Have you ever work in a project, where lots of people give their best to deliver the assignment on time, but somehow they failed to do so? I think most of us at some point of time faced this challenge. I am trying to figure out reason behind those successful failed stories.
Once Sales guys done their job, its delivery team responsibility to deliver project on time. All projects are not same, every project has its own flavor which depends on its size, complexity, customer, technology and organization limitations.
As we know project delivery is not based on simple defined formula, so lets try to understand its complexity and after comparing it with our failed cases lets try to figure out what we are missing in our process.
Lets start with very high level flow diagram of delivery and then we try to go deep inside each steps. I have planned to write one blog for each step, so that we can better understand it.
At very high level these are the steps of typical project delivery
Project Plan will be followed by my other blog. Here I am going to discuss more about analysis phase, which is very important for success of any project. If you ignore or miss any required steps from analysis phase, then there will be more chance that you need rework at later stage, which will definitely cause delay in delivery, so the cost. Unsatisfied customer will add some more spice in your problems.
Lets try to understand this phase requirement from three angels
1. Steps of Analysis phase
2. Deliverable
3. Stakeholders or roles needed to perform analysis phase.
1. Steps of analysis phase
Below diagram explains the different needed steps of analysis phase
From these steps we can figure out deliverable from analysis phase
2. Deliverable
1. Scope Definition
This is very important to define the scope of project, it will help you and your customer to understand the importance of project timeline and freezing the requirement. You need to get agreed with customer about the scope. Change in scope always cause delay in delivery and sometimes rework also required. Business analyst is responsible to create the scope definition
2. Function Requirement Document (FRD)
This document explains the business or functional requirement of project, it is input document for next phase that is design phase. This document should be created by functional consultant or business analyst.
3. Fit Gap analysis report
In some project, there are lots of requirement which can handle by standard implementation without doing any change in code, it happen mainly in ERP applications where lots of modules are industry standard, we call it FIT. Any other requirement which need not only configuration but also some implementation or customization is known as GAP. We need this report for standardization of process.
4. Work Estimation
Details level work estimation need to done, to verify the effort and schedule.
5. Solution Architecture Document
This is very important document which covers all needed information for needed solution. Important headings of this document is
a. Solution Overview
b. As-Is Architecture
c. To-Be architecture
d. Application Architecture
e. Data architecture
f. Infrastructure Architecture
g. Deployment architecture
6. Design Plan
At the end of analysis phase we need to plan the next phase of project that is design. Detail level plan of design should be made, so that next phase should continue smoothly after analysis phase.
7. Guidelines and Document templates
All coding guidelines and document templates should be checked and prepared during this phase, specially those document which is going to be used in design phase, if those are already not available.
8. Risk List
All risk which is figure out during this phase should be registered and need to monitor through out the life-cycle or project.
To deliver these deliverable we need different stakeholders in project. Here I have listed the roles
3. Stakeholders (Needed Roles)
1. Program Manager
He/She is responsible for whole program, starting from cost to schedule, his/her involvement is needed in this phase for scope and estimation agreement with customer, and also to take care of cost and schedule for analysis phase.
2. Business analyst /Functional consultant
Responsible for Scope definition, BA Plan and FRD documents.
3. Solution Architect
Key role in delivery of project. He is responsible for Solution architecture document and monitor other architectural work in analysis project.
4. Business Architect
Responsible to provide As-is and To-be business process flow, which should be part of Solution architecture document.
5. Test Manager
Responsible for high level test plan and test work estimation.
6. Technical Architects
Responsible for providing technical feasibility, work estimation.
Here we have list down important steps, deliverable and required roles in project during analysis phase. Now we know what to do in analysis phase, but most important part of this phase is what not to do or what need to avoid.
Here are some mistakes which I have noticed earlier
1.Solution Architecture document was missing
This document provided overall picture of solution, it will provide the required business flow and technical solution supporting the business flow, in absence of this there is possibility to provide link between planned system and needed system. If you try to create this document in later stage, it may possible people will not be available in that stage to support also it could cause deviation in original work.
2. Design phase was not properly plan
In absence of proper design plan, it is impossible to figure out the dependency between the systems, it may cause wrong sequence of design workshop. hence even design will ready you can start implementation, specially if you plan to go for design and development parallel, due to tight schedule.
3. Some roles were missing
If all mentioned role will not available during this phase, there are possibility that you are going to miss some steps, which could be responsibility of missing roles, which anyways you have payback in later stage.
Apart from this people positive attitude is very much important for success of any project, so if you are taking care all of these, I am very much sure there could be no reason to not get succeeded in project delivery.
PS: Next phase will be part of my next blog. Let me know your view about this blog.
Once Sales guys done their job, its delivery team responsibility to deliver project on time. All projects are not same, every project has its own flavor which depends on its size, complexity, customer, technology and organization limitations.
As we know project delivery is not based on simple defined formula, so lets try to understand its complexity and after comparing it with our failed cases lets try to figure out what we are missing in our process.
Lets start with very high level flow diagram of delivery and then we try to go deep inside each steps. I have planned to write one blog for each step, so that we can better understand it.
At very high level these are the steps of typical project delivery
Project Plan will be followed by my other blog. Here I am going to discuss more about analysis phase, which is very important for success of any project. If you ignore or miss any required steps from analysis phase, then there will be more chance that you need rework at later stage, which will definitely cause delay in delivery, so the cost. Unsatisfied customer will add some more spice in your problems.
Project Analysis phase
Lets try to understand this phase requirement from three angels
1. Steps of Analysis phase
2. Deliverable
3. Stakeholders or roles needed to perform analysis phase.
1. Steps of analysis phase
Below diagram explains the different needed steps of analysis phase
From these steps we can figure out deliverable from analysis phase
2. Deliverable
1. Scope Definition
This is very important to define the scope of project, it will help you and your customer to understand the importance of project timeline and freezing the requirement. You need to get agreed with customer about the scope. Change in scope always cause delay in delivery and sometimes rework also required. Business analyst is responsible to create the scope definition
2. Function Requirement Document (FRD)
This document explains the business or functional requirement of project, it is input document for next phase that is design phase. This document should be created by functional consultant or business analyst.
3. Fit Gap analysis report
In some project, there are lots of requirement which can handle by standard implementation without doing any change in code, it happen mainly in ERP applications where lots of modules are industry standard, we call it FIT. Any other requirement which need not only configuration but also some implementation or customization is known as GAP. We need this report for standardization of process.
4. Work Estimation
Details level work estimation need to done, to verify the effort and schedule.
5. Solution Architecture Document
This is very important document which covers all needed information for needed solution. Important headings of this document is
a. Solution Overview
b. As-Is Architecture
c. To-Be architecture
d. Application Architecture
e. Data architecture
f. Infrastructure Architecture
g. Deployment architecture
6. Design Plan
At the end of analysis phase we need to plan the next phase of project that is design. Detail level plan of design should be made, so that next phase should continue smoothly after analysis phase.
7. Guidelines and Document templates
All coding guidelines and document templates should be checked and prepared during this phase, specially those document which is going to be used in design phase, if those are already not available.
8. Risk List
All risk which is figure out during this phase should be registered and need to monitor through out the life-cycle or project.
To deliver these deliverable we need different stakeholders in project. Here I have listed the roles
3. Stakeholders (Needed Roles)
1. Program Manager
He/She is responsible for whole program, starting from cost to schedule, his/her involvement is needed in this phase for scope and estimation agreement with customer, and also to take care of cost and schedule for analysis phase.
2. Business analyst /Functional consultant
Responsible for Scope definition, BA Plan and FRD documents.
3. Solution Architect
Key role in delivery of project. He is responsible for Solution architecture document and monitor other architectural work in analysis project.
4. Business Architect
Responsible to provide As-is and To-be business process flow, which should be part of Solution architecture document.
5. Test Manager
Responsible for high level test plan and test work estimation.
6. Technical Architects
Responsible for providing technical feasibility, work estimation.
Here we have list down important steps, deliverable and required roles in project during analysis phase. Now we know what to do in analysis phase, but most important part of this phase is what not to do or what need to avoid.
Here are some mistakes which I have noticed earlier
1.Solution Architecture document was missing
This document provided overall picture of solution, it will provide the required business flow and technical solution supporting the business flow, in absence of this there is possibility to provide link between planned system and needed system. If you try to create this document in later stage, it may possible people will not be available in that stage to support also it could cause deviation in original work.
2. Design phase was not properly plan
In absence of proper design plan, it is impossible to figure out the dependency between the systems, it may cause wrong sequence of design workshop. hence even design will ready you can start implementation, specially if you plan to go for design and development parallel, due to tight schedule.
3. Some roles were missing
If all mentioned role will not available during this phase, there are possibility that you are going to miss some steps, which could be responsibility of missing roles, which anyways you have payback in later stage.
Apart from this people positive attitude is very much important for success of any project, so if you are taking care all of these, I am very much sure there could be no reason to not get succeeded in project delivery.
PS: Next phase will be part of my next blog. Let me know your view about this blog.
