Project and programme management 

The challenge

A project, is by definition an endeavour you've never done before, in other words it is not BAU (business as usual). Even with the wealth of project management experienced staff these days, IT project management can still be challenging. As experienced technology consultants and experts, we come across many failed projects.

Some never get off the ground, some end up in litigation, and others are simply disappointing in their failure to deliver benefit to the business.

In retrospect the causes of failure are usually quite viable, eg:

• Deliverables were defined in terms of want not need, resulting in a larger and more complex project than any of the parties could handle and an increased risk of scope creep

• The companies and resources were lacking and the staff assigned were overworked or inexperienced.

• System suppliers did not impose the disciplines necessary to meet timescales, budget or quality needs

• The business did not keep control of the project and paid insufficient attention to planning, responsibilities and performance against milestones

• The business failed to meet its side of the bargain, eg through a lack of adequate preparation or the failure to provide the right resource at the right time

• The underlying processes either did not exist, or were immature

How can we help you?

We first gain an understanding of your needs - then our service will provide you with experienced IT project managers, who will work with you to:

• Develop pragmatic and realistic IT implementation plans

• Define clear roles, responsibilities, tasks and deliverables

• Build an effective project management team

• Ensure that there is adequate and proficient resource in place at all times

• Maintain control over the project’s scope, costs and timescales

• Define benefits and deliverables

• Agree and test acceptance criteria

• Manage data take-on and clean-up

• Conduct volume and stress testing

• Resolve complex technical and contractual issues

• Regular progress monitoring against deliverables, tasks and key milestones.

When might you need this service?

You need help with managing IT projects, or you are embarking on complex or significant IT-enabled change and:

• You don't do it every day, so need help from someone who has been there before

• You don't have the resources, so need help and assistance from an external resource who can stand back from the day-to-day business and take an objective approach to project delivery

• You need an experienced project manager who can help with plans and deliverables

• You have embarked on a major IT development project and it is going wrong and you don't know what to do.

How this service benefits your business

• Professionalism, discipline and control over IT project delivery - our project managers are typically trained in PRINCE2 or PMI trained, recognised professional project management bodies

• Delivery of IT projects within time and cost constraints

• Independence from the supplier - You have a team on your side helping you through the change not just the suppliers team which prioritise their own needs first

• Reduction in risk therefore minimising disruption to the business

• Independent impartial advice that all parties involved can trust.