Complete more projects faster — each on time and within budget!
It’s tempting to think that every company’s projects run over time and over budget.
But, they don’t.
There’s a significant sub-set that consistently deliver projects twice as fast as their competitors — when adjusted for headcount.
Here’s what they have in common — and how to apply their secrets within your own company.
On-time delivery is not down to planning!
You might be surprised to learn that the key to success has nothing to do with better project planning.
In fact, all of these companies achieve these performance breakthroughs with a more rudimentary approach to planning!
The secret is a radically different approach to project execution.
Of course, this butts heads with traditional approaches to project management where all performance problems are automatically assumed to be the result of insufficient planning.
The secret of success: three simple rules
The evidence proves you can complete
more projects faster if you just:
These rules involve:
Delaying the start of projects:
to finish them sooner!
Eliminating multitasking:
feeding each resource just one discreet task at a time!
Quarantining tasks from uncertainty:
and then using this uncertainty (including Murphy) as a management tool!
Enormous benefits for project managers
No need for detailed planning upfront.
Only high-level requirements and activities are needed during planning. Detailed project specifications are added as they become available in execution.
Utility for project participants.
For the first time project plans and progress updates can be used to dynamically synchronize priorities within and across projects.
No more re-planning cycles.
Even as uncertainties strike, project plans and due dates remain valid. The burden of constant re-planning is removed.
Early warning signals.
Managers no longer have to manage on the fly and hit the panic button at the very last moment.
No need to hide local safeties.
Explicit buffers are available to absorb and lessen the shocks of uncertainty. Furthermore, CCPM even provides incentives that encourage people to give up local safeties (buffers) –50% versus 90%.
Resource balancing.
As resource estimates become more real, executives become eager to properly balance projects and resources instead of dictating commitments.
Simple, meaningful updates.
Project participants only report how much more time they need to finish what they are working on.
How to get a head start
It’s entirely possible to implement Critical Chain Project Management yourself.
But if you’re in a hurry — if you want to get to the end-state quickly, with minimal need to backtrack — then we’re here to help.
We work closely with our clients to solve their challenges with on-time delivery, and complete more projects faster, finishing each on time, to scope and within budget.
If you’d like we can do a 40-minute Executive Briefing with you and your senior team to review your existing project management practices and explore the potential of Critical Chain to transform your project delivery and resolve problems such as duration stretch and resource contention.
At the minimum, you’ll come away with some simple initiatives that you can move on right away and perhaps even generate some quick performance improvements.
Request Solution Design Workshop Overview
Andy regularly runs Solution Design Workshops across the United Kingdom. His calendar tends to be heavily booked so it’s wise to plan in advance.
Complete the form and we’ll send you a detailed overview, including pricing options. Andy will almost certainly want to speak with you before committing to run a workshop (primarily to confirm there is potential for him to deliver significant value).