When Can We Go Live? (Part 1)

With every project I manage, I am asked: “When can we go live with this project?”  It is an obvious question, but can only be answered (responsibly!) after gathering some critical information.  I remember learning the 5 W’s at an early age, but when faced with complex projects in the world of 3PL, my recipe for success starts with these fundamental questions:

• Who is sponsoring the project?  Who will comprise the project team?  Who are the customers that will be impacted?
  • These are the individuals that will ultimately benefit and be impacted before, during, and after the project.
  • Often times, there are several resources from multiple parties involved, and each may have their own resource and timeline constraints.
  • It is important for a project manager to identify a chain of command, roles, and responsibilities, and to keep users, stakeholders, sponsors, etc. engaged.
• What do we do?  What are the objectives?
  • It is critical to clearly define the scope and requirements of the project, as well as the underlying goals and objectives.
  • This information will help all those involved understand high-level and/or detailed information about the project, and will result in more buy-in, which will ultimately increase the likelihood of project success.
  • Once the functional requirements are documented, they can be analyzed, and from that, a project plan can be created.
• When does this project NEED to go-live?
  • Though everyone “wants” their projects to go-live sooner, consider the impacts on your organization and clients if the project is rushed, resources stretched (and stressed!), and there are go-live issues (or worse!).
  • Based on client and business demands, a rapid implementation may be necessary, in which case the sponsor(s) or Steering Committee should refer to the Triple Constraints (Time, Cost, Scope) – if Time is the most important constraint, the cost and/or scope should be adjusted accordingly to set the project team up for best results
  • In the end, issues may arise no matter the level of resources, testing, etc., so it is critical to have a go-live support plan nonetheless.
• Where will the project be done?  Where will the project team meet?
  • In today’s global business environment, individuals on the project team are often located across vast distances from one another.
  • Though remote training and conferencing will generally be the main method, for large projects with significant impacts, it is ideal for all (or most) of the project team to go on-site at the project destination – meeting on-site and face-to-face will give resources the ability to not only visualize how the project will be implemented but also build rapport that is critical for any project team.
• Why this project?  Why now?
  • This is really the first question and is generally answered when the business case is first presented.
  • Often times those assigned to execute the project scope are not involved at the onset and are too busy to ask and learn why – this key question will help everyone see the benefits, and deliver a successful project to all stakeholders
• How do we implement?
  • Now that we have the core questions answered, tune in for the next blog post to learn more about methods, best practices, project management tools, etc. to successfully complete your project!

The success of any implementation or project relies on answers to the 5 W’s.  Companies that go into projects without thorough planning and proper management are decreasing their chances of success.