Why You Should Not Aim To Deliver Your Project ‘On Budget’

Being 'on budget' is not a primary measure of success. Delivering the optimum net value is success. The TOP Value Equation makes optimization possible

"What Will This Do For The Profit?"

The first question you ask of a proposed project will impact its success. Ask, "What will this do for the profit?" and you've changed the conversation.

How To Make This Time Different

Projects will continue to fail unless you do something different, such as define your project's Value Equation to define and then deliver the full value

Project Success Starts By Defining Your 'Desired Business Outcomes'

Your clear, specific, and measurable 'desired business outcomes' should be drafted at the very start and should then drive every aspect of your project. But sadly, few projects identify them...

Forget Stakeholder Management, Focus On The Project Owners

Stakeholder management ignores the fact that the business areas impact, management and sponsor are the owners and investors

How To Define True Project Success For Your Projects 2

Project success requires you to know all of the activities required, your path dependencies and your benefits' up-to-date value. Do you know this for your project?

How To Define True Project Success For Your Projects 1

The TOP Value Equation equips you to define and deliver true project success that maximizes the business value realized

We Need To Talk About 'Benefits'

The obstacles to the successful implementation of benefits management come in all shapes and sizes, but boil down to three root causes.

How To Justify The Unjustifiable And Hard To Justify Projects

Technical projects are often hard to justify in business and financial terms. This is a problem the TOP Value Equation resolves simply.

How To Improve Project Results Through Increased Project Control

With this 'black hole' you can lose control of your project and what you're trying to achieve. Yet the TOP Value Equation can fill this hole.

The Project Versus Value Delivery Perspectives

If you see value delivery as an extension of project delivery you will severely compromise the business value delivered, as we explain

How To Measure Your Project's Benefits

Benefits management and measurement is easy if you set up your projects to track and deliver the value.

Business Outcomes — The Holy Grail For Projects

The definition of your desired business outcomes is the 'holy grail 'of projects that every manager needs to understand.

The Choice Between Measuring Project Success By Inputs Or Outputs

The success of most projects is measured by time and cost - the inputs. Success should instead be measured by what comes out of the project.

Benefits Have To Be Planned, Managed And Delivered To Be Measured

Benefits don't just happen, they have to be planned, actioned and delivered. Benefits delivery is a change process - not a measurement process.

Simplified Value-Focused Scope And Portfolio Management

Your benefits' value is controlled by your scope and portfolio management processes

Benefits Management Can Be Simple, Easy And Effective

Benefits Management can be simple, easy and effective. While there are five alternatives, the TOP approach ensures you deliver the benefits.

The Value Of Defining 'Desired Business Outcomes'

Defining clear, specific, measurable desired business outcomes changes your project, reduces your costs and increases the value. Really!

Why Project Delivery = Lost Business Value

A 'project delivery' mindset generated business case can easily miss massive business value. A different "value delivery" mindset is required.

The Pre-Requisites To Strategic Growth

Strategic growth is too often undermined by a lack of value delivery processes. Five in particular that can be easily put in place.

The Need To Put Benefits Center-Stage

When you put benefits center-stage, the value of the benefits identified and 'banked' increase exponentially. It makes sense and is simple to do

How To Get Executives To Accept Project Governance Training

How you frame project governance training determines the level of acceptance by executives. Here is a simple and powerful approach

The Need To Be Cruel With Projects To Ensure Success

Too many projects deliver compromises that adversely impact business operations for years. This is a waste and the opposite to success.

Too Simplistic Approach To Benefits Measurement Destroys Value

A simplistic approach to benefits measurement can actually destroy value. A simplified approach can ensure you realize the value.

The Dangers Of 'Sliders' As Quality Controls

The use of 'sliders' as quality controls can cause projects to be compromised at the outset - which is totally unnecessary and very wasteful.

Projects Don’t Deliver Outcomes Or Benefits Only Outputs | Myth 6

The idea of projects not being responsible for benefits is false and needs to be rejected.

Projects Exist To Solve Problems | Myth 5

Projects do not just exist to solve problems, they are commissioned to deliver the business benefits and value.

You Can Only Have Two Out Of The Three Elements Of The Iron Triangle | Myth 4

Managing the 'iron triangle' is not the key control, you need to manage scope and value to get the benefits you expect.

To Improve Project Performance Optimize Don't Compromise

There are eight steps that easily move your projects to optimization - more value for less cost. Avoid unnecessary compromise.

TOP's Four Lens Perspective On Projects 4 - Technical Control

Each of the project, business and executive roles, timeframes and measures of success on project delivery are different

Where Does The Value Go On Projects - 4? 50% Lost From Failing To Actively Realize Benefits

If you fail to actively deliver the post-project benefits, you can lose over 50% of the available value. You need a simple, effective process to ensure you deliver the benefits.

Where Does The Value Go On Projects - 3? Up to 100% Lost From Scope Changes

Value loss from poor scope management comes in two forms – missed value and destroyed value. When changing, project scope can eliminate some or all of the project's value, this needs to be carefully managed by the governance team.

Where Does The Value Go On Projects - 2? 25% Lost From The Business Case

Most business cases miss at least 25% of the value available from the project. That's a quarter of the potential project value lost before you even start. You can easily fix it.

Own Goals?

Own goals? On-time/on a budget are measures of project efficiency, not business value. Until we take a business perspective, we'll continue to disappoint our business partners.

Looking The Wrong Way

Looking the wrong way

Watching

In our governance training, we emphasize that governance is about two things above all else – the delivery of desired business outcomes, benefits and value, and taking action. Project governance is not for watchers.

The Difference Between An Audit And A Diagnostic

The difference between an Audit and a Diagnostic

Do Recruitment Supplier Panels Add Value Or Destroy It?

Do recruitment supplier panels add value or destroy it?

Are Project Managers A ‘Commodity’?

Are Project Managers a ‘commodity’?

Solving the Non-Problem

Solving the non-problem