Francis S. Fons (Frank), PMP, Certified Business Architect (CBA), MBA, Six Sigma Green Belt

1. Determining Optimal Planning, Managing Tradeoff between Focusing on Link to Strategy versus Time to Implement Francis S. Fons (Frank), PMP, Certified Business Architect (CBA), MBA, Six Sigma Green Belt fons.frank@gmail.com

2. Agenda Definition of Optimal Planning Stakeholder Bias Identification and Power Rating Uncovering Strategies, Ranking their Importance, and Estimation of Planning Effort for Each Strategy’s Required Tactics Determining Planning Limits, but Identifying and Communicating Potential Risks Based upon Omitted Planning Lessons Learned from Real Examples of Impacts of Strategy Changes and Reduced Planning to Meet Timelines Open Discussion

3. Optimal Planning Is there such a thing? If yes, what should it consist of? Clear agreement on strategy and solutions Accomplished within stakeholder required timelines Uses PMP and Business Architecture tools and techniques Identifies and communicates risks and imposed limitations to sponsors and other key stakeholders

4. Stakeholder Bias and Power Rating Power Bias

5. Strategies, their Risks, and Rankings Get consensus on corporate vision and all strategies that impact your scenario, e.g. business acquisition Rank importance of each strategy Power and motivation of stakeholders Criticality to vision realization Estimate planning time required for each strategy and solution Use PMP tools and business architecture tools to identify complexity of interrelationships among strategies, solutions, and stakeholders

7. Sample RACI Matrix

8. Determine Planning Limits If total planning time required exceeds timing mandated by desired strategy(ies), negotiate as much time as possible with sponsors considering their risk tolerances mapped out earlier Clearly articulate necessary planning shortcuts to accommodate shortened timeline Identify possible risks and mitigation

9. Actual Cases & Lessons Learned Strategy Change Example Less than 2 months from scheduled migration of the acquired customers to new platform, compliance strategy received elevated attention after an audit Net result - scope change requiring many extra hours and cost overruns in order to meet the same conversion date. If potential audit results had been considered fully, more timely planning and execution would have saved money and freed up resources for other efforts

10. Actual Cases & Lessons Learned Reduced Planning to Meet Timelines Different lines of business were all expected to meet the strategy of making products and services accessible in multiple channels as quickly as possible. Net result – Unclear vision, no consistent prioritization of strategies and solutions, and lack of understanding of current state and interrelationships among lines of business, resulted in stakeholder anxiety, cost overruns, and frequent re-planning and solution rework. If sufficient time were spent up front to articulate vision, strategy, and if current state were understood, it could have avoided much if not all of the cost overruns.

11. DiscussionThank YouFrank FonsIncfons.frank@gmail.com