Guessing is not a strategy: How to build decision velocity with AI and real-time data
June 10, 2026 | Live Webinar
In Capable Hands
Glen is Vice President Program Planning and Controls, Niwot Ridge LLC.
Simply controlling and measuring the expenditure of project resources — score-keeping — provides little value to the business in the inevitable presence of change and uncertainty. This is why capability-based planning is a helpful alternative to linear, or waterfall, project management methods. Here’s an introduction.
Over the years the success rate of traditional project management methods applied to software development projects has been underwhelming. These traditional methods are based on a retrospective approach that measures variance against plan rather than providing a performance–forecast that can be used to guide projects in a chaotic environment. There are a number of programmatic control issues associated with IT projects that suggest a better approach is needed.
In using a linear project planning process — sometimes known as waterfall, but often derived from PMBOK-style planning processes — little attention is given to the forces that negatively impact the project. These project risks have no means of evaluation other than to acknowledge their presence, define mitigations and track the results. The impact on the business value of the capabilities of the system is not part of the project management process.
In this approach, avoiding or controlling change becomes the primary activity of project management. In this …
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