Insurance Projects Failure – Our top Nine Lessons
In our Project Management Pitfall post last week we discussed Project Management Pitfall #7 – Scope Creep on projects. We described the concept of scope creep on IT insurance Projects and the impact of uncontrolled changes or continuous growth in a project’s scope. We highlighted that this most often occurs when the scope of a project is not properly defined, documented, or controlled. This week we move on to the topic of failing to have a pilot phase.
Project Management Pitfall #8 – Not Having a Pilot Phase
But first, what is a pilot phase? Sometimes a pilot phase is called a proof of concept. A pilot phase is simply a test or a trial. It is the validation that the planned system works as intended and that it is set up in a way that properly supports your processes and is aimed to answer some basic questions about the proposed system. In other words, do the screens collect the right information? Are we getting the reports out that we need? Do we have the situational awareness that we need to make decisions? Does the process make sense to the users? These are the types of questions that are answered in a pilot phase. A pilot phase or proof-of-concept is usually small and may or may not be complete. This will depend on the risk profile of the project.
The key focus of a pilot phase should be to pilot the project like you want it to fail. Make sure you pick some of the worst-case scenarios, pilot the project, and don’t be afraid to pull the plug if or when it fails. A proof of concept pilot phase is an opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed IT solution (software) on a small area and in a controlled manner. A pilot phase is an excellent risk mitigation strategy for a business planning to implement and new IT system. The pilot helps determine whether the software is appropriate for use and how easily it can be configured, providing hands-on experience for business managers, IT staff and users before a full commitment is made to the investment. The implementation of any IT project into a business needs a pilot phase. In fact, I would say that it is vitally important to success. This may seem elementary but it simply does not always happen.
How JMR Consulting UK Ltd can Help
Here at JMR Consulting UK Ltd, we have worked very successfully with some of our major clients to deliver fairly complex business projects and we are experts in robust project management disciplines. We promote the use of project management best practices on all our projects. If you want advice or help with your projects or project tools and software, please contact us. To find out more about how we can help you with project management, please get in touch by using the contact form, sending an email to info@jmruk.com or calling us on 0845 052 0900.
Tags: project management, project management lessons, project management pitfall