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14 Tips for managing successful business & IT transformation projects
January 28, 2021Our team of expert Project Managers and consultants specialise in managing business & IT transformation projects. We asked them for their top tips on how to manage successful projects:
Clear Project Objectives
Clearly articulate the project vision, need and objectives
Ensure strong collaboration, sharing and communications mechanisms are in place
A basic requirement but some business projects are doomed to failure by this simple hurdle due to weak content management, collaboration & communications capabilities
Agree clear tracking milestones & communications
A successful project will past through stage gates or milestones on its path to achieving an end result. It is the responsibility of the project manager to coordinate these. Agree reporting KPIs, format and schedules. Milestone reporting helps project keep on track, set realistic expectation as well as avoid nasty surprises.
Project Planning & Initiation is key
Whilst it can be tempting to jump into the deep end of a new project, the reality is that project planning and initiation pay dividends. For Business and operational transformations, we find in many cases that there isn’t a single point of truth nor understanding initially across people, process and technology. What a management view of processes and detail is often very different to what actually happens. At operation levels often silos means that there isn’t any person that has a single point of view. Investing in understanding the starting point across people, process and system is key to a solid platform for change and project success.
Clear Roles & Responsibilities
There’s a tendency for new projects to attract interest at all levels. It is important to involve the right people in the right capacity. Use a clear RACI model to be clear of those involved (including senior management) and at what level.
Realistic Expectations
It is tempting for management teams to set unrealistic objectives under the banner of a “Project”. A vision is great but an objective must be grounded in reality. Don’t be afraid to use multiple phases and objectives to plot a course to an end result or vision.
The Project Manager
Whilst a Project Manager doesn’t guarantee success, there are an essential role and mechanism for guiding a project, core team and stakeholders to milestones and through challenges all projects face. Assign a competent and experienced Project Manager
Accurate Documentation & single Point of Truth
In addition to open communications and collaboration mechanism ensure there are single points of truth for reporting and project documentation and outputs.
Manage Project Risks
Most Projects will face challenges at some point. Actively managing the risks of any project is important. Use best practice project management methodologies and tools such as RAG status to keep on top on challenges and be clear of the key ones.
Embrace Best practice
Embrace best practice methods for managing projects as well as for the sector or function concerned. For example, if you are looking to digitise a certain operations or process. What is classed as industry best practice? Do you need to adapt your processes as part of digitising rather than just digitising a broken process? Find the right balance between industry standard and what is right for your business.
Real transformation and change is about People, Process & Technology
We believe that a main cause of failed projects and transformation is because there is a failure to appreciate that positive and sustainable changes in operations involve people, process and technology. Often projects are doomed to failure by focussing on 1 element such as software and ignoring the implications and considerations across People and process
And that means People at all levels
This might seem like an obvious statement but we often find too much focus only on management buy-in and operational buy-in is neglected. Often the operational teams will know the precious detail better than senior management. People can be the biggest barrier and also the greatest tool for change. The greatest challenge of most projects is bringing people on the journey of change – so invest in communicating the vision, make teams understand and be part of the vision and future. Finally train them and enable them to be actively involved in any transformation project. The success of the project could depend on it.
Resist scope creep
This is a common source of project failure where additional requirements are added mid project without any formal process. All changes in scope or requirements should be controlled via a change request process to avoid over complicating projects and diluting focus
Evaluate and keep learning always
Take the time to evaluate any project, successes and challenges objectively and transparently as a group to feed into future projects. Don’t make it a witch hunt focus on areas for development for projects in your business/ organisation and try to understand route cause not just symptoms.
These tips act as a guide to managing successful IT and Business Transformation projects. If you are considering embarking on an IT or Business Process Transformation project, find out how we can help with a no-obligation consultation.
ProcessFlows transition to Konica Minolta – FAQ
/in News & Insights /by ProcessFlowsHere is a simple Frequently Asked Questions page to assist you regarding the transfer of ProcessFlows business activities to Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) Limited .