Benefits Management in an Agile World by Matt Williams of Connexion Systems speaking at Bringing Projects to Life conference #eVa21

1. Benefits Management
in an Agile World
Matt Williams PMP, MAIPM
Managing Director
Connexion Systems

2. Benefits Management
 Textbook Definition
– “The identification, definition,
tracking, realisation and optimisation
of benefits at initiative and portfolio
level”
Steve Jenner, Managing Benefits

3. Benefits Management
 Real Life Definition
– “What you do after you have
delivered the project”
– “The thing you do once you’ve spent
all the budget”

5. Traditional vs Agile Approach
Traditional Agile

6. Amplify 4-step investment process

8. What Defines Project Success?
 1st Dimension
– On Time
– On Budget
– To Scope
 2nd Dimension
– Did we create business value?
Source: Delivering Major Projects in Government, National Audit Office (UK), 2016

9. What’s wrong with the Status
Quo?
Strategic Alignment
38%
of initiatives are
not helping to
deliver strategy
Source: 4th Global Portfolio and Programme Management Survey, PwC, 2014

10. We Need to Link
Execution With Strategy

11. What are the Benefits?
Organisations that
focus on strategic
alignment
deliver 50% more
successful projects
Source: Pulse of the Profession, Project Management Institute, 2015
71%
46%
Strategic Focus No Strategic
Focus
Project Success Rates

12. So How Do We Achieve Strategic
Alignment?
 Select the Right Projects!
 So, What are the “Right” Projects?

13. Portfolio Selection
BenefitsProject
Benefits
Benefits
Benefits
Benefits
Project
Project
Project
Project

14. BenefitsProject
Benefits
Benefits
Benefits
Benefits
Project
Project
Project
Project
Portfolio Selection

15. Amplify 4-step investment process

17. Integrated Project and Benefit
Delivery Schedule

18. More Value, Delivered Earlier

19. Amplify 4-step investment process

20. An Agile Approach to Delivery
Allows Sponsors To:
1. Review performance to date versus the business case
at regular intervals
2. Check that the direction and end state are still sound
(ie no significant shift in the market or new disruptors)
3. Determine whether the investment is still the best option
for future capital investment (Portfolio Optimization), or
whether further investment is perhaps warranted to
exploit the opportunity.

21. What Does This Look Like?
For a Business Case

22. What Does This Look Like?
For an Individual Benefit

23. Maintain Benefit Focus in Delivery

24. This All Starts with the
Business Case
 The Business Case is the Mandate from
the organisation to deliver value
 It is not just used to ‘justify’ the investment
of resources, but as a roadmap to value
creation
 Includes lead indicators to measure
performance during delivery
 Should be reviewed regularly to consider
internal and external factors

25. Examples of Measurable
Lead Indicators
 Outcome – Reduce Smoking Related Deaths
 Lead Indicator – Smoking Rates
 Lead Indicator – Quitting Intentions
 Outcome – Reduce staff in call centre
 Lead Indicator - % of self service transactions
 Lead Indicator - % of customers who use
similar technology elsewhere

26. Business Case Reviews
 Need to regularly review each
business case to determine:
– Initiatives are still strategically
aligned
– Delivery Performance ($, time)
– Benefits are likely to be realised
 If an initiative no longer fits, have the
decency to kill it!

27. NO MORE ZOMBIE PROJECTS!

28. Contact
Matt Williams PMP, MAIPM
Managing Director
Connexion Systems Pty Ltd
E: mwilliams@connexion.com.au
M: +61 414 847 040
W: www.connexion.com.au