Navdeep JoshiSr. Consltant - CA PPM| TBDBangalore, Karnataka, India
I''ve heard analytical techniques in project can be used for determining if a project will be success. I''ve also heard that this can be accomplished using EVM and "historical data" along with the CCPM / CPM (whichever is used in the organization)
Can anyone shed some light on this, and guide me toward the calculation and help me understand this ?
Regards NJ Saving Changes...
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Bala S DuvvuriProject Manager| ShellBangalore, Karnataka, India
Earned Value Management - the performance measurement criteria Critical Path Method - determine the project duration Earned Value Management basically tells how are we performing with respect to cost, schedule
These have nothing to do with project success and you can find many links about them if you google. And basically success/acceptance criteria will be mentioned in project charter during project initiation phase. Saving Changes...
James PorterSr. Project Planner| Hitachi Rail STS USAGlenshaw, Pa, United States
Oh, if only it were true that you could know ahead of time if a project will be successful! :) That would be wonderful!
Briefly, if you have a clear scope, robust risk management, accurate estimates, skilled resources, a properly prepared schedule and solid processes - all the things you are familiar with as a CAPM - you would be doing the things that will improve your chances of having a successful project. But in the end you still only have a plan and the plan must be executed to be successful.
EVM can help you understand your performance vs. planned time and cost CPM can help you understand the most critical activities in the schedule that can affect the end date. Historical data (in which I include Lessons Learned) can help you create a better plan and avoid problems that others have encountered.
These (and many others) are tools and techniques that have proven useful, but must be used properly. You can know if your initial plan will NOT succeed (might cost too much, take too long, unable to meet requirements, etc.) but you can''t know if the plan that appears to be a good one WILL succeed until it''s executed successfully. Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
A project is successful if the project objectives are achieved. The first thing to do is to define the project objectives in the right way. That is not trivial. You can find a lot of project objectives that in fact are product objectives so it can be achieved by the project. Project objectives can be defined using the SMART attributes. Saving Changes...
Stéphane ParentSelf Employed / Semi-retired| Leader MakerPrince Edward Island, Canada
Only your client can tell you if your project was successful. You could deliver your project on time and on schedule but if your client doesn''t like what you give them, your project is not successful. Saving Changes...
PARAG KANDEKARVP Operations| SoftNice IncAllentown, Pa, United States
If we refer to "analytical techniques" it refers to analyzing the data, various performance factors to decide if the project is as per expectations or not. I normally see if my intermediate milestones are achieved as per plan and I still have enough buffer for possible changes & impacts then I am towards SUCCESS. Again as Stephane said it would be client who would confirm if it is SUCCESSFUL or not. Hence sharing your analysis and data proactively with customer and forecast possible risks/changes so as to better plan for future milestones is IMP. This makes your customer to sail in the same BOAT and there is Enough clarity on Expectations, Deliverable and SUCCESS defining criteria. SUCCESS would be happy customer with mutually agreed Deliverables. Saving Changes...
Hadi RajabbeigiEducator/Trainer| Applied Science and Tech UniversityTehran, Tehran, Iran (Islamic Republic of)
I think CSF(Critical Success Factors) is a useful method to evaluate different Projects. You can search through Internet by googling this topic: CSF for Project Management. Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
Because comments above are valuable and I am learning from this topic and those comments I?d like intervene again. Why an organization start a project? Because the organization needs to create a product/service/result to achieve an strategic goal. So, it is a mean to put strategy into action. The project is the way to create the product/service/result. Project objectives have to be aligned to product/service/result objectives. When the project achieves project objectives then the project is successful. Here is where you can find a lot of confusion into the industry. A lot of product objectives are assigned as project objectives and that is because at the end people said "the project is not successful". You can find as project objectives things like "thank?s this project we will growth 5% i market share in the current year". Totally wrong. You will growth thanks the product/service/result created by the project. And the product/service/result definition is not the scope of work of the project manager. The work to define it could be included into the project so the work is on the project manager scope. So, project objectives must be (sorry for using must) clearly defined at the very beginning. That is the only way to transform subjective things like stakeholder perception into objective ones. Saving Changes...
Stéphane ParentSelf Employed / Semi-retired| Leader MakerPrince Edward Island, Canada
You do have to be careful about benefits realization versus project objectives. The project manager is concerned with meeting the project objectives. The project sponsor is the one that is responsible for the project''s results to realize the benefits. Saving Changes...
Anonymous
If I take Navdeep literarily he is asking how do you know upfront if your project will be successful. Throughout project execution you can track the probability of success as explained by people above.The tangibles are covered, and are aligned with the typical knowledge areas.
My contribution is to evaluate certain quantifiable at project kick-off. To name a few, consider project sponsor and owner buy-inn and commitment. Is it a green fields project? Is it a know technology or not? One can build ones own list. Add a weighting and numeric value for each and you theoretically calculate % success rating.
At least when you start you know what you are letting yourself in for. I've used it rather successfully. Even had the project marked as "doomed" at project kick-off and it turned out to be true within three months! Saving Changes...
S RajasekarSenior Project Manager| AllscriptsBangalore, Karnataka, India
If we know that Mantra no project will fail in this world
It depends on many factors....
Most places operation was success but patient..dieded.. Saving Changes...
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