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Is it fair to assume that new project management ideas can be implemented in the African business environment?

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Yonatane Moche DCDE Addis Ababa, AA, Ethiopia
I want to know whether it’s fair to assume all ideas can be implemented in the African business environment. 
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Eric Simms Senior Program Manager Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Can you give a scenario depicting a particular project management idea that wouldn't work in an African business environment? Also 'African' is a very broad term, as business environments vary considerably between African countries, so please mention which country's business environment you're speaking of in particular.
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1 reply by Keith Novak
Sep 26, 2024 2:07 PM
Keith Novak
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One example is office infrastructure. We sent manufacturing plans to a facility in Ethiopia that we thought would save a lot of money by storing all the information in a digital form rather than book-form like a Word doc or pdf file. Rather than many pages of instructions with supporting graphics, they could load a viewer onto any PC, click on the various parts of a digital model and it would provide detailed graphics, specs, instructions, etc.

We then learned that they only have a few engineers with computers who would print out the instructions for the many mechanics to follow and our format would not support that without great effort to manually create screenshots of everything. Our big cost savings improvement backfired spectacularly.
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Md. Golam Rob Talukdar
Community Champion
Project Manager| AWR Development (BD) Ltd. Cox's Bazer , Bangladesh
Fresh project management concepts can definitely be effective in the African business landscape as long as they are tailored to fit the local context. Achieving success relies on finding the right balance between global strategies and understanding and respecting local culture and conditions.
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Keith Novak Tukwila, Wa, United States
Sep 15, 2024 12:37 PM
Replying to Eric Simms
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Can you give a scenario depicting a particular project management idea that wouldn't work in an African business environment? Also 'African' is a very broad term, as business environments vary considerably between African countries, so please mention which country's business environment you're speaking of in particular.
One example is office infrastructure. We sent manufacturing plans to a facility in Ethiopia that we thought would save a lot of money by storing all the information in a digital form rather than book-form like a Word doc or pdf file. Rather than many pages of instructions with supporting graphics, they could load a viewer onto any PC, click on the various parts of a digital model and it would provide detailed graphics, specs, instructions, etc.

We then learned that they only have a few engineers with computers who would print out the instructions for the many mechanics to follow and our format would not support that without great effort to manually create screenshots of everything. Our big cost savings improvement backfired spectacularly.
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Francisco Matheus Chagas
Community Champion
Project & PMO Manager | Research & Enterprise Mentor| GFB Holding South America, Brazil

In my opinion, regardless of the project location, it's not fair to assume all ideas can be implemented without adaptations. Project diversity, unique socioeconomic contexts, varying business cultures, different regulations, and resource availability all contribute to this complexity.

Key considerations for implementing ideas include:
- Local adaptation: Tailor ideas to specific market needs.
- Flexibility: Be ready to modify concepts to fit local conditions.
- Market research: Conduct thorough, region-specific research.
- Local partnerships: Collaborate with local entities for valuable insights.
- Contextual innovation: Develop solutions suited to the project contexts.
- Gradual approach: Start with pilot projects to refine ideas.

As with PMI's recommendation to adapt project management practices, the same applies to business ideas. Success lies in understanding the local context, being flexible, and innovating to meet specific market needs. While not all ideas can be directly implemented, many can be successfully adapted with careful evaluation and tailoring to the specific business scenario.

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