---
title: "Implementation Journey"
sidebar_label: "Implementation Journey"
description: "A high-level overview of the Sensei IQ implementation process — from technical readiness through pilot, go-live, and ongoing operations."
last_updated: 2026-03-06
---

# Implementation Journey

Sensei IQ implementations follow a structured, proven process refined across hundreds of deployments. Here's what to expect from kickoff through go-live and beyond.

---

## The Sensei Proven Process

Every engagement moves through four stages:

```
Technical Readiness → Deployment & Pilot → Solutions Tailoring → Ongoing ClientCare
```

Most organizations reach go-live within 8–12 weeks. The pilot phase is where the system starts to feel like yours — your projects, your data, your team.

---

## Stage 1 — Technical Readiness

**What happens:** Your technical team prepares the Microsoft 365 environment before Sensei touches anything. This is the only prerequisite before deployment can begin.

**You'll need to:**
- Confirm Power Platform licensing is in place
- Create a dedicated Power Platform environment for Sensei IQ
- Set up a deployment account and grant the necessary consent
- Complete the [Technical Readiness Questionnaire](/docs/tech-readiness/questionnaire) to confirm you're ready

Your Sensei Engagement Lead will support you through this — it's a collaborative process, not a solo checklist.

**Who's involved:** Your M365 administrator, your Sensei Engagement Lead.

---

## Stage 2 — Deployment & Walkthrough

**What happens:** Once technical readiness is confirmed, a Sensei Deployment Engineer installs Sensei IQ in your environment. This includes the core solution, Power BI reports, and the Microsoft Teams app.

After deployment, your core team attends a **3-hour walkthrough** — a hands-on orientation covering the system's main areas and how everything connects.

**You'll receive:**
- A working Sensei IQ environment with sample data loaded
- Access for your initial users
- A Power BI workspace with Sensei's standard reports
- The Sensei IQ app installed in Microsoft Teams

**Who's involved:** Your core team (sponsor, project manager, admin SME), your Sensei Deployment Engineer.

---

## Stage 3 — Pilot Phase

**What happens:** The pilot is where your organisation's data and configuration replace the sample. Over roughly 8 weeks, Sensei works with your team to configure the system and load your first set of real projects.

**Suggested timeline:**

| Weeks | Focus |
|-------|-------|
| 1–2 | Project types, fields, forms; collaboration artifacts (issues, risks, etc.); Teams integration |
| 3–4 | External tool connections (Jira, Azure DevOps, Planner Premium, etc.); bookable resources |
| 5–6 | Governance lifecycle (business process flows); financial categories |
| 7–8 | Load 5–10 live projects; remove sample data; status updates; first Power BI reports |

**Sensei will:**
- Configure project types, forms, fields, and financial categories to match your process
- Load and configure bookable resources and enterprise calendars
- Connect your external execution tools using standard Sensei dataflows
- Guide your team as they begin using the system day-to-day

**You'll deliver:**
- Completed requirements workbooks (project types, execution tools, bookable resources)
- A list of 5–10 initial projects to load
- Access to your external tool environments

**Who's involved:** Your core team, your Sensei SME/CSM.

---

## Stage 4 — Solutions Tailoring

**What happens:** After the pilot, most organizations engage Sensei's consulting team to extend and customize the system. This is scoped in your Statement of Work and typically includes a combination of:

- **Solution Design & Implementation** — custom fields, forms, views, and solution configuration
- **Process & Automation** — Power Automate flows for notifications, approvals, and governance
- **Reporting** — custom Power BI reports and dashboards tailored to your audience
- **Integrations** — connections to additional tools beyond the standard dataflows
- **Migration** — importing historical project and portfolio data

Consulting services are delivered in scoped blocks of hours. Your engagement lead will help you prioritize what to tackle first.

---

## Ongoing — ClientCare

Once you're live, Sensei stays engaged through a standard ClientCare package:

- **Unlimited Help Desk** — raise tickets through the Sensei portal anytime
- **Solution Updates** — Sensei IQ updates are applied to your environment as part of your subscription
- **Training Updates** — access to updated eLearning content as the product evolves
- **Quarterly Check-ins** — regular calls with your Sensei account team to review adoption and plan ahead
- **Maturity Assessments** — periodic reviews to identify opportunities to get more value from the system

---

## Your Core Team

A successful Sensei IQ deployment depends on having the right people engaged from day one:

| Role | Responsibility |
|------|---------------|
| **Sponsor / Champion** | Sets the vision; makes decisions; drives adoption |
| **Project Manager** | Manages the schedule, risks, and action items |
| **Business Analyst** | Defines processes and governance; supports testing |
| **Application SME / Administrator** | Learns Sensei IQ deeply; manages the system ongoing |
| **M365 Administrator** | Handles licensing, users, security groups, and technical readiness |

---

## Ready to get started?

Review the [Technical Readiness](/docs/tech-readiness/) requirements to understand what your environment needs before deployment begins.

## Changelog
| Date | Change | Author |
|------|--------|--------|
| 2026-02-26 | Page created (stub) | Claude Code |
| 2026-03-06 | Full content: Sensei Proven Process stages, pilot timeline, core team table — sourced from Kickoff and Pilot Phase presentations | Claude Code |