Modern technologies (cloud, mobile, big data, etc.) and methodologies (agile vs. waterfall) allow for faster deployments and unprecedented business opportunities.
Despite opposite promises many of us are observing a substantial increase in technological complexity requiring new and different skills at all levels of involved personnel. In parallel, digitization calls for reduction of organisational complexity. This is not an easy task for historically grown businesses. And all of this needs to be delivered faster than ever before without being granted the grace of a scope freeze. Why? Simply because business keeps changing faster than ever.
Does all of this change the fundamentals of how we run projects? Probably not. But it definitely requires shifting focus from deployment to preparation and planning.
We have seen the same paradigm shift happening in other industries like commercial construction (power plants, oil rigs, airports, etc.) before. Back in the days, construction projects spent most of the time in building with comparatively little time in planning. Market demands for cost control and schedule adherence have changed that.
Looking at troubled IT projects it is safe to say that unrealistic expectations and assumptions regarding time, cost, and risks are the most common causes for escalations or even failure. Combine that with a with “we don’t have time to do a detailed plan – let’s rather start with implementation quickly” you know where you are heading to. A project failing to plan plans to fail is what they say.
The call to action is not just to run good projects but to do it even better. Invest in solid preparation and planning. It is not only the best but at the same the most cost-effective way for your project to succeed!
If you need arguments to convince others talk to us.
If you want to know how get started quickly reach out to us.
If you are interested in a quick health check of your existing planning let us know.