From Taylor to Tailoring - In Pursuit of the Organizational Fit

Second International Scientific Conference on

Project Management in the Baltic Countries

FROM TAYLOR TO TAILORING

IN PURSUIT OF THE ORGANIZATIONAL FIT

Marisa Silva, PMP PRINCE2

Carlos Jerónimo, Eng. ITIL PMP

AGENDA Literature Review

The Fit Challenge

From Taylor to Tailoring

The Diamond Approach

Research Methodology

Data Analysis and Discussion As-Is State

Proposed Method

Key Findings

Conclusions

QA


The Fit Challenge


Particular practices, structures and

approaches that are most appropriate – that fit– to a particular organization, in a particular

environment, trying to reach a particular

strategy

Measure that states to what extent did the implementation met

the needs of the organization or enables its success in

delivering projects

3



You can have any colour as long as it's black. One size doesn’t fit all

The ability to adapt or tailor the Project Management

processes to the characteristics of the project and its

context and ensure that projects are managed with the

proper amount of documentation and control and

related to the project environment and product design

4



A project

is a project

is a project

syndrome(Shenhar and Dvir)

5



HEROIC

PROJECT

MANAGER

Doesn’t follow any methodology

Few documentation and control

Agile and flexible

Management by exception

Thinks outside-the-box

Project Management as an art

Accidental Project Manager

ROBOTIC

PROJECT

MANAGER

Follows the methodology blindly

Excess of documentation and control

Slow and inflexible

Management by the book

Stuck in-the-box

Project Management as a science

Professional Project Manager

The Diamond Approach


Source: Shenhar and Dvir

7

Research Methodology


Should it be the ORGANIZATION to adapt to the project or

should it be the PROJECT to adapt to the organization?

IT Business Unit of one of the largest retail companies in Portugal

>150 people and a portfolio of 110 simultaneous projects

sample of 44 projects

2 days a week at the company, during 6 months

observations, interviews, and studies of written material

8

As-Is State


I don’t have time for

paperwork! I have a

project to manage!

The methodology has

no use for my project

so I’ve made some

changes!

I’m managing a

simple project and

it is over-burdened

Is there a Project

Management

methodology?

Well, we followed some

of the processes for

this project…

32 interviews

Same Project Management artifacts

regardless of project size or complexity

20% of project total duration was project

management work

Projects were prioritized based only on its

duration and budget

My project is taking longer just

because the PMO wants me to

comply with the methodology!

9

Proposed Method


1. Analyse the project’s portfolio and set a set of dimensions and

criteria

2. Define the configurations for each criteria and project types

3. Characterize projects for each criteria to obtain the project type

4. Define which processes and deliverables from the PM methodology

are applicable to different project types

10

Proposed Method


Proposed Method


Light

Medium

Advanced

Mo

nit

ori

ng

& C

on

tro

l

Level of Complexity, Innovation, Criticality and Client +

+

-

-

Project Types

12

Proposed Method


% Tailoring 69%

Project Type Advanced

Methodology Advanced

Project Manager Profile Senior

Priority 86%

13

Proposed Method


Light Medium Advanced

Initiation Project Charter Project CharterBusiness Case

Project Charter

Planning

Product Breakdown Structure

Project Plan

Kick-off Meeting

Stakeholders Management Matrix


Risk Register

Project Plan

Kick-off Meeting

Stakeholders Management Matrix

Risk Register

RACI Matrix


Communication Management Plan

Procurement Management Plan

Project Plan

Kick-off Meeting

Capacity Planning

Execution Change Request

Change Request

Intermediate Deliverables

Acceptance

Change Request

Intermediate Deliverables Acceptance

Team Performance Appraisal

Monitoring and ControlStatus Report

Change Request

Status Report

Change Request

Status Report

Change Request

Steering Committee

Closing

Final Acceptance

Internal Report

Lessons Learned Report

Final Acceptance

Internal Report


Final Acceptance Report and Meetingc

Satisfaction Survey

Internal Report


Project LifecycleProject Type

PM Methodology Tailoring Proposal

Key Findings


Technical Work

PM Work

100%

80%

20%

-5%

-10%

-20%

Technical Work

PM Work

95%

90%

5%

Light

Technical Work

PM Work

90%

80%

10%

Medium

80%

Technical Work

PM Work

60%

20%

Advanced

Pre-Tailoring Post-Tailoring

15

Key Findings


Decrease in projects duration (positive variance of 11 days)

Improvement of quality of information present in Project Management documentation

Reduced variability in how the processes are performed across the organization

Defined process for tailoring project management methodology

Distinguished and clarified priorities based in project classification

Increased stakeholder’s satisfaction rate

16

Conclusions


On the other hand…the project too should adapt to the organization in the way that,

despite the different levels of project management work intensity

related to project type, all projects must follow a pre-defined and

standardized methodology

17

On one hand…the organization should adapt itself to the project by not forcing a

project management methodology but instead define it in concordance

with the project portfolio characteristics

Questions & Answers


Marisa Silva

Skype: nine.tales

18

From Taylor to Tailoring - In Pursuit of the Organizational Fit

Leadership & Management

project management methodology

project environment

project size

simple project

project management processes

box project management

project management artifacts

project total duration