ONBOARD Phase

Create a seamless onboarding process that sets clear expectations, gathers key customer information, and establishes open lines of communication. This ensures alignment from the start and prepares both parties for a successful partnership. Be sure to set expectations and accountability measures to ensure that both your PS org and the customer are accountable for the outcomes of the engagement.

2. ONBOARD PHASE: Setting up for Success

Assign project roles and introduce project team members
Key personnel are identified, and their roles clarified. An introduction session ensures the customer knows who is responsible for which aspects of the project.

  • Perform Sales to Services Handover  meeting
     A formal meeting where the Sales team provides the Services team with key information regarding the engagement and customer including risks, objectives and critical success factors, as well as scope or functionality promised during the sales cycle that would be useful to the Services team. 

  • Schedule and lead the project kickoff meeting
     A formal meeting aligns all stakeholders on the project’s objectives, timelines, and communication methods, setting a collaborative tone.

  • Confirm project objectives, deliverables, change management needs and success metrics
    The team refines and documents the goals, deliverables, and how success will be measured, ensuring there are no ambiguities. They also refine the areas of change management needed to bolster adoption.

  • Develop and finalize the project plan
    A detailed project plan, with tasks, milestones, and timelines, is developed and shared with stakeholders for feedback and agreement. Change management activities should be incorporated into the project plan to ensure that adoption of the solution is accounted for. 

  • Establish communication protocols
    Clear guidelines for status reports, progress meetings, and escalation paths are agreed upon, ensuring smooth communication throughout the project.

  • Identify risks, issues, and mitigation plans
    The team proactively identifies potential risks, creating contingency plans to avoid disruptions.

  • Conduct initial system assessments
    Any existing systems, data, or infrastructure are reviewed to identify readiness for the implementation phase.

  • Ensure necessary tools and environments are ready
    All required technical environments, such as development or testing platforms, are set up and validated for the project work.

Managing Budget & Customer  and Internal Project Team Feedback  in the ONBOARD Phase: Setting Up for Success

Budget Management:

  • Develop a detailed project budget by breaking it down into phases, tasks, and milestones.

  • Establish a process for tracking budgeted versus actual costs for each task.

  • Set up a contingency reserve (e.g., 10–15%) for unexpected expenses.

  • Review and confirm budget allocations with internal teams and the customer.

Customer Feedback:

  • Conduct a kickoff meeting to align on the project plan, including budget visibility.

  • Solicit feedback on timelines, deliverables, and communication preferences.

  • Set up regular touchpoints to collect feedback throughout the project (e.g., weekly status calls).

Internal Project Team Feedback:

  • Discuss any risks associated with the timeline, resource availability, skill gaps and expectations from the Onboard phase.