Critical Path

Project Management’s Public Enemy # 1

Gerald I. Kendall, PMP

May 15, 2014

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Today’s Talk

• Fundamental versus Incremental Change

• The enemy

• Defeating the enemy in 12 weeks or less

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Fundamental vs Incremental

Signs that fundamental change is needed: • Projects are not delivered on time, on budget, within

scope > 95% of the time (Deming criterion) OR

• Organization is threatened by project delivery

parameters

Fundamental change implies basic changes in

structure. Critical Path is part of the current

project structure that is no longer useful.

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Executives Need Fundamental Change

“CEOs these days are given one term in

office. If they’re very successful, they might

get four more years.” John Challenger, CEO of Challenger, Gray & Christmas

This quote from a May 2013 article in The Daily Beast – Why the Speed of

Business Is Dooming America’s CEOs

How long does that give you to succeed?

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Executives Tell Me….

• Projects move much too slowly

• PM practices & investment are not

delivering a suitable return

• Predictability is a joke

• I feel enormous pressure

• I’m sick and tired of hearing “It’s going to

take time”

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IT’s Future Depends on Fundamental Change

“Large projects not only fail more often; they deliver less. According to the 2012 McKinsey/Oxford study, half of IT projects with budgets of over $15 million dollars run 45% over budget, are 7% behind schedule and deliver 56% less functionality than predicted.”

Why don’t PM practices prevent this?

Agile?

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Fundamental Change in Projects

• 50% more projects completed per year

• Delivered 25% faster

• With predictability & visibility to all

• Measurably tied to organization goals

PPM improvement is a project!

Do you have such a project?

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Fundamental Change in Projects

My objective is to show what you can do to

make a difference, no matter what part of

Project Management you are currently

engaged in.

• Project Manager, Program Manager

• Part of a PMO

• Functional Head

• Etc.

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We love our “babies”

– Critical Path

– Lowest level WBS

– Efficiency metrics

– Stage Gate Systems

– Accurate estimates

The Enemy of Fundamental Change

They got us to where we are SO

we don’t want to change them…

i.e., INERTIA

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Improvement requires

change BUT Over 75% of

major change DOES NOT

result in improvement.

Fundamental Change is Risky!

The first two key questions:

1. What to Change (Root Problem)?

2. What is the solution

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Seeing the Light

• The Australian

Telecom Company

• The Projects and

their Critical Path

• The Real Issue

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Defeating the Enemy FAST

1. Define your PM Improvement PROJECT

(not as ongoing or process improvement)

– Measurable stretch goal tied to bottom line

– With a deadline

– Think about root cause (Project choice, # of

active projects, scope, execution practice)

– Solution scope, success criteria & deliverables

Example – Crankshaft Company

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Defeating the Enemy FAST

2. Form Two Dedicated Teams Working in

Parallel a. Organization Policies & Practices (Root cause)

b. Technical (Process / Infrastructure)

– Drop other team responsibilities for duration

– Ensure agreement on the root problem

– Educate if necessary on solution components

Example – Crankshaft Company

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Defeating the Enemy FAST 3. Generic Solution Components –

Organization Policies & Practices

a. Focus – Drastic reduction in active projects

b. Daily task tracking

c. Daily fast issue resolution or FREEZE project

d. Full Kit at strategic project points

e. Ensure rapid support group & management

attention

Example – $30 million Conveyor Systems

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Defeating the Enemy FAST

3. Generic Solution Components – Technical

a. Build proper networks based on correct full

scope tied to organization goals with

management (less) detail

b. Resource-based project plans & templates

c. Pipelining of multiple projects based on the

organization’s capacity to do project work

Example – $30 million Conveyor Systems

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Defeating the Enemy FAST

4. Throw away lousy, ‘70s based software

a. Nothing is sacred. Sacred cows make

excellent BBQ

b. If it’s not as easy and fast as a phone app.,

we rely on elite technical people to do things

many people don’t understand

c. My last implementation was cut in half just

due to software (6 weeks instead of 12)

Example – Crankshaft Company

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Defeating the Enemy FAST

5. Design solution / changes needed to meet

the goal in a few weeks. Train and

implement in one day

a. Get processes, documentation, training

materials and networks ready

b. Roll it out in a single day

c. Audit frequently to ensure that new practices

are being followed.

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Summary

• The very good stuff that got us to where we are is now blocking us from taking the next leap

• Have the courage to experiment, and you will have a better organization, a better project story and a much better life

Questions?

Contact: gerryikendall@cs.com