Project Planning - Part 1

H. Hal Futhey
President
QPA Training and Consulting

Effective project planning is the single largest reason why the consultants and auditors here at QPA hear these types of comments all to often; "What's missing?" "What went wrong?" "Why can't we get it right the first time?"

I hope these aren't familiar refrains to your ears. But, they are to a lot of folks.

I have some insight into the reasons. Especially since part of my job, as a consultant, is making sure things do work the first time. The other part, as a quality and environmental systems auditor, allows to me dig into situations and determine if the process, operation and/or system is effective and efficient.

Contrary to what some of you may think an auditor's job is not to go onto the battlefield after the battle is over and attack the wounded. As a third party auditor I'm not permitted to offer up specific solutions to audit nonconformances. I can tell the auditee how other companies handle similar situations. They can accept the information or not. An auditor’s job is to assist our clients in enhancing their customers’ satisfaction by discovering weaknesses in the system. Audit findings should be received as an opportunity to improve.

Okay, enough about me. Let’s talk about me. Oops! What I really want to talk to you about is PLANNING. Not the "I planned on washing the car, mowing the lawn, stopping by and seeing mom, finishing the report, etc." These are established tasks or pleasures, depending on your outlook. You can substitute the words "I want to ...” and not lose the meaning of the idea.

The type of planning I'm referring to is for new, complex, vague and/or large tasks. Perhaps implementing a new process or transitioning from the current methods of operations to a Lean system, becoming certified to ISO 9001, etc. These projects require extensive planning and participation at various levels and functions in the company. Approximately 80 to 85% of the failures or delays in a successful first-time effort resulted from inadequate planning.

“Most people don't plan to fail, they fail to plan.” – John L. Beckley.

Okay, let’s lay out the planning steps needed to guarantee success.

1) TOP MANAGEMENT COMMITMENT
Like everything else in business a successful project conclusion requires top management to show their commitment. Did you notice I said "show their commitment"? Management must be directly involved because people will do what they see being done by those in charge. They can't just talk the talk. They must walk the walk. I know that is a cliché. However, it is a cliché because it’s fact.

2) STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT
The project must have alignment with the overall strategy and vision of the company. If the task cannot be inserted seamlessly into the business plan it may not receive the resources required for success. Resources include people, time, capital and cross-functional cooperation.

If the project design is to alter the focus of the company’s mission and operations then the business strategy/plan must be modified first.

3) GOAL(S)

Everyone knows there has to be a goal or target result. The goal must be attainable. Setting unattainable goals is self-defeating and extremely discouraging. Unattainable goals produce a perceived failure, although partial attainment was realized, and enthusiasm and resources begin to disappear.

The goal must have measurements we can collect and analyze on an ongoing basis so we can determine if our efforts are paying-off as the project matures. There must be a positive trend. If we can’t produce an ongoing positive trend we need to temporarily halt our activities and determine what is happening. Pushing ahead, hoping things will turn around, is just wrong.

One of the critical measurements is cost. The language of management is money. Therefore, our project goals and measurements must include cost. One of the most common questions I get from our clients’ top management is “What’s the bottom-line on this going to be?” They’re just not asking about “how much this is going to cost”, they want to know how much of an increase to the bottom-line it will produce and how much time will be required to realize that improvement.

We need to know the cost of our current pain, the cost of the project, and ultimately the cost benefit projected at completion. We need a finance/accounting person to translate our project into the language of management.

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