Change happens! It’s not a bad thing if you control the cost. But some change cost often gets overlooked. Here are costs you should examine before approving a project change request. Cost of additional process decisions and handoffs. Changes might affect the business processes for using your solutions. If decision points are added to business […]
A critical factor for using agile methods successfully is the mindset of the sponsor. With the wrong attitude about how agile works, you might as well forget about using an agile approach. A sponsor who is ready for agile must: Support a “learning organization.” Learning organizations spend some time on activities that don’t directly create […]
Project success is more likely when stakeholders hash out scope early in the project lifecycle. Here are the benefits of discussing (and debating) project scope to make it as small as possible: Focus on what is important. Stakeholder discussions about scope reveal which elements of scope are most important. That helps you prioritize scope, which […]
Ever notice that some project managers always seem to have sponsor support? Project managers who successfully manage sponsors use a handful of techniques. Here are the go-to tools for “executive whisperer” project managers. Get to the point in status reports. Status reports should be short and concise . Talk with your sponsor to understand their […]
The project lifecycle is well-known, but did you know there are other lifecycles within it? Well-managed projects include a business case, which has a lifecycle as well. Here are common stages in the lifecycle of a business case and the information they contain. Overview of the business case lifecycle The first draft of the business […]
An Exception Plan is a pre-agreed fallback approach to implement if a project gets into trouble. It’s more than a mitigation plan to address a single risk. An exception plan supplies an alternative project plan to recover from unacceptable conditions, such as exceeding the accepted tolerances for schedule delays or budget overruns. First, let’s look […]
Agile methodologies are designed to handle change easily, which is why they’re called -er- agile! Most aspects of agile work can change without causing problems. But a couple of things are best left alone. Here’s what you can and shouldn’t change when working in an agile environment: Priority. At the beginning of each sprint, the […]
It might seem like a hopeless situation when business value doesn’t meet expectations. Here are a few things to look at for potential opportunities for improvement. Revisit your estimates. Compare the estimates used to justify the project to the business results. Opportunities may arise from this, including: Business activities included in project justification aren’t being […]
You have delivered every component of your project, and your project team has started to disperse. It’s time for project closure, right? Not so fast! Here are other critical steps to take before closing your project. Confirm that business value is being generated. A project shouldn’t close until the business acknowledges value. However, some projects […]
Any project may be cancelled due to changing corporate priorities or cost constraints. It can even happen to projects that are running perfectly. If your project is cancelled, here’s what you can do to make the best of the situation. Communicate with your team. Emotions will be high and people will have questions. Talk with […]
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