"Is Your IT Project a Blue Ocean"
by Stephen R. Jester, Director of Technology Resources for CLIENT ADVOCATE NETWORK
When embarking on an IT project we may find ourselves feeling like the explorer's of old searching for the New World. We have a vision of paradise in our mind despite never having been there before. We load up our ship with people and supplies based on our own expectations of how long the journey should take. At last, we set sail with enthusiasm and excitement. Along the way we look over the horizon hoping to find land. Supplies begin to run short so we start to ration them. Enthusiasm begins to wane so we lower our expectations. Forget paradise; just give me a piece of dry land. Ultimately, we may find ourselves set afloat in empty blue waters unsure of the final outcome. So why do so many IT projects fail to live up to our expectations?
I recently attended a seminar on Project Management and IT Leadership sponsored by one of the NETWORK service providers: Value Based Project Management. I was astonished to hear the findings from the 2004 CHAOS report published by The Standish Group International¹:
- 18% of projects were cancelled prior to completion or were delivered, but never used.
- 53% of projects were late, over budget and/or delivered with less than required features and functions.
- Only 29% of IT projects were delivered on time, on budget and with required features and functions. This figure was 16 % in 1994.
What makes a project successful? The original CHAOS study listed these ten factors²:
- User Involvement
- Executive Support
- Clear Business Objectives
- Experienced Project Manager
- Small Milestones
- Firm Basic Requirements
- Competent Staff
- Proper Planning
- Ownership
- Other
A great place to start your project is by asking "What can I do to be an effective project sponsor?" Like our ship Capitan, as leaders, we can share our vision, set reasonable expectations, devote adequate resources, engage our crew, be prepared for the unexpected and stay the course throughout the entire journey. Mike Beard of VBPM summarized it best in describing a project sponsor champion as "a visionary who reduces barriers to success".
What about the IT Service Provider or Consultant? Are they truly the pirates of the high seas they have been made out to be? In some cases it is exactly what we have trained them to become. Take point number 6 on the CHAOS list of success factors: Firm Basic Requirements. Over the past 12 years of my involvement with IT projects I have witnessed a shift in the approach for requirements gathering.
Many have come to expect IT Service Providers to quickly assess and comprehend our issues, their root cause and how to integrate our vision with very little time and effort. After all, we hired them because they are the experts in IT. We have also come to believe, whether by influence or experience, that we should not have to pay for an assessment. Like any customer centric service business, the IT Service Provider has responded to the demands of their customers and in many cases offers a free needs assessment to start an engagement. This assessment, which implies a subjective opinion or evaluation, is almost always performed by a sales professional sometimes masked behind the title of Account Executive or Engagement Manager. The issue should be apparent: sales professionals are compensated for selling not consulting. 5 things you should demand and be willing to pay for in requirements gathering:
- Individually certified and experienced consultants, business analysts or engineers.
It's the people, not the organization, who should show competency. - A defined and proven methodology.
Who will they interview in your organization? Will they document both systems and processes? Get references specific to the requirements gathering methodology. - A deliverable with depth and substance that stands alone in value.
There should be a benefit to your organization even if you do not move forward with the project or the service provider. It should require a binder not a staple. Ask for samples of past deliverables. - A time investment equal to 10-30% of the total proposed project time.
It takes a considerable amount of time for an outsider to become intimate with your business' systems and processes. Consider how long it takes a new employee to get acquainted with them. - Execution.
Delivery of a billable requirements study that is on time, on budget and within expectations is a great indication of how your project will be managed and delivered.
Lastly, be prepared internally. Like the ship Capitan, chart your course by first understanding where you want to go. Understand your own systems and business process, both as they exist today and how you desire them to be the future. Perform a self-assessment that engages multiple people in your organization, especially those who are currently affected by the pains and who will become the champions of the new systems and processes. Map out what success will look like from their perspective before asking an IT Service Provider for a recommendation. You don't have to understand the technology; just know how you desire your business to operate and let technology serve as an enabler.
¹ 2004, Third Quarter CHAOS Research Report published by The Standish Group International, Inc.
² 1999, Chaos: A Recipe for Success published by The Standish Group International, Inc.
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