There is usually no single reason or person responsible for project success. Success flows from the collective efforts of the team armed with adequate resources and sufficient time to accomplish the tasks. The following have proven to be excellent indicators of project success.
Quality input equals quality output
Initial planning and preparation should be completed before project work activity commences
Planning, preparation, completeness, and accuracy are essential to an effective charter
A charter is a contract for success and as such, should be understood and agreed to by all parties
Proper planning produces effective and efficient projects
Methodologies provide necessary structure to implementation projects
A single leader or point of authority for any project, is essential
Executive management knowledge, buy in, and open support is required
User involvement at all levels is necessary
Technology is a tool, not a solution
Change management is an integral part of project success
Realistic expectations lead to clear requirements and vice versa
Risk management, by its nature, reduces project risks
Adequate resources meet reasonable dates
A work plan, if used properly, can be one of the most important tools for project success
Change control provides intended results
Effective training leads to improved system adoption
Unstated elegance should never drive unnecessary tasks
The cut-over process has a life of its own and should be treated with dignity
True success is not measured only on the day of cut-over
Post implementation processes solidify success and increase system assimilation.
The following project failure tenets highlight activities or processes that in any combination, can, and usually do lead to project failure. However, there is hope because failure is a great educator, equal to success.
Without a definition of success, the only alternative is failure
Failure to plan means planning for failure
Work not defined in detail will yield an inadequate plan
An unused work plan is unspent success
Poor participation from the project Sponsor is a harbinger of problems to follow
Insufficient user involvement results in insufficient system value
Lack of quality is a symptom of project failure
A project without a leader is like a boat without a rudder
Poor project leadership will directly lead to poor project results
Uncontrolled changes directly correlate to an end date in motion
Inadequate resources lead to unanticipated results
Unregulated changes provide undesirable deliverables
Increases in project scope are inversely proportional to project success
Unrealistic objectives provide undesirable results
An unused charter is an unused resource
Missed milestones, like missed heart beats, cause project arrhythmia
Risk management is inversely proportional to project risk
Parsimonious budgets steal from project success
Unrealistic time frames lead to missed deadlines
Undocumented systems document failure
Inadequate testing yields unpredictable results
Resources added late in the project are not equal to resources added early
Lack of, or ineffective training will lead to lack of, or ineffective use of the system
Inadequate software is inadequate
A predefined end date without adequate input is like a predefined cooking time without knowledge of the ingredients
Failure does not occur on the day of cut-over
Project success is fleeting but project failure remains.
Do you have project management tenets that you live by? I'd love to see them.
email me: tom at shubnell dot com or post on my project management blog.
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