The validation, group and departmental phase each have a rollout component. This post covers the group and departmental rollout which share common requirements differing only in the level of formality of the tasks.  Sucessfull completion of the rollout is dependent on three things, a defined process, education support and supporting staff.

Defined process

Upon completion of the validation phase, the Model-Based Design Workflow is defined.  This process needs to be documented and, to the degree possible automated.

Education program

Rolling out a new process to staff requires an educational program.  In general for a Model-Based Design process, this consists of 3 types of instruction.

1. 1. Base tool training: Most MBD workflows utilize supporting tools such as Simulink™ and Embedded Coder®.  For smaller companies, this training is normally provided by the tool vendor.  For large companies, in-house training on these tools may be developed.(1)
   2. Workflow training: This training instructs the end users on the parts of the development process operate and how they fit together(2).
   3. Migration training: The transition to a new process requires a migration of artifacts between the two systems.  A basic overview of how artifacts are converted needs to be presented.

In the validation phase, the workflow training should be informal; the final formalized version of the training is developed at the end of the validation phase.  The validation phase will not have a migration training component.

For the group roll out it is critical that all of the processes are fully documented to ensure that employees can reference the information after completion of training.

Supporting staff

The rollout is dependent on the existing of the supporting staff.  This staff draws from the process adoption team.  This group is responsible for the creation of the workflow documentation, answering questions from the adopters and developing any custom tools required by the end users.

Final thoughts

Successfully rolling out a new is dependent on gathering feedback from the end users.  This feedback should be used to improve the training and the actual processes.  Remember, all processes can be improved through the use of feedback and KPI monitoring.

Footnotes

(1)There is a trade-off to developing in-house training.  While it allows the company to customize their training it requires in-house resources and may miss features or capabilities that the in-house staff are not aware of.
(2)Generally, there are multiple “workflow trainings.”  One for each role that a person may play.  Each training focuses on the tasks required for the specific role while still providing information on the other tasks within the workflow.