Presentation from 10 Ways to Increase Your Project's Success

1. 10WAYSTO INCREASE
YOUR PROJECT’S SUCCESS
Project Management Workshop
Brandon Olson, PhD

2. Purpose
•Defineprojects 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

3. Agenda
• Definitions
• Project Management
• Risk Management
• Project Failures
• Sources of Project Failures

4. Agenda
•Definitions
• Project Management
• Risk Management
• Project Failures
• Sources of Project Failures

5. 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)
One-Time

6. Project Characteristics
Kerzner, 2009
Specific Objective with
Defined Specifications
Defined Start
and End Dates
Funding Limitations
Consume Human and
Nonhuman Resources
Multiple Disciplines

7. 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

8. Agenda
• Definitions
•Project Management
• Risk Management
• Project Failures
• Sources of Project Failures

9. Purpose of Project Management
Project ManagementA B
Change

10. Project Sources
Increase Revenue
(expand services)
Reduce Expenses
Directive
New product/services
Market Expansion
Increased Scalability
Process Improvement
Decision Making
Government Compliance
Self-Imposed
Competitive Standards

11. Why Projects?
Operational Islands

12. Project Management
Scope
TimeCost
Project
Manager

13. Project Success
• Delivered 100% functionality
• On time
• Within Budget

14. ProjectTeam and Stakeholders
Project
Champion
Project
Owner/Sponsor
(client)
Project
Manager
ProjectTeam
(Multidisciplinary Specialists)
Customers
(Recipients of Outcomes)

15. Agenda
• Definitions
• Project Management
•Risk Management
• Project Failures
• Sources of Project Failures

16. Risk Management

17. Looking for Risk
• Variables
• Scope
• Budget
• Schedule
• ProjectTeam
• Stakeholders
• Internal Events and Environment
• External Events and Environment

18. 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 Risk
Low Risk

19. Contingency Planning
Event Affect on Project ActionsTaken
UPS strike Delays in shipping products to sites Fleet 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.

20. Agenda
• Definitions
• Project Management
• Risk Management
•Project Failures
• Sources of Project Failures

21. “What can
possibly go
wrong
with my project?”

22. Project Case #1

23. Project Case #2

24. Project Case #3

25. Agenda
• Definitions
• Project Management
• Risk Management
• Project Failures
•Sources of Project Failures

26. Sources of Project Failures
1. Project Champion
2. Process Shortcuts
3. Expectations
Management
4. Variable Lock-In
5. EstimatingTechniques
6. Optimism
7. Resource Assumptions
8. People Management
9. Adapting to Change
10. Insufficient Resources
Adapted fromWhitten & Bentley, 2007

27. Source 1: Project Champion
• Project is approved without a champion
• Champion leaves the organization
• Champion loses interest in the project
Effect Project ActionsTaken

28. Source 2: Process Shortcuts
• Skipping steps in the selected processes
• Incomplete or portly executed processes
• Ignore process altogether
Effect Project ActionsTaken

29. Source 2: Expectations Management
• Unknown or ambiguous deliverables / goals
• Scope / Feature Creep
• Fluid requirements
Effect Project ActionsTaken

30. Source 4:Variable Lock-In
• Committing to initial estimates
• Estimates established without thorough analysis
• Estimates do not consider recent changes
Effect Project ActionsTaken

31. Source 5: EstimatingTechniques
• Estimates are influenced by internal/external pressures
• Estimates are based on uneducated estimates
• Estimates are based on padded hours
Effect Project ActionsTaken

32. 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 ActionsTaken

33. Source 7: Resource Assumptions
• Mythical Man Month (Brooks, 1975)
• Adding resources reduced project duration
• 2x resources reduces schedule by 50%
Effect Project ActionsTaken

34. Source 8: People Management
• Project managers promoted without development
• Project managers value tasks over managing team
• Project managers value tasks over communications
Effect Project ActionsTaken

35. Source 9: Adapting to Change
• Change in organizational priorities
• Change to organizational processes
• Change in external environment
Effect Project ActionsTaken

36. Source 10: Insufficient Resources
• Insufficient funding or material resources
• Insufficient staff or missing skill sets
• Insufficient experience
Effect Project ActionsTaken

37. Monitor and Control
Evaluate
Progress
Identify
Risks
Assess
Risks
Develop
Plans
Execute
Plans
Communicate

38. 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. NewYork, 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