Helping People Deliver
Successful Projects©
Can Your IT Projects Be More Successful?
Successfully
delivering information technology (IT) software projects is a challenge for any
organization. The Standish Group
International’s series of CHAOS reports have tracked IT
project success rates over the past 10 years.
The good news is that the success rates are getting better; the bad news
is that Standish’s reports consistently find that over 70% of projects are
challenged - falling short of goals. Of
these, nearly 30% of all IT projects fail to deliver anything.
When projects succeed, Standish has found over the
last 10 years that these five factors are most important to their success:
- Executive Support
- User Involvement
- Project Management
- Clear Business Objectives
- Control of Scope
We know what we need, but the failure rate is still
high. The hard part is assuring that
these factors are effectively addressed in the real world.
We Know What to Do, What Gets in the Way?
Consider how Standish’s top
five success factors are addressed in the real world:
- You are an executive
who owns responsibility for a project, and you want it to succeed. You support it, but are you supporting
it as effectively as necessary?
Are you experienced in sponsoring IT projects?
- You’ve asked the users
of the new system to be involved with the IT staff as improvements are
designed and implemented. All are
committed to this, but all are under other pressures to get their work
done, get as much as they can from the project, and learn new
technologies. Is the project
structured and motivated in a way to assure user involvement that
contributes to project success?
- A project manager has
been appointed. Ideally, the
project manager is experienced in both IT and the business involved. He or she is willing to objectively
report progress and resolve issues.
Yet, project managers often are inexperienced at project
management, coming from the business or from IT technical positions. Do they have the insights, tools, drive,
and instincts needed to be successful?
Can they be objective in assessing how they are doing to stay ahead
of potential show stoppers?
- Why are you doing the
project? Often, the project arises
not from a well thought out set of business problems and needs, but in
response to symptoms or external forces.
You have to find ways to be more efficient and productive, the
competition offers a better web site, or an obsolete technology has to be
replaced. A clear understanding in
terms of business driven objectives is essential to guide all aspects of
the development of a new IT solution.
Can the participants in the project describe the real business
reasons for and priorities of the project?
- The scope of your project
is ambitious. We always try to get
as much as we can when we finally get our shot. Yet, we don’t always have control over
how long we get or how much money we can spend. Does your scope match your time and
budget constraints? Does your team
really have the capabilities and a good strategy to deliver the most
useful results following a manageable strategy that improve your chances
for success?
It’s
not the lack of trying to apply the factors critical to project success that
gets us, it’s the real world constraints and pressures the project team has to
deal with that make it hard to see clearly what’s happening and do the right
things. Every team wants to be
successful and self-sufficient to further their organizations, careers, and
personal experience.
How Can Independent IT Project Management Consulting
Help?
Consulting
is about helping you see where you are, and helping you find a way to be more
successful. You and your team manage the
project. We help assure your success. An
independent IT project management consultant consults with your project to help
you be aware of how effectively you are addressing the critical success
factors, and to help you find how to eliminate barriers to your success. In the end, a successful consulting relationship
helps you clarify your business objectives, avoid damaging mistakes, grow your
experience and confidence, and deliver more satisfying results.
An
effective independent IT project management consultant should bring you:
- Objectivity – our
interest is in helping you successfully deliver your project, not in
selling you other services
- Trust – we will act in
your best interests, work collaboratively, and support you personally
recognizing that you may be apprehensive about consulting support
- Experience – our
strength is that we bring relevant business management and IT project
management expertise that can only come from many years of experience
- Skills –
we bring strong capabilities in the methods and tools of project
management and IT software development and implementation
- Leverage – the time we
spend with you is small in comparison to the time you invest, but the
clarity, understanding, risk avoidance, and direction we contribute makes
your time much more productive
- Value – the cost of
our service is small in comparison to the investment you make in your
project, but the contribution to the overall return is of great value.
Email
glenn @ briskinconsulting.com or call him at 360 561 0897 to explore how independent
IT project management consulting can help meet your specific needs.
About Briskin Consulting:
Glenn Briskin, PMP, M.A., is a consultant and project
manager in
Glenn is a founding member of the
Project
success strategies in state government.
Consulting
skills for project managers.
Briskin Consulting is available to provide consulting
services under the Washington State General Administration #32100 IT Services
Primary Agreement Program categories:
Acquisition Planning
Project Management and Technology Analysis
Strategic and Architectural Technology Advice
Quality, Change Control, and Disaster Recovery
Briskin Consulting’s clients and references include:
Washington State Department of Transportation
Washington State Department of Corrections
Washington State Department of Information Services
Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife
Tacoma/Pierce County Law Enforcement Support Agency
Starling Systems
Sierra Systems
Eclipse Solutions
Boeing Employees’ Credit Union
Frank Russell Company
Glenn Briskin
Briskin Consulting
4317 Clearwater Loop SE
Lacey,
WA 98503
Helping People Deliver
Successful Projects©
Web page updated 6/7/06.