Charlotte Sexton, Independent consultant & former President of the Museum Computer Network (MCN), gives the keynote presentation at the Museum Computer Group (MCG) Spring Event 2016 - 'Life with Digital Projects' #MCGProjects

1. LIFE POST LAUNCH: HOW TO
MANAGE A DIGITAL
HANGOVERCharlotte Sexton Charlotte Sexton Associates 20

2. WE’VE COME A LONG WAY…

4. WE’VE COME A LONG WAY…

5. WE’VE COME A LONG WAY…

6. This is what a ‘magical’ experience
could look like in the future…

8. STORY ARC OF A DIGITAL
PROJECT
The bit before
the ‘beginning’
The bit after
‘the end’
middle endbeginning
y = tension
climax
x = time
crisis
tying up
loose ends
opening
scene

9. The seeds of your
digital hangover
can be sewn early
on…or it can
germinate along
the way.

10. IT’S FINE TO UP-SELL THE IDEA
IF YOU...
 Balance ambition with realism
 Manage expectations – including your own
 Be risk aware rather than risk averse

11. Complex digital development is
a team sport

12. ‘THE ‘ARCHITECT’
• Responsible for people & the overall
success of the project
• Defines the purpose & vision
• Motivates, inspires, enables &
empowers
• Sees risk as a natural part of the
process
• Understands change is inevitable
• Powers on through regardless
Post-launch challenge:
They don’t stick around, not interested in ‘maintenance’ or embedding a
project long-term

13. THE ‘BUILDER(S)’’
The team that makes it all happen
• Multidisciplinary
• Invested in the project
Post-launch challenge:
Temp contracts end, staff leave or get head hunted, they burn out

14. THE ‘TOWN PLANNER’
• Focused on the details and the
functional practicalities
• Heavily invested in a successful
outcome long term - as they plan on
sticking around
• Problems post launch can directly
impact them
Post-launch challenge:
They see issues and improvements needed but usually
don’t have the clout to address them

15. WHAT IMPACT WILL YOUR TEAM
CONFIGURATION HAVE POST LAUNCH?
INTERNAL
• Continuity
+
• Invested +
• Skills dev.
+
• Split time -
• Skills gap -
• Burn out -
• Hard to
scale -
OUT-
RIGGER
• Focused +
• Capacity +
• Scalable +
• Separate -
• Less skills
transfer -
• Continuity
-
BLENDED
• Mixed +
• Skills
transfer +
• Continuity
+
• New ways
of working
+
• Culture -
• Rates -
EXTERNAL
• Min
internal
impact +
• Capacity +
• Skills +
• Min
knowledge
transfer -
• Less skills
transfer -
• Cost -

16. CAPTURE KNOWLEDG
• Document the project
(include lessons learnt)
• Produce manuals and guides
• Define guidelines and
workflows
• Handover notes & training

17. WHAT IMPACT WILL YOUR
DEVELOPMENT APPROACH
HAVE?

18. CAN ‘COWBOY BUILDERS’ BE
AVOIDED?
Artisan vs. cowboy

19. MANAGING THE MONEY…
Project budget vs.
Ongoing costs

20. Technology
Universal truth – it
will change!
• Make the best
decisions you can
with the
knowledge you
have at the time
• Open and
accessible
• Standards

21. WHEN YOUR PROJECT IS…
Too successful Not successful
enough

22. DIGITAL HANGOVER
REMEDIES
• Lay solid foundations from the project’s
inception
• Foreground sustainability:
– Staffing requirements/Op Funding/Software &
Hardware Maintenance/Skills & Knowledge
Transfer
• Optimise team configuration to increase
capacity, continuity, skills & knowledge, depth
of personal investment
• Plan for necessary organisational change
• The ‘launch’ is one milestone – think ongoing

23. THANK YOU!
QUESTIONS?
Charlotte Sexton
Independent Consultant
Tweet me - @cb_sexton
Get in touch -
cbsexton.associates@gmail.com