Right-Sizing Project Management
Developing a Fit-For Purpose Approach
Just as we would never use the same wrench for every type of job, we don’t recommend the same methodology or approach to every project.
When thinking about how to plan a project approach, there are lots of methodologies that provide a great framework. Some of the familiar names include Prince2, CCPM, Agile and BRM. While all of these approaches have their merits and can help project teams structure their work processes, it’s important that every project start with identifying the context of the project to determine the scale and scope.
Identify the Project Type
No two projects are the same. Some make minor changes and impact only a few individuals while others require major changes to the entire business. A good place to start before selecting a methodology is to determine your type of project. One of the tools our clients find useful is the Project Diagnostic Tool. With a few targeted questions, our client assess the project’s scale and scope if it’s an Operational, Transactional or Transformational project.
For project teams looking to make incremental improvements to existing organizational structures, processes or technologies on a limited scale (i.e. single team or department), we categorize these as “Operational”. Operational projects are intended to enhance existing operations with more surgical improvements that are intended to maintain business continuity. For example, a sales organization may wish to improve customer service by upgrading to a new version of a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. Since the system is only an upgrade, sales reps can continue to use existing business processes but may have to learn to utilize a few additional features.
Transactional projects impact the organization on a greater scale and may require multiple departments to change a specific process or technology. For example, an organization in a regional market seeking to improve customer service may need to reengineer the customer order-to-fulfillment process in an ERP system and may need to change the way R&D, sales, marketing and manufacturing work together.
In contrast, Transformational projects impact the entire organization and fundamentally change the company values, processes, organizational structures, partnerships and systems.
Fit for Purpose
When we can identify the type of project, we are better able to customize what’s needed across the nine specializations of project management:
- Strategy + Planning
- Scope Management
- Stakeholder + Change Management
- Cost Control
- Schedule Management
- Contracting + Procurement
- Risk Management
- Communications Management
To create a work breakdown that is fit for purpose, we assess each specialization area to determine what is needed based on the scale and scope of the project. For example, in the Stakeholder + Change Management specialization area of an operational project, we may look to only develop a project governance structure and communication plan given the limited scope. However, if the project is transformational, we would likely recommend a full suite of stakeholder and change management processes to support the project (see example below).
Client Benefits
Leveraging a customized, fit-for-purpose approach, we’re able to help position our clients to deliver their projects on-time, on-budget and within the original scope of the project.
How Can Darby Help?
Darby Consulting is a boutique firm specializing in project consulting. We help project managers and executives improve their effectiveness with planning and delivering successful projects by accelerating the time required to start-up, plan and execute a project.
The way we differ from other consulting options is our project consultants have on average 10 years of project management experience along with a master’s degree or equivalent certification. We’ve provided project consulting services to several leading Fortune 100 companies including BP, Chevron, Baylor Healthcare System and Hewlett Packard. We’ve also developed over 50 project management tools and templates our clients continue to use every day to deliver projects on-time, on-budget and within original scope.
Our specializations:
- Strategy + Planning
- Scope Management
- Stakeholder + Change Management
- Cost Control
- Schedule Management
- Contracting + Procurement
- Risk Management
- Communications Management
Contact us today to learn more.
