Presenting Lab Results

Finally, test results need to be presented to the organization. Presentation of test results is a way to demonstrate to the organization that the Active Directory design is ready for primetime and that implementation can begin. Presentation should start with the operations group that accepts responsibility for administering the environment after it is in production. A meeting should be called that includes all the major stakeholders from the operations group. Present both an electronic copy of the results as well as hard copy for the meeting participants to take away.

Following buyoff by the operations group, call a meeting of the executive staff to review the results. This meeting should be called by the executive sponsor for the test process. Be sure to also include a representative from the operations group, so that any questions regarding operational acceptance can be immediately addressed. In this meeting, it important to be concise and specific when presenting results. If there are any outstanding issues, be sure to identify them at the outset. If the testing has identified aspects of the Active Directory design, which results in an impact to the business drivers of the organization, be sure to call them out. In addition, make sure that any action required by the executive staff is identified and specific action items are assigned. If LOB budgets must be increased to purchase additional equipment for the project, identify which investments are necessary and why. Clarity and action are c ritical.