Projects: The best way to avoid failure is to plan your success

Defining success

Back in the day, delivering a successful Performance Analytics project was achieved by finishing your project on time, on budget and to a high level of quality. Today, the final result is no longer the single measure of project success. That is why I wanted to share my number one top tip with you, to give you the best possible chance of success for your project:

The number one reason for a project to fail is not what you think… It is not the wrong product choice, although I urge you to choose carefully. It is not the wrong strategic partner, although a wrong choice here can cost you time, money and reputation.

The main reason a project fails is that you did not define success. What was success going to look like? How did you describe your success criteria? How did you imagine you would judge your project? Did you list your acceptance criteria?

If you did not, then I would compare that to firing the starting gun for a race without any of the competitors knowing where the finish line is.

How to get the success that you crave

Where a project team is given a short, clear, and understandable document that describes exactly what a project needs to deliver for it to be deemed a success, then guess what? They read it. They re-read it every time something tries to blow the project off-course. They quote bits back at you to remind you exactly what is important in this project. In short, they focus on making that success happen.

Giving your project team a long list of requirements split between must-haves and should-haves is to be encouraged, but making a short, clear statement on your definition of success will work wonders on ensuring you get the success you crave.

Every project team wants to deliver success. Not every project team knows what it looks like. Do you?

Achieve success with Simpson Associates

At Simpson Associates, we can help you to achieve success with our sharp focus on the needs and values of our customers which has allowed us to build long term relationships that challenge the status quo of traditional business relationships.

Get more from your data, drive revenue, and gain the confidence needed for more effective decision-making; with data solutions from Simpson Associates today.

Blog Author

Paul Baron, Engagement Manager, Simpson Associates

 Don’t forget to join us on LinkedIn