Corvelle Drives Concepts to Completion It's 10 a.m.! Do you know where your IT projects are? Project World Edmonton, Alberta 3 November 2009 1

Corvelle Drives Concepts to Completion

It's 10 a.m.! Do you knowwhere your IT projects are?

Project WorldEdmonton, Alberta3 November 2009

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PresentationObjectives

Recognize common project factorsthat lead to success or failure

Build an understanding of corrective actions when a project failure factor looms

Address project success factorsin the Project Charter

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Take away ideas that will help us positionour projects for greater success


Yogi SchulzBiography

Partner of Corvelle Consulting Information technology related management consulting Microsoft Canada columnist & CBC Radio host PPDM Association board member Industry presenter:

– Project World - 4 years– CIPS Informatics - 7 years– PMI - Information Systems SIG - 2 years– Convergence - 4 years– PPDM Association - several years

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PresentationOutline

Introduction Objectives Analysis of project success

and failure factors Recommendations Discussion

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Project Successand Failure Factors

1. Project Goal2. Project Sponsor3. Project Manager4. Project Benefits5. Project Plan &

Status6. Project Budget &

Status

7. Project Organization8. Project Resources 9. Project Steering

Committee10. Stakeholder

Communication11. Change Management12. Project Technology

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Project Goal

• I've seen a crisp statement of the project goal

• I've heard a lot of debate about goals

• I’m not sure what the goal is

• Facilitate a discussion to build a clear statement of the project goal

• List a small number of objectives

• Have the project steering committee endorse the project goal

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Good

Bad

Ugly

Fix


Project Sponsor

• I know the senior executive by name

• The role is diffused among multiple individuals

• There is no project sponsor

• Appoint the manager that gains the most as project sponsor

• Provide orientation

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Good

Bad

Ugly

Fix


Project Manager

• A full-time project manager is in place

• Project manager has insufficient experience

• Project is being managed as a self-managed team

• Appoint an IT professional with a record of successful delivery as project manager

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Good

Bad

Ugly

Fix


Project Benefits

• I can articulate the benefits

• Perceptions about the reality of benefits vary

• No one is accountable for securing the benefits

• Ask the project team to list the benefits

• Quantify tangible benefits

• Link intangible benefits to key goals

• Cancel dubious projects

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Good

Bad

Ugly

Fix


Project Plan& Status

• I've created the same summary Gantt chart showing plan and progress

• I've never produced a Gantt chart

• What’s a Gantt chart?

• Lead the project team create a detailed project plan

• Use a credible software package to manage the project plan

• Insist on monthly progress reports

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Good

Bad

Ugly

Fix


Project Budget & Status

• I've produced the budget and see regular updates

• Budget and spending amounts change over time

• No budget has been established or approved

• Lead the project team to create a budget

• Produce monthly update reports

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Good

Bad

Ugly

Fix


Project Organization

• I've created a reasonably clear organization chart

• I've created more than one organization chart

• I’m not clear who is on the project team

• Create a project organization

• Define roles and responsibilities

• Fill vacancies

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Good

Bad

Ugly

Fix


Project Resources

• Most individuals on the project organization chart are full-time and are employees

• More individuals are part-time or contract staff than are full-time employees

• We’re using the virtual resource concept

• Staff the project team with mostly full-time individuals

• Contain the contractors• Minimize geographic

dispersion

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Good

Bad

Ugly

Fix


Project Steering Committee

• Key business areas are represented

• The committee doesn't exist

• Committee membership is unclear or meetings are sporadic

• Create a project steering committee

• Ensure executive membership

• Hold regular meetings

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Good

Bad

Ugly

Fix


Stakeholder Communication

• I’ve ensured effective communication to stakeholders

• Communication to stakeholders is sporadic

• I’ve not observed communication to stakeholders

• Ramp up stakeholder communications

• Formally approve project deliverables

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Good

Bad

Ugly

Fix


Change Management

• The project team is introducing new business processes

• The project team is not introducing new business processes

• The project team doesn’t believe change management is required

• Recognize that every IT project introduces changes

• Insist that change management is in scope

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Good

Bad

Ugly

Fix


Project Technology

• The project consistently uses a short list of technologies

• The project uses an extensive and changing list of technologies

• Technology buzzwords abound in discussions

• Select a set of technologies

• Pick technologies where the IT organization demonstrates experience

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Good

Bad

Ugly

Fix


Recommendations

Recognize commonproject factors that leadto success or failure

Take corrective actionswhen a project failurefactor looms

Address project successfactors in theProject Charter

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Project Evaluation ChecklistProject Successor Failure FactorsProject GoalProject SponsorProject ManagerProject BenefitsProject Plan & StatusProject Budget & StatusProject OrganizationProject Resources Project Steering CommitteeStakeholder CommunicationChange ManagementProject Technology

Good Bad Ugly


Questions &Discussion

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Can you help us improve

project delivery?Pleasefill out

evaluationform


It's 10 a.m.! Do you knowwhere your IT projects are?

Corvelle Consulting700, 205 - 5 Ave. S. W.Calgary, Alberta T2P 2V7Phone: (403) 249-5255E-mail: [email protected]: www.corvelle.com

Yogi SchulzPartner of Corvelle ConsultingInformation technology related

management consultingMicrosoft Canada columnist & CBC

Radio hostIndustry presenterPPDM Association board member

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Corvelle Drives Concepts to CompletionCorvelle Drives Concepts to Completion

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Corvelle Drives Concepts to Completion It's 10 a.m.! Do you know where your IT projects are? Project World Edmonton, Alberta 3 November 2009 1