This CIO Insight article and slideshow provides some statistics that you may be able to use to support greater attention to developing the RIGHT features. Agile methods can help by encouraging the top priority items are developed first.
52.5% of respondents say that 80% of the value possible from their enterprise applications is created by only 20% of the developed features.
Also, PLEASE build into your projects enough focus on the people! Change, Communication and Training should be part of EVERY system project. Business management involvement and tracking usage is key to understanding how to improve the ROI promised in the business case.
Business Management’s Top 3 Shortcomings Related to Software Value (percent respondents)
- Business executives do not commit sufficient attention or investment to organization change leadership (66.7%)
- Business executives do not explain the value of effective usage to your organization (66.7%)
- Business executives fail to choose incentives/metrics that are aligned to effective usage (25.0%)
Top 3 reasons for poor end-user capability (percent respondents)
- Slow adoption of system usage/best practices (60.0%)
- Inadequate user-development strategies (32.7%)
- Lack of support/commitment to upfront user training (29.1%)
While some of these stats are sad, you can use you them to share the importance of spending the time to ensure your project achieves its expected business value. If people don’t understand the value/importance or how to use your system effectively, your numbers will look like these. You can do better!
Dawn is a senior leader focused on PMO Consulting & Talent Development. While her math degree didn't kill her and made her a stronger problem solver, her first love is communicating. So when she met Project Management, she fell in love. Dawn is a dynamic leader, regular speaker, an acknowledged coach and mentor and has never met a warm water sport she hasn't liked. 
