Ghost benefits and real project benefits
Ghost benefits are scary. They threaten to use up your money, time and reputation with nothing to show for it. Ghost benefits are the imaginary gains from projects that haunt business cases, PowerPoint presentations and project meetings. Most people know they aren’t real but they won’t say anything in case little Jimmy still believes in…
Read MoreProject rescue – a simple guide
A project rescue is a structured approach to save a failing project. Your project fails when quality, scope, budget, or schedule does not meet expectations. It can also fail because the business case no longer stacks up. Projects exist to implement strategy so a project rescue saves your strategy and maybe your business or your…
Read MoreProject success vs organisational success
Projects implement strategic change. If a project meets its goals (succeeds) then the organisation meets its goals (succeeds). Right? Well maybe. Let’s take a closer look at success, value, strategic goals and what they mean for projects and organisations. What does success look like? Are project managers responsible for project delivery or for strategic goals…
Read MoreBack office projects can deliver clear payback
Payback on back office productivity projects Back office productivity projects should deliver clear payback. That may be reduced process time, less rework, fewer errors, faster throughput, less waste, fewer handoffs, fewer complaints, higher staff satisfaction, better profitability, more timely data, higher customer satisfaction, etc. These benefits can and should be defined and measured. They can…
Read MoreHow does ERP add value in a property business?
An Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system can help a property business deliver its strategy. It is up to each business to decide what that means. How does ERP help deliver strategy? Strategy delivery may mean ERP or any system is not a magic bullet No ERP or other property system is a silver bullet for…
Read MoreUnleashing the improvement mindset
Unleashing the right mindset for improvement is key to success. This week’s blog is different. It is not about our firm, our work or our people. It is about a book from one of the most positive people I know – Darcy Mellsop of CILab. Productivity and continuous improvement New Zealand needs to improve its…
Read MoreThe Value for Money (VfM) gap
What is the Value for Money gap? The value for money gap is a lack of confidence that money is being spent on the right things and in the best way to get desired outcomes. It arises when spending choices do not reflect perceived priorities and when spending is seen as wasteful. It is subjective…
Read MoreWhat is a feasibility study?
A feasibility study is an early examination of the merits of an idea, proposal or project. It looks at whether or not it can be done, its likelihood of success and, perhaps most importantly, identifies the factors that could lead to success or failure. It gives an independent assessment that examines all aspects of a…
Read MoreBack office key to delivering strategy
The back office is key to delivering strategy. Operational excellence is a deliberate state created by people, processes and systems aligned to create value. It doesn’t happen by accident. We know that making back office functions work better is more effective than wholesale cuts. Optimising back office operations is strategically important. In fact, a well-designed…
Read MoreBudgets are strategic tools so pruning is better than slashing
Budgets are strategic tools – they allocate resources to strategic priorities. Pruning and shaping spending is better than slashing and burning. It is easy to cut costs by slashing but it is hard to prune and shape an organisation. Strategic budgeting shapes long-term value. Pruning and shaping needs a focus on value streams I made…
Read MoreERP return on investment (ROI)
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems promise benefits but it takes time and effort to achieve the promised results. You need a recipe for success. An ERP system return on investment (ROI) is not guaranteed. In 2012, Auckland city forecast a NZ$10 million per year return on its SAP ERP system investment of NZ$71million. By 2014…
Read MoreImagining a future helps create it
Imagining a future helps create it. Envisioning a future state does not mean predicting the future. None of us has a crystal ball but if we can imagine what the future might hold we can be better prepared to create or influence it. Our predictions don’t need to be right. They just have to be…
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