Our project management service
Focusing programmes on benefits led realisation
Getting benefits from any major programme of work is never easy. Timescales are long, focus wanders and the world changes around you. Before long the programme takes on a life of its own. Change becomes something to be feared, the critical path becomes a god. Eventually something is delivered, usually late and often out of step with the benefits which were originally intended. Change is a fact of life to major programmes, but so often the management of the constituent projects make a virtue out of immobility and 'the freeze'.
Key benefits of the AlphaStep project/programme managment approach:
- Focus Greater focus on the aims of the project, not the mechanics of delivery.
- Coherence By virtue of the up front definition activities and environment mapping, there is greater coherence in understanding of what the project is for, and how it will work in interface with the organisation.
- Traceability Work carried out by the project can be traced to real results delivered to the organisation via the mapping activities at the heart of the benefits approach.
- Agility A full benefits led approach provides for greater flexibility to change aims and methods mid stream since there is less focus on the linear critical path for gaining value.
- Value for money A benefits led focus delivers a higher percentage of aims, with less nugatory effort on secondary activities and failed deliveries.
& Objectives
Strategy
Plan
Concepts
Profile
Realisation Mgmt
Learnt
Benefits
& Implementation Support
Our Approach
At AlphaStep we focus on:
- Defining the basic aims and as a consequence what the real desired benefits are. Projects generally are implemented for one or two key reasons, but these are often hidden in the minds of those funding the work. We seek to untangle these explicit and implicit views in consequence bring focus on what success means. From this improved understanding we forge the critical success factors of the project.
- Engineering project lifecycle models and project plans that will maximise the returned benefits as swiftly as possible. In general most projects focus on linear models, but most of the time phased evolution approaches are better for benefits. A benefits focus help to place greater emphasis on early delivery and ability in plans.
- Managing work in terms of benefits gained, timescale and cost effectiveness. Emphasis goes to the best and quickest returns and to ensuring not that risk is minimised, but that probabilistic returns are the focus. Every programme part needs to justify its existance via its contribution to benefits.
- Monitoring real world performance and ensuring that the expected benefits are achieved in practice.
- Reporting overall project performance both during and at the conclusion of the project to staekholders and interested parties, demonstrating performance.
Our benefits led approach helps to ensure both a higher level of returns and greater agility in the project. Not only that, we can help you demonstrate how your project activities relate to your desired benefits - providing traceability that effort has been well spent. We can help integrate this with normal project reporting activities to provide a metricated progress viewpoint.
Get more detail on our
methodology...
The above quick outline of the AlphaStep programme methodology can provide you with a view of how we can help you keep your programme led by real world benefits. If you have questions or would like to discuss further, please contact us and we will be happy to help.