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The 10 Commandments Of Project Success: Correcting Faulty Assumptions!

The 10 Commandments Of Project Success: Correcting Faulty Assumptions!. Typical Project Problems. Long Time Frames Lack of Integration High Costs Errors & Poor Quality Diminished Customer Satisfaction Poor Internal Communication Team Frustration Long Expensive Maintenance Cycles.

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The 10 Commandments Of Project Success: Correcting Faulty Assumptions!

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  1. The 10 Commandments Of Project Success: Correcting Faulty Assumptions! Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  2. Typical Project Problems • Long Time Frames • Lack of Integration • High Costs • Errors & Poor Quality • Diminished Customer Satisfaction • Poor Internal Communication • Team Frustration • Long Expensive Maintenance Cycles Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  3. Elapsed Time / Long Duration of Time Different Use of Vocabulary Commitment of Resources Interruptions and Distractions Loss of Momentum Imprecise Communication Misunderstandings and Interpretation Imperfect Knowledge Limited Time / Thought Digestion What Causes These Problems? • Disjointed Thoughts / Same Old Solutions • Different Points of View • Different Priorities • Integrating Collected Ideas • Information Out of Context • Redundancy and Duplication • Need for Visualization • Resistance to Change • Policy, Personality or Reactionary Driven • Lack of Ownership • Compounding Complexity Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  4. 1. The Meaning of Project Success • On time, Within Budget, To User Satisfaction? • Faster, Better, Cheaper? Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  5. On Time Within Budget User Satisfaction Faster Better Cheaper Faulty Thinking:Tired Definitions of Project Success Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  6. 1. The Meaning of Project Success • Decision making • Budgets • Rules • Lasting effects Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  7. Standish Report on Project Success: Of 3,682 Applications Under Development: • 431 or 12% - will come in on time, within budget and contain the features and functions originally specified.* • 33% will experience cost overruns of 150 to 200% • 33% will experienced time overruns of 200 to 300% • 25% to 49% will contain required features and functions Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  8. Project Failures Impact • Department • Budget • Future Work • Staffing • Business Performance • Stock Prices • Quality of LIfe Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  9. Commandment 1:Redefine The Meaning of Project Success • Growth and competitive advantage of the enterprise • Add value to the business • Facilitate the use of the system • Reflects end-to-end process • Not detract from the well being of those involved Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  10. 2. The Glossary as an Event • Terms • Acronyms • Abbreviations Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  11. Faulty Thinking:Building a Project Glossary Isn’t Necessary… Backdrop • It takes too long • Everyone knows what those ‘things’ mean…. • Let’s not waste any time doing the obvious!!!! Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  12. The Glossary • Language is imprecise • Terminology is open to interpretation • Context is everything • Possibility of miscommunication is tremendous Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  13. Commandment 2:Always Build A Glossary at the Project Beginning. NOUNS • Align terminology • Leave no room for interpretation • Ensure communication connection • Baseline for understanding – and learning • Prevents misunderstandings • Builds team camaraderie Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  14. 3. Bounding Project Scope Project Beginnings…. • Given a deadline - duration • Given a boundary - scope • Given a budget - resources Results… Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  15. Faulty Thinking: If We Limit The Scope, We We’ll Be Successful • So What If It Doesn’t Do Everything…. • Quick Wins • Perception – Takes Too Long • Budgets and Deadlines Rule • False Sense of Control • Basis for Business Case • Time Boxing Based On Something Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  16. A Viable Alternative Personal Bias • Dramatic reduction of time • Predicable cost • Exceptional quality • Improved project productivity • Consensus of project team • Customer satisfaction • Significant improvement in quality • Pride of ownership and buy-in • Confidence in results Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  17. Minimum Requirements for Requirements • Functionality / Process • Data • Interfaces • Data Relationships • Clearly laid out • Understood in the same way • Streamlined work flows • Baseline for design, development, testing / QA Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  18. Commandment 3:Don’t Define Project Boundaries Until You Have Enough Information • Even though decisions must be made • Dealing with conflicting priorities • Understand the VALUE and VISION before spending $$$ Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  19. 4. The Value of IT SME’s Good Reasons • Analysts that communicate well • Understand business challenges • Understand the business systems • Interpreters and catalysts • Provide technology improvement suggestions Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  20. Faulty Thinking:Don’t Bother the Business User – Work it Out with the SME’s Don’t Need • Can’t speak on behalf of the business • No substitute for first hand knowledge • Stale information Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  21. Commandment 4:Involve The Business User Throughout The Project • It’s their system – they need to get involved • Intermittent contact isn’t enough Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  22. 5. The Specification… • Gothic novels • Hotbeds of misunderstanding Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  23. Faulty Thinking:Don’t Make This More Complicated Than It Has To Be • Models are hard to do • Which tool should I use? • Who’s going to keep them up? • Interviews leave thought holes Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  24. Commandment 5:A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words • Most people are visual • Thoughts come in waves • Negotiate for understanding • Straw model - second hand experience • Do it live to remember • Final product as memory aid Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  25. 6. Blue Sky Brainstorming • Recreate the same old solution • Packages need fresh thinking Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  26. Faulty Thinking:Brainstorming Leads To Scope Creep • Leads to scope creep • Hard to get people together • Waste of time • Not really interested in consensus Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  27. Revise old thinking Allow thought digestion Management commitment Align terminology Single vision Expanded understanding Creative problem solving Cultivates team spirit Need for speed Reduces time and cost Resolves politics and personalities Sets realistic expectations Commandment 6:Bring Back The Brainstorming Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  28. 7. Only The Best And The Brightest • Those that cooperate • Follow instructions • Take directions well • Don’t cause problems Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  29. Faulty Thinking:I Don’t Want Charlie On This Project • Rude • Controlling • Disruptive • Bossy • Makes life miserable Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  30. Commandment 7:Invite Charlie To Be On Your Project • Take away his/her power • Wear them out • Listen to them • Part of the solution • Contributor to the process • Promoter of the cause Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  31. 8. Sequencing Events • Time alters perceptions • Refine ideas • Things change…. • Acknowledge it • Deal with it • Be agile Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  32. Faulty Thinking:Iterative Development Is Really Hard • Not understood well • Not mainstream yet • Fear of change • Rationalized as a fad Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  33. Analyze Analyze Analyze Analyze Analyze Analyze Analyze Analyze Design Design Design Design Design Design Design Design Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Build Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Test Deploy Deploy Deploy Deploy Deploy Deploy Deploy Deploy Iterative Development Distilled – Why? Waterfall – Sequential – Really Hard To Turn Back… Analyze Design Build Test Deploy Iterative – One Component At A Time – Agile… Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  34. Commandment 8:Go Iterative • Attack risk early and continuously • Plan for change • Focus on executable software • Baseline an architecture early • Keep business users engaged • Focus on quality throughout, • Work as a cross-discipline team • Process modeling and SOA Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  35. 9. Following The Yarn • Match test plans to requirements • Confirm functionality and expectations • Involve the business user • Mandatory with outsourcing model • Not possible with Gothic Novel Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  36. Faulty Thinking:Test Plans Are Developed By The Testing Team and QA • Should come straight from requirements • Should involve active business user involvement Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  37. Commandment 9:Requirements Traceability Thru Testing • Model driven approaches • Integrated tool sets • Iterative development Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  38. 10. Attitude Is Everything • Thought precedes action • Positive attitude • Ban negativism • Stimulate challenge • Breed pride of work Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  39. Faulty Thinking:Donald Trump’s, “It’s Just Business”…. • Good for the business owners but what about the people? • Efficient, but do you really get the best? • How long can people sustain in FUD? • Competition as a way of life You're Fired! Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  40. Commandment 10:Cultivate A Positive Team Spirit of Cooperation vs. Competition • Inspire others • Fun, Challenge and Excitement • Promote cooperation vs. competition • Learn from one another • Build on each other’s ideas • Leave out the negatives • Appreciate others Aplan Inc., www.aplaninc.com, 949-720-9698

  41. Questions???? Contact Information” Inez J. Marino Aplan Inc. ijmarino@aplaninc.com www.aplaninc.com 949.720.9698 Office

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