Eric SimmsSenior Program ManagerBaltimore, Maryland, United States
I have seen projects that failed to meet their stated objectives, yet customers were thrilled with the outcome and considered the project a success. Conversely, I have seen projects where customers were left dissatisfied with a project even though it met its objectives, and that project was considered a failure.
Is customer satisfaction therefore the ultimate definition of project success, and achievement of project objectives merely the most likely means of obtaining that satisfaction? Saving Changes...
It is rarely as simple as a single metric but I'd look at a combination of project management success (i.e. on time, on budget, scope delivered), business outcome realization (i.e. did we get the results we were hoping for) and key stakeholder satisfaction (especially customer, team and sponsor).
If we are lacking in any one of those, someone is likely to think the project wasn't a success, especially in the first few weeks or months after completion.
Now we look back at the Sydney Opera House and consider it a great success from an outcomes perspective, but at the time it was built I'm sure there were a lot of folks unhappy with the cost and schedule overruns.
Well, success criteria can be different for different parties, e.g. project manager, client, end-user, sponsor.
end-user usually looks for the end result and product whereas project managers deal with the budget, schedule, etc. Saving Changes...
George FreemanThought Leader | Author | Architect| Florida, United States
Eric,
For me at a personal level, I measure success as "full adoption of the product and recognition of its value proposition." This is a simple statement, but finds agreement with most – even when you have technical project management failures (e.g. budget). Great question! Saving Changes...
Richard MaltzmanPortfolio Manager| EarthPM LLCAndover, Ma, United States
Please see this video - I think this will help answer your question, Eric (and others who want to know what project success really means.
I believe that "customer satisfaction" is major and critical success factor along with the project objectives.
if the project met the stated objectives but the customers is still unsatisfied. it seems that the PM didn't manage the customer expectation correctly.
. Saving Changes...
Budget, time and quality are often maned. Personally, not excluding those, end-user satisfaction should be high in the criteria, the client also. Saving Changes...
Excellent description, 15 minutes well spent. Saving Changes...
Eric IsomOwner| learn.pmguaranteed.comUt, United States
YES. Customer Satisfaction is the ONLY real measure of project success.
Everything else we do to have a successful project is to satisfy the customer.
We manage scope, schedule, and cost BECAUSE the customers want their project to have what they asked for, on time, and within budget. We manage project benefits BECAUSE customers want real business benefits from their projects.
We adjust our project success criteria based on what the customer wants. If they need it by a certain date "no matter the cost", then we prioritize the schedule over the cost. If they need the functionality, even if it costs a bit more and takes a bit longer, then the project isn't successful until the scope is complete.
You can complain about how unfair it is that your customers still aren't satisfied even when you hit all of the traditional measures of project success. Or you can do as PMI advises, and make customer satisfaction a priority.
If your project was successful, but the customers aren't satisfied, then the project's success criteria are WRONG. As the project manager, you need to figure out what the right success criteria are in order to meet the ultimate success criteria: customer satisfaction.
As the PM, it is your job to establish the correct success criteria that are aligned with the customer so that they ARE satisfied.
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2 replies by Aaron Porter and stanke qin
Jul 18, 2019 10:20 AM
Aaron Porter
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I agree, with the following assumptions; that the customers...
* ... behave rationally
* ... have realistic expectations (that you have to help manage)
* ... don't have conflicting expectations that you aren't able to convince them to align on
* ... understand that scope changes can cost both time and money
I could come up with more, but I'm just making the point that you may have a customer who is never happy, or you may have more than one customer and there may be nothing you can do to keep them all 100% satisfied. In general, customer satisfaction is the primary measure of success, but the customer isn't always right. Treat customers well, but don't let them abuse you.
