Three Circles Consulting Ltd

The Outstanding Project (December 2009) PDF Print E-mail

In this bulletin, we take a look at the increasing pressures for projects to leap straight into "doing something", and explore the benefits of understanding where your project is vulnerable.

In this issue

If you don't have time to do it right...

Exposing the broken bones

Reducing risk of project failure


Learning Zone

Visit our Learning Zone for information to help you understand and manage project challenges;
  • Research papers
  • Diagnostic tools
  • Good Practice Guides

If you don't have time to do it right...

"...when will you have time to do it over?"

Most of us will agree that there is an ever increasing pressure to deliver immediate results from our projects.  As organisations in many sectors tighten their belts, there is an expectation of doing more with less, in shorter time.  But, in the rush to get on with doing, are we throwing out the baby along with the bath water?  Are project time-lines and costs actually increasing as a result of skipping over or rushing through the scoping or planning activities?

There are many pressures on projects within the modern organisation.  Some of these are cultural, such as the belief that "productivity = doing something".

Can we kick back against this pressure, to identify or check that we are "doing the right something"?  Or, do we usually get swept along by the drive to "get on with it" while no one is quite sure what "it" is.  Other pressures are related to project management capabilities and leadership.

Taking sufficient time (you can spend too much time on this, as well as too little) over these initiation activities delivers several benefits ;
a) Reduced risk of unplanned costs, resource requirements and over-runs,

 

Click here to read more

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Exposing the broken bones

Are any of the following familiar?

Have you ever had a feeling that another scope change would be the straw that broke your project?

Did your project team seem to be working in a vacuum, isolated from other parts of the business - especially the eventual customers?

No matter how closely you were following the prescribed methodology, were people pulling in different directions?
 

These are all symptoms of the vulnerabilities that can exist in a project. If left untreated, these symptoms result in breaks which can be painful, perhaps invisible, and surrounded with infection.

One example of such a fracture resulted from a critical change, the project was about to deliver a product that no longer fit with the way the business worked. The change in a business process was communicated to the project just prior to launch, despite project participants being aware of the change occurring some months earlier.

Healing this fracture required a major re-working of the project deliverables, resulting in upwards of 12 months delay, unplanned costs in excess of £100,000 and eventual delivery of a much smaller set of requirements than needed to provide a return on the not inconsiderable investment.

Understanding and taking action to mitigate vulnerabilities may have prevented this break from occurring, or promoted rapid healing.

Use of a diagnostic tool can greatly aid understanding of vulnerability to project fractures, and identify actions to take. Teams who have followed this approach have found benefits such as;
  • Reducing the risk of project failure,
  • Early warning of potential trouble spots,
  • Feedback on the effectiveness of actions taken to address issues,
  • Multiplying the return from corrective actions, across projects,
  • Low-risk way to check project health,
  • Engages people in recognising and resolving problems.


Take this opportunity to assess your project for vulnerabilities. Download a FREE Project Vulnerability Assessment diagnostic and access your copy of the research results from www.projectfractures.com.

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Minimising the occurrence of costly project over-runs, reducing the risk of failure

A half day seminar on 9th February 2010, at the HealthTech Hub, Blackburn, UK

Defining, executing and delivering projects can be a challenge at the best of times, so what is it that sets successful projects apart? What are the common causes of project issues and variances?  How can we learn from them, to increase the effectiveness of our project delivery.


Benefits of attending

  • Discover common factors that lead to project failure,
  • Benchmark your project performance in the wider context of the biomedical sector,
  • Learn key elements that differentiate successful projects,
  • Identify practical steps that you can take, to reduce the risk of project failure

Booking
The event is free of charge to companies that are operating in or diversifying into the Medical Sector. The Health Tech Hub is an initiative of the University of Central Lancashire and is supported by the No Limits initiative (Eureka Project).

The seminar includes a light lunch and opportunities for networking.

Attendance is by registration only.  For more information, click here.

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Don't forget to let me know what steps you will be taking to ensure your project "takes the time to do it right"

As usual, your comments are welcomed and appreciated, particularly with regard to what you'd like to hear about in future bulletins.


Matthew Theobald
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