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Project + Management, They Do Go Together, and They Can Equal Success

by Al Toliver
Vice President, Supply Chain Operations

Ready . . .fire . . . aim.
Or just fire.

If this describes your approach when a project crosses your desk, you’re not unique.

Projects take all shapes and forms, and their elasticity prompts plenty of questions: What’s the expected outcome of the project? Who’s responsible for researching potential vendors? What are the milestones? What’s the budget? What are the customer’s expectations? Is there a testing phase? Do we have the right people on the project team to complete their assigned tasks? When are we meeting again? Who’s the project manager, and what are that person’s responsibilities? When do we start, and when’s it due?

Although information about the project manager and timeline reveal the bare essentials, not knowing answers to the other questions can cripple a project even before it starts. Yet, charging straight ahead without a plan seems to be the predominant approach in many companies.

Not coincidentally, the success or failure of the project is linked directly to your project management approach.

Studies show that about a quarter of projects fail because there is no defined outcome, while the absence of a project manager is responsible for approximately 70 percent of projects either being cancelled or falling behind schedule.

A deeper dive into the importance of project management reveals several common pitfalls that lead to project failure:

  • The project is not part of the strategic plan. As such, project team members are allocated to higher priority strategic projects.
  • There is no executive sponsorship. This leads to a lack of project focus and slow issue resolution.
  • The project’s scope continually changes. Scope creep wreaks havoc in many ways, from ongoing development to increases in cost, effort, and duration.
  • Poor planning leads to unexpected conflicts and timing issues, thereby causing delays.
  • People are generally averse to discussing risks; therefore, an unrealistic view of the project’s status is often presented.

Project Management Methodology

To understand how to avoid these and other mistakes, it’s important to first know what project management means. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge defines project management as:

The application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements.

GENCO Supply Chain Solutions uses this definition as the basis for all new projects. The key to GENCO’s project management methodology is a team approach that provides a simple and responsive structure designed to streamline access to the appropriate resources. Woven throughout this methodology are GENCO’s best practices, accumulated through years of managing complex implementations for major retailers, distributors and manufacturers.

Five phases comprise this methodology:

  • Define
  • Plan
  • Execute
  • Manage
  • Close

Define

This is the stage-setter. Here you identify the goals and objectives of the project—its purpose, importance, and value. Knowing this information sets the stage for establishing “SMART” objectives. SMART objectives are:

  • Specific. They clearly and precisely articulate the desired end state.
  • Measurable. This provides the framework for the project’s success, outlining the criteria for success so all team members are on the same page.
  • Actionable. The objectives can be acted on by the team members.
  • Realistic. History and practice suggest that performance can be achieved.
  • Time bound. The project has a definite beginning and end, along with interim milestones.

This phase also is when the project charter is developed. An indispensible part of any project, the charter outlines the project’s detailed requirements, lists key assumptions, identifies sponsors/key stakeholders, and reviews risks.

In addition, you’ll define what’s in scope and out of scope, the level of resources and coverage, specific deliverables, and roles and responsibilities. Defining these elements now prevents issues and conflicts later.

Plan

This phase leverages several tools designed to show the project schedule, detailed tasks, and the resources responsible for completion. By using Gantt charts and project management software, you can track progress, make adjustments, and show relationships between activities and tasks.

This phase is also when you identify and quantify the project’s risks, and put together prevention and contingency plans.

Execute

As a result of the work done in the first two phases, the project all comes together in this phase. As the team members carry out their assigned tasks, it’s critical to manage progress against the project plan and identify problems and issues immediately. Hold regular status meetings to ensure that all resources are available and on task and keep contingency plans handy.

Manage

You’re near the finish line now, but even at this stage of a project and despite good work in the first three phases, the unexpected can happen. Therefore, it’s critical to monitor the budget and make any necessary adjustments; this might require sensitive discussions with the customer. As problems arise, maintain an “issues list.” Like the project itself, assign an owner to each issue and set a completion date for resolution.

Also, manage the milestones and key dates—look for early “victories,” such as completing tasks ahead of schedule, and celebrate them to maintain momentum and morale. In addition, be vigilant about scope creep.

Prevalent throughout this phase is the need to manage the customer’s expectations. Be realistic about changes. Stay close to the team to ensure that they are performing to expectations.

When you ... You can ...
Have a defined purpose for the project Establish quantifiable criteria for the project’s success
Develop a project plan Track progress, identify gaps, and avoid scope creep
Have executive sponsorship Maintain focus, quickly resolve issues, and have buy-in from the beginning
Apply consistent processes Eliminate misunderstandings and remove contradictory assumptions
Establish roles and responsibilities Hold team members accountable for their part of the project
Have a dedicated project manager Manage time, cost, and scope
Consistently apply the project management tools and methodology Reduce project overruns, improve customer satisfaction, increase project ROI, and have successful projects

Close

The project’s complete, but the job is not over. The tools utilized in the Plan phase can be analyzed to determine the success of the project. In addition, some post-project work involves communicating project results with key stakeholders, prioritizing and scheduling unresolved issues, and holding a debriefing, in which lessons learned are identified.

Success?

Now the key question: Was the project a success?

If you can manage only to spit out, “At least we got it done,” then additional scrutiny of the project is required.

To help determine whether your project was successful, GENCO recommends a post-project analysis centered around the following questions:

  • Did the project achieve the objectives?
  • Was the schedule met?
  • Did you finish on or under budget?
  • Did project team members perform to expectations and manage stress appropriately?
  • Was the final product of high quality?
  • Was the customer satisfied?

Chances are that if you used the project management approach and tools outlined here, the answers to these questions will be “yes.”

The value of project management is clear, given the following correlations.

Today’s highly competitive market, where small profit margins are the norm, places a premium on cost reductions and process improvement. One area that can yield immediate savings and efficiency is a proven project management process. With GENCO’s methodology, you can structure and control the work, schedule, and resources, while managing expectations, positioning you and your company for success.

As for those questions that come up at the beginning?

You’ll have the answers.