project should contribute.

In each department the study will be conducted by adequate experts in the business of the enterprise, assisted and conducted by experts of group technologies, under the control and direction of an experimented consultant. For the process approach part of the analysis, it will be essential to break the barriers usually in place at department boundaries.

In order to constrain the search for potential applications to a limited set, a set of rules will be applied: they should contribute directly to strategic goals already defined, the perspective will be limited to three years, and they must offer a reasonable ROI perspective. This however will not prevent from proposing a longer term scenario, both without spending more than 20 % of the devoted resources.

EDP (networking, office automation infrastructure, applications in use ..), organization department (human resources, organization choices and principles, levels of control), and finance department (financial analysis framework)   will be part of the analysis team. A periodic status will be presented at operational committee (or equivalent body) of the enterprise for constant validation and orientation of the direction work.

A systematic step by step project

In a first step, main orientations are drafted starting for a data base of applications in similar industry segments. This will be validated with related department and form a first selection where to investigate further.

For each of the selected domain, a team is created with careful selection of participants for balancing needed expertise and know how.

A first training phase will create a common understanding   on group technologies benefits, enterprise knowledge, and analysis methodology. W&GS analysis tools are presented and exercised.

Each group conducts its analysis project, according to a project plan and analysis tools provided by W&GS.

A management group monitor progresses, gives orientations, keeps contact with top level management, and organize the way  subjects that overlap several domains will be processed. It elaborates the consolidated view of the results of the groups, and the final synthesis that will enable the selection of the produce that best match enterprise strategic goals.

With W&GS tools

In order to ensure best possible productivity of analysis groups, W&GS provides analysis tools centering investigations around critical aspects of group technologies limits and benefits.

Applicability of each tool (Document Management, Workflow, Groupware, Work Management, Knowledge Management) is precisely defined in terms of usage profiles (good for), and implementation characteristics (devilment costs, delay, deployment costs, costs of ownership).

Descriptive models are proposed to describe each aspect of selected domains. They gather all the information required and propose a presentation framework for a meaningful analysis always related to essential goals of the enterprise. For each group technologies three different models are proposed.

Evaluation models orient the exploitation of the descriptive models in view of the assessment of their potential interest.

These tools gather the W&GS experience in the two complementary area that are the group technologies themselves, and the methodologies to transform them into strategic vehicles for enterprise transformation and competitive position.

However, they cannot be used outside an adequate training, necessary adjustments to each enterprise style, and constant monitoring of their usage by experimented consultants.

Invaluable outcomes

Outcomes of a W&GS feasibility study is a catalogue of potential group applications precisely identified together with indication on their potential ROI. Each application is positioned in terms of: its potential ROI, its contribution to enterprise strategic goals, and its implementation delay.

At a reasonable cost, you get the platform that can be the basis for the next phase, or can be kept for a later decision to proceed further if other priorities are selected. Whatever is the decision to proceed or not, results of the study remain and the decision has been taken with solid facts at hand.

When starting the detailed analysis phase (immediately or later), it can start on the limited number of opportunities detected an validated through the feasibility study. All resources used will be used at their maximum.