Learning from the mistakes: Postmortem of 99 IT projects

A study by R. Ryan Nelson, Professor at the University of Virginia aggregates the knowledge gained from 99 retrospectives conducted in 74 organizations reveal the most common mistakes and suggest best practices for more effective project management. The projects studied have ranged from relatively small to very large (multi-billion dollar). This study has pulled out some very interesting statistics showing 45% mistakes are people and 43% are process related leaving behind the product mistakes 8% and technology being the lowest with 4%. With an odd but in line with the statistics, none of the top 10 mistakes was technology related, which means technical expertise by itself rarely ensure project success; instead, project managers should be, first and foremost, experts in managing processes and people. The next interesting findings was that scope creep couldn’t make on top ten despite it is cited as one of the biggest problem in project failure, however, it is to be noted that people and process related mistakes occupied on top ten indeed dilate the scope, which suggests that project managers should pay attention to it. The last interesting finding is that the top three mistakes occurred in approximately half of the projects investigated, which are (1) poor estimation and/or process scheduling means failure in sizing or scoping the project, estimating the effort and time required (2) ineffective stakeholder management means challenges in managing the involvement and expectations of diverse stakeholders and (3) insufficient risk management refer to failing to identify possible risks and prioritize them to plan and monitor accordingly. The remaining seven mistakes are in sufficient planning, shortchanged quality assurance, weak personnel/team issue, insufficient project sponsorship, poor requirements determination, inattention to politics and lack of user involvement that are presented in an ascending order. Among the top ten, the team came up with recommendation for top seven mistakes that occurred in at least one-third of the projects. For first mistake the team suggested to develop time boxes to shorter and smaller the projects that are easier to estimate, then create a work breakdown structure to help size and scope projects and finally a project management office to maintain a repository of project data over time. To improve stakeholder management the team suggests to use a stakeholder worksheet and assessment graph, this tool helps to prioritize the most important stakeholders whose need have to be fulfilled that determine the success of the project. For risk management project team can use a prioritized risk assessment table, big project can employ a risk officer to play devil’s advocate—to look for the reasons that a project might fail and restrain managers and developers from ignoring risks in their planning and execution. For a better planning a comprehensive project charter, clearly defined project governance, and portfolio management are essentials. For quality assurance automated testing tools and daily build-and-smoke tests are helpful, it is a process in which a software product is completely built every day and then put through a series of tests to verify its basic operations, which will save time by reducing the likelihood of three common, time-consuming risks: low quality, unsuccessful integration, and poor progress visibility. And finally for better project sponsorship it is pivotal to identify the right sponsor from the very beginning then securing commitment within the project charter and managing relationship during the life of the project.

prepared by: S. R. Khan

Management Innovation for IT project managers

Management Innovation for IT project managers [1]

IT projects compared to other types of projects are characterized with uniqueness, emergency, one shot, short term and uncertainty. For this reason, to get successful results it is very important to find and solve relevant problems and innovation in project management plays an important role in this regard. This role is very critical in both planning and implementing the projects. As a result it is very essential for the IT project management to be seen as a system.  Management innovation enables project managers to make all the factors in the project interact effectively and efficiently with each other to create synergy.

One of the reasons for high percentage of failure in IT projects goes back to lack of clear understanding about project manager’s role and his or her required skills. These skills are not necessarily limited to technical sets but are even more related to managerial sets. To use these skills the main question is to know how IT project managers can innovate in their project management methods. Clearly speaking the more versatile a project manager the more successful he or she and as a result the more efficient the project. Here come managerial skills and great personality even before IT technical knowledge. A competent project manager has great communication skills, strong leadership, love of work, clear vision, excellent team building capabilities, structure, alignment and discipline. He or she is interested in every one in the team, the individual needs and values, opinion, feelings and ideas. He or she also invests in motivating every one, creating excitement, making it fun, showing the end point to the team and keeping the team focused on that. A strong project manager needs to keep her or his relations with all the stakeholders in the project, the managers, the client and the team members alive and active. Some of the major problems from the perspective of project management are lack of communication with the client, passive communication with the management and sole attention to the project team members’ performance. Separating clients, management and team members could be the main source of unsuccessful results in executing the projects. But what are the things can be done to enhance the efficiency of project management? It seems that giving regular visits to the client to know about the requirements and their changes in time, flexible communicating with the management and paying attention to all aspects of the team such as recruiting, informing, communicating, atmosphere creating and proper activity distributing  as well as cross cultural managing can help a lot in this regard. All these factors enable the project manager to be effective for the needs of the stakeholders to be met. Using these methods properly needs the project managers to be innovative and versatile.

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[1] Management Innovation of IT Project Managers, by Shuangqin Liu, Business School, Hohai University, Nanjing & Business School Lianyungang Technical College,  ianyungang, China.

2010 3rd International Conference on Information Management, Innovation Management and Industrial Engineering

Ways To Keep and To Get a Project on Track

So often, we hear of projects failing and in retrospect (and with an outsider’s view), and the reasons are very easy to identify. What can future project managers do to avoid this, and if they find themselves getting off track, how can they get back on track?

First, track the critical path (the activities most vital to the project’s success). The more time you spend on identifying what these activities are, the more likely you are to stay on track. A second way to help the project stay on track is to set milestone metrics when tracking objectives. In order to define proper metrics, discussing with those who are involved in the day to day tactics will help identify what those are. A third way to ensure the project is on the critical path, is to continually ask questions to the subject matter experts. Their opinion is a good indicator of the progression of the project.

Now the question is what to do when a project is off track? There are a few different methods to deal with projects that are falling behind schedule:

Re-allocate or swap resources: Generally if a project is off track, it is deviating from the critical path. Therefore, pull resources from other activities to get these vital issues back on track. There also may be an issue with the wrong resources being used for an activity. If a person is not a right fit for an activity, you can find a more appropriate role for them or release them from the team.

Check time-constrained activities: These activities are those that do not change length of time regardless of the number of resources you appoint to it. Identifying these helps to validate your time-frame.

Double-Check Dependencies: This means to examine whether a particular activity is dependent on another one being completed prior. You may discover that there may be invalid dependencies that are unnecessarily lengthening the process.

Prevent Scope Change: Since most projects tend to fall behind schedule or go over budget due to the team working on more than was initially planned for, it is possible that the team is doing things that were not agreed upon. As a project manager, ensure that your team is only working on tasks that were initially part of the project. No energy should be devoted to non agreed-upon tasks.

Improve Processes: Seek feedback from your team to determine where they think the internal work processes can be improved. They are the ones doing the day to day activities and will know best if they actually get a use out of a particular step.

Work Overtime: You may just have to play catch-up if you are behind. This is more useful if you are near the end of the project and just need a final push. If you are at the beginning, then one of the above strategies may work better.

In addition to these suggestions, you may also increase the budget, decrease the scope, or push the deadline further out. However, if you consistently check to see if things are on track, you should be able to complete a successful project.

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/10things/10-ways-to-get-a-slipping-project-back-on-track/436

http://www.projecttimes.com/lisa-anderson/how-do-you-know-if-your-project-is-on-track.html

Implementing an EMR system within Healthcare

Canada Health Infoway

Founded in 2001, Canada Health Infoway was established to facilitate the creation of a national electronic health record system that would connect information gathered from various points of patient care and build a comprehensive electronic record of a person’s medical history. Electronic medical records (EMR) can not only increase collaboration & information sharing between health care providers and thereby improve quality of care, but can also enhance overall system efficiency by increasing individual provider productivity and reducing service duplication.  

Low User Adoption Rate

Despite these advantages however, and the $1.6B dollars invested in building the infrastructure for e-records adoption, implementation at the community level has been very slow in comparison to other countries.  In 2009, only 36% of Canadian doctors were using EMR systems compared to over 90% in Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and the Netherlands.  A number of factors have contributed to low user adoption rate; the primary ones being the need for training to change work processes, lack of adequate government funding, and contractor failure.   

v      Lack of IT Training

In many hospitals and physician offices, doctors use a familiar system with colour-coded patient charts, which allows them to quickly look for information as required.  Having to transition into a computerized system is a challenge because the learning curve needed to master digital records to the same level that physicians are currently working at with physical files is quite steep. And this transition not only applies to physicians but also to thousands of personnel working in healthcare, including nurses and unit clerks, who have to be retrained to handle new equipment and new operational procedures. 

v      Lack of Adequate Funding

Dr. Brian Day, president of the Canadian Medical Association, and Richard Alvarez, CEO of Canada Health Infoway, cite lack of government attention to information technology in health care for the low adoption rate.  The $3B dollars that has been allocated for this project is insufficient, according to Alvarez, who states that implementing digital recording in doctor’s offices, hospitals, and labs across the country will likely cost about $10B. A portion of this funding can help private clinics deploy the necessary technology. Much of the funding though should help doctors deal with the inevitable delays in their practice during the transition period from physical to electronic recording.

“Many doctors are often surprised by the temporary decrease in the number of patients they are able to see during a transition period that could take anywhere from 12 to 18 months.” states Dr. Robert Boulay, president of the College of Family Physicians of Canada. “This is the real crux of the implementation issue. So what the College really has been trying to advocate for is for increased support for physicians while they’re making that transition”. 

 v      Contractor Failure

Any funding for additional support is of little consequence, however, if EMR system providers are unable to provide ongoing reliable service.  Indeed, many systems offered by government approved providers have failed, forcing physicians to relearn and adapt to multiple EMR systems.  Some vendors refuse to make modifications to their system to meet doctors’ needs, which not only reduces system usability, but also discourages system adoption. 

Best Practice – Project Implementation Strategy

Many health information and technology experts state that a national electronic health record system will likely not be realized in Canada for another 20 years or more.  No single, definitive reason can fully explain why full-scale system adoption is a challenge for Canada compared to other countries. A combination of factors contributes to this issue, and must be taken into consideration to increase user adoption level. 

For one, communication between government sponsors and healthcare providers must be improved upon to allow for greater understanding regarding project goals and expectations, as well as health system operational needs and resource requirements.  Government funding for the project should also be increased to support frontline healthcare workers and incentivize them to transition from physical to electronic medical recording.  Australia, for example, was able to greatly improve physician participation rates by supporting system implementation, not simply IT acquisition, and offering incentives for providers to submit claims electronically.

Furthermore, EMR vendors must be better regulated to reduce risks to primary care practices.  Perhaps vendors should adopt common data recording standards to allow for smooth transitions if system changes are needed. Guidelines, standard procedures, and government regulations should also be in place to help healthcare workers understand how best to deal with issues regarding security, accessibility, confidentiality, storage, and destruction of electronic data. Overcoming these hurdles may help Canada along its journey towards establishing a national electronic health record system.

Posted by C. Liu.

Image Credits: 

http://www.wmich.edu/hhs/unifiedclinics/MedicalRecords.htm

http://www.technicaljones.com/EHR_Sept%202009.jpg

References:   

http://www.itbusiness.ca/it/client/en/Home/News.asp?id=64334

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/healthcare/records.html

https://www.infoway-inforoute.ca/working-with-ehr/health-care-providers/emrs

How to get outsourcing right?

We all know that offshore outsourcing is becoming central to IT. I am sure we understand that offshoring is not something that you can get into and expect it to keep running well.
How do you design and implement a successful offshore initiative? Here are some tips based on articles from experts and my experience on how to get outsourcing right:

1. Never ever outsource your core values:
Always ensure that your company’s core competitive advantage remain within your company. After deciding what you should not outsource, put everything else on the table. People generally believe that only “non-thinking mundane work” can be moved offshore. This is not true! In reality, they can probably move a much wider scope. Make offshoring part of a broad business strategy. The ones who succeed are the ones who have a clear vision of what they want to outsource and have a long term strategy.

2. Fix your process before outsourcing it:
“Don’t try to migrate a process offshore when it’s broken”. Executives at various outsourcing companies advise synchronizing the client and vendor processes and methodologies up front. For instance, if the Client works on an agile model and the vendor works on a waterfall model or vice versa, it may lead to chaos.

3. Find the right vendor:
Teaming up with a compatible partner can make a tough job easier. Many vendors have sprouted up in developing countries, but the difference between good and weak vendors is immense. Given that the prices are comparable, look for culture, domain expertise, financial strength, legal and regulatory compliance, security practices and the ability to provide insurance against eventualities. The key to vendor selection is to deal directly with the people who will be managing your business on a day-to-day basis. Their culture, experience and ability rather than their technology, client list, or offices should convince you.

4. Define clear objectives:
If you are not clear about what you want from a particular project, neither will the vendor be. Use well defined statements of work with clearly specified objectives, service level agreements, escalation model etc. Study and understand the project documents before you sign off.

5. Write talent into the contract:
Some of the outsourcing firms have developer turnover as high as 20% per year. The worst nightmare is to be promised an “A Team” upfront only to get a “C team” in the end. One way to ensure this is not the case is to conduct “Client interviews” and recruit the project teams as well as write a contractual agreement that contains incentives and penalties to ensure that the right talent is available.

6. Acclimate to cultural differences:
Bridging the cultural differences is probably the trickiest issue associated with offshoring. Establishing open, honest communication and spending extra time with potential vendors can be very helpful. Building personal relationships is extremely critical. Regular visits to offshore vendors and investing the time to get to know how the offshore company works can be highly rewarding. Another option would be to ensure that the project leads work onsite from the client location in order to build strong relationships as well as to understand how the Client organization works.

7. Get your hands dirty:
Before plunging your head, companies should get their hands dirty. It would be wise to micromanage the first few small projects in order to ensure that both parties have a clear understanding of each other - the processes, key objectives, deliverables and metrics.

8. Use multiple vendors/multi-sourcing:
If your project is of a significant size, use more than one vendor. The use of two or more vendors is an effective way of driving continued improvement among your vendors. It also acts as a safety net in case one under-performs. You must have an alternate strategy if you are suddenly no longer able to do business with a vendor. Ensure that the vendors are aware of the involvement of the other vendors. This will motivate them, as they will know there is the opportunity for additional work or to lose the work, depending on their performance.

9. Continuously evaluate and measure success:
Set key performance indicators (KPIs) and continually review them. Without tight management, problems can occur quickly. It will always be far easier to manage a project if the KPIs are understood from the very beginning.

10. Plan for a clear exit strategy:
Sometimes, it is possible that the relationship might end prematurely or may have run its course. Either way make sure that your SLA contains a clear exit strategy. It should detail how the outsourced functions should be brought back in-house, clarify who owns what assets and specify when compensation is due, and how much.
Specific to project management, it may be advisable to follow the same project management methodologies between the Client and vendor organizations. It is also advisable to have a Client Project Manager oversee the projects delivered and the standards followed by various vendors, so that it creates accountability while allowing the Client organization to evaluate and measure the projects delivered by these vendors.

References:
Ways to get Offshoring right: Infoworld.com 08.29.05 by David L.Margulius

How to effectively manage an outsourced IT project?

How to effectively manage an outsourced IT project?

When your business is small and growing to become the next big thing, you have limited budget and workforce and yet numerous positive NPV IT projects that your business needs to undertake. So with the limited resources you have, how do you effectively manage and ensure your projects are completed within the timeline you set and the budget you allocated?

Before you could start to do anything, you would have to layout what implementation options you have because how you are going to do it affects how you are going to plan and manage it. Building it in-house or outsourcing are the two most common options you would have. There are pros and cons of each, so which one should you pick?

In-House Pros

Efficiency: An on-site staff can be reached and communicated with to resolve issues immediately. It is your dedicated resource rather than shared with other firms.

Control: As a full-time employee, the salary is static and appropriate pressure applied could achieve higher productivity.

In-House Cons

Upfront costs: Hiring a full-time is expensive, especially the more capable and qualified candidates cost higher. Usually it is not a viable option for small business.

Outsourcing Pros

Less expensive: Theoretically, it is less expensive than hiring a full-time IT employee in-house. Overhead costs are spread over several clients via the agency model.

Outsourcing Cons

Language or cultural differences: Different cultures and different expectations. Communication issues. The risk of uncertainty of knowing how the outsource firm performs after you have signed up.

Quality Issue: Quality may not be what you expect until you try it out yourself.

So which one to pick? Outsource Locally

As a small business, inevitably outsourcing is the best option to go for since the business could focus on its strategy and core business. However, to reduce the risks associated with outsourcing, it is best to seek for outsourcing in the local region. It provides the right combination of cost savings and monitoring without the language or cultural issues that sometimes arise with offshore firms.

When the Customer Is NOT Always Right!

Although most of us at biz-schools and throughout our professional careers have been taught the notion of "The customer is always right!", this may not be applicable to many project management scenarios. The project sponsor may be under the impression that they have unquestionable control over the scope, resources, and even the poor PM! This can be a cause of project failure in and of itself.

Unfortunately, many project sponsors, have "selective memory" regarding discussions on scope adjustments with a disregard for their impact on cost, timeline, quality, and resources. As a result, I have the following advice for dealing with project sponsors who are not always right:

• Specify what the project sponsor is and is not expected to do: Project sponsors are not supposed to micro-manage the PM. Most successful projects have been the ones with executive support from "start to finish". A project sponsor with strong connections within the organization can be an invaluable ally for carrying the project through completion. This is why a project sponsor exists.

• Manage scope adjustments: The project sponsor must understand what the finished product is supposed to have and not have. A good way of responding to frequent scope adjustment requests from the project sponsor is to say "That sounds like a wonderful idea! Once we're finished with what we're working on (phase 1), we'll add that to the backlog of what we could be working on in the next phase.

• Attach a cost to scope adjustments: If you feel like your position might be at risk by not agreeing to a scope adjustment in phase 1, communicate how much the change would cost in terms of time, money, and additional resources. More often than not, project sponsors would be more than happy to forgo the adjustments or postpone them for the later phases.

• Manage your relationship with the project sponsor: The project sponsor can your your best ally or your worst nightmare! Make sure you nurture your relationship with him/her outside the formal channels of communication of project status meetings.

Reference: toolbox.com