Performance Management - Avoiding Project Failures

Who at a senior level in business doesn't know of an IT project that has failed to provide anticipated benefits, or indeed failed completely? Whether it is a large ERP, a mid-sized CRM or a small accounting system, IT projects have a habit of going wrong.

In the worst cases, the company can go bust (as happened with a botched SAP implementation I know about). In others it's money down the drain, and opportunities lost. But when IT projects go well, the benefits can be enormous.

The line between success and failure is no more the case than with BPM (Business Performance Management) and BI (Business Intelligence) projects. Failures are for a number of key reasons:

1. Believing vendor hype: The software may not be as powerful as first portrayed, and/or the vendor won't usually tell you up-front about the drawbacks and implementation issues you'll need to address
2. Cultural impact of change. These projects affect people to a far greater degree than most other IT projects. This includes managers and their staff being monitored to a depth not to their experience or liking. It can also be the use of the wrong metrics that prompt the wrong actions and reactions.
3. Lack of senior management support. These types of projects are business-critical and need proactive support from the CEO downwards. They are certainly not just finance or IT projects.
4. Unrealistic timescale expectations: Poor preparation produces xxxx-poor performance. The same applies to performance management projects, so results simply won't be available yesterday. Nonetheless "quick wins" are possible whilst the necessary time is spent in other areas.
   

If you would like to discuss achieving success with your BPM or BI project, whatever the size of business, please contact me (details down to the right).

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