ICL Pathway Progress Summary
for Input to Horizon / Pathway Delivery Meeting
13" October 1999
1 ACCEPTANCE PREPARATION & TESTING
1.1. Overall Summary
The Acceptance Resolution Timetable forms part of the Contract, as a result of
the Second Supplemental Agreement, and contains some 300 activities and
events that are pacing items for the restart of rollout on 28 January 2000.
These are grouped principally under 13 former Acceptance Incident headings.
The activities are being reviewed weekly.
There are two further groups of former Als: those where there is a disagreement
as to severity - None (Pathway) and Low (POCL) — and Low/Low items. There
are now two or three of the former for arbitration (232, 242 and possibly 379)
and 55 of the latter, for which one-line resolution plans are required by 31/10.
The 13 former Als are reported in Timetable order:
211
342
390
376
378
369
372
This is now resolved and in monitoring until 31/10.
This is now resolved, monitoring is complete and formal Closure has
been requested.
A change to AP counter is due for distribution 30/11. It is in
development test.
The six-week observation period has started. The work is in three parts:
fixes yielding a target stability figure of merit of a maximum 0.6% of Cash
Accounts in error (approximately 42); additional reconciliation facilities;
and new Operational Business Change (OBC) procedures. Although all
fixes are implemented, problems arising from Pathway provided
Reference Data were encountered. The definition work for additional
reconciliation is on plan and design is in progress. All the OBC
procedure work is completed.
A “diagnostic” fix is in place to find, and if necessary repair and report, a
problem not previously defined. We do not expect to find such a
problem, believing it to have been an isolated incident whose true cause
was not originally reported and is no longer present.
The actions in this group are largely the responsibility of POCL. All
formal Pathway actions are complete. POCL Pathway and BA mounted
a four-day monitoring exercise to provide more evidence of the root
cause of the problem. Six books were impounded and will be
independently analysed by PIRA (Printing Industry Research
Association) during the week of 11/10.
A first report on the distribution of Riposte 5.4.10 and EPOSS roll-up
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298
218
390
314
408
412
release package is being compiled and will be issued to POCL (target
15/10). CP 2116, which will fully automate .dll monitoring, is being
worked on.
The four-week observation period will start on 21/10. (CCN555 has
been raised to make the observation Cash Account Week integral.) All
fixes are available and a tracking document to record progress set up.
On the cut off date of 1/10 the test sample was established as 782
eligible rolled-out outlets representing 1777 eligible counters. (The
required minimum was 750 outlets.) The target is a figure of merit of four
units per counter per year, a unit being an authorised reboot or various
numbers of workaround. The CAP 28 figure result was around five units
on a very satisfactory trend. For CAP29 the result rose to around seven
units because of 376-type issues (see above), new offices not being
brought up to current software revision levels immediately before first
use and some offices not yet equipped with fixes for printer incidents.
The Pre-Entry Event actions have progressed well, now paced by CCN
543a approval. Trainer Quality Monitoring actions have been completed
such that actual monitoring is in progress. The new PSA Process is with
POCL for approval. Post Training Consolidation actions are all Joint or
POCL. The Performance Measures on which the eventual closure will
be based were due to be finalised 8/10.
Physical security of Wigan and Bootle. All actions to date are complete
or on target.
The technical authors have started work on the manual required, with
first delivery by 23/11 and Appendices planned by 28/12.
All early actions are complete and the main one to recruit and train the
required complement of Help Desk staff is progressing to plan.
Ad hoc service reports. The remaining actions are paper-based ones for
completion by 28/10 and are on track.
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13" October 1999
2. NATIONAL ROLLOUT PREPARATION
2.1 National Roll Out
Revised Rollout Programme
A joint Pathway/POCL workshop to develop and review the implementation of
CCN 561 (optimisation of rollout resources/minimise rollout fluctuation) was held
on 5" October 99. Agreement was reached on the means of implementation,
enforcement and effective date for offering specific training and installation
dates to postmasters. Processes, scripts and contract-controlled documentation
requiring modification to reflect the agreements were identified and ownership
and dates for the implementation of revisions was agreed. A capping method,
to manage migrations within or close to the 315 target, was proposed by
Pathway and is currently with POCL for comment. Revised detailed rollout
plans, showing plans by IP region, are in preparation and will be published by
15" October 1999. A further workshop to progress the actions is planned for
20" October.
POCL Implementation management team have been invited to visit Pathway’s
rollout team at Kidsgrove and the Celestica and Exel units in Manchester and
Byley respectively. This will take place on 14" October with the aim of
improving understanding of the rollout processes and factors influencing
installation success.
2.2 Infrastructure Programme
The trolley survey solution has been agreed and survey/preparation of trolley
outlets will commence in the next few weeks.
2.3 Installation Programme
As of 8" October 99, 978 outlets had been migrated to Horizon and are now
operating live. Installations are generally running to schedule and the rate of
suspensions and aborts over the 16 week installation process has reduced from
the initial rate of 25% to a rate of approximately 16%. This is close to the
predicted rate of 15% and it is anticipated it will fall further. Pathway and POCL
Implementation management has reviewed the rates of suspension and aborts
and have agreed actions to reduce these. The suspension causes of greatest
concern are sub-postmaster refusals, ISDN line faults, and reference data
counter discrepancies. I Sub-postmaster refusals are declining and the
enforcement of the single installation date should bring this down further. ISDN
line faults are being investigated by Energis and improvements in pre-
installation line monitoring are being made. Reference data counter
discrepancies are better understood and further action by POCL should reduce
this to a satisfactory level.
Concern over fluctuation in rollout volumes across adjacent weeks and days is
now reduced since the levels of fluctuation have fallen to an acceptable level.
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2.4
This will continue to be monitored and improved further through joint
Pathway/POCL workshops.
User Implementation and Migration
Acceptance Incident 218
Rectification plan is proceeding according to schedule. POCL have signed off
Monitoring Trainer Quality and the Specification of the Pre-Entry Event. The
assigned POCL trainer has been working with the KnowledgePool trainers this
week to develop the event. Dry runs of the Pre-entry event are scheduled for
11, 13 and 15 October.
T ing Scheduling
Some issues with training scheduling have affected a small number of outlet
training dates and installations. This has occurred following recent changes to
the Knowledgepool scheduling system. Action has been taken to rectify this
issue and changes made over the weekend of 10" October should minimise
future occurrences of scheduling issues.
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2.5 Implementation Statistics (To 1°' October 1999)
Activity
INFRASTRUCTURE
RGM letters issued
MIB Events held
MIB attendees
Site surveys undertaken
Site re-surveys required
Site re-surveys undertaken
Site modifications done
Site preparations done
Sites RFI
User awareness events held
UAE attendees
{Training events held
INSTALLATION
ISDN lines installed
Sites installed
Sites migrated and Live
‘Counters Live
Previous Actual This Cumulative Comments
Report Period
Total
17395 0 17395
382 0 382
18080 0 18080
15238 556 15794
5902 262 6164
5400 220 5620
3754 205 3959
8096 437 8533
* - 7570 * Revised as of
11/10/99
105 16 121
3284 0 3284
570 147 NT
1198 430 1628
446 339 785
446 333 779
1058 714 1772
“NOTE :
Number of offices live as at 8/10/99 is 978
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3. CUSTOMER SERVICE
Infrastructure Services
Strategic Services Unit
Horizon Service Helpdesk
1.
frequency of the meeting will be agreed.
the PM. POCL are requested to confirm they have sufficient cover.
and plans to mitigate and ultimately correct the problem are in place.
Outlet Change
1.
Since the last report POCL have raised the following outlet change requests.
Daily SLA reporting has now been established by OSD. A review meeting
for failed SLAs is to be held between ICL Pathway and ICL OSD. The
initial meeting is to be held 8th October where the calls, which are the
subject of failure, will be reviewed and the full terms of reference and
There is a strong feeling within HSH and from the SouthWest Region that
there are insufficient HFSOs to cover the first cash account undertaken by
The reference data problems have had a major impact on both the Post
Office Outlets and HSH. There has been increased call volumes over the
past 2-3 weeks since the reference data problems arose. The reference
data manager has confirmed that the reasons for failure are understood
Location 0 Reason for Change 0 Date of Change
Northville, Bristol 0 Outlet RefurbishmenO 25/9/99
(complete)
Filton Avenue, Bristol 0 Outlet RefurbishmenO 25/10/99
Oldiland Common, Bristol 0 Outlet RefurbishmenO 31/10/99
Ravenscliffe 0 Outlet Refurbishmend 19/11/99
Cottingley 0 Relocation 0 01/11/99 (TBC)
Implementation
1. The processes established to support roll out activity continue to work well. The
importance of promptly dealing with exceptions that would impact on a site going live
has been re-emphasised to our suppliers.
Management Support Unit
Management Information
1.
As part of Al298, the MSU is continuing to work jointly with POCL to analyse
HSH calls relating to systems instability. Call volumes and categorisations have
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been agreed for CAP25, 26, 27 and 28. Monitoring will continue as part of the
Acceptance rectification plan.
Business / Reconciliation Incident Management
1.
1.
1.
The MSU is awaiting agreement from POCL to the closure of circa 30 PinICLs.
APS continues to reconcile daily.
We are receiving EPOSS incidents directly from POCL TP and are managing to
resolve all of them in an acceptable time scale (RED report within 48 hours).
The first incident review of CSR is scheduled for 15 October where we will clear
up any remaining confusion over the RED reporting process.
The expansion of the live estate has meant that the number of outlets not
returning transaction detail to TP, due to ISDN problems or simply that the
terminal is powered down, has increased. Under the rectification plan for AlI376
an incident must be raised on each office that hasn't polled. At least 75% of
these are resolved within the next 24 hours. It would therefore, seem more
realistic to only raise as incidents after 48 hours. Richard Brunskill will talk to
POCL (with the Requirements team) to try and find a more effective way of
dealing with this problem.
3.2 Operations Services
SLA MANAGEMENT
APS
1.
“eg >
4
le)
Although there are some issues regarding the method of delivery specified in
the Reconciliation report document under discussion between Design and MSU,
all issues preventing sign-off are now resolved.
POCL believe that the terms under which Al371was signed off are not being
met, with issues around late polling and day 1 reporting. These issues have
been addressed through the MSU and the report is now back on track.
No file delivery issues.
Pathway has received criticisms from the OSG manager regarding the quality of
service and personnel supporting the service within Pathway. We have written
to the OSG Manager who brought up the issues, expressing Pathway’s concern
at the way that the matter was raised. The matter has also been discussed with
POCL’s AP Product Manager. At no time previously has any Service Manager in
Pathway been informed of OSG’s dissatisfaction via the proper contact and
escalation routes. Details of the specific events causing the dissatisfaction have
been requested but as yet no response has been received.
Late delivery and problems with Reference Data received from POCL, delayed
token testing this week but is now back on track.
AP Client Migration
1.
All presentation material and scripts provided to POCL for Account Managers to
present to AP Clients. Original plans for Pathway to be involved in one-to-one
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oa
In
practice sessions with all Account Managers were changed by POCL. We
believe that most Account Managers wish to present to their Clients without
Pathway’s attendance. Pathway has suggested this could expose them to
difficult questions, requiring Pathway’s assistance to provide an answer. There
was a POCL only team meeting on the 7th October, where the situation was to
be assessed. Pathway awaits an update from that meeting in order to decide
how to progress.
Meeting held on 6th October with POCL to review the general plan and clarify
outstanding queries. Eamonn Long attended and was introduced as additional
management resource.
A TIP steering meeting held. The principle for OLAs to be completed was
progressed. A draft OLA is now being addressed by POCL. NR2 Risk Register
closed and new CSR+ Register opened. Discussions about regular Operational
Reviews held and arrangements to be agreed.
Concerns with Disaster Recovery (DR) have been discussed. A plan to put
together a contingency DR solution for immediate requirements has been made,
but a longer term DR plan needs to be considered by POCL and a new
requirement presented to Pathway. POCL wish to have this completed by April
2000.
A rejection note has been produced in response to the POCL Service
Introduction document. A letter received back from POCL disputes the
reasons for the rejection. Because the document essentially would commit
POCL and Pathway to activities not yet agreed, the suggestion is that the
document becomes a CRD that could be submitted in its current form
without risk of signing off unclarified commitments.
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13" October 1999
CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Reference Data
1.
Recent problems (Friday October 1st to Monday October 4th) with Pathway
Reference Data have highlighted a problem within the RDMC with loading new
data whilst earlier versions are being verified/released. The immediate
difficulties have been addressed and a longer-term solution is in hand. In the
interim additional reporting tools are being produced to assist RDT in
recognising when such problems may occur.
A total of 183 reference data changes were released to the Live estate since the
last report. Pathway is now monitoring the number of correction files and the
number of migration special changes being submitted by POCL. In the last
week there were 14 correction files (12% of the total received) and 21 migration
special files (18%).
The total number of PinICLs outstanding on POCL with regard to quality of their
Reference Data/OBC processes has decreased by 1 to 30. There has again
been some movement on the outstanding issues but only on recent problems
and we still feel that this could be improved for those calls that have been
outstanding for several months.
The initial drop of Live Reference Data for SIP16 (improved Cash Account
mechanism) has been received and is with B&TC. Pathway understands that
there are issues with the supply of updates to this data, because of difficulties in
the RDS system in Chesterfield. A meeting was held recently which confirmed
arrangements for output from testing to be supplied to POCL as a part of the
Reference Data proving exercise. Pathway is still waiting for the remaining
changes to the MiMan flag. There has been no response from RDOT in
Chesterfield on the possibility of providing test data for year 2000/2001 Cash
Account proving. Pathway is therefore assuming that this testing will be
performed on Pathway generated data.
A meeting has been held with BSM regarding changes to the Interface
Agreement for Operational Business Change (Product). As the requested
changes are significant a further meeting is being arranged to discuss a way
forward.
The number of changes to outlet information awaiting authorisation for release
from POCL NCAs has increased to 165 despite authorisation from some regions
and release of a considerable number of changes. POCL have assured us that
the remaining regions are being asked to review this urgently.
POCL have assured us that they have taken steps to eliminate the problem of
Reference Data files arriving without a change id or empty, which cause the
RDMC data loader to abort. Although there have been no further occurrences
of this type of file, there has been one occasion within the last two weeks where
the loader aborted due to incorrect or missing data within the file.
The problem with the incorrect Giro Transcash fee of 97p was corrected when
the relevant Reference Data was supplied and verified by POCL and released
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13" October 1999
to the Live estate.
1. A problem within the Data Centre during the week commencing 20 September
resulted in the non-core Reference Data for offices migrated on 27 September
not arriving in the offices until after migration. Steps are being taken to ensure
that the lack of this data is recognised earlier.
1. A reconciliation problem has arisen due to a change in the accounting sense on
products 196 and 197. The issue arises because the Reference Data supplied
from RDS has an immediate start date which is then acted on by iTIP but the
nature of the change is such that there is additional Pathway data required
followed by verification. It is therefore not possible for Pathway to deliver the
change to Live counters within the same timeframe that iTIP is validating the
change. RDT are investigating which changes fall into this category and will be
reviewing with RDOT the start dates applied to the RDS system.
Software Distribution
The software distribution mechanism continues to operate well with
distributions successfully committing to more than 90 % of counters, on the
first pass, for most fixes.
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Actions from Delivery Meeting - Wednesday 29th September 1999
ACTION
DESCRIPTION
4809
STATUS
4810
STATUS
4902
STATUS
4903
STATUS
4904
STATUS
4905
STATUS
To ensure that ICL Pathway’s reported figures on the
Installation Metrics Report for Site Preps are separated out
from those for Sites RFI.
Action completed on this month's report.
Action closed.
To report progress with regard to the problems with the
Correspondence server 2 at the next Horizon Delivery
Meeting.
Intermittent NT fault on all Correspondence Servers
causing ‘Blue Screen’ fixed by LSASS patch on 6
September Release Note 884a.
Action Closed.
To document the proposal for the figures required in
accordance with action 4809 and the incorporation of the
appropriate target figures and send to CF for review before
the next Delivery Meeting.
Will be sent to C French 11 Oct 99.
Action closed.
To prepare a presentation on the CSR+ plans, drivers and
how delays can be minimised at the next New
Developments meeting.
Completed.
Action closed.
To discuss the rejection of the Change request for Smart
Cards and the impact on the release of CSR+.
A letter was sent to Horizon and the suggested way
forward was discussed at the New Developments
meeting on 6" October.
Action closed.
To clarify the reasons for the discrepancy between the
Pathway and POCL databases with regard to the numbers
of counters.
Following the POCL/Pathway Implementation
fortnightly review between D Craik and J Flynn, the
reasons for reference data counter number
discrepancies are now understood by both parties.
Discrepancies were occurring because POCL reference
data was not always being updated following
discrepancies found during site survey. This was
thought to have been resolved by the POCL action of
interrupting the automatic refresh to the RODB for
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JF
8 Oct
SM
8 Oct
JF
6 Oct
MC
6 Oct
MC/CF
30 Sept
JF
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13" October 1999
4907
STATUS
4908
STATUS
4910
STATUS
4911
counter quantities and providing necessary updates
manually. However POCL had also assumed that
counter numbers in the reference data were only a
Priority up to survey and not after, since previously
Pathway had used spreadsheets to record original and
corrected counter number changes. This is not the
case and therefore failure to update the reference data
resulted in automatic refresh of the RODB from the
reference data returning the RODB record of counter
quantities to the incorrect value. On installation day
this creates a discrepancy because the installation is
dependant on a configuration file downloaded to the
counters, recognising and numbering the total quantity
of counters for that outlet. The file is produced
automatically by a feed from the RODB. If the RODB
value is incorrect following a reference data refresh
using uncorrected reference data, then the file will be
built for an incorrect quantity of counters. Installation
cannot proceed in an outlet where the ACF file records
the incorrect quantity of counters and it is not possible
to change the ACF file at the time of install.
Action closed
To provide a report to AR and JM as to the reasons for the
Correspondence Failure and actions taken to resolve the
specific issues and take steps to avoid a reoccurrence.
Report and subsequent paper responding to questions
from POCL submitted to Dave Hulbert on Wednesday 6
October.
Action Closed.
To provide a breakdown of reference data changes
between those that were classed as OBC and those that
were reference data.
A weekly snapshot of outstanding PinICLs is sent to
Paul Phillips in Chesterfield and to Andy Corbett in
Farnborough. Of the 30 outstanding the split is
approximately 50-50 between Reference Data and OBC.
Action Closed.
To clarify the release date for SIP16 which had slipped one
month to November 1999.
The dates were clarified at the New Developments
Meeting on 6" October. The key dates were Data
Centre Upgrade 13-14 Nov, Counter Software
Distribution 23-26 Nov.
Action closed.
To provide a draft copy of the Release Notice for SIP16, a
date by when the release contents would be frozen, and,
at a later date, a copy of the final Release Contents.
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8 Oct
SM
1 Oct
MC
1 Oct
MC
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STATUS
4913
STATUS
4918
STATUS
An update will be provided at the next meeting.
Carried forward.
To agree the Change Requests needed to re-baseline the
Resolution Time Table, possibly removing redundant dates
from the Contract and identifying the key dates needed.
CCN 543a has been submitted to Horizon and approval
is awaited. CCN 555 will be submitted w/c 11/10/99.
Action closed.
To arrange for Dave Miller and Richard Christou to pencil a
date for meeting in their diaries in the event that the
acceptance checkpoint on the 24th November may not
achieve positive reports.
Diaries have been made available. Meeting date to be
confirmed.
Action closed.
MC/AS
6 Oct
MC/KB
8 Oct
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