Only a third of all projects were successfully completed on time and on budget over the past year – the worst failure rate recorded by the Standish Group’s CHAOS report.
Observations of the Project Practitioners
There can be many reasons attributed to project failure but one of the reasons that crops up time after time is a direct result of project managers failing to implement scope control and failing to identify the correct requirements as part of their project management methodology. Project management success relies on excellent planning and meticulous follow-up and control throughout its duration.
One of the most common aspects missed by project managers in their project management planning is the complexity of a project. No matter the size or cost of a project, the most fundamental things to understand is its structural, political, social and technical complexity. This is one of the reason why the Synergy methodology within Orange Business Services features an Opportunity Assessment phase (pre-project) and provides guidance on assessing project complexity. When a project is assessed correctly it provides the basis for future set-up and planning decisions that will become critical in the execution phase.
Structural complexity primarily relates to the number of people required to complete the project, the skill sets they possess and their ability to work together (political complexity). Social complexity is also a very important factor as the culture of an organisation can be a major hindrance to a project, especially if it involves substantial change to the way the business operates. For example most companies do not operate as a Projectised organisation and most cross functional projects rely on a Weak Matrix organisational structure, which is not ideal from a project management perspective and will always be a challenge and compromise.
Understanding technical complexity includes, amongst other things, assessing whether a project is in fact a programme of multiple projects. Sometimes client’s goals lend themselves to several projects rather than just one. Programme management is different to project management – it requires a broader view. This why we have developed the Visionary methodology within Orange Business Services and introduced a programme management offer to support these opportunities. The key is to have knowledgeable people at the initial stages of a new opportunity to ensure we proceed in the correct manner.
As a conclusion, a few tips for successful project management…
- With each project management contract, talk to your clients about how the project could benefit other parts of their business and adjust the project scope accordingly.
- Find out how they define a “successful project” (Critical Success Factors) then work backwards to figure out your project execution plan.
- Exceeding your clients’ expectations should always be the goal so look for ways to bring value-added benefits to their business in your project delivery.