Completing the Qualification of a Major Upgrade of a SAS Installation.

Impediments Overcome. Everyone Comes Out a Winner.

We were challenged with finding a practical solution for completing the qualification of a major upgrade of a SAS installation. This was not a simple qualification, particularly because it was supposed to be completed in a period of two weeks and at a cost that would not allow bringing adequate external resources on board.

The risks associated with tight timelines are usually high. Projects like these have to be very closely managed and an approach has to be such that it addresses the company’s business needs, as well as ensures regulatory compliance.

Our strategy consisted of the following:

• We re-used as much of the existing documentation for the previous version upgrade as possible.
• We brought an experienced technical writer to create the required documentation for the qualification effort.
• We performed multiple tasks simultaneously, but under a very strict managerial control.
• We combined results of the multiple qualification activities into one report, instead of multiple.
• We lined up the proper internal resources to fill in for the external support that the project needed.

The solution worked, with everyone coming out a winner. The client had their project completed in time and in a compliant manner for a major study, and we got paid as quickly as we performed the work.