Big bang adoption
Big bang adoption or direct changeover is the adoption type of the instant changeover, when everybody associated with the old system moves to the fully functioning new system on a given date.
When a new system needs to be implemented in an organization, there are three different ways to adopt this new system: the big bang adoption, phased adoption and parallel adoption. In case of parallel adoption the old and the new system are running parallel, so all the users can get used to the new system, and meanwhile do their work using the old system. Phased adoption means that the adoption will happen in several phases, so after each phase the system is a little nearer to be fully adopted. With the big bang adoption, the switch between using the old system and using the new system happens at one single date, the so-called instant changeover of the system. Everybody starts to use the new system at the same date and the old system will not be used anymore from that moment on.
The big bang adoption type is riskier than other adoption types because there are fewer learning opportunities incorporated in the approach, so more preparation is needed to get to the big bang. This preparation will be described below, illustrated by the process-data model of the big bang adoption.
Table of concepts
Several concepts are used in this entry. The definitions of these concepts are given in the table below to make the use of them clear.Big bang
Once the management has decided to use the big bang method, and supports the changes which are needed for this, the real changing process can start. This process comprises several steps: converting the system, releasing parts of the system and training the future users.The activities in the process are explained in the table below, to state them clearly. The concepts that are used to execute the activities are in capitals.
Convert the system
At first, a planning for the whole adoption process is needed. Making a planning allows future users to know what will happen and when they should expect certain changes, which avoids unnecessary uncertainties and therefore creates a better working atmosphere. The planning also makes clear when the real adoption takes place and gives the future users the opportunity to get ready for this change. The model below shows that the activities lead to outcomes to be able to have a partial outcome: the converted systemWhen the planning is made and everyone knows what is expected from them, the technical changeover can start. First the old data needs to be converted into a form which is able to work with the data in the new system. If the data is not valid, the management need to determine the changes again and the organisation will have to prepare a different way of executing the Big bang adoption.
Release parts of the system
If all the data is valid, separate parts of the system can be released. The database which is converted from the old database needs to be released, so the new data is accessible. Next, the produced application needs to be released, so the new application can also be used. The infrastructure of the whole new system also needs to be released, so that it is clear what the system will look like and how everything is connected. Important to note is that in this phase only separate parts are released, which don't form the new system yet, but only parts of it. Note that all of this happens off-line: only the system developers see this, the users are still working on the old system. The model above shows what activities need to be executed by the system controller, to get the outcomes that lead to the released parts. If the release of the parts failed, the management need to determine new changes again.Train the organization in using the system
If the release of the separate parts succeeded, the next step can be taken: prepare the users. To be able to introduce the whole new system, i.e. to adopt it, all users need to be trained in working with the new system. Without huge consequences for the production level of an organization, training everyone is only possible if there is a buffer of experienced staff who can take over the daily work of the users that need to be trained. This means that for all the people that need to be trained, there will be staff available who can take over the work, so there won't be an enormous delay of work. When this buffer is created, the users can be trained. The human resources department will create the buffer of experienced staff by inviting applicants for the buffer. Then the users can be trained and the trained users can be listed, so a user preparation report can be written.But training the future users properly is not as easy as it seems, as the FoxMeyer case illustrates. This company used the big bang method to implement an Enterprise Resource Planning system. Wrong trainings were given, the assumption was made that users already knew enough about it and wrong skills were taught. Dow Corning also had big problems with acquiring the necessary skills during their big bang ERP implementation. Using a new system demands various skills and knowledge, which in several cases seem to be underrated by the managers.
Techniques
There are several techniques to implement a new system. The adoption phase is only one phase of the whole implementation. Regatta is for example a method which is developed to implements systems. This method, developed by Sogeti, treats a changeover as a project and focuses several stages of this project, for example the preparation phase of an adoption and on the acceptance of an implementation method. SAP Implementation is another technique specialized in implementing and adopting SAP AG software, which is divided into several techniques.Risks
Because of the instant changeover, everything must be done in a fixed time schedule. This is a risky operation. The organization might not be ready yet for this, an incorrect dataset might be used, or the information system can get stuck, because of a lack of experience and start up problems. Also an incapable fall-back method can be a risk in implementing a system using the Big Bang.UK stock market, 1980s
The 1986 the London Stock Exchange closed on Friday night and the computers were all switched on the following Monday morning. It has been alleged that this caused large losses.Dow Corning
Dow Corning formerly used systems that were focused on specific departments. The management decided that they wanted to become a truly global company, that would use only one information system: an Enterprise Resource Planning -system. To adopt this new ERP-system, they used the big bang adoption type and they spent considerable time and effort reexamining its business processes. The company was prepared for the adoption and first conducted three pilot implementations, before using the new system across the global organization. Second, FoxMeyer adopted an ERP-system with ambitious warehouse automation software, using the big bang adoption to gain competitive advantage. But FoxMeyer seemed to have an overoptimistic management with unrealistic expectations: the change was too big and too drastic. This resulted in very high work pressure to meet the deadlines for all the employees. So unrealistic expectations of the management are also a risk.Dow Corning monitored the progress constantly and made decisions to make sure that the deadlines would be met. This was only possible with feedback and good communication. FoxMeyer failed in having communication and attention that was necessary to be able to give fast and effective feedback. They instead tried to minimize problems by ignoring them, and gave discouraging criticism, which resulted in ambiguous feedback. This hindered organizational learning, something which is very important during an organizational change. So bad communication and ambiguous feedback are also risks when adopting a system with the big bang.
Another risky strategy is to focus only on the outcome, not on how to achieve this outcome and underrating the learning process for users. It is very hard to plan learning or knowledge, though these are necessary to be able to execute the big bang changeover.