Why projects fail
With more than 20 years project management experience under my belt I have seen it all – hugely successful projects and colossal failures. Interestingly though, the reasons why a project succeeds or fails is the same, regardless of its size or complexity. So, when looking to embark on a new project bear the following in mind:
Insist on the truth – always!
You will be amazed how often the truth is slightly bent during the lifecycle of project, for example, the project is running late, but instead of being told that the project will not be delivered on time, the supplier will say something like, “at this point in time we are slightly behind schedule, but we will still complete the overall project on time”. Anything that starts will, “there is a slight issue, but . . . .” is a red flag and you would be remiss to just accept that. Interrogate the statement to understand the full impact of the issue and find out what remedial action has been put in place to mitigate the risk and protect the delivery.
Lowest price
You’ve heard the expression “buyer beware”, well this is very much the case when undertaking a project. Be cautious of the supplier who comes in with the lowest price. I do not want to paint everyone with the same brush, but from my experience if a price seems too good to be true, it usually is the case! Some suppliers will undercut their prices significantly just to get your business and then, during the execution of the project you are given one “change request” after another. The best way to protect yourself against this is to get the supplier to outline in detail exactly what they will and will not deliver as part of their quotation, i.e what is in scope and what is out of scope.
Not assigning the correct level of attention or people
An important factor to the success of the project is the project team. You need people on the project who are experienced, can provide valuable support to the project and, more importantly, are able to invest time in the project. Assigning the project to the latest recruit, someone who is already over extended, or someone who does not know enough about what problem the project is trying to resolve, is a recipe for disaster. If you do not have suitably qualified resources for each phase of the project it is in your best interest to bring those skills on board to assist.
Lack of communication
Very similar to the point above, communication throughout the project lifecycle is crucial. You need regular feedback from your supplier, your project manager and the team delivering so that you are not caught unawares and can plan appropriately for the delivery. If the project will help you better serve your customers, improve a process, resolve an issue or assist in generating more business, you want to know how it is progressing. They say that forewarned is forearmed and this is especially true for projects – with regular communication you can plan and deal with issues far more proactively. At the outset of the project agree a communication plan that clearly outlines what will be communicated to you and at what intervals.
Lack of planning
I am sure you have come across the 6 Ps, i.e. Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. This is the cornerstone to a successful project and will help address all the points above. You need to be planning before the project even starts, for example, what does the project need to deliver, what evaluation criteria will you use to select the best solution, when is the best time to undertake the project and do you have the necessary resources (budget, people and time) to undertake the project? Once the supplier has been selected, more planning is required. This is mostly done in conjunction with the supplier and includes assigning the best person to the project, understanding what will be delivered and by when, knowing what will be communicated to you and understanding exactly what is expected from you during the project. And just when you think that you are done you need to plan for when the project is actually delivered and how this will impact on your customers, your processes and staff. You need to plan throughout to give the project the best chance of success.
Do not take any project for granted, even the smallest project, if delivered badly, can have a significant impact on your business. Invest the time and effort into planning.
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