This week’s question from the 3 Ps Network: What do I need to get right from the start for my improvement project to be a success?
Project failure is costly.
A 2015 US study found money continues to be wasted when projects aren’t managed well – US$122 million is wasted for every US$1 billion invested due to poor project performance.
(Source)
It’s critical to get project management fundamentals in place from the start.
Strong Senior Leadership
You must have the support of the most senior people in the business.
Delivering a project results in a change in the way your organization operates. Senior leaders must truly and actively support the change that will be delivered.
This means – being very clear and consistent on why the project is being delivered, what the project team will and will not deliver, providing them with the time, resources and budget to deliver those outcomes, actively resolving concerns and issues with the project, and visually supporting the project at all levels of the business.
This is fundamental. If you do not have strong senior leadership support do not start project delivery.
Using a Robust Project Delivery Method
You must deliver your project the right way from the start.
Project delivery methodologies provide a structured, step by step process on how to manage your project from start to finish. These methodologies ensure you clearly define what you want to achieve, how you will achieve it, they will keep you on track, and will ensure the full, expected results are delivered.
Having the Right People on the Project Team
You need to build a project team that has a balance of technical, people, and project management skills.
Think about the changes that are occurring through the delivery of the project. You need people who have the technical skills to make the required changes, the people skills to engage, communicate, and train your staff to embed the changes, and the project management skills to ensure the changes are made on time and budget.
The Results are Proven
The same study found that projects are 2.5 times more successful when proven project management practices and fundamentals are in place.
(Source)
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