ROP (Return On Project): too many ‘Not-yet-in-Production’ (that is, not yet ‘usable’) COMPLETED features [2/7]

What’s ROP ? It’s a valuable concept for Project Managers, Change Managers and Business Analysts. “Return On Project” is all about efficiency and effectiveness: categorizing the most common causes of wasted resources in the life-cycle of a project, you will be able to reduce them and consequently improve ROP (…and your career too…).

Please refer to: http://meetingofideas.wordpress.com/2013/04/26/rop-return-on-project-the-humble-beginning-07/ for my first Post about ROP – a sort of introduction.

Today I talk about: “2) Too many ‘Not-yet-in-Production’ (that is, not yet ‘usable’) COMPLETED features”

The existence of too many ‘Not-yet-in-Production’ (that is, not yet ‘usable’) COMPLETED features means that significant resources have been spent for implementation, but no outcome is visible to the client and to other project stakeholders.

The rule is: if it’s not in Production, it doesn’t exist…

There is also a big chance that the client changes idea about (a completed but no yet in Production) feature: “This feature is not necessary any more, just forget about it.” – a royal pain in the neck, isn’t it?

ROP (Return On Project): over-convoluted project workflow (‘I hate bureaucracy! I hate overhead!’) [1/7]

What’s ROP ? It’s a valuable concept for Project Managers, Change Managers and Business Analysts. “Return On Project” is all about efficiency and effectiveness: categorizing the most common causes of wasted resources in the life-cycle of a project, you will be able to reduce them and consequently improve ROP (…and your career too…).

Please refer to http://meetingofideas.wordpress.com/2013/04/26/rop-return-on-project-the-humble-beginning-07/ for my first Post about ROP – a sort of introduction.

Today I talk about: “1) Over-convoluted project workflow (‘I hate bureaucracy! I hate overhead!’)”

Project workflow includes “gates”, approvals, signed documents, “filtering” procedures, due-diligence, etc. Many of these steps are absolutely useful and valuable, others sadly are just worthless bureaucracy.

ROP (Return On Project), the humble beginning… [0/7]

Let’s talk about ROP (Return On Project), a ‘Project Management & Business analysis’ concept I am working on; ROP is all about efficiency and effectiveness: if the goal of your project is attained without wasting resources (…I think of time & money, of course…), then ROP is very high – don’t worry, we will work later on a significant measure for ROP…

A low ROP means angry project stakeholders, due to (…typically…) over-time (“We are late!!!”), over-budget (“Lower margins!?!”), low-quality (dysfunctional UX-User experience, bugs, low performance, disappointed users, etc.).

On the contrary, a high ROP makes your Clients smile, improves your company P&L and helps your ‘Project Management & Business analysis’ career take off (…interested…?).

Please note: ROP is strictly related to the ‘success’ of your building activities, not to the ‘success’ of what you built; in other words, if your team did a great job creating a product (or a service), the Return On Project is very high even if the product (or service) actually is useless and a failure from a business point of view.

My ‘original’ idea: if we categorize the most common causes of wasted resources in the life-cycle of a project, we will be able to reduce them and consequently improve ROP (…and your career, as I told you before…).

Here is my priceless list of the most significant wastes that affect – more or less – any project (…yes, I confess, I was somewhat inspired by the philosophy behind TPS-Toyota Production System…):

1) Over-convoluted project workflow (“I hate burocracy! I hate overhead!”)

2) Too many ‘Not-yet-in-Production’ (that is, not yet ‘usable’) COMPLETED features

Manage projects & activities: reduce context-switches, save time and be happy!

Am I dreaming? I am not sure…

Looking around, I see the open-space where I used to work several years ago – I was junior, wasn’t I? – and in front of me there is a desk and a PC, with Windows XP!

God…

My Calendar says that in a few minutes I am attending a meeting scheduled by my fantastic boss. Since I’m not looking for troubles, I promptly reach the meeting-place -it’s an office just a short walk from my open-space.

I find…

Improve your R.O.P. (Return On Projects): the “Pre” project, the Project and the “Post” project…

Whatever your role is in your company, you carry out “projects“, don’t you…?

…”working on a project” sounds cool, so everything is a project, for example writing a report, sorting a stack of contracts, booking a flight…

Even when projects are for real, do you “treat them fairly”?

Can you improve your R.O.P., that is, the Return On Projects?

For instance, do you value project planning?

Sadly the planning phase is not as vital as implementation, isn’t it…?

Why waste time with a Gantt, when there is so much code to write?!

Nothing out of the ordinary… …but of course I strongly don’t agree – as I say all the time, an ounce of planning (…and written requirements, specifications, a Work Breakdown Structure and so on…) will save a pound of trouble later on.

But what puzzles me more, is…