In truth, a project can go wrong and below are just some reasons why they do go wrong:

• scope/objectives are unclear;
• lack of buy-in from key players – or no clear understanding of what the Project is trying to achieve;
• Inappropriate optimism when drawing up plans. Beware, it is human nature to be over-optimistic;
• Under-resourcing the Project;
• Too much reliance on one individual

These are only a few reasons, the list could go on and on and on…

Just remember; ensure everything agreed is documented. Any changes in requirements/scope comes via change control and do not get over-optimistic especially if you are the Project Manager as if it all goes wrong, you will be the one feeling the strain.

How do we know what a project will cost? We really don’t, until the project is complete. I sound more like a billing company than a project manager, we will tell you the cost after you have used the service but the truth is we can not know the final project cost until the project is complete because we can’t accurately predict the future. An old Muslim proverb describes this perfectly

Tie your camel (first), and then put your trust in Allah

What we can do is create an estimate. An estimate is more than pulling a random number out of the air, adding 20% for good measure (contingency), and then saying, “that’s the budget.” A real estimate changes, as the requirements become clearer. Project estimates start out broad, and as the project deliverables come into focus we’re able to more accurately define the estimates.

Each estimate should provide an acceptable range of variance, the conditions of the estimates, and any assumptions made by the estimator.

There are three major estimate types that project managers should rely on

• The ballpark estimate is also known as the rough order of magnitude (ROM). Range/confidence factor –20% to +75%
• The budget estimate (or top-down estimate) is a bit more accurate. Range –20% to +20%
• The definitive estimate (or bottom-up estimate) is the most accurate of the estimate types, but takes the most time to create. Range –10% to +10%

Delivering Service without Compromise

From short term to long term contracts we are happy to help. The added benefit is the staff we provide have the added help of being able to consult with the very best within our organisation.

If you have specific requirements and feel that we can help why not contact us for a free none obligatory chat.

The future belongs to those who prepare for it today

It found that 51% of European IT professionals said there would be no risk to their job, compared 33% in Asia and 22% in the Americas.

The study was conducted by HP and the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) which spoke to 1,125 professionals worldwide.

Read the full BBC article

The three most common causes for delay were outsourcing, changing priorities half way through a project and poor co-ordination between managers.

Personally they forgot to mention that IT professionals would prefer clarified requirements, detailed business process designs and to leave the solution framework to the experts.

We at totallyRED specialise in detail business process design ensuring the requirements are as black and white as possible and that there is no room for assumptions.