Why do

projects succeed
or fail?
Part 1
Basic Collaboration

The Behaviors that

Make a Difference

What I want to share:

The Premise of the Solution

Project Execution Maturity Model 3 Levels

Understanding Basic Collaboration

What does failure mean?

Scope
Did the project deliver
all the features?

Quality
Did the outcome
function as it should
have?

Budget
Did it cost as much as it
was supposed to?

Schedule
Was it done when we
wanted it to?

Business Benefit
Did the project deliver
the results?
3

Most Managers Struggle with

Schedule and Budget
Project Success Rates & Length of Time Using a PMO
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%

Scope

Quality
PMO >= 6 yrs

Business Benefit
PMO <= 5 yrs

Budget

Schedule

No PMO

Successful projects are NOT

the result of successful
planning
Successful projects are the result
of skillful execution.

Performance Is a
Function of Capability
Business
Performance

Project Management
Capabilities

Ability
Ability

Project Management
Maturity

Behavior
Behavior

Project
Performance

Result
Result

Purpose of Best Practice

Models
Quantify capabilities that
deliver the desired results

Facilitate comparison to your

practices
Determine what is and what isnt
working
Establish a case for action
Develop a plan for improvement
9

Many Project Management

Maturity Models
Over 30 different models, based on
various paradigms

Seem to be useful
Widely adopted
Many organizations report
advancements in maturity

10

What Do We Want in a
Model?
The principles for delivering on time and on budget
Clear relationship between principles and desired
effects

Behaviors that exemplify those principles

A path to maturity

Level
Level 55
Optimizing
Optimizing
Level
Level 44
Managed
Managed

Level
Level 33 Org.
Org.
Focus
Focus

Level
Level 22 Basic
Basic
PM
PM
Level
Level 11 Initial
Initial

12

Project Execution Maturity Model Principles for

Execution & On Time Delivery

INTEGRATED
PLANNING
&
Capacity
Subcontractor
Management
Management
EXECUTION

Probabilistic
Planning

Delivery
Managing
IMPROVED
Date
Bottlenec
Promisin
Mgmnt.
ks
g
COORDINATION

Remote
Collaboratio
n
Collaborati
ve
Execution

More
Matur
e

Schedul
e Risk

Control WIP
BASIC COLLABORATION
Functional
Alignment

Priority
Control

Less
Matur
e
13

Basic Collaboration
Emphasize Velocity
The work before you
The team before you
Near term
Collaborati
ve
Execution

Functional
Alignment

More
Matur
e

Priority
Control

Control WIP

Less
Matur
e
14

Improved Coordination
Inclusion of remote teams
Emphasize On Time Delivery
Remote
Collaboratio
n

Schedul
e Risk

Managing
Bottlenec
ks

More
Matur
e
Date
Mgmnt.

Delivery
Promisin
g

Inclusion of schedule risk in execution decisions

Medium Term

Less
Matur
e
15

Integrated Planning &

Execution
Probabilistic
Planning

Capacity
Management

Subcontractor
Management

Closed Loop planning & execution

Probabilistic scheduling
Finite resource planning
Life of project, full portfolio

More
Matur
e

Less
Matur
e
16

Basic Collaboration
Increase Velocity

Collaborati
ve
Execution

Functional
Alignment

Priority
Control

Control WIP

17

Basic Collaboration Solves:

Lack of direction
Unclear accountabilities for results
Slow progress
Answers the most basic questions:
What is the status of the work?
Are we making progress?
What do we need to do to move forward?
Who is going to do it?
18

Collaborative Execution
Collaborativ
e Execution

Functional
Alignment

Priority
Control

Control WIP

19

Collaborative Execution

Working together to
achieve shared goals.

20

Informed Collaboration
Individuals and teams see
beyond their own tasks to the
overall direction of the project

Agreement on the situation

Roles and accountabilities of
each team member are clear

Focusing on what needs to be

done today, rather than the
past

21

Collaborative Execution
What if I dont?
Slow response to
project problems

Slow progress
Increased project leadtimes

22

Building Collaboration
Accurate / shared assessment of the situation
Accountability for results
Plan-Do-Check-Act

23

The Situation Must Be Made

Obvious

Accuracy Where are we now?

Shared Do we agree on it?

Purposeful Collaboration
Focus on what is slowing or halting progress
Only investigate the issues
What are the red issues?

Ask what we need, not who to blame or why

How does it hurt the project due date?

Try to identify next steps, not resolve the issue

Lets have a separate meeting to figure this out

Actionable!
Keep it short!

Collaborative Execution
What if I do?
Quick response to
project problems

Increased completion
velocity

Reduced project leadtimes

26

Functional Alignment
Collaborati
ve
Execution

Functional
Alignment

Priority
Control

Control WIP
27

Functional Alignment
The project team
shares
A common goal
Agreement on the
rules of the game

Subordination of
individual to team
objectives
28

Functional Alignment
What if they arent?
Reduced velocity
Time to clarify accountabilities
Difficulty obtaining resources
Low team engagement

Poor resource productivity

Misallocation of skills
Response delays
29

Metrics Align Behavior &

Purpose

30

Results Trending Based on Behavior

100
90
80
70
60
50

Blue
Green (Complete)
Yellow
(In Progress)
Red
(Minor Issue)

Total40tasks by category
(Major Issue)
30
20
10
0

25
20

Number of Issues Resolved Before Needing Escalation

15
10
5
0

Short Notice Issues

8
7
6
5
4
# of Issues
not identified until escalation required
3
2
1
0

41009.0
41011.0
41015.0
41017.0
41019.0
41023.0
41025.0
41029.0
41008.0
41010.0
41012.0
41016.0
41018.0
41022.0
41024.0
41026.0

Functional Alignment
What if they are?
Increased task completion
velocity
Clear accountabilities
Resources allocated as needed
High team engagement

Improved resource productivity

The right people working the problems
Quick response to problems

34

Priority Control
Collaborativ
e Execution

Functional
Alignment

Priority
Control

Control WIP

35

Priority Control
A unified work
prioritization
system which
reflect the
global priorities

Used for all

projects and
supporting
tasks.
36

What/Who Controls
Priorities?
Product
Product
Planners
Planners
Project
Project
Managers
Managers

Operation
Operation
s
s

SAP
SAP

P6
P6

Priority
??

My
My Buddy
Buddy

37

Priority Control
What if we dont?
Work performed out of
sequence

Plenty of task switching

(multitasking)
Delays
Longer completion times

Reduced productivity
38

Setting the Priority

Establish the criteria (delivery date?)
Who controls them?
What if there is
disagreement or
confusion?

Quality problems or
delay does this change?

What about emergencies?

39

Priority Control
What if we do?
The right work at the
right time

Much less task

switching (multitasking)
Increased velocity
Shorter completion times

Increased productivity
40

Manage the Flow

Collaborative
Execution

Functional
Alignment

Priority
Control

Control WIP

41

Control Work in Progress

Managers control the
release of work into the
system based on the
capacity of the constraint

Managers promote policies

that reduce multi-tasking
Clean Start
Clear Priorities

42

Controlling Work in Progress

What if we dont?
Increased complexity of
Delays in task
task management

Increased management
effort (meetings!)
Work performed out of
sequence
Plenty of task switching

completions
Task rework.
Task over-processing
Reduced productivity

Increased project lead

times
43

must be limited.

WIP controls the release of

new projects

Estimate
Project XX

WIP Controls:
(WIP = 4)
1.Limiting work
2.Release at the rate of consumption
45

The Clean Start Queue

TBR (To be
released)
It is a prioritized
queue of work that
needs to be done
when resources are
available.
The work has met
the defined clean
start requirements
46

Controlling Work in Progress

What if we do?
Simplification of task
management

Reduced project lead times

Tasks can be quickly
completed without delay

Rework reduced
Task over-processing is
eliminated

Improved productivity

47

Basic Collaboration Summary

Collaborati
ve
Execution

Working together to achieve shared

goals

Functional
Alignment

Each team member subordinates to the

overall objectives of the project

Priority
Control
Control
WIP

Local work priorities reflect global

priorities
Work is released into the system as it is
consumed.
Clean Start
48

Improved Coordination
More
Matur
e

Deliver on Time
Remote
Collaboration

Managing
Bottlenec
ks

Delivery
Promisin
g

Schedule
Risk

Date
Mgmnt.

Less
Matur
e
49

Integrated Planning &

Execution
Probabilistic
Planning

Subcontractor
Management

Capacity
Management

More
Matur
e

Optimize
Performance
Less
Matur
e
50

Project Execution Maturity

Model
Fills the gap in existing models
Schedule
Budget / Cost

51

Road Map to Value

Integrated Planning
& Execution
Improved Coordination
Basic
Collaboration
52

Directly Building Capabilities

that Drive Performance
Business
Performance

Project Management
Capabilities

Ability

Project Management
Maturity

Behavio
r

Project
Performance

Result
53

Basic Collaboration - Results

All of the work in the system is in control
Project teams have a clear view of the project work, its
status and risk

Local resource teams are aligned with project priorities.

Accountabilities for results are clear
Collaborati
ve
Execution

Functional
Alignment

Priority
Control

Control WIP

54

Results after 10 Weeks

Engineering Lead Time reduced
From 24 months to 11 months

54% improvement in
engineering lead time
& little variation

Average
Quoted
Lead Time

Tracking 54%
improvement

Financial Impact (USD)

Bottom
line:
5.3mm 1.9

to
2.8
1.4

2.1

Additional
sales

LT impact with
additional
sales
Improved
effectiveness &
efficiency

More with same

New sales additional productivity
= new projects + aftermarket

More with same

New sales - reduced lead time
= new projects + aftermarket

Same with less

27% reduction of project lead times
translated into cost savings

Why do
projects succeed
or fail?

The Behaviors that

Make a Difference