10 Ways to Increase Your Project's Success

10 WAYS TO INCREASE YOUR

PROJECT’S SUCCESSProject Management Workshop

Brandon Olson, PhD

Purpose

•Define projects and project management

•Evaluate highly visible failed projects

•Describe the purpose of risk management

•Identify common sources of project failure

•Develop methods to address common failures

Agenda

•Definitions

•Project Management

•Risk Management

•Project Failures

•Sources of Project Failures

Agenda

•Definitions•Project Management

•Risk Management

•Project Failures

•Sources of Project Failures

Definitions of Project Management

•"...a complex, non-routine, one-time effort limited by time, budget, resources, and performance specifications designed to meet customer needs(Gray & Larson, 2008)

•"...a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.“ (PMI, 2008)

UniqueTemporary

One-Time

Project Characteristics

Kerzner, 2009

PROJECT

Specific Objective withDefined Specifications

Defined Startand End Dates

Funding Limitations

Consume Human andNonhuman Resources

Multiple Disciplines

Operations vs. Projects

Operations Projects

Taking notes in class Writing a research paper

Recording sales into ledger Setting up sales kiosk for convention

Practicing a musical instrument Writing a new piece of music

Manufacturing the iPhone Designing the new OS

Attaching sales tags to merchandise Implementing a new RFID system

Adapted from Gray & Larson, 2008

Agenda

•Definitions

•Project Management•Risk Management

•Project Failures

•Sources of Project Failures

Purpose of Project Management

Project ManagementA B

Change

Project Sources

Increase Revenue(expand services)

Reduce Expenses

Directive

New product/servicesMarket ExpansionIncreased Scalability

Process ImprovementDecision Making

Government ComplianceSelf-ImposedCompetitive Standards

Why Projects?

Operational Islands

Project Management

Scope

TimeCost

ProjectManager

Project Success

•Delivered 100% functionality

•On time

•Within Budget

Project Team and Stakeholders

ProjectChampion

ProjectOwner/Sponsor

(client)

ProjectManager

Project Team(Multidisciplinary Specialists)

Customers(Recipients of Outcomes)

Agenda

•Definitions

•Project Management

•Risk Management•Project Failures

•Sources of Project Failures

Risk Management

Looking for Risk

• Variables• Scope• Budget• Schedule

• Project Team

• Stakeholders

• Internal Events and Environment

• External Events and Environment

Risk Register

Uncertainty

Consequences Potential

Time Performance

Level

No Signature

Project on hold until client signs

2% 3% 0%

UPS strike Product materials cannot be shipped to product site and must be hand delivered

25% 50% 10%

Current development server crashes again

All new development and modifications are halted until server can be replaced

75% 25% 80%

High Risk

Moderate RiskLow Risk

Contingency Planning

Event Affect on Project

Actions TakenUPS strike Delays in shipping products to sitesFleet vehicles are available

and project team can deliver products to individual sites.

Server Crash Stoppage of work in the test and development environments

New server has been ordered and the costs will be covered by the IT department.

Agenda

•Definitions

•Project Management

•Risk Management

•Project Failures•Sources of Project Failures

“What canpossibly gowrongwith my project?”

Project Case #1

Project Case #2

Project Case #3

Agenda

•Definitions

•Project Management

•Risk Management

•Project Failures

•Sources of Project Failures

Sources of Project Failures

1. Project Champion

2. Process Shortcuts

3. Expectations Management

4. Variable Lock-In

5. Estimating Techniques

6. Optimism

7. Resource Assumptions

8. People Management

9. Adapting to Change

10.Insufficient Resources

Adapted from Whitten & Bentley, 2007

Source 1: Project Champion

• Project is approved without a champion

• Champion leaves the organization

• Champion loses interest in the project

Effect Project Actions Taken

Source 2: Process Shortcuts

• Skipping steps in the selected processes

• Incomplete or portly executed processes

• Ignore process altogether

Effect Project Actions Taken

Source 2: Expectations Management• Unknown or ambiguous deliverables / goals

• Scope / Feature Creep

• Fluid requirements

Effect Project Actions Taken

Source 4: Variable Lock-In

• Committing to initial estimates

• Estimates established without thorough analysis

• Estimates do not consider recent changes

Effect Project Actions Taken

Source 5: Estimating Techniques

• Estimates are influenced by internal/external pressures

• Estimates are based on uneducated estimates

• Estimates are based on padded hours

Effect Project Actions Taken

Source 6: Optimism

• Project team does not evaluate affect of issues and risks

• Project team discounts true affect of issues and risks

• Project team assumes issues or time can be addressed later

Effect Project Actions Taken

Source 7: Resource Assumptions

• Mythical Man Month (Brooks, 1975)• Adding resources reduced project duration• 2x resources reduces schedule by 50%

Effect Project Actions Taken

Source 8: People Management

• Project managers promoted without development

• Project managers value tasks over managing team

• Project managers value tasks over communications

Effect Project Actions Taken

Source 9: Adapting to Change

• Change in organizational priorities

• Change to organizational processes

• Change in external environment

Effect Project Actions Taken

Source 10: Insufficient Resources

• Insufficient funding or material resources

• Insufficient staff or missing skill sets

• Insufficient experience

Effect Project Actions Taken

Monitor and Control

Evaluate Progress

Identify Risks

Assess Risks

Develop Plans

Execute Plans

Communicate

References• Brooks, F. (1975). The mythical man-month. Reading, PA: Addison-Wesley.

• Gale, S. (2011). Failure rates finally drop. PM Network, 25(8), 10-11.

• Gale, S. (2013, April). Finding the competitive edge. PM Network, 27(4), 39-43.

• Gray, C.F., & Larson, E.W. (2008). Project management: The managerial process (4th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw Hill.

• Kerzner, H. (2009). Project management: A systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. New York, NY: Wiley.

• Project Management Institute (2008). A guide to the project management body of knowledge (4th ed.). Newtown Square: PA: Author.

• Whitten, J.L., & Bentley, L.D. (2007). Systems analysis and design methods (7th ed.). Boston, MA: McGrawHill /Irwin.

http://faculty.css.edu/bolson1/presentations/ProjectSuccess.pdf