The document outlines best practices for project initiation to improve outcomes and reduce risks within organizations by emphasizing the importance of front-end engagement, problem definition, and standard frameworks such as templates and tools. It discusses common challenges such as inconsistent road-mapping and complex dependencies that hinder project success, and proposes a structured approach using Project Initiation Documents (PIDs) to ensure effective planning and understanding of key project areas. Overall, the content stresses the significance of adapting processes and tools to specific organizational needs for continuous improvement and effective project management.

1. Problem-Solving 101
Initiating Projects

2. Background and Expectations
• Active engagement increases learning and outcomes
– Ask questions!
• The material presented should be considered an
outline, a framework
– It will need adaptation to match your specific organization’s needs
• Continuous improvement applies to all areas of a
business
– The concepts presented have been refined over 15 years
– Feedback on what works/doesn’t work for you is requested!

3. Why are we here?
http://blog.standishgroup.com/
Successful projects are rare
Improving project outcomes is critical to careers and
organizational sustainability!

4. What’s the Problem?
• Organizations continue to increase integration of
processes, technologies and staff roles in the name of
“do more with less”
• As organizations increase integration, understanding
the relationships between roles, technologies and
processes become complicated
– Defining root-cause problems and project dependencies
becomes highly complex
• Result – Projects are initiated and scope, budgets and
timelines modified in-flight

5. What’s the Solution?
• Focus efforts on the front-end stages of a project and ensure the project
team, leadership and stakeholders understand the problem
– In the front-end of a project fewer resources are engaged, it’s easier to change direction
and the cost impact is minimized
• Having a standard framework with templates, methods, and tools helps
organizational learning and outcomes
– Adopting a standard template to communicate project goals, scope, organization, etc. is
a basis for continuous improvement
– Individuals and teams can be trained on use of tools to improve skills
– Teams can benefit by using checklists to help ensure comprehensive understanding of
organizational needs before initiating and planning a project
Note: Templates need to be adapted for each company; organizations vary in
use of terminology, critical focus areas (risk, budget, …), etc.

6. Before you climb the ladder….. make
sure it’s leaning against the right wall!
Today’s presentation is focused on the project initiation

7. Use of a Project Initiation Document
(PID) can help reduce risk
• The contents provide a checklist to ensure critical
project areas are considered during planning
• Quality Management methods and “lean” tools
can help by increasing rigor in identifying root-
cause problem and defining scope
– The “Five-Why’s” method is often helpful getting input
from a range of team members
– Fish-bone and SIPOC/COPIS tools are proven to be
effective to decompose processes and understand
dependencies

8. Templates need to be adapted for your
organization
PMBOK – 4th Edition
Leading practice is to consider all project management areas

9. Sample Template – PID
(Project Initiation Document)
• Initial sections define the business problem, its impact and the
project objective
– QM tools are leveraged through-out the template to ensure teams
focus on eliminating non-value added activities.
• After the problem is defined, the scope of the solution is confirmed
and “ideal-state outcomes” are defined
– Focusing on the future, “ideal-state” establishes a vision which is
helpful in managing organizational change
• With the business problem and ideal state solution defined, the
basis is set for risk identification and business case development
– Identify the costs associated with the problem
– Identify the benefits of the ideal state process helps
– Include quantifiable and non-quantifiable costs and benefit

10. Contents
• Problem Statement and Impact
• Project Objective
• Ideal State Process
• COPIS
• Scope
• Risks and Dependencies
• Project Organization Structure
• High-level Timeline
• Business Case

11. Problem Statement
• The problem statement identifies the current pain and
challenges it creates for the organization
Problem
• Development of product (services) roadmaps is inconsistently performed across
different functions
Impact
• Lack of a road-mapping process is inhibiting revenue growth and eroding value
– We are too slow to vet and commercialize our very best ideas
– We are failing to make big, bold bets and instead fragment resources on sub-scale improvements
– We fail to update roadmaps when plans change
– We lack tight coordination across initiatives resulting in confusion and waste; half-hearted initiatives
that go nowhere, duplicative work, reinventing the wheel and lack scale advantages
– We lack consistent roadmap formats – roadmaps have various timelines
– We’re unable to prioritize across roadmaps because lack of standard format creates communications
problems across the groups
• Outlining the impact of the problem helps
ensure department and process complexities
are understood

12. Root Cause Diagram
• Facilitate meetings to decompose
problem and understand scope
• Use Root-Cause tools (Ishaikawa)
to visualize relationships
Note: Use the template available in Visio, simple to prepare

13. Project Objective Statement
• Design and implement a corporate-wide
standard business process for managing
and presenting roadmaps across
Regions, and business areas
(services, products, etc.) to deliver 30-35%
faster output
– In parallel with business process design, select
IT Tools needed to automate the common
business process for roadmap development
• Objective statements communicate the criticality of the project
and impact to the organization

14. Ideal State Process
• The product roadmap is the front-end of the Phase
Management Planning process and is the essential element in
translating the business strategy into major programs to be
pursued. The output is reviewed in a meeting that is
conducted every 3-4 months. Marketing “owns” the Planning
process and leads the meeting.
• In each meeting the overall product portfolio is reviewed as
well as the man-power and development capacity needed to
meet the target dates.
• Develop an ideal state definition to set the end-state
vision, success criteria and helps with organizational change
management

15. Use COPIS/SIPOC* to identify
customer and supplier processes
In this example, the focus is processes involved in road map development
(AKA, the problem)
* Customer-Output-Process-Input-Supplier, Or Supplier-Input-Process-Output-Customer

16. Sample Cascading COPIS
Supplier (s) Inputs Process Outputs Customer (s)
Voice of Customer Phase Management Resource Balanced Outbound Marketing
Customer
Requirements Process Portfolio and Sales
Updated Portfolio
Inbound Marketing Product Roadmap Inbound Marketing
Roadmap
Approved and funded Phase Management
R&D Engineering Strategic Technologies
development projects Plan
Supplier (s) Inputs Process Outputs Customer (s)
Service and Product Portfolio of Product/Service Resource Balanced Phase Management
strategy Proposed Projects Roadmaps Portfolio – LOB specific Plan
Competitor Actions VOC and Customer Integrated Roadmap – Capacity Planning and
and Offerings Experience data cross LOB portfolio selection
Cost/ Revenue C/V/P models
projections for each projecting cost and
Customer Input
project revenues from new
products

17. Scope
• Scope has multiple dimensions;
defining the areas helps ensure
completeness and can be used
• Geographic Scope as a check-list
– Which regions and/or design centers are included
• Functional Scope
– Which business functions and processes are included
• Technical Scope
– Which IT Systems are included

18. Scope Is/Is Not
• Including a definition of
what is and is not in scope
Is Is Not
drives out ambiguity
• Detailed list of specific • Detailed list of specific
items to be addressed items NOT to be
addressed

19. Solution Approach
• Define business process and requirements
• Evaluate current processes and tools
• Review and confirm VS fit with requirements
• Finalize Cost/Benefit/ROI model
• Pilot Solution in one area
• Refine implementation plan to align with IT Implementation
of VS and roll-out
• Development of a solution approach early in a project requires the
team to consider all areas needed – reducing risk of future surprises.
Note: Detailed project plans are required, these are created in later steps

20. Risk and Dependencies
Risks Dependencies
(Process and Tool) (Process and Tool)
• Identify risks that would limit the • Identify up-stream or down-
success of the ideal state stream dependencies in either
business processes or tools
• Identify risks that would impact
the expected benefit • Identify external dependencies
(software
providers, suppliers, etc)
• Definition of risks and dependencies ensures the team considers
challenges that may develop; risks that are identified can be
planned for in schedule and budget

21. Project Organization Chart
Business Sponsor
TBD • Preliminary definition of the project
team structure and resource needs
and can help reduce contention for
resources.
• Additionally, outside resource needs
Project Manager are identified which help with
TBD business case development
Process Design Team VS Configuration Implementation
Consumer SBU Team Team
Service SBU Consumer SBU Consumer SBU
Service SBU Service SBU
p.
21

22. Project Timeline – TBD (Depends on scope and resources)
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
Bus. Case Approval
Project Planning
Product Configuration
Testing and Training
Pilot Deployment
Company-wide rollout
• Understanding scope and resources a preliminary schedule can
be developed.
• The schedule can help set/manage expectations and drive
discussions on trade-offs involving budget/resources (if needed)

23. Business Case
One Time Benefit One Time Benefits Recurring Fees
Cost Categories Recurring Fees
Fees Yr1 Yr2 Yr3 Yr4
Software Costs Yr1 Yr2 Yr3 Yr4 Increased Efficiency
Manual Process
Application Software $ 100,000 $ 17,000 $ 17,000 $ 20,000 $ 25,000 Elimination $ - $ 20,000 $ 100,000 $ 300,000 $ 500,000
Cycle-time reduction $ -
Database Software $ 25,000 $ 4,250 $ 4,250 $ 5,000 $ 6,250
Other (decribe below) $ -
Additional 3rd Party
$ 5,000 $ 850 $ 850 $ 1,000 $ 1,250 Subtotal $ - $ 20,000 $ 100,000 $ 300,000 $ 500,000
Software
Subtotal $ 130,000 $ 22,100 $ 22,100 $ 26,000 $ 32,500
Headcount Reduction
Hardware Costs Austin $ - $ 100,000
Application Server $ 50,000 $ 2,500 $ 5,000 $ 7,500 $ 12,500 Design Centers $ - $ 250,000 $ 500,000
Other Subtotal $ - $ 100,000 $ 250,000 $ 500,000 $ -
Subtotal $ 50,000 $ 2,500 $ 5,000 $ 7,500 $ 12,500
Infrastructure Benefits
Infrastructure Costs
Network $ - $ 5,000 $ 5,000 $ 8,000 $ 8,000 Eliminate CSS Support $ 10,000
Other $ - Consolidate Number of
Subtotal $ - $ 5,000 $ 5,000 $ 8,000 $ 8,000 Tools $ 500,000
Other $ -
Implementation Costs Subtotal $ 510,000 $ - $ - $ - $ -
Internal IT Staff $ 150,000 $ 50,000 $ 52,500 $ 55,125 $ 57,881 Grand Total $ 510,000 $ 120,000 $ 350,000 $ 800,000 $ 500,000
Internal Business Staff $ 250,000
Software Services $ 25,000 4 Yr Total $ 2,280,000
3rd Party Systems
$ 500,000 $ 50,000 $ 50,000
Integrator
Subtotal $ 925,000 $ 50,000 $102,500 $ 55,125 $ 107,881
Projected
Grand Total $1,105,000 $ 79,600 $134,600 $ 96,625 $ 160,881 Return : 1.45
4 Yr Total $ 1,576,706

24. How the PID Improves Project
Outcomes
PMBOK Area PID Alignment
1. Scope 1. Confirms Scope
2. HR 2. Defines the Organization Structure
3. Procurement 3. Identifies if outside resources/tools are expected to be needed
4. Quality 4. Baseline for measuring scope and final project outcome vs plan
5. Communications 5. Platform for communications with project team and
6. Risk stakeholders
7. Budget/Costs 6. Utilizes methods to improve critical thinking and early ID of
8. Time risks
9. Integration 7. Contains initial cost/benefit projection as well as non-
quantifiable factors
8. Provides high-level estimate which can help sequence with
other projects
9. Specifically helps identify key areas and integration points
between processes and departments – root cause and COPIS

25. Thank you!
dangelow@businessfoundations.net