Sensei has worked with hundreds of organizations over the years, and with the cumulative knowledge derived from that work we have developed the Sensei Proven Process for engaging with, onboarding, and working with new clients. This Process sets everyone up for success. Every client goes through the same process, providing a consistent experience.
Taking on a Project and Portfolio Management solution is no small undertaking. This process enables both Sensei and the client to quickly understand key business needs and whether Sensei IQ™ might be the right solution to address those needs. It enables you to manage the expectations of your leadership and to get buy-in from key stakeholders.
Here’s what it looks like to work with us.
The first step is mutual discovery. This is all about getting to know each other; we will want to understand the underlying business needs or pain points that have brought us together. In other words, what problems are we trying to solve? We’re looking to go pretty deep here as this is key to a successful partnership. Our goal is to get to know your situation, so that we can match you up with the right subject matter experts and solutions on our side.
This discovery is initiated by your completing the PPM Maturity Roadmap: Self-Assessment. This tool assists you in capturing the current situation and business needs behind your PPM initiative on the ‘Background’ tab. Then, on the ‘Self-Assessment’ tab, you assess the capabilities and features required in a phased approach with the context of current and desired maturity. The ‘Core Team’ tab outlines the internal resources needed for the implementation. After we receive the completed self-assessment, we will schedule a call with one of our Subject Matter Experts (SME) for a Needs Assessment. We will also be introducing you to how we work at Sensei.
Figure 1 – Mutual Discovery
Once we understand your underlying business needs, we’ll begin mapping to the capabilities that are offered by Sensei and Microsoft. We do that through a tailored product demonstration. Note that following this Process enables us to present a demo that addresses your key needs and concerns. If you are not ready for the tailored demonstration, we do have an on-demand Sensei IQ™ Demonstration that provides an end-to-end ‘generic’ overview.
At the end of Capabilities Mapping, we will have identified the right solution level and defined the scope of work that is needed to address your business needs.
Figure 2 – Capabilities Mapping
Of course everyone is curious to know as soon as possible what their costs might be. Deployments can range significantly in price depending on the size, and on the complexity of the customizations. But the templated turn-key approach that we pioneered ten years ago enables us to have a pretty good idea of expected costs. With this model, Sensei IQ™ when initially deployed meets 70%-90% of most client needs, and we close the gap with services to get you the rest of the way. Most organizations can expect to spend $25K to $45K in subscription costs per year, and $20K to $45K in services the first year. As you shop for a PPM solution, you will find that this pricing is very competitive, and that we will get you up and running much more quickly than a solution built from scratch.
Figure 3 – Turn-key solution plus services
Our onboarding starts once we have a signed statement of work and a purchase order. That allows us to then schedule a kickoff call during which we will introduce you to the client delivery lead who will oversee the technical aspects of your deployment and your Client Success Manager (CSM), who will be your main point of contact going forward for all non-delivery related questions or issues. Your CSM will meet with you at least quarterly throughout your relationship with Sensei, ensuring that you have what you need for success. During the kickoff, we also typically discuss the timing and staffing of the deployment as well as start the process of verifying the technical readiness in your environment.
Figure 4 – Onboarding
After you achieve technical readiness, we can begin the deployment. Because of our turn-key approach, organizations typically have Sensei IQ™ fully deployed within a week of completing technical readiness, after which we start the pilot phase focused on your core configuration and getting your people and projects into Sensei IQ™. During the Pilot, a Sensei Solutions Architect will configure Sensei IQ™ to support core project functionality. We will load bookable resources, configure enterprise calendars, and set up one-way connection of supported execution tools to Sensei IQ™ using standard Sensei dataflows. You will load an initial set of projects with supporting data to drive project reporting. This enables you to quickly work within Sensei IQ™ with your data, even as we continue to configure the solution to address all business needs. Note that from the date of initial deployment, we offer a 30-day no questions asked money back guarantee, so there is no risk for you (see terms in your Statement of Work).
Figure 5 – Deployment & Pilot
Most organizations do some level of additional tailoring of the solution with support from our professional services team. As I mentioned earlier, you will likely find after the Pilot Phase that up to 90% of your needs have been met. This additional tailoring enables you to meet your specific requirements in various areas, including solution design and implementation services, process and automation services, and reporting services. One of the great things about Sensei IQ™ is its incredible scalability. As you grow in size and/or maturity, Sensei IQ™ grows with you. Our team and our solution will be with you throughout your maturation and growth.
Figure 6 – Solutions Tailoring
After the initial deployment and tailoring, you’ll be fully up and running with Sensei IQ™. Embedded on-demand training aids in adoption and provides ongoing guidance, and it is updated regularly. You also receive regular updates of Sensei IQ™. Because Sensei IQ™ is deployed into the Microsoft Cloud you already own, Microsoft will provide updates, patches and enhancements to the underlying platform. Furthermore, Sensei IQ™ is a Managed Solution, which means we will maintain it, just like Microsoft maintains Word and PowerPoint in your Office 365 subscription. You can expect updates, fixes and enhancements to Sensei IQ™ over time. We also keep the Managed Solution synchronized with the features and capabilities of the underlying cloud platform.
In addition to this technical piece, your Client Success Manager will do quarterly check-ins with you, or more frequently if appropriate. You will also have access to unlimited problem ticket support through our help desk. Product Feedback can be submitted directly to the product team from within Sensei IQ™ and you can vote on suggestions from other clients as well.
Figure 7 – Your Sensei IQ™ Subscription
There you have it: The Sensei Proven Process. Now you know exactly what to expect when you engage with us, no surprises. From the time you fill out the PPM Maturity Roadmap: Self-Assessment, you will be following a process that has guided many clients just like you to PPM success.
Figure 8 – The Sensei Proven Process
Contact us: info@senseiprojectsolutions.com
Tim has been leading small businesses for more than 25 years. He has been working in the Microsoft PPM space for more than 15 years, and with Sensei for 10 years.
