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Delivering Large Scale IT projects on time, budget and value ​

  • Large IT efforts often cost much more than planned.
  • black swans = projects that go so badly that they threaten the existence of the company.
  • black swans in IT are projects: where actual_cost−budget>200%budget

Four ways of improving project performance ​

goal: maximize chances of delivering within expected time, budget and value.

methodology is called value assurance:

  • focusing on managing strategy and stakeholders instead of exclusively concentrating on budget and scheduling

  • mastering technology and project content by securing critical internal and external talent

  • building effective teams by aligning their incentives with the overall goals of projects

  • excelling at core project-management practices, such as short delivery cycles and rigorous quality checks

Managing Strategy And Stakeholders ​

Strategy :

  • have a clear view of the value of the project.
  • maintain focus on the business objectives.

Stakeholders:

  • involve client and other stakeholders from the beginning of the development process.
  • good management of internal and external stakeholders:
    • check the opinion of the stakeholders on the project (client and supplier).
    • continually check the alignment of software with the business needs of the client.
    • when dealing with vendors (example: servers, software component, etc...) do not only consider the price, but assess the risks involved with maintainability, customer service etc...

Technology and Project Content ​

  • draw on expert help as needed.
  • team understands both technical and business problems.
  • assign high performing experts during the length of the project.

Effective Teams ​

  • common vision.
  • shared team processes.
  • high performance culture.
  • common (financial) incentive structure aligned with the project goal.

Core Project Management Practices ​

  • establish process for requirements engineering and change requests.
  • short delivery lifecycle
  • few strong gates in the project. gates = Project Gates are key points in a project where a formal review of the project's current state is performed.

Assessing the black swan risk ​

To avoid starting a black swan project analyze prospects before starting.

Diagnostics for all projects of a company(past, present and future):

  • health of the project in terms of value-assurance 4 dimensions.
  • relative prospects when compared with the outcomes of a reference class of similar projects.