Change Wave Management
‘Scope’ is one of the pillars of project management theory; perhaps this is why so many projects fail!
A need, opportunity or issue arises. The vision of what has to be changed in the organization is fixed and, a project is commissioned to address the requirement. Budgets and timelines are established, vendors and suppliers are selected, what has to be done is clear to all…then… the project centric perspective comes into play and surprise, surprise; the actual scope and extent of the project is somewhat different than that originally envisioned.
When cost, time or resource pressures threaten project(s); scope is the first to go while the business is often the last to know! When one fully understands factors of fear, subservience, greed and assorted sins commonly associated with project centric factions (internal staff and vendors); one is far better armed to address future scope issues. This theme shows why and how scope, time, budget, resource, priority and other constraints cause projects to devolve, shirk or ignore certain project responsibilities and what management can do about it.
John provides insights on what this means to the business and what this really means from the perspective of suppliers, vendors and consultants who rely on scope creep and/or scope barriers to meet their objectives (which are not necessarily aligned with those of the client).
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Project Cost
Number/Failures
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$500 Million+ 21/21
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$100-500 Million
110/108
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$5-100 Million
800/710
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Under $5 Million
2,500/2,125
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Corrective Possibility
1=Fast/Simple
5=Slow/Complex
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Scope Gaps
& Disconnects
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Severe
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Severe
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Severe
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Severe
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1-3
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By the end of the presentation, participants come away with the realization that Scope Gaps & Disconnects are the product of conflict between Need, Speed and Greed. They understand that such gaps and disconnects can be avoided quite easily, if one is prepared to ask the right questions and probe less than fullsome answers. Participants come away with the means to…
· Understand how and why ‘fixed’ scope projects are all but impossible to define in today’s business environment.
· Understand how and why vendors and other external parties rely on the tenuous promise of a fixed ‘scope’ to win the business, knowing full well the scope will change.
· Understand where and why ‘old school’ thinking about project scope came from and why it worked back then.
· Recognize in advance where scope gaps and disconnects will magically appear once the deal is signed and what to do about them before the deal is signed.
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