More Related Content Similar to Project Governance and Failure (20) More from Michael Krigsman (10) Project Governance and Failure1. Governance and failure
Key issues, obstacles, and solutions
Presented by: Michael Krigsman, CEO, Asuret, Inc.
© Copyright 2009 Asuret Inc. All rights reserved.
2. Agenda
Bio
State of failure
Achieving success
Asuret governance and
failure analysis simulation
Key governance lessons
This lecture, and the associated governance failure
simulation, was presented to a Master’s level class in strategic
project management at University College London on March
25-26, 2009. The class was led by Dr. Andrew Edkins, UCL
Senior Lecturer.
© Copyright 2009 Asuret Inc. All rights reserved.
3. Bio:
Why IT ?
CEO of Cambridge Publications, documentation and
training outsourcing (from 1988)
Key Innovations:
Manage documentation with software development rigor
Apply consumer-level values to system documentation
Fixed-price, fixed-scope projects (Microsoft, Intel, SAP,
IBM, many VC-funded startups, etc.)
Over 100 customers and hundreds of projects
Software industry: projects late, over-budget, internal
battles, etc.
© Copyright 2009 Asuret Inc. All rights reserved.
4. Bio:
Why IT ?
Developed SAP’s rapid implementation tools starting
1995 (AcceleratedSAP and more)
For 10 years, developed SAP’s consulting
automation tools
Developed implementation tools and methodologies
for IBM
Created methodologies of all sorts
BUT… Failures persist despite millions of dollars
invested in tools and methodologies. Why??
© Copyright 2009 Asuret Inc. All rights reserved.
5. Asuret:
Measuring causes of failure
Failures arise from business, organizational, political,
and cultural reasons
Can’t fix what you don’t see
Solution: Expose the hidden causes of failure through
unique approach to data collection, measurement,
analysis, and process
© Copyright 2009 Asuret Inc. All rights reserved.
6. Blogging:
IT failure
Key assumptions:
IT failure is common and resonates with many people
1.
Data-driven approach to blogging: case studies, statistics,
2.
practical advice, insight and analysis
Objective and balanced: not sensationalistic
3.
Major challenges:
Discussing failure is taboo: Hard to gather information
1.
Gaining trust: Don’t reveal secrets
2.
© Copyright 2009 Asuret Inc. All rights reserved.
7. Use of media:
Social media: Blogs, Twitter, conferences, and discussions
Traditional media: Magazines, newspapers
Analysts: Close associations
Recognized industry “influencer:”
SAP, Oracle, Saleforce.com, Lawson, etc.
Goal: Trusted, independent, and objective advisor
© Copyright 2009 Asuret Inc. All rights reserved.
9. State of failure:
Governance issues are
No organization is immune to failure
30% - 70% of IT projects are late, over-budget, or
don’t meet planned requirements
“IT project managers cannot accept all of the responsibility of
delivering projects successfully. Top management and steering
committees have a significant role to play in managing project risk.
Ambitious-sized projects, moving targets, and managerial turnover
present challenges for IT projects that stretch even experienced
project managers. Effective oversight of projects can help project
managers respond to these challenges.”
Academic research report (November, 2007)
© Copyright 2009 Asuret Inc. All rights reserved.
10. State of failure:
Methodologies and tools are enough
Project failures persist despite PPM, ITIL, PMI, CMM,
and other business process improvements
“Distortions” interfere with process: poor judgment, politics,
and personal agendas
Extreme case: “Successful” process / failed outcome
“One of the major weaknesses uncovered during the analysis
was the total reliance placed on project and development
methodologies.
Processes alone are far from enough to cover the complexity
and human aspects of many large projects subject to multiple
stakeholders, resource and ethical constraints.”
British Computer Society (June, 2008)
© Copyright 2009 Asuret Inc. All rights reserved.
11. State of failure:
are common
Lack of alignment:
Business / IT
Management / project staff
Vendors / customers
© Copyright 2009 Asuret Inc. All rights reserved.
13. Preventing failure:
Removing to success
Diagnose and measure the real sources of failure
Share knowledge and lessons learned to
improve success rates
Embed innovation around IT project success
in the organization
Evaluate your organization’s collaboration capabilities
© Copyright 2009 Asuret Inc. All rights reserved.
14. Preventing failure:
Removing to success (cont’d)
Increase appropriate communication to reduce information
silos
Connect social networks to support continuous
organizational improvement
Facilitate rapid, effective, and ethical decision-making
Align IT with measurable business results
Change project culture, not corporate culture
© Copyright 2009 Asuret Inc. All rights reserved.
15. Preventing failure:
beyond IT
What problem does the project solve?
Who is the project champion?
What does the stakeholder map look like?
What PM toolbox are you going to use and what drives it
(procurement issues)?
How will the project be governed (who, how, when)?
How will the project be controlled (planning, monitoring,
reporting)?
How will success be judged or measured? (who when, how)
© Copyright 2009 Asuret Inc. All rights reserved.
16. Asuret Failure
Analysis Simulation
© Copyright 2009 Asuret Inc. All rights reserved.
17. Asuret failure simulation:
Measuring 7 of success
Organizational, political, and cultural factors are critical
Hard to measure
Project
Management
Executive Change
Sponsorship Management
Stakeholder Third-Party
Involvement Relationships
IT
Business Resource
Project
Case Availability
Success
© Copyright 2009 Asuret Inc. All rights reserved.
18. Asuret failure simulation:
Specialized
Wisdom of crowds
Requires carefully-selected group to avoid
“stupidity of crowds”
Measurement through “indirection”
Reduce bias for charged issues
Simple questions based on observable situations
Stakeholders consensus workshop follows analysis
Ensure analysis is accurate and complete
Gain consensus to avoid decision-making gridlock
Goal: insight, clarity, consensus
© Copyright 2009 Asuret Inc. All rights reserved.
20. Key governance lessons:
knowledge
Governance: people, collaboration, and responsibility
IT and construction governance are fundamentally the
same
Measurement and diagnosis are not sufficient to
create future success
Consolidating / aggregating lessons learned is
essential to achieve continuous improvement
Goal: Create shared organizational memory
Engage stakeholders
Improve collaboration and communication across silos
© Copyright 2009 Asuret Inc. All rights reserved.
21. Key governance lessons:
signs
Forward-looking warning signs of failure:
Ambiguous or diffuse project ownership
Stakeholder complexity
Conflicts of interest
Inconsistencies (hardest to discern in advance.
(For example: Taurus stakeholders not required to
participate in project; Clissold fitness for purpose problem–
architect didn’t understand target population needs.)
© Copyright 2009 Asuret Inc. All rights reserved.
22. Key governance lessons:
The point
Be fearless and brave to do what’s right
But, also exercise good and wise judgment
(don’t needlessly destroy your career)
© Copyright 2009 Asuret Inc. All rights reserved.
23. Let’s have coffee!
Michael Krigsman
CEO
Asuret, Inc.
Email: mkrigsman@asuret.com
Web: http://asuret.com
Blog: http://blogs.zdnet.com/projectfailures
+ 1 (617) 905-5950
© Copyright 2009 Asuret Inc. All rights reserved.