Sooner or later it all comes down to work. Projects are ultimately how strategy gets implemented. And the bigger they are, the harder they fall. We live in a world where project failure is demonstrated by research to still run north of 75%. The larger, more complex and more uncertain the project, the more challenging it is to plan and deliver, and the greater the likelihood of failure.
Common difficulties in planning and delivering projects are many. Objectives and required outcomes are often not sufficiently clear. Projects are scoped ineffectively. They get overloaded with expectations at the outset that the organization subsequently struggles to deliver. Related projects are initiated separately, without appropriate alignment and coordination. Projects have overlapping expectations or critical gaps between them. Estimates are inadequate. Budgets and schedules are unrealistically compressed. Projects are insufficiently resourced. Operational staff have their focus split between projects and operational commitments. Even where projects are deemed mission-critical, their ability to deliver is often unnecessarily compromised.
Successfully delivering on strategy means that you need to ensure that the projects you initiate are appropriately set up for success. You need effective plans that respond to the defined strategies and goals, and clearly translate strategic priorities into objectives and outcomes. Your projects need appropriate approaches that respond to their uncertainties, challenges and complexities. Estimates need to be reasonable, resourcing needs to be appropriate and the timeline needs to be realistic and attainable. Plans need to consider the full scope of what will be required, to create the defined capability and effectively implement the results in the organization.
Above all, you need projects that are positioned for success within your organization. There needs to be clear understanding of what the projects will do, how the work will be done and the role that everyone will play in delivering results. People need to see themselves able to be successful in doing what is asked of them. Progress needs to be clearly visible and objectively understandable. The practices used to manage the project need to be appropriate, relevant and accepted within your organization.
You have the professional competence available to you to ensure your strategic projects are structured, planned and positioned for success.
Interthink Consulting has extensive expertise in managing projects, and implementing effective and relevant project management practices. Decades of practical experience and extensive research involvement contribute to our deep understanding of what it takes to successfully deliver strategic initiatives.
We know the reasons that projects fail. We also know the practices and capabilities that work, and that are necessary to ensure effective delivery. We have the expertise to guide the definition of projects, and the identification of the processes and strategies that ensure your projects are successful. Above all, we understand that what works in delivering projects has to fit and be accepted within your organization. Our expertise in tailoring and adapting project practices to accommodate what works in practice is what we lead with in every engagement we take on.
Business Case Development
You need to ensure that you have appropriately considered what it takes to deliver on strategic initiatives. A well designed business case is a way of ensuring you are confident of the viability and feasibility of your project before proceeding. It should explore meaningful alternatives, and help to make an informed decision about the best way forward. We develop business cases that fully explore strategic opportunities. We apply not only robust financial analysis, but also consideration of the tangible and intangible impacts of the initiative on your organization. You get a comprehensive picture of what the decision means, and a complete understanding of the consequences and implications of proceeding.
Project Strategy & Planning
Strategic initiatives are complex and challenging. Many have significant uncertainty and complexity to manage. Different viewpoints and needs among stakeholders can result in competing interests and differing views of requirements that need to be aligned and resolved. You need confidence in the approach and strategy of the project, and the estimates of what it will take to deliver. We have the planning, facilitation and estimation expertise to help you plan your most complicated and uncertain projects. The results are projects that are clear, strategies that are practical and workable and plans that you can have confidence in.
Project Reviews & Audits
An essential part of improving the delivery of strategic projects is learning from previous experience. An objective review of a strategic initiative can provide valuable insight at just about any stage of development and implementation. Whether a significant initiative is struggling, a completed project was less than successful or you want to set up a new project for success, we can help. We have the expertise and insight to objectively assess your project, identify successes and challenges, and outline how to position future efforts for success. You will have confident insights into what happened, recommendations on how to improve and guidance on how to embed those lessons in your organization.
