Help Manual

Contents






Sigma Magic Help Version 15

Implementation Plan

Overview

An implementation Plan can be used to plan the activities. It is similar to a project plan where you can enter the activities to be performed, specify the start and due dates, and determine if the implementation plan is being executed per the original plan. If any activities are behind schedule, then actions can be taken to bring them back on schedule.

This tool can be added to your active workbook by clicking on Project and then selecting Project Plans > Implementation Plan.

Inputs

Click on Analysis Setup to open the menu options for this tool.

Setup

A sample screenshot of the setup menu is shown below.
inputs
1
Num Rows: Specify the number of tasks in your plan. This information is used to reformat your worksheet and create a table for data entry. Note that any data below this table will be cleared.
2
Highlight Rows: In this dialog box, specify if you want to highlight rows that are behind plan.
3
View Example: Click on this button to open the example file. You can view the example to get an idea of how to fill out this tool or you can use the example as a starting point and modify it to meet your project needs.
4
Help Button: Click on this button to open the help file on this topic.
5
Cancel Button: Click on this button to exit without saving any changes.
6
OK Button: Click on this button to save changes and update your analysis results.

Worksheet

Specify the following information on the worksheet:
  • Enter the information on the worksheet, such as the action items, the person(s) responsible for the action items, the start date, and the due date for each action item.
  • Periodically update the status of the implementation plan by entering the status from one of the following options: TBA, Assigned, Pending, Started, WIP, Completed, Canceled.

Verify

If you click on the Verify button, the software will perform some checks on the data you have entered. A sample screenshot of the dialog box is shown in the figure below. Verify The objective of this analysis as well as any checks that are performed is listed in this dialog box. For example, the software may check if you have correctly specified the input options and entered the required data on the worksheet. The results of the analysis checks are listed on the right. If the checks are passed, then they are shown as a green-colored checkmark. If the verification checks fail, then they are shown as a red-colored cross. If the verification checks result in a warning, they are shown in the orange color exclamation mark and finally, any checks that are required to be performed by the user are shown as blue info icons.

Outputs

Click on Compute Outputs to update the output calculations. A sample screenshot of the worksheet is shown below.
outputs The conclusions from this analysis are listed in the Conclusion area. It shows how many activities are on schedule and how many are behind schedule.

Notes

Here are a few pointers regarding this analysis:
  • This worksheet is a very simple format that can be used for projects that are relatively simple to implement and does not require project management software which will add considerable overhead to the planning and execution.