By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
SmartData CollectiveSmartData CollectiveSmartData Collective
  • Analytics
    AnalyticsShow More
    data-driven white label SEO
    Does Data Mining Really Help with White Label SEO?
    7 Min Read
    marketing analytics for hardware vendors
    IT Hardware Startups Turn to Data Analytics for Market Research
    9 Min Read
    big data and digital signage
    The Power of Big Data and Analytics in Digital Signage
    5 Min Read
    data analytics investing
    Data Analytics Boosts ROI of Investment Trusts
    9 Min Read
    football data collection and analytics
    Unleashing Victory: How Data Collection Is Revolutionizing Football Performance Analysis!
    4 Min Read
  • Big Data
  • BI
  • Exclusive
  • IT
  • Marketing
  • Software
Search
© 2008-23 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: The Chopping Block: Three Questions to Ask When Considering Cutting Features from an IT Project
Share
Notification Show More
Aa
SmartData CollectiveSmartData Collective
Aa
Search
  • About
  • Help
  • Privacy
Follow US
© 2008-23 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
SmartData Collective > Business Intelligence > CRM > The Chopping Block: Three Questions to Ask When Considering Cutting Features from an IT Project
CRM

The Chopping Block: Three Questions to Ask When Considering Cutting Features from an IT Project

PhilSimon
Last updated: 2009/11/13 at 7:30 AM
PhilSimon
7 Min Read
SHARE

I am often involved with projects that are running behind schedule and over budget. Such is life of an IT consultant, I suppose. In many instances, projects can recoup valuable time if non-essential features and functionality are removed from the immediate plan and postponed until a later time. This post explores the decision on what can and can’t be cut from IT projects.

Contents
What type of project is it?What type of project is it?Are executives’ incentives aligned with those of the organization?What are the risks and rewards of keeping non-essential functionality to the overall project and the organization itself?Conclusion

Consider the following three questions:

  • What type of project is it?
  • Are executives’ incentives aligned with those of the organization?
  • What are the risks and rewards of keeping non-essential functionality to the overall project and the organization itself?

What type of project is it?

Consider two types of projects:

  • Those that involve a Waterfall or more sequential methodology.
  • Those that involve Agile methods.

Waterfall Projects

More Read

4 Signs It’s Time for a New IT Project Manager

What Lessons Can IT and Analysts Learn from the Cinema Industry?
Enterprise 2.0 Pilots
Overcoming the Barriers to IM Success: Learn from the Past.
The Technology Adoption Life Cycle

Clients are typically reluctant to cut functionality from Waterfall-based projects for one simple reason: there’s typically (and mistakenly) a “now or never” mentality. In other words, key stakeholders believe that if the software isn’t present immediately, they’ll never see it.

This may or may not be the case. Delays, budget cuts, internal politics, and key employee …



I am often involved with projects that are running behind schedule and over budget. Such is life of an IT consultant, I suppose. In many instances, projects can recoup valuable time if non-essential features and functionality are removed from the immediate plan and postponed until a later time. This post explores the decision on what can and can’t be cut from IT projects.

Consider the following three questions:

  • What type of project is it?
  • Are executives’ incentives aligned with those of the organization?
  • What are the risks and rewards of keeping non-essential functionality to the overall project and the organization itself?

What type of project is it?

Consider two types of projects:

  • Those that involve a Waterfall or more sequential methodology.
  • Those that involve Agile methods.

Waterfall Projects

Clients are typically reluctant to cut functionality from Waterfall-based projects for one simple reason: there’s typically (and mistakenly) a “now or never” mentality. In other words, key stakeholders believe that if the software isn’t present immediately, they’ll never see it.

This may or may not be the case. Delays, budget cuts, internal politics, and key employee turnover often mean that the best intentions regarding future roll-outs are derailed. I’d argue, however, that continuing down a parlous path because you’re afraid that internal obstacles will prevent you later on is a fundamental misstep.

Agile Projects

On Agile projects, internal players tend to understand the concept of phases better. They are more likely to sacrifice “nice to have” functionality if it’s likely to increase organizational risk. Project teams, developers, and senior management know that the next version of the software (or the next phase of the project) can easily incorporate enhancements. There’s no “burning plank” mentality here: there will be a next version, and typically soon.

Simon says: Determine in advance which features are essential. If necessary, be prepared to drop non-essential features for the overall good of the project.

Are executives’ incentives aligned with those of the organization?

To borrow a phrase from poker, executives sometimes go “all in” with a particular feature, application, module, or system, refusing to ignore signs of peril. For example, a few years ago I worked on a project in danger of imploding. System testing and data validation were months behind schedule, affecting the entire organization’s financial health, not to mention little things like payroll and financial reporting. Less important, the roll out of a manager self-service application that would minimize paperwork also looked doubtful, although this affected a very small percentage of employees in the organization.

While the overall project suffered, CXOs refused to cut self-service from the project plan. Why? Because their bonuses were tied to the introduction of the tool, whether it was successful or not. This is a classic example of senior managers letting their provincial self-interests override their responsibilities to the organization at large.

Simon says: From day one, make sure that senior managers’ incentives align with those of the organization.

What are the risks and rewards of keeping non-essential functionality to the overall project and the organization itself?

Consider an ambitious CRM project. Everyone would love to have sexy analytics (now that would be a great title for a book) from day one. However, does that functionality come at the risk of not being able to enter new customer sales? The latter is pretty important, even though it’s not what sold senior management on the CRM app in the first place. Those dashboards aren’t worth a red cent if they don’t contain accurate data. Imagine the chaos if basic sales data cannot be obtained? Will fulfillment become an utter nightmare? Will the data become corrupt and impure, requiring a massive data cleanup effort?

Simon says: Remember that there’s always tomorrow. Absent some really compelling business need, ensure that critical functionality is rock solid before chasing next generation functionality.

Conclusion

Most people realize that IT projects are rarely perfect. If behind on a key project, don’t hold out for each and every bell and whistle promised from the beginning. Consider dropping non-essential features for the good of the project and the organization.

TAGGED: it projects
PhilSimon November 13, 2009
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn
Share
By PhilSimon
Phil Simon is a recognized technology authority. He is the award-winning author of eight management books, most recentlyAnalytics: The Agile Way. He <consults organizations on matters related to communications, strategy, data, and technology. His contributions have been featured on The Harvard Business Review, CNN, The New York Times, Fox News, and many other sites. In the fall of 2016, he joined the faculty at Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey School of Business.

Follow us on Facebook

Latest News

IoT Cybersecurity
4 Common Misconceptions Surrounding IoT Cybersecurity Compliance
Internet of Things
iot and cloud technology
IoT And Cloud Integration is the Future!
Internet of Things
ai in marketing
4 Ways AI Can Improve Your Marketing Strategy
Artificial Intelligence
data security unveiled
Data Security Unveiled: Protecting Your Information in a Connected World
Security

Stay Connected

1.2k Followers Like
33.7k Followers Follow
222 Followers Pin

You Might also Like

4 Signs It’s Time for a New IT Project Manager

4 Min Read

What Lessons Can IT and Analysts Learn from the Cinema Industry?

7 Min Read

Enterprise 2.0 Pilots

4 Min Read

Overcoming the Barriers to IM Success: Learn from the Past.

4 Min Read

SmartData Collective is one of the largest & trusted community covering technical content about Big Data, BI, Cloud, Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, IoT & more.

giveaway chatbots
How To Get An Award Winning Giveaway Bot
Big Data Chatbots Exclusive
AI and chatbots
Chatbots and SEO: How Can Chatbots Improve Your SEO Ranking?
Artificial Intelligence Chatbots Exclusive

Quick Link

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Follow US
© 2008-23 SmartData Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Go to mobile version
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?