INTRODUCTION

The topic of change management was introduced in Chapter 11 and focused on preparing the people within the organization for the upcoming change and, more importantly, the transition that will occur as a result of the change. Understanding the human element or the “soft side” of IT project management is critical for ensuring that the individuals or groups within the organization will accept and adapt to the new information system implemented by the project team.

In this final chapter we will concentrate on three important areas—project implementation, closure, and evaluation. Project implementation focuses on installing or delivering the project's major deliverable in the organization—the information system that was built or purchased. The implementation of the information system requires a tactical plan that allows the project team to move the IT solution from a development and test environment to the day-to-day operations of the organization.