Project Pain is Indicator of Gain

Leading CIO embraces pain as evidence of positive transformational impact. ... ie: improvements in process capability and maturity will cause setbacks and discomfort. This leadership acknowledges and embraces this reality upfront in the project principles. ...

... "Our business processes and practices will change significantly, and we will accept some disruption to achieve the ultimate benefits. " ...

Via Information Week: Acknowledge Transformation Challenges

We're Doomed

Or, are we. Changing core systems requires strong understanding of the current enterprise architecture, a vision for the future, and a realistic transition plan to get there. Somewhere in that tangle of systems is the value-adding business logic that must be preserved. ...

... "Citi’s IT honchos have the same problem that Microsoft’s do: everything they do needs to be backwards-compatible with everything that went before" ...

Via Reuters, Felix Salmon: Citigroup’s IT strategy

Project Value Delivery

I like the idea of transforming business cases into the value delivery story with the enabling plan. We should strive for this in the information technology space. Our historical challenge is being able to identify and articulate business value in the first place. But, as we mature, planning for the achievement of value is the next goal. Project plans will not be able to end at system go-live or stabilization. Plans will have to be extended to user adoption, competency demonstration, and organizational process performance and maturity. ...

... "So, we’ve got to change the business case and make it value-focused; centred around the value proposition. Then we’ve got to make the project plan value-focused ... " ...

Via CIO Australia: The New Business Case

Strategic Position of Projects

IT project portfolios are currently under-review for reducing investment. Portfolio reviews are a healthy process. Visibility into the business case financials and support for the current business strategy are key inputs to enable the discussion. Exercising this (even if painful) will increase your process maturity, eventually leading to an increased return on the portfolio. ...

... "if the project really is strategic -- if it involves the executive team and will enable transformation across the business -- then it is by definition more than an IT project ... " ...

Via Computerworld: Project Portfolio Management

Project Manager Creates Collaborative Relationship

Healthcare continues its information transformation and progressive project management practices can accelerate the change. In this case, the project manager collaborated with the target department to understand the business challenges and the process capability --- creating the proper working relationship for a transformation journey. ...

... "Make cross-departmental understanding a priority - During implementation, our IT project manager sat in the HIM department until he fully understood our daily frustrations, processes and challenges. " ...

Via ADVANCE: Lessons Learned

Project with Short Term Benefits

Advice on information technology is mixed, as we head into this economic storm. For some enterprises, shifting to short term payback may be necessary to emerge from trough of this economic cycle. However, the some companies will use this environment to implement transformations and shift their position in the marketplace. Whichever path you take, now is the time to revisit your project portfolio and pipeline and readjust priorities. ...

... "Hackett recommends that companies reevaluate any IT projects currently underway and consider eliminating those that are unlikely to generate short-term performance improvements ... " ...

Via Smart Pros: Strategies to Weather the Storm

Project Implementation Approach

Should transformational change programs such as lean manufacturing software implementations be managed as big-bang projects or phased, line-of-business rollouts? The rollout approach tends to be more compatible with transformations. What's your experience in this situation? ...

... "Moreover, companies tend to roll out the software gradually, division by division, so its effect isn't felt as dramatically as it would be in a big-bang sort of implementation, says Moore. " ...

Via Computerworld: Lean Machines

Design's Differentiating Power

HP's design practice helps the company to differentiate itself in the marketplace and be more efficient by leveraging the talent across its business lines. ...

... "Hurd gave his backing to Lucente's plan to ramp up the companywide design practice. These days, conventional wisdom holds that good design is indispensable for differentiating products, building brands, and forging new markets. " ...

Via Fast Company: Design's Role in HP Transformation

HP IT Transformation

CIO offers insights into HP information technology transformation, where data center consolidation, application architecture rationalization, and project portfolio management are the rule of the day. ...

... "A deep dive into a company's technology infrastructure will help open a technology manager's eyes. Some of the 1,240 IT projects Mott cataloged at HP during a 30-day review weren't slated to be finished for 20 years. " ...

Via Information Week: Incremental IT

PMO Organize for Transformation

The program management office is seen as an organizational model for transformation. In this situation, four operating teams are under the leadership of the PMO - delivery, process, visibility, and communications. This office will provide oversight of the various project teams deployed to achieve the transformation. ...

... "Higher Education Ministry has set up the programme management office (PMO) in line with its recent launch of the National Higher Education Strategic Plan ... " ...

Via The Malaysia Star: Transformation