What is a project? Organization of an enterprise from scratch? Or maybe just his separate unit? Creating a brand or a single product? Holding a celebration for commercial gain or just having a party with friends? How many of us know how to measure the success of a project? Criteria for success, how many of them and how they are determined - for many, these concepts are also an unsolved mystery. There are a lot of questions, right? To get answers to them, read the article.
Classics of the genre
In managerial management, the concept of "project" has a completely logical and understandable definition. This is any limited-time enterprise with a goal - the creation of a product, service or other obvious result. That is, the project will not be entrepreneurial activity itself, but only its start or reorganization. Not the creation of an idea, but its implementation.
If everything is clear with this, then the question of how the criteria for success of the project are determined is not so clear. To begin with, it is not always clear what is generally meant by success. Management experts believe that then the case can be considered successful when its initiators met the deadlines and budget allotted for its implementation, while the quality of the created good corresponds to the declared plan. However, there are several parameters that also conditionally indicate a positive implementation of the project or its failure.
Secret criteria for project success
To begin with, the very definition of success everyone sees in their own way. According to statistics, from the first time not all enterprises reach their logical conclusion, but only their third part. In all other cases, some adjustments should be made to the work during the execution of the order. But again, according to the figures, the profit of businessmen who donated increased costs in order to accelerate the pace of work increases almost one and a half times (140%) compared with those who decided not to inflate the budget, but extended the deadline for achieving their goals.
Therefore, in addition to the above measures in the form of money, time and quality, two more parameters must be taken into account:
- Received as a result of the team’s new positive experience.
- Satisfaction with the results of the task of all participants in the enterprise.
It cannot be said that these are fundamental criteria for the success of the project, but they are important and must be taken into account by those leaders who seek to develop their brainchild and not stagnate in one place all their lives.
That which cannot be touched
The difficulty in determining the two parameters presented above is that they cannot be calculated. Their results are quite subjective. The experience gained is primarily related to the contractor, and with each new task, the company becomes stronger and more successful. This is important for further business activities, because rich experience helps in attracting customers and makes it possible to successfully implement new projects.
But to achieve comprehensive satisfaction with the results of the work is almost impossible. There will always be someone who does not like a business partner. This happens especially often in cases where the goals and criteria for the success of the project are not defined initially. Project management is a separate area in the science of enterprise management, and it should be given special attention. As practice shows, success ends in a case that is favored by the following factors:
- the project manager and his team are ready for change, have the flexibility and the ability to quickly redirect their vector of activity;
- each of the participants in the enterprise has its own share of responsibility;
- the team does not have a hierarchy or it is minimized;
- the company implementing the project promotes the principles of a culture of trust between employees, it is also important to respond in time to conflict situations and prevent tense situations in the team and between the contractor and the customer;
- the last factor is the development of information and communication culture.
Now we will discuss in more detail the main criteria for success and failure of projects.
Time and planning
Everyone who at least once was involved in the implementation of the project knows how important it is to draw up a preliminary plan for the future enterprise. However, not everyone knows how to do it right. When planning an activity, it is necessary to describe each step in great detail, taking a realistic amount of time to complete it. It is time management that is of fundamental importance in the implementation of the project. Success criteria for any business include this option as mandatory for a reason.
If the contractor cannot finish the work on time, and the deadline is constantly delayed, there is very little chance of a successful completion of the project. However, you should not work quickly, but to the detriment of quality. Often, even those projects in which all the deadlines were disrupted, in the end show good results and bring substantial profits.
Price and reallocation of resources
Often in business there are situations when a project is in jeopardy due to insufficient funding. There may be not enough money for various reasons - a change in the regulatory framework, miscalculations in the preparation of the plan, a change in the supplier or contractor, etc. The decision to overcome the crisis rests with the investors, the head of the company, or the project manager.
In the case when additional financing of the enterprise is not predicted, the project manager must decide on cost optimization. This is a logical and reasonable step, but, as practice shows, a case in which the distribution of personnel (reduction of people, refusal to train new employees, decrease in the general level of competence of employees) is unlikely to achieve much success. Therefore, it is better to go beyond the budget than subsequently pay even more to correct your own mistakes.
Quality and reduced requirements
Timing and budget are those criteria for the success of a project that allow for corrections and deviations from the original plan. Most customers agree to pay extra and give more time for the implementation of the case, but no one, we repeat - no one, will agree to receive a poor-quality product as a result of work. You can not save on either raw materials or human resources. Such "optimization" rarely leads to success. Exceptions can only be truly worthwhile changes that can simultaneously reduce the cost of the project, but do not detract from its prospects.
Is a project manager a criterion for his success?
No, rather it is a success factor for the enterprise. Proof of this is not one life example. Project success criteria do not apply to a specific person, but to his organizational activities and his leadership qualities. Nevertheless, even an extremely experienced and in all respects a good project manager will not be able to fulfill his goals if he does not cope with many bureaucratic delays and the incompetence of subordinates.
Any specialist can easily prove his professional suitability in the field of activity with which he is familiar, but as soon as he finds himself in an environment unknown to himself, he is likely to fail. But, as they say, the one who does nothing is not mistaken, therefore go ahead and achieve success!