Andy JordanPresident| Roffensian Consulting S.A.Cherry Grove, AB, Canada
I hear a lot about how benefits can't be measured because they are too grey - we can't know how much revenue we generated from a product upgrade because we don't know what would have happened to sales without it for example.
To me this sounds like a poor excuse - if you could commit to the benefit in the business case you can measure it now. Not all benefits are tangible, but those that are must drive accountability - right? Saving Changes...
Your assertion is correct. If a benefit cannot be measured in some form then it is not and should not be included as part of the decision to approve a project.
Benefits realization is the least if not the most ignored part of all projects, because no one is accountable for tracking it after its completion - which should be included in the business case and charter.
A benefit cannot be such is there is no means to measure it. The same is with requirements that cannot be tested, or business objectives that do not describe how they will be met Saving Changes...
