Virtual Success Ladder Benchmark

Only 31% of software projects are successful, of these successful projects only 46% return high value. The Standish Group proposes to review your proposed new software project to improve both the success of the project and return on the investment.  While it is normal to execute a project review in person with internal groups, given the current health crisis we will utilize virtual technology.  

• Success Ladder Benchmark

Most projects fail or are challenged because of poor flow. We will use our unique Success Ladder Benchmark with the six steps to review the project. We will look at the project flow both horizontally by each step and vertically by the entire ladder.  The Success Ladder Benchmark is broken into two parts: the first 3 steps are the actuary and the last 3 steps are behavioral. 

Step 1 Basic Actuary: includes project environmental virtual walk-through. This includes process, tools, people, project types, and general outcomes.  We also include management structure, common areas of stress, and success. This virtual walk through will be done over a web meeting system. We could also meet some of the people as we do the virtual walk around. These virtual meetings need only to be 10 to 15 each with just a few questions and people. 

Our estimated time for step 1 is two hours, but most people will only spend a few minutes.  During this step we will develop a project profile. We feed this profile into the CHAOS Database of 50,000 projects. Our artificial intelligent engine will select a pool of the nearest neighbor projects. We can also look at ways to change the pool by changing the profile to increase the likelihood of success and value. 

Step 2 Size Actuary: reduces the pool of the project to match the cost and effort of the delivery team. The data for analyzing size is collected in Step 1. Therefore, no interaction is needed in the step. Again, here we can look how changes in size or breaking up deliverables to change the likelihood of success and value. 

Step 3 Complexity Actuary: matches the complexity of the project. Here we would look how changes in complexity changes the likelihood of success and value. The data for analyzing size was collected in Step 1. Therefore, no interaction with the city is needed in the step. If appropriate we recommend a number of methods to mitigate complexity. The data for analyzing complexity is collected in Step 1.

Step 4 Good Place Behavior: We would do an assessment with individuals online with a small group of people from the organization. We would then combine the results and follow-up with results.  We will put the final results of the assessment into the Success Ladder Benchmark. We would also show how improvements in the environment would affect the chances of success and value. We would suggest ways to improve environmental behavior. The time estimate for the organization is 20 minutes per individual plus the follow-up. 

Step 5 Good Team Behavior: We would do an assessment with individuals from the delivery team from the organization.  We would then combine the results and follow-up with results.  We will put the final results of the assessment into the Success Ladder Benchmark. We put the results of the assessment into the Ladder Benchmark. We would also show how improvements in the team would affect the chances of success and value. We would suggest ways to improve team behavior. The time estimate for the organization is 20 minutes per individual plus the follow-up.

Step 6 Good Sponsor Behavior: We would do an assessment with a project sponsor or sponsors from the city.  We would then evaluate the results and have follow-up discussion. We put the final results of the assessment into the Success Ladder Benchmark. We would also show how improvements in the sponsor would affect the chances of success and value. We would suggest ways to improve the project sponsor behavior. The time estimate for the organization is 20 minutes per individual plus the follow-up. 

Generally, each Step of the success ladder will suggest several improvements to increase the chances of success. In most cases such suggestions will be too many for any organization to enact in a reasonable timeframe.  The Standish Group will prioritize and reduce the suggestions down to three to five that will results in a 70% of success rate and higher return value.   

Prior to the final report we will have a brainstorming event. The report will be broken down into a 4 to 6-page summary with different success ladder charts, executive and recommendations. We also include back-ups reports on the project profile and assessments with individual recommendation.  

For more information go here: http://www.standishgroup.com/store/

The Standish Group is the only organization that can improve your decision process, reduce your decision time, and improve your project value through the means of a statically relevant process. 

Please note a self-service rough order of magnitude Success Ladder Benchmark is also included in our Premium Membership.

Other Virtual Benchmarks and Assessments aproviding for a gradual improvement verses wholesale upheaval. We have 5 other virtual benchmarks and assessments:  1) Project Resolution Benchmark, 2) Decision Latency, 3) Good Place Appraisal,  4) Sponsor Appraisal, and 5) Good Mate Appraisal. 

1. Project Resolution Benchmark

The Project Resolution Benchmark, a self-service instrument that offers the following features: The Project Resolution Benchmark uses a three-step method to help benchmark your organization against similar organizations on the basis of size, industry, project mix, types and capability. Project Resolution Benchmark offers the following benefits:

For more information go here or watch video: https://youtu.be/cRPOPMhycrs

2. Decision Latency Benchmark*

The root cause of poor project performance is slow decision latency. The Dezider tool helps you measure and improve decision latency.  Dezider will first measure your decision latency. Once you have a baseline; you can then continuously reduce the time between issue and decision. You can also reduce meeting time and use the time for more productive activities.  The benefits are:

• Reduce Decision latency
• Shorter meetings
• Decision documentation
• Higher productivity/lower costs

Dezider is part of the premium membership, for more information go here.

3. Good Place  Appraisal*

Good Place Appraisal measures 50 skills that discern your company’s capabilities for carrying out and finishing a project successfully. These 50 questions are rolled up into 10 environmental principles with both a skill maturity level and a comparison of other organizations.  This benchmark offers the following benefits:

• 3 improvement suggestions
• Maturity Skills Level
• Organizational benchmark
• Greater employee satisfaction

4. Good Sponsor Appraisal*