How to Ensure Project Success Every Time

Catchy title but there is no such thing. We all know that. The recent discussions on Agile vs. Waterfall on here (see “Agile Software Development Project vs. Standard Software Development Project” and “Agile vs. Waterfall – More Thoughts”) might make you think differently based on comments by staunch Agile supporters. But we all know that not every project is successful.

What Success Isn’t

First, let’s ask the question….what is project success? How do we define what makes a project successful? Well, we can definitely look at some ways to know for sure that your project has not been successful:

• Customer satisfaction with the engagement is very low
• The project was canceled mid-stream
• The PM or key team members were replaced due to performance or customer issues
• The budget is way out of wack
• The timeline has shifted out of control
• Requirements are still changing frequently deep into the project

What Success Is

These are just 6…the list could be endless. Now let’s look at some signs the project has been successful:

• Customer is happily approving and paying for change orders
• Customer satisfaction is high
• Major project milestones and deliverables are being met and approved without delays
• The project budget is inline with expectations
• Delivery team resources are engaged and no dissention is apparent
• Executive management is getting positive feedback from the customer

Again, this is only 6 – there are many more…though I think it’s easier sometimes to see what’s going wrong then what’s going right….sadly.

What Can Be Done

So, we know we really can’t ensure that every project will be successful every time, as the title of this article seems to suggest. Sorry for the bait and switch. But what steps can the project manager take to ensure that we’re giving it the best chance to succeed? Here’s my take:

• Excellent communication of priorities and expectations to delivery team members
• Cohesive, co-management situation with the customer organization with fast dissemination of any alert or critical information – be honest with the customer
• Reusable and repeatable processes and templates in place in the organization for the PMO or PMs
• Strong PMO in place utilizing knowledge sharing and post-project lessons learned sessions
• Consistent delivery of expected material and information – status reports, updated project budget status, issues/risks lists
• Frequent formal and adhoc communications – delivery team calls, customer status calls, email alerts and updates
• Retention of skilled and necessary project resources – fight for them with executive management, if necessary
• Manage the schedule tightly and make sure it’s in every project member’s hands and up-to-date at all times
• Manage all change closely – scope, potential risks, change orders – don’t let these get out of hand because the project can go south quickly if you do

Summary

Nothing is going to ensure success every time. Picking the right technology, the right software development process, the right vendor, etc. will not ensure success every time. What is definitely in our control is good management of what we have and utilization of the tools we have at hand to ensure everyone is on the same page and working toward the same project goals.

Related posts:

1. Agile Project Management
2. Agile vs. Waterfall – More Thoughts
3. Project Management: The Art of Keeping it Real
4. Project Success Series: Ensuring Customer Satisfaction
5. Agile Software Development Project vs. Standard Software Development Project