Akili's Approach
As a provider of information management solutions, Akili ensures that our clients are optimally provisioned with the right mix of capabilities to fully address their immediately anticipated business requirements. Akili's approach has been fine-tuned to deliver tangible results within the agreed upon schedule and budgetary parameters – and we do so every time.
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Scoping
Define the Business Objective
We begin with the end in mind. What are the issues, what are the business objectives, and how will we know when they have been achieved? In most cases the desired “to be” state can be expressed in terms of a targeted degree of improvement in one or more key business metrics.
Profile the Current State
The business objectives define the desired end point. The present state of the business defines the starting point. The gap between the two determines the scale and complexity of the effort. We consider existing systems capabilities, existing organizational capabilities, current processes, and the current values for the applicable key performance indicators.
Schematic Design
The objective of the schematic design process is to define the overall boundaries of the initiative in terms of scope, phasing, budget, and schedule. We try to break down any large scale initiative into easily digestible phases in order to deliver tangible value as quickly as possible as well as to better control risk. It is also important to ensure that the selected approach for addressing immediate objectives is in alignment with the overall information management strategy of the client.
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Design and Implementation
Solutions Design
Our fundamental methodology is iterative in nature. Though highly structured our approach recognizes the reality that a significant percentage of the key business requirements are simply not discoverable in the abstract. When it comes to detailed solutions design we adhere to the basic philosophy that “they’ll know what they need when they see it”.
Implementation
Rapid iterative prototyping precedes the initial implementation which itself is typically followed by a period of rapid evolution. We often employ a concept called a “kernel” solution – defined as the minimum inventory of capabilities that can be implemented in order to achieve the critical business objectives. Once the kernel is firmly in place additional capabilities can be added in quick succession without unduly stressing the ability of the business to assimilate those capabilities.
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Ongoing Support
Our information management solutions are conceived from the ground up to be adaptable. Business needs evolve and the solution must be kept in alignment with those needs. Akili offers an array of ongoing post implementation services ranging from day to day solutions support to annual heath checks.