The key to a successful project

IT managers need to define success

So many technology projects fail to deliver the required business benefits. Often it seems as if all the elements of the project have delivered, but the expected business benefits have not been realised.

Technology projects can fail as a result of mistakes made before, during or after the implementation phase of the project lifecycle. Organisations, therefore, need to rethink their strategies in order to set projects on the road to success.

First, IT managers need to define what success is for the project and how it will be measured.

At the outset, success is often determined by a return on investment figure, combined with a number of qualitative factors, such as flexibility and speed to respond to change.

As projects progress, such factors often change to focus on a single measure ­ such as launching the system by a certain date ­ and the original rationale is forgotten as workers becomes fixated on one particular date or deadline.

Business-led projects start with people: leaders have goals for the business; operational teams have a need to be smarter, quicker and cheaper; and marketing teams want a faster time to market for their products and offers.

IT managers really need to think about the needs of such stakeholders and how their requirements will be translated into project delivery. For example, have the trade-offs between stated goals been agreed and any conflicts addressed?

Without clarity, the project will veer in different directions as individuals focus on their own agendas.

Success has to be about implementing a business solution, rather than a technology solution.

Projects must be business- and people-led, not technology-led. Technology is one, often significant, element, but it is certainly not the most critical factor.

IT managers should start with what the business is trying to achieve and then figure out what the most appropriate solution might look like across process, technology, organisation and users.

It is important to recognise that technology projects often lose sight of the people who will be on the receiving end of the efforts ­the users.

And it is, therefore, vital to understand and manage the expectations of users by involving them at an early stage.

Without early engagement and effective communication, the wrong solution could be built ­ and automating poor processes simply results in increased failure.

To minimise the impact of problems remaining undiscovered until a late stage, embrace the discovery of risks, and focus the project team and end users on resolution, not blame.

Also, create the right environment for success, such as creating strong relationships between stakeholders and the right information flow within projects.

If you encounter problems, tackle them head on; do not brush issues under the carpet or put them on the back burner for too long.

Project success is not about blame; it is about facing up to reality. A mature,well thought-out approach will save the business time and money.

Hugh Buckley is managing director at business change experts Quortex