Carl Lefever, Principal Consultant, Improve & Grow · 2017. 11. 3. · Carl Lefever, Principal...

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Today’s Speaker

Carl Lefever, Principal Consultant, Improve & Grow

• Certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt

• Personally completed 100+ projects

• Mentored 50+ project managers

• Practical, hands-on approach

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Learning Objectives

• Learn the fundamentals of project management

• Review methods & tools to setup a project for success

• Learn methods to identify & organize tasks into a plan

• Learn best practices to manage a project to completion

• Review common pitfalls & strategies to overcome them

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Agenda

• Project Management Overview

• Project Management Phases & Tools

• Common Pitfalls & Resolutions

• Q&A

4

Project Management

Overview

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“Failing to plan is planning to fail”

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The Importance of Good Project Management

• A research study found that 100% of “successful” projects had a good technical solution, while 90% of “unsuccessful” projects had a good technical solution

• A good technical solution doesn’t guarantee success

E = Q x AEffectiveness

of Solution

Quality of

Solution

Acceptance

of Solution

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What is a Project?

A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique

product, service, process or result; a well defined project

has a specified goal, scope and timeline

Examples

• Develop & rollout a new procedure

• Install or upgrade a piece of machinery

• Implement new software or system

8

Reflection on Past Projects

Think back on your past experiences with projects…

• For projects that were successful, what was it that made

the project a positive experience?

• For projects that did not go as well as planned, what was

it that made it a negative experience?

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Characteristics of Failed Projects

• Lack of sponsor or stakeholder support

• Incomplete and/or changing project requirements

• Insufficient planning and/or allocation of resources

• Technological incompetence

• Unrealistic expectations

• Unclear objectives

• Unrealistic timeframes

• New or untested technology

10

Characteristics of Successful Projects

• Clearly articulated goals with defined criteria for success

• Comprehensive plan with realistic schedules

• Active executive & stakeholder support

• Thorough communication planning

• Proactive issue resolution

• Stakeholder involvement throughout the life cycle

• A skilled Project Manager utilizing best practices & tools

• Commitment to success

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What is Project Management?

Project management is the process and activity of

planning, organizing, motivating, and controlling resources

to achieve specific goals

Phases of Project Management

• Definition

• Planning

• Execution

• Closure

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What is a Project Plan?

A formal document used to guide project execution

A Project Plan Includes:

• Project Phases

• Project Tasks

• Assigned Resources

• Task Due Dates

• Some project plans also detail task dependencies,

estimated work times, task durations and other info

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Project Resources

• Project Manager

• Project Sponsor

• Project Stakeholders

• Project Team Members

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What is a Project Manager?

A project manager is the person responsible for

accomplishing the stated project objectives

Project Manager Responsibilities

• Work with the sponsor to develop a project charter

• Lead project team through project

• Keep the project plan current

• Regularly update stakeholders

• Identify & resolve issues & barriers

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What is a Project Sponsor?

A project sponsor is the individual, typically an executive

leader, who introduces & supports the project and provides

the necessary resources (funds, people, etc.)

Project Sponsor Responsibilities

• Helps define the project charter

• Assign project team & set expectations

• Resolve escalated issues and barriers

• Recognize and reward team successes

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What is a Project Stakeholder?

A stakeholder is a person with an interest or concern in the

area(s) affected by the project

Project Stakeholder Responsibilities

• Attend project update meetings

• Support approved changes

• Inform project team of issues

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What is a Project Team Member?

A team member is a person assigned to the team, typically

because of subject matter expertise in the affected process

areas or a particular discipline required by the project

(Information Technology, Human Resources, Finance, etc.)

Project Team Member Responsibilities

• Attend project team meetings

• Provide critical input

• Completed assigned tasks

• Alert project manager of issues

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Phases of Project Management

Closure

Execution

Planning

DefinitionIdea

Goal

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Project Management Phases & Tasks

• Develop Project

Charter

• Conduct

Stakeholder

Analysis

• Form Project

Team

• Develop Project

Plan

• Assess Risks

• Develop

Communication

Plan

• Complete Project

Tasks

• Monitor Progress

• Identify & Resolve

Issues

• Validate &

Summarize

Results

• Handoff Project

• Recognize Team

ClosureExecutionPlanningDefinition

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Webinar Case Study

As an example for this webinar, we are going to use a case

study of an event management company (ABC Company)

that plans events for organizations. They’ve been using a

home grown system for planning customer events, but

want to find a better system that will automate pricing,

improve reporting and make communications more

efficient.

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Project Definition

Phase

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Project Definition Phase

“A problem well stated is a

problem half-solved.”

Charles Kettering

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Project Definition Phase

Purpose

• Turn a good idea into a project with a clear goal to be

completed within a specified timeframe and budget

Key Steps & Tools

• Develop Project Charter – goals, scope & constraints

• Conduct Stakeholder Analysis – assess stakeholder buy-in

• Form Project Team – assemble right team members

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Project Charter

Purpose

• Establish a clear business

case & objective for project &

define critical boundaries such

as timeline, budget & scope

Charter Elements

• Business Case

• Project Objective

• Assumptions, Risks, Budget

• Project Scope

• Project Resources

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Business Case

• Describes the business reason for the project and provides relevant

information to help place the project in context

• A good business case includes:

• Relevant data highlighting the importance of this project

• Reference information on time or costs associated with the problem

being solved

• Relationship between this project and company strategy

• Example:

• “Big Printer’s customers depend upon them for quick turnaround

and press downtime has been identified as the largest cause for

late shipments. In the last year, they had over 1,000 down time

hours related to “waiting for material” delays with $150,000 in

unnecessary labor costs.”

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Project Goals & Objectives

• Clear goals help:

• Focus the team

• Guide project efforts

• Clarify expectations

• Keep goals S.M.A.R.T.

• Specific

• Measurable

• Achievable

• Realistic

• Time Bound

Examples:

• Reduce pressroom “waiting for

materials” downtime delay hours

by 50% by November 30, 2014

• Have all North East employees

trained & certified in project

management by the end of 1Q

2015.

• Develop and validate Product X

in time for product launch on

January 15, 2015

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Project Scope Management

• Successful projects have a clearly defined scope; scope

defines what is in and out of focus for the project team

• Examples Include:

• Product Lines

• Departments

• Solution Sets

• Level of Investment

• In general, a project should take no longer than 6 mos.

• If necessary, break into separate, smaller projects

• Tip: Focus on areas with largest impact

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Assumptions, Risk & Budget

Assumptions

• It is important to identify and clearly state any

assumptions that are critical to project success

Risk

• Outline key project risks, such as dependencies upon key

resources, budget limitations or external factors such as

pending regulations

Budget

• Be sure to clarify what, if any, finances have been

dedicated to the project; if no budget has been defined,

develop one and seek approval

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Project Charter Template

• Microsoft Excel Template

• Captures critical project

information

• Travels with project as

official record of goals,

scope, etc.

• In many organizations,

charters must be

“approved” for project work

to begin

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Stakeholder Analysis

Purpose

• Identify the key stakeholders of a project, assess the level

of commitment to project goals & develop plans to resolve

issues with commitment where necessary

Elements

• Name of stakeholders / stakeholder groups

• Current & desired level of commitment to project goals

• Actions to resolve issues & action owners

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Levels of Stakeholder Engagement

1. Actively Opposed

2. Uncooperative

3. Neutral

4. Help it Work

5. Enthusiastic Support

Current Engagement Where are they now?

Desired Engagement Where do you need them to be?

Tip: You don’t need

everyone to be a 5,

but must resolve any

1’s or 2’s before

proceeding

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Stakeholder Analysis Template

StakeholdersLevel of

Influence

Current

Commitment

Level

Desired

Commitment

Level

Key Concerns & Needs Action StepsRelationship

Owner

Sales Staff High 4=HelpitWork5 = Enthusiastic

Support

Needs to save time, provide

accurate pricing

Provide demonstration of

how system will work, collect

user requirements and build

into project plan

Carl L

Activities Staff Medium 3=Neutral 4 = Help it Work

Needs to be easy to use,

provide notice of last minute

changes




into project plan

Carl L

Kitchen Staff Medium2=

Uncooperative4 = Help it Work

Don't want to change current

reports, must provide notice

of large changes




into project plan

Carl L

Housekeeping

StaffLow 3=Neutral 4 = Help it Work

Need better access to

information on the fly, need

notice of changes




into project plan

Carl L

Maintenance Staff Low 3=Neutral 4 = Help it Work

Need reports that show setup

requirements, need to be

able to block out locations for

planned maintenance




into project plan

Carl L

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Forming the Project Team

Work with Sponsor to select team members that have:

• Relevant subject matter expertise

• Availability & willingness to work on project

• Credibility with stakeholders

• Influence with process personnel

• Positive attitude towards project

Other Tips

• Limit team to 5 – 7 team members

• Obtain approval before inviting a member to team

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Project Kick-off Team Meeting

• Review Project Charter

• Review Team Roles

• Solicit Feedback from Team

• Set Agenda & Date for Next Meeting

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Project Definition Summary

At the conclusion of this phase, you should have:

• Clearly stated the business case for the project

• Described the project objectives and goals

• Clarified scope and boundaries of the project

• Identified your stakeholders & their level of engagement

• Developed a plan to address stakeholder concerns

• Formed your project team & held your first meeting

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Pitfalls & Resolutions for Project Definition

Common Pitfalls Resolution Strategy

Poorly defined project scopeUtilize scope management exercise to help

team work through defined scope

Lack of defined metrics or targetsEstablish clear targets for due dates,

budgets and performance

Lack of sufficient team resourcesElevate issue to stakeholders, develop plan

to compensate

Unrealistic targetsNegotiate reasonable targets before

proceeding

Lack of stakeholder commitmentUtilize stakeholder analysis to uncover

issues & develop action plan

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Project Planning

Phase

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Project Planning Phase

“A goal without a plan is

just a wish.”

Larry Elder

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Project Planning Phase

Purpose

• To identify & organize all of the tasks and resources

necessary to achieve the chartered goal of the project

Key Steps & Tools

• Identify & Organize Tasks into a Project Plan

• Assess Project Risks & Develop Mitigation Plan

• Develop Communication Plan

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Process for Identifying & Organizing Tasks

Task

Task

TaskTask

Task

Task

Task

Task

Task

Task

Task

Task

Task

Task

Task

Task

Task

Task

Task

Task

Task Task

Task

TaskTask

Task

Task

Task

TaskTask

Task

Task

Task

Task

Task

Task

Brainstorm Tasks Group Tasks Create Logical Sequence1 2 3

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Components of a Project Plan

Project Plan Components

• Tasks – items that need to be complete (from prior step)

• Resources – people required to complete tasks

• Dependencies – tasks that rely on completion of other tasks

• Durations – estimated time to complete the task

• Start & End Dates – planned start and end dates for each task

Project Plan Tools

• Project Plan Template (see following slide)

• Software Applications like Microsoft Project

• Online Applications like Basecamp

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Developing a Project Plan

• We’ve already identified project tasks and organized them into phases and a logical sequence based on dependencies

• Now we need to identify task durations, which will enable us to assign start and end dates

• We also need to assign task resources or owners

Task

Task

Task

Task

TaskTask

Task

Task

Task

Task

Task

Task

How long

will this

task take?

Who will

work on

this task?

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Critical Path & Projected End Date

What is the critical path?

• The subset of project tasks

that will determine the end

date of the project

• A task on the critical path is

one that if late by even one

day, will extend the end

date of the entire project

• While all tasks are

important, these are the

most critical to manage

Task

Task

Task

Task

TaskTask

Task

Task

Task

Task

Task

Task

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Project Plan Template

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Project Planning Software

• There are software programs designed to automate the

development and management of projects

• Desktop Software Example: Microsoft Project

• Online Application Example: Basecamp

• These software programs can save you lots of time,

particularly when dealing with complex projects

• Just be careful not to get lost in the details and technical

nature of project management and lose sight of the goal

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Risk Management

• Risks are potential occurrences that would have a negative impact on project outcomes

• Risk can be reduced - proactive risk management is fundamental to successful project management

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Risk Mitigation

• Identify Major Risks

• Identify major risks as work starts and later identify risks in detail

• Develop and maintain a list of risks using the Risk Assessment Worksheet

• As you learn more about various risks, document them in more detail

• Analyze Risks

• For each risk, quantify the severity posed

• Identify actions to mitigate the risk

• Determine what resources should be applied to mitigate the risk

• Manage Risks

• Risk management is an ongoing responsibility

• Revisit your existing risks on a regular basis

• Challenge project team to pay attention to risk

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Risk Assessment Example

• Project: Install a new state of the art production line for a

key product category that will dramatically increase

production capacity & reduce operating costs by 4Q 2014

• Key Risk: Current backup plan is to use existing product

line, however management has diverted all maintenance

plans to other lines since current line is being retired

• Severity: High; if installation schedule falls behind by

more than 30 day, critical customer contracts will be lost

and financial backing for project will be lost.

• Mitigation Plan: Continue critical maintenance items on

existing production line until new line is operational and

has passed all validation tests

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Risk Inventory & Assessment Worksheet

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Communication Plan

Purpose

• To develop a plan for communicating project progress &

information to stakeholders before, during & after project

Communication Plan Components

• Audience

• Message

• Media

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Developing a Communication Plan

• Who needs to know about the project? (Audience)

• What do they need to know? (Message)

• How should this be communicated (Media)

• When should it be communicated (Timing)

• Who should handle the communication? (Owner)

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Communication Plan Template

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Project Planning Summary


• Identified all of the known tasks to complete the project

• Organized tasks into logical phases and sequence

• Documented dependencies between tasks

• Developed a formal project plan with dates and owners

• Established the “critical path” and projected end date

• Determined a plan to keep project stakeholders informed

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Common Pitfalls & Resolutions


Unrealistic project timelineReview project plan with team, adjust

based on their input

Plan developed without

considering risks

Work with team to develop a risk

assessment & mitigation plan

Failure to keep stakeholders

informed of progress

Incorporate stakeholder updates into

communication planning

Insufficient resourcesElevate issues to stakeholder, adjust

project plan as needed

Unidentified tasks arise after

project plan is approved

Incorporate into project plan & determine

effect on overall schedule & budget,

elevate to stakeholders for approval

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Project Execution

Phase

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Project Execution Phase

“Planning without action

is futile, action without

planning is fatal.”

— Cornelius Fitchner

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Project Execution Phase

Purpose

• Execute the plan to achieve the chartered results

Key Steps & Tools

• Complete Project Tasks

• Monitor Progress

• Identify & Resolve Issues

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Complete Project Tasks

Project Manager Role

• Ensure all tasks have been assigned to appropriate

resources and that all resources are aware

Tips

• Don’t assign tasks without owner’s agreement

• Do assign due dates to all tasks

• Be firm (where needed) and flexible (when possible)

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Monitor Progress

Project Manage Role

• Document progress, update project plan and adjust

project plan as needed

Tips

• Hold regular project team meetings

• Use project plan to review progress

• Discuss significant delays to identify specific issues

• Agree on actions plans to address issues

• Send out notes, including action items

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Tracking Your Project Performance

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Identify & Resolve Issues


• Communicate project progress in accordance with

communication plan & elevate issues to sponsor &

stakeholders as needed for resolution

Tips

• Communicate early and often

• Don’t let your sponsor be surprised by raised issues

• Engage your stakeholders in dealing with resistance

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Project Execution Summary


• Completed the tasks outlined in the project plan

• Met with project team regularly throughout execution

• Collected actual task data on the project plan

• Resolved any outstanding issues or barriers to completion

• Communicated project progress to key stakeholders

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Pitfalls & Resolutions for Project Execution


Stakeholders change/expand

project scope

Determine impact of scope change and

share findings with stakeholders

Resistance from Stakeholders

during Implementation

Identify the type of resistance and respond

accordingly

Unresolved Issues Solicit support from sponsors

Extended Project DurationIf necessary, break project into smaller

increments that each have deliverables

Lack of Team Motivation See response on stakeholder resistance

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Project Closure Phase

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“A project is complete when it

starts working for you, rather

than you working for it.”

— Scott Allen

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Purpose

• To confirm completion of project deliverables and

communicate project success

Key Steps & Tools

• Validate & Summarize Results

• Handoff Project to Stakeholders

• Recognize Team

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Validate & Summarize Results


• Use observation, data and stakeholder feedback to

confirm that project deliverables have been met

• Document project results in a formal report or

presentation and deliver to project stakeholders

Tools

• Procedural Audits

• Financial Reports – cost & revenue performance

• Process Data – key performance metrics

• Personnel Surveys

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Project Hand-off


• Ensure that appropriate measures are put in place to

ensure that project achievements can be sustained after

the project team is formally disbanded

Tools

• Standard Operating Procedures

• Process Audit Checklists

• Performance Dashboards

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Team Recognition


• Work with sponsor to recognize team effort thru

meaningful rewards and recognition

Tips

• Keep it Simple

• Make it Meaningful

• Be Consistent

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Project Closure Summary


• Verified the achievement of project goals

• Instituted measures to ensure progress is sustained

• Documented & communicated results to stakeholders

• Transferred ownership back to process owners

• Formally disbanded the project team

• Celebrated success & recognized team accomplishments

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Pitfalls & Resolutions for Project Closure


Project over budgetIn each instance, review situation, identify

root causes; for systemic, repetitive issues,

consider changes to project management

process that would reduce or eliminate the

problem

Project failed to meet chartered

results

Project exceeded chartered

timeline

Incomplete project handoff Establish formal project closure process

Lack of team recognitionDevelop recognition standards and include

in formal project management process

Carl Lefever, Principal Consultant, Improve & Grow · 2017. 11. 3. · Carl Lefever, Principal...

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