Research

To view the results of the Research Questions from PM-Partners group Group Quarter 1 On Target Breakfast Seminar "PMO. What does it mean to your business" please click here.

Business Analysis Research Summary February to March 2008

Question:  What tool(s) does your organisation use to management requirements traceability?

A common analogy is that requirements management is like flossing - we all know we should do it but very few actually do, because it's far from something to get excited about. However poor requirements has been consistently ranked as the number 1 cause of project failure over the last ten years, and is something that every evolving project management organisation must address. Although sophisticated requirements tracking software can add considerable value to the quality of project deliverables, even a simple, well structured Excel spreadsheet can ensure that every business need is met in the solution, and only business needs are met in the solution. The cost of quality is often free - by doing it right first time we avoid the inevitable rework. To access a sample Requirements Traceability Matrix call PMPartners on (02) 9267 2267, or mail info@pmpartners.com.au to chat with our Business Analysis Practice Manager.

Project Management Research Summary August to September 2008

Question:  Which statement best describes how projedts are initiated in your organisation:

1. Projects are initiated on an ad-hoc basis
2. Each department has an allocated budget to run
   their preferred projects
3. Project proposals are submitted by departments
   and evaluated, by a centralised body, against a
   pre-defined set of criteria
4. Projects are generated, and allocated, by a
   management team to support an organisational
   strategy or business plan
5. Other

Projects are generally initiated after a business case outlining potential benefits has been created and signed off by an executive who believes the initiative is a good idea.  So why is it that projects are often abandoned half way through implementation or worse still they are implemented and the project output is not used?  Could it be that the way projects are selected needs to be improved?

There is a growing awareness in organisations that it’s not just about doing projects right but also about doing the right projects.   Previously the focus has been on improving the way projects are being delivered but it doesn’t matter how efficiently a project manager delivers the project if the project output is not of value to the organisation. 

To survive in an increasingly competitive environment it is essential that only projects that directly add value to the organisation should be undertaken.  This means that historical methods of selecting projects, such as allocating a budget to individual departments and allowing them to run their preferred projects, are outdated and thankfully on the decline.  

Project portfolio management (PPM) is gaining popularity as it provides the link between business aspirations and business reality by ensuring that only projects that meet the goals of the organisation are selected.  Benefits of PMM include:

• alignment of projects to business strategy
• reduced spend on non value-adding projects
• ability to terminate projects that no longer align to current business strategy
• increased pipeline visibility which leads to  improved resource planning
• ability to monitor performance of all projects

PPM is an organisational approach and must be supported by a number of factors such as:

• strong organisational project management capabilities
• ready access to accurate project information 
• a formal process for prioritising and selecting project
• a formal process for registering and tracking projects   

PPM is becoming recognised as an essential tool in delivering the right projects and optimising organisational investment, especially when supported by a project management office (PMO).

To chat to our Portfolio Management Practice Manager or attend our Portfolio Management workshop call PM-Partners group on (02) 9900 1400 or email: info@pm-partners.com.au

Project Management Research Summary April to May 2009

In the period April/May 2009 we asked our clients to shed some light on which globally accepted standards of best practice have most influenced their project management approach: My organisation’s project management approach is most aligned with…

Project Management Research Summary October to November 2008

Question:  Which statements best describe the approach to Change Management within your organisation:

1. Change Management is dealt with by dedicated Change Management
   Specialists within the organisation
   
2. There is an organisational Change Management Framework in place,
   through which all change is managed.
   
3. Change Management is dealt with on an "ad-hoc" basis and depends
   largely upon the individual Project Manager as to whether it is
   addressed at all.
   
4. Other

Each initiative or project you undertake requires some level of project management and change management. These two disciplines are tools used to support the implementation of a variety of changes that you may be undertaking. Whether you are deploying an ERP solution across the entire organisation, Integrating two organisations and their information systems following a merger or acquisition, or redesigning the physical layout of an office space, you are effecting change. These changes will not only impact areas like  technology, infrastructure and processes, but will necessarily impact people and finally the culture of the organisation.

In a recent survey, this is what our clients told us:

1. 36% work within an environment where there is a Change Management Framework in place, through which all change is managed
2. 26% of our respondents' organisations still deal with change on an ad-hoc basis and rely heavility upon the Project Management as to whether it happens at all.
3. 25% believe that Change Management is an integral part of the organisation's project planning phase.
4. 11% work within organisations where Change Management Specialists are dedicated to managing change.
5. *2% had other notable comments to make:

Change Management is only discussed from the perspective of configuration management (system changes), and
The way that change is managed varies greatly between internal and external facing projects.

The good news is that currently within the majority of organisations surveyed, there is a formal Change Management Framework in place to manage change in a rigorous and consistent way.

The bad news is that following in close second place, many organisations still seem to view change as something that happens at the discretion of resources involved in and managing projects and programmes within the organization.

The evidence suggests that we still have some way to go in properly integrating Change Management into everything we do, and seeing Change Management as an essential and inherent element in delivering initiatives through projects and project management. There is much evidence to suggest a link between change being ‘planned-in’, and ultimately successful project delivery.

If you have any questions about Change Management courses, require some assistance with a change initiative or would like a PM-Partners group consultant to come and visit you for a health check, please phone 02 9900 1400 or email info@pm-partners.com.au.

Business Analysis Research Summary April to May 2009

In the period April/May 2009 we asked our clients to shed some light on which frameworks Business Analysts (BAs) in their organisation must be familiar:  My role necessitates contact with the following frameworks and methodologies…

Project Management Research Results February to March 2008

Question:  Do PM's face any direct consequences for not staying in project budget?

In December 2007 the PMI asked its members this same question. As part of our ongoing work in developing Australian research the below comparison proves useful:

PMI Results                  Australian Results
 
Always 19%                    Always 6%
 
Sometimes 33%               Sometimes 23%
 
Rarely 38%                      Rarely 50%
 
Never 10%                       Never 21%
 

Painful though it is to admit, Australia is still behind global trends in even the most basic of metrics. Amongst the many potential causes for this, PMPartners have consistently found the following to be the top three causes of this lack of accountability: Project management metrics are not built into operational KPIs; project metrics are insufficiently tracked to identify individual overruns; and lack of change control and baseline tracking make such measurement extremely difficult. Although this is a bleak picture, every organisation can be improved. For example, in 2005 a PMPartners client identified that roughly 50% of their project delivered on budget. They could only guesstimate that it was around 50%, as metric based reporting was too haphazard to be any more precise. After PMPartners assisted this organisation in the successful implementation of a PMO, a 2007 audit found that exactly 92% of their projects delivered on budget, on time and to scope. Every organisation can make the same transformation, so call PMPartners on (02) 9267 2267, or mail info@pmpartners.com.au to chat with our PMO Practice Manager.

Business Analysis Research Summary December 2007 & January 2008

Question:  What kind of Business Analysis Framework does your oganisation have?

In December 2007 and January 2008 our BA question was: What kind of Business Analysis Framework does your organisation have? The chart to the right illustrates the rapidly maturing industry of Business Analysis. 52% of organisations surveyed have successfully integrated their approach to Business Analysis within their Project Management Framework, and 16% have started their journey. As with project management, it is often difficult to determine what exactly is "best practice" when designing such frameworks. This challenge is compounded by the accelerated rate at which the Business Analysis industry is evolving - to do what we did five years ago can only see us slip behind our market competitors. That's why PMPartners has supported large Australian and international companies in Banking (Retail and Commercial), Aviation and Insurance in developing a tailored Business Analysis Framework to optimise your Business Analysis investments. To see how we can help you organisation call PMPartners on (02) 9267 2267, or email info@pmpartners.com.au.

Project Managment Research Summary October & November 2007

Question:  In your organisation what is done with Lessons Learned Reports?

In many industries databases of project Lessons Learned are bought and sold on the open market. In Mining, Defence and Manufacturing such information delivers benefits of both loss avoidance and revenue generation. Yet outside these sectors a large % of Australian organisations still fail to harness the intellectual capital of their people. Typically an organisation will progress through the list of options above, growing in maturity and making maximum of use of their Project Lessons Learned. In several Top 100 companies PMPartners has supported its clients to generate the buy-in required to build these processes into their organisational culture, and deliver these lessons into dollar measurable benefits. Contact PMPartners today to chat with one of our experienced consultants, our browse our suite of Online Assessments to see how Lessons Learned can be easily built in to your organisation's methodologies.

Business Analysis Research Summary October & November 2007

Question:  What career options are open to Business Analysts in your company?

It is often said that Business Analysis is where Project Management was (outside engineering and construction) 10-12 years ago, and this is definitely the case. However professional BAs will be heartened by the fact that Business Analysis is evolving at a remarkably rapid rate. For example: The PMI PMP certification was introduced in 1984, PMBoK v1.0 in 1987. Compare that with the IIBA's release of the CBAP certification and v1.6 of the BABoK - both in 2006. This is good news when examining the above graph, which clearly indicates that professional Business Analysts are still being under-utilised up the hierarchy. Aside from diversions into line management or BA works on more complex projects, most Australian organisations offer relatively little to maintain these highly skilled professionals. Little wonder then that professional BAs are in such high demand. PMPeople is the contracting and recruitment arm of PMPartners, dealing exclusively in BA and PM roles - whether hiring BAs or looking for work, PMPeople are the BA recruiting industry experts.

Project Management Research Summary September 2007

Question:  What are the three most significant success factors for projects in your organisation?

The two most significant project success factors according to this data are Clear Business Objectives, and Clear, Agreed Business Requirements. These results reflect current tends in Australia over the last 10-12 years. The Australian project management community is now better skilled than ever, and managing projects is no longer some organisations' greatest challenge. The major challenge is often doing the right projects, enabled by consistently implemented project portfolio management. PMPartners offers a range of Project Portfolio Management consultancy and education services, further details of which can be found by clicking here. The need for Clear, Agreed Business Requirements is both obvious, and difficult to master. The PMPartners Business Analysis Practice includes a five day course Effective Requirements for Successful Projects. This chart indicated that addressing these two project success factors increases a project's chances of success by an incredible 55% - a solid investment for any organisation.

Business Analysis Research Summary August 2007

Research Question:  Which roles do you perform in a project?

1. Business Analyst 
2. Project Manager
3. Subject Matter Expert
4. Team Member 
5. Developer

Respondents could select multiple roles in answering this question, in recognition of the fact that project staff rarely perform just one role. This research indicates that it is no longer enough to be skilled in just project management, or just business analysis - that in some organisations, project staff are required to fulfil some elements of both roles. PMPartners offers a range of both business analysis and project management courses, from introductory through to advanced offerings.
 

Project Management Research Summary August 2007

Research Question:  What do you need most often from executive sponsors?

Authority to Make Decisions 11% 
Clearer Strategic Decision 14%
Better Requirements Definition 18%
Championing with Senior Management 57%

Business Analysis Research Summary August to September 2008

Question:  Which statement best describes your organisation:

a)  Solution requirements are not traced back to a business requirement

b)  Solution requirements can be traced back to a business requirement

c)  Solution requirements can be linked to a business requirement, then a high level  organisational objective

d)  Individual solution units / components can be traced back to solution requirements

There is a growing awareness that organisations must deliver solutions that add value to the organisation.  Assuming that the right initiatives are selected to become projects then how do these projects ensure that they deliver the optimal project solution?  A key factor in project success has been identified as firm basic requirements with “basic” referring to obtainable base requirements.

Solutions must be developed that capture all the basic requirements to address business needs and take full advantage of business opportunities.  The benefit of a project can only be realised once a solution has been delivered so requirements that do not directly address the need should not be included as they could increase the complexity, time and cost of the project.  Identifying and managing a close link between solution requirements and business requirements is becoming standard with 80% of our clients surveyed stating that this is a common practice in their organisation. 

Just over half of respondents are also able to trace their solution requirements back to high level organisational objectives so that solutions delivered are virtually guaranteed to add value to the organisation.

Although this is good news there is still room for improvement.  Only 21% of those surveyed stated that they were able to trace individual solution units / components back to solution requirements.  This may need to be investigated as does this mean that unnecessary development is taking place at a cost to project delivery?

Business Analysis Research Summary October to November 2008

Question:  Rank the top 3 challenges in guilding your customers' understanding of their business needs:

1. Ineffective questioning skills by/of the
   Business Analyst
2. Customers focusing on, and therefore
   not looking beyond, the symptom of
   a potentially broader problem
3. Poor estimating - insufficient time
   allocated to stakeholder consultation
4. Internal/inter-departmental/stakeholder
   conflict
5. A constantly changing organisational
   environment
6. Other

Assessing business needs presents a multi-faceted challenge for the Business Analyst, especially when guiding a client/customer’s understanding of these needs. It requires the application of expert analytical and interpersonal communication skills.

In a recent survey of our Business Analyst clients, we put some well known and documented challenges before them and asked that they rank them in terms of what they felt to be the ‘top 3’:

The responses told us the following:

1. 1.  Half of those surveyed believed that the number 1 challenge facing them was their customers’ tendency to focus on the symptom of a problem, at the expense of obtaining a broader knowledge, and thus preventing them from uncovering the actual cause/s. Without extracting the underlying cause of a problem, all that is possible is the temporary and highly cosmetic ‘band-aiding’ of a problem, which may gather more momentum the longer it remains unresolved.
2. 2.  The majority of those surveyed (70%) placed Internal/inter-departmental/stakeholder conflict second on their list, highlighting the need for these people to develop and hone their skills in multi-layered communication where conflicts of interest, politics and lack of ‘big picture’ thinking exist.
3. 3.  60% believed poor estimating of the time required and, hence, allocated to stakeholder consultation to be number 3. Stakeholder consultation continues to receive less than its required investment in time in both the business analysis phase and throughout the Project Life Cycle, and persists as a leading cause of failure to achieve desired results in these areas.

If PM-Partners group can assist your organisation with Business Analysis training, honing your analytical skills or working with you to improvie any BA issues you may be experiencing, please don't hesitate to contact us on 02 9900 1400 or email info@pm-partners.com.au