DC Velocity - IdeaBook 2017

2017 dB

IMPLEMENT

Now the project is “put into production” based on the findings from all the previous phases. This phase requires managing the project across many functional areas. Staffing for the project typically involves engaging both stakeholders and domain experts.

This is where project plans and timing meet reality. IT interfaces are constructed across internal and external systems, measurable systems and performance metrics are established, and training for all of the people involved takes shape. Within all of these operational realities, something is bound to go wrong. Open communication between stakeholders about new realities is a key determinant of success and is therefore essential.

It’s very likely that to meet budgets and deadlines, the implementation plan will have to be modified while the project is underway. While an abundance of flexibility can harm a project (for example, through “scope creep” or expanding to include too many objectives), an abundance of rigidity can produce equally poor results. New discoveries are always made while a project is in production, and the implementation plan needs to be flexible enough to adapt accordingly. Once again, when change is involved, clear communication becomes critical.

This is a good time to address any questions about whether the new model should be managed internally or by an external expert. The concern is whether the company would be better served by performing activities under the new model itself or by hiring a third party to do it. Questions to ask include: Do we have the bandwidth and the resources to manage it successfully? Do we have the necessary knowledge to ensure success? If the answer to those questions is no, then you may want to consider working with a third party.

INSTITUTIONALIZE

A company’s overall business environment and corporate culture can create fierce resistance to organizational change. 2 Change management involves (among other things) developing the means to overcome such resistance, so that any changes that are implemented actually stick. That’s why the institutionalize phase includes the development of new operating procedures, audits, and controls as well as updating workflows, responsibilities, and accountability. All of these are tools for making sure that the change resulting from the project is not just delivered but also sustained.

We also recommend adjusting compensation in a way that provides employees with an incentive to institutionalize the project’s purpose. We believe such incentives ensure that change happens.

CLOSE

Project closure is not of much significance if a project has a discrete beginning and end. The problem is that few projects do. More often than not, a project does not just end; instead, it dovetails into another project. If a project is a pilot or was tested in one geographic area and will be taken to another, then the lessons learned from the initial site will be of extreme value to the next business unit where the project will be implemented. Therefore, closing a project involves two critical steps: defining “reusable content,” and establishing permanent metrics for measuring success.

PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE

To illustrate the power of a project management methodology, let’s consider a real-life case study from one of our clients, a worldwide industrial equipment manufacturer that we will call Team X. Team X had a situation that will be familiar to many