A different way of measuring project success
By Staff -- Manufacturing Business Technology, 8/1/2006 12:00:00 AM
Any IT project completed on schedule, within budget, and with the exact functionality outlined in the original specification is a success, right? Not so, says Helen Putkszta, senior consultant with Arlington, Mass.-based Cutter Consortium. In fact, claims Putkszta, completing a project over budget, with scaled-down functionality, can represent the best outcome—if the project also delivers business value.
Putkszta points out that many projects aren't deemed successful until disappointment over the project going off course diminishes with time. "IT investments transform businesses in various ways, and it takes time for organizations to adapt to changes," she says. Despite contrarian views, Putkszta isn't suggesting that companies disregard budgets and schedules for IT projects. "We do need managers who are driven by these things," she says, "but we also need those who understand that the drive to meet schedules and budgets shouldn't outweigh the drive to maximize business value."
