Top10 Key Attributes For A Successful Project

White Paper

By Jacob Thaning,
SVP,Global Consulting, Top 10 Key Attributes of a
Successful Project
Deltek, Inc.

Table of Contents For many years Deltek has worked together with Below, we have based our recommendations on
One: Executive professional services organizations to implement a case in which an organization wishes to replace
Sponsorship ��1 their business solutions. This collaboration has its current business solution. The organization
given us insight into all the pitfalls and risks that therefore faces a great task and change. The
Two: Strong Project
are worth being aware of when working on large organization has initiated this project in order to
Governance ��2
projects. strengthen ownership and responsibility across the
Three: User Below are a number of subjects and organization. Furthermore, the organization aims
Involvement ��3 recommendations concerning these top 10 key to streamline operations, e.g. when it comes to
Four: Clear Company attributes of a successful project. These 10 items project management and revenue.
Goals ��3 are essential when an organization is launching or
considering a large project. One: Executive Sponsorship
Five: Well-Defined
Description:
Project Charter ��4 • Executive sponsorship
The cornerstone of any successful project
• Strong Project Governance
Six: Well-Defined Base • User Involvement revolving around the business solutions of
Requirements��5 • Clear Company Goals an organization is to put the executive team
• Well-Defined Project Charter of both client and vendor in charge of the
Seven: Proven
• Well-Defined Base Requirements implementation. This is partly because the
Methodology ��5
• Proven Methodology
project will affect most of the employees and
Eight: Application • Application Software
also because the support from the executive
Software��6 • Experienced Project Manager
• Experienced Resources team is crucial in order to enable effective change
Nine: Experienced management. In many projects, the executive
Project Manager��7 This is a good check list to use for matching team forms both management and daily line
thoughts and expectations among the team management.
Ten: Experienced
Resources ��8 members when establishing and executing
projects. Executive sponsorship must:
The description is our recommendation for • Facilitate communication of the project
how a project should be executed. We furthermore objective and the reason for launching it
recommend that these items – and how they • Motivate the affected parts of the organization
should be managed – are discussed among project to take part in the project and to adapt to new
and changed routines
managers during the initial phase of the project as
well as on the first steering committee meeting. • Ensure general support to the project
If this is done and if a common recommendation managers as well as support of the decisions
and changes which some employees consider
for the handling of the project is provided by the
to be adverse
project managers of the client and the vendor,
respectively, the project and its execution will be
considered more as a partnership rather than a
traditional client/vendor relationship.

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White Paper Top 10 Key Attributes
of a Successful Project

Risks: This is to ensure satisfactory project progress and
If the project is not 100% supported by the identify any deviation from the plan.
various parts of the organization, it will not be
possible to change habits and behavior across Risks:
the organization. This could very well cause the If no project follow-up procedures have been
organization to fall short of achieving project goals. established, there is a risk that deviations such
as deadline overruns, scope creep etc. are not
Risk aversion: spotted in time.
The most important parameters are
communication, visibility and participation within Risk aversion:
the steering committee as well as relevant project In the project charter it should be determined how
meetings and meetings regarding the functional to follow up on the project. It is recommendable
areas. The participants must be active and the to establish the frequency of steering committee
individual meetings must be given high priority. meetings, project management meetings and
Furthermore, a clear communication strategy project team meetings right from the start.
must be prepared with emphasis on the areas that One of the steering committee’s tasks is to
require modified behavior or new habits. ensure the right project charter. This not least
includes access for the project managers to give
We recommend: greater priority to deviations from the plan as well
as any issues which should be addressed at the
• A highly relevant steering committee
composition management level.

• High awareness of the importance of
change management
• That e.g. the CFO or COO is appointed
chairman of the steering committee We recommend:

• That project managers are granted direct • That project managers meet on a regular
access to the steering committee basis (e.g. weekly but as a minimum every
two weeks)
• That a communication strategy is
prepared and presented to the steering • That steering committee meetings are
committee at one of the first meetings held on a regular basis (e.g. monthly)

• That an internal executive within the • That a project charter document is
organization is given responsibility for produced and thereafter approved by the
change management steering committee
• Fixed procedures for the project
• A solid project method and usage of
Two: Strong Project Governance
related project documents.
Description:
• Deltek uses its own method which
In every implementation project it is important
is aligned with widely recognized
to ensure that all project managers are working international project management
efficiently towards the same goals and that they methodologies, and dedicated to the
all stay within the charter of the project. In large implementation of a standard system
with extensions, including templates for
projects with greater complexity and a large
reporting to the steering committee.
number of project team members, it is important
to have fixed project follow-up procedures.

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Three: User Involvement We recommend:
Description: • Involvement of users with knowledge
In order for the project to be successful, it is of the various business areas of the
crucial to involve relevant user representatives organization
in the entire implementation process from the • Having ambassadors/change agents
analytical stage to testing and training and finally within the organization
the go-live stage. The purpose is: • Managing the resource situation as a
• To ensure that users with the greatest fixed item on the agenda at the steering
knowledge of the individual processes are committee meetings
involved in the design of the solution which • Ongoing measuring of the adaption (e.g.
comprises these processes. This is one of using surveys)
the most important methods to ensure
high quality of the solution as well as making
processes and functions tangible Four: Clear Company Goals
• To ensure that the organization is staffed Description:
with a number of employees acting as It is a pre-requisite for an efficient implementation
ambassadors for the new solution
that the organization knows the objectives of
Risks: the organization and the project, and that these
• The allocated employees cannot be objectives are broken down into operational goals
sufficiently freed from other tasks for all relevant levels of the organization. This way,
• Users are selected on the basis of other the project group can manage the project in the
criteria than qualifications and skills (e.g. who right perspective and make the right decisions
has got the time). It is important to select
based on clear objectives.
users who wish to participate in a change
process, who have the necessary skills in
relation to their field/functional area and who Risks:
are respected internally If the project objectives have not been clarified,
some of the risks would be:
Risk aversion: • That various clarifications regarding the
It is recommendable to enter into an explicit solution should be discussed before a decision
can be reached and this could potentially cost
agreement on how to handle the tasks from which
time and resources
the allocated employees are freed. When the
employee and the line management involved • That prioritization becomes more difficult
commit themselves to such an agreement, it than necessary
reduces the risk of having the employee perform
double work with deteriorating quality as a result.

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Risk aversion: Risks:
It is recommendable to give the detailed project It is important to allocate sufficient time to the
charter high priority. In this charter, all success preparation of the charter right from project
criteria and objectives of the project should be launch. Otherwise project stakeholders and team
determined at a detailed level. Subsequently, members may perceive the objectives and scope
this should be communicated to everybody in of the project differently, which means they will
the project group on an ongoing basis to ensure not have the same focus. The time saved by
that everybody is aware of the objective through rushing through the charter in the start-up phase
the whole project. In the training phase, the is very quickly spent by the project managers if
objectives should be made clear to both super they need to follow up on and coordinate various
users and end users. activities and discuss what lies within the project
charter and what does not.

We recommend: Risk aversion:
• That organizations looking to e.g. replace The process of preparing the charter should be
their business solution consider a number led by the project managers who should make
of aspects and elaborate their needs and sure to allocate sufficient their own time and the
current processes as part of the project
most important stakeholders’ time.
• That focus is kept on the objective of the
project and that details, current systems
and workflows do not draw attention from We recommend:
why the project has been started and the
overall objectives of the project • Preparation and communication of
charter
• That the steering committee approves
the project charter document. This is to
ensure that everybody in the steering
Five: Well-Defined Project Charter committee has the same perception of
Description: the project and its objectives
A well-defined project charter is crucial for • A clear process for handling suggestions
the project managers because it also sets the and changes to the charter
scope for the project managers’ authorization.
Important elements in the charter are:
• Determining what the implementation does
and does not cover
• Breakdown into deliveries and/or activities
• An objective and measurable articulation of
the success criteria of the project – preferably
in order of priority

• Procedure for change management and
communication
• Definition of process for escalation in the
project organization
• Determining the division of work between the
project parties

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Six: Well-Defined Base Requirements We recommend:
Description: • That organizations be open and flexible
It is a good starting point for any implementation in relation to how their needs and
project that the organization has an overview of requirements are met. This will open up
the business and all significant processes and for a discussion of what may be the best
solution for them
needs. This way, the organization will be able
to define the associated requirements for the • That you pay attention to needs, best
practices, technology and opportunities
solution. that are either provided with the selected
solution or evaluated
Risks:
If the requirements for the solution have not been
established, there is a risk of
• Wasting a lot of time during the project Seven: Proven Methodology
process due to internal discussions of how the Description:
solution should look
Over the years it has proved to be a great
• Wasting time and money if the project advantage on implementation projects to apply
objective is altered a project methodology which matches the
charter set for the project type in question.
Risk aversion: This ensures that:
An efficient way of ensuring well-defined • Time is only spent on activities that create
requirements for the solution is to establish value for the project
processes and requirements for the new solution • The methodology matches the specific
and document these. This way, it will always be solution and the consultants involved are
familiar with the work process
possible to compare suggested solutions and
requirements. • It is possible to use standard templates that
Every project contains areas in which it will the project team members are familiar with
from the beginning of the project
be necessary to consider various alternative
solutions which cannot necessarily be evaluated
on the basis of the requirement specification. It is Risks:
therefore crucial that the project team is formed An obvious risk for our clients – who are
by employees who possess a deep knowledge primarily project-oriented – is that they let their
of the organization’s needs, and that they have preferences for a specific project methodology
proper decision-making competence in order to determine which methodology is applied in the
avoid unnecessary project delays. implementation.
Organizations typically make a great effort to Another risk is that the stringent and
identify their needs before they can specify their methodical approach to the project gradually
requirements for a new solution. becomes a looser model and that there is
suddenly no control over the project.

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Risk aversion: Eight: Application Software
In the initial project stage it will be useful to Description:
determine not only the project methodology When implementing a new business solution,
but also what documents should be used in the there are crucial benefits associated with using
project. standard solutions also used by similar clients. For
Deltek’s project methodology contains a large instance, risks related to development projects
number of document templates that can be are eliminated.
leveraged. By making these decisions from the
beginning, it is possible to oblige all project team Risks:
members to this methodology and thereby Even if standard software is used, all
minimize the risks stated above. implementation projects need extensions. This
carries two obvious risks:
We recommend: • The scope for what should be extended
evolves constantly
• That the project methodology is
discussed and agreed upon at an early • The scope evolves because every
stage rather than having to change the implementation process requires creative
methodology later on in the project skills. Therefore, it can be tempting to keep
thinking of new ways to improve the solution as
• That Deltek’s project methodology you gain more and more knowledge of all the
and the related documents are used. possibilities. This would lead to an expansion
The project methodology PEAK of the scope and increased time consumption.
implementation has been developed
on the basis of 15 years of experience
with hundreds of projects. Among other Risk aversion:
things, it contains standardized document In the scope it is crucial to determine which
templates.
extensions should be made for the solution. It is
extremely important that the project managers
make sure to keep the project within this scope.
This can be done by ensuring that no extensions
are made without the use of design documents
approved by both parties.

We recommend:
• That the organization is open and willing
to adjust.
• Preferably, requirements should be
met by means of standards (different
workflow/slightly different handling) if
possible

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Nine: Experienced Project Manager Furthermore, it is important that the steering
Description: committee challenges the project managers with
Both the client’s project manager and the constructive questions to ensure overview and
vendor’s project manager play a vital role in the control of details.
project. In order to achieve mutual success, it From the initial phase of the project,
is important for both project managers to have focus should be on building and maintaining
gained knowledge as described below: collaborative relations rather than a traditional
• Knowledge of their own organization and the customer/vendor relationship.
power and ability to handle various obstacles If one of the project managers has a weakness
in the most efficient way
in relation to the items above, it should be
• Knowledge of ERP implementation projects considered whether this weakness can be
• Knowledge of and dedication to the technical mitigated in practice.
content of the project. This is to ensure
that the project manager does not focus
exclusively on administrative processes but
also seeks insight into the substance of the
project We recommend:
• That the client and the vendor focus
Risks: on the project manager role and the
experience of the project manager
The risk of having project managers with limited
• That the project manager role on large
experience implement large projects is that they
projects is separated from the solution
become either very detail-oriented with lack of design role even though it can be tempting
overview and focus on progress as a result, or to attempt to combine these two roles.
conversely, that they overlook important details. This is to eliminate the risk of being “caught
Furthermore, less experienced project managers between two stools”
may have problems gaining the necessary trust • That both the client’s project managers
from the project team as well as the rest of the and those of the vendor lead the way by
joining forces to make sure the project is
team. This becomes a potential challenge when it is executed in a partnership
time to handle problems that require various forms
of support or effort from the rest of the team.

Risk aversion:
Project managers should be carefully selected on
the basis of the above criteria!
Regardless of who the project manager is, a
role with responsibility for quality assurance of
the project management should be established.

7 deltek.com

World Headquarters: Ten: Experienced Resources Risk aversion:
United States Description: The risk aversion methodology is also very similar
13880 Dulles Corner Ln Project team members – regardless of their to the methodology described in section 3
Herndon, VA 20171 function – should have experience within their “User Involvement”. It is recommendable to agree
800.456.2009 own field in order to be able to contribute to the explicitly on how to handle those tasks from which
project. Depending on their role, they should: the users involved in the project are freed. When
Worldwide Locations: • Be respected in their own organization the employee and the involved line management
Australia • Act as ambassadors for the objective of the commit themselves to this, it eliminates the risk
+61 8 8112 1200 project and the necessary changes of having the employee perform double work with
• Actively take part of the project deteriorating quality as a result.
Belgium • Have expert knowledge of their own field
+32 (0) 2 709 2191 • Be open to new input and consider different
alternatives
We recommend:
Denmark • That project team members are
+45 35 27 79 00 Risks: officially acknowledged and rewarded for
The risks are more or less the same as the ones successful project execution. This way,
The Netherlands stated in section 3 “User Involvement”, namely it will be more appealing to participate in
the project
+31 (0)20 347 3080 that the employees might not be sufficiently
allocated and that they are selected on the basis • That participation in the project is
evaluated positively in accordance with
Norway of other criteria than qualifications and skills.
the individual employee’s career in the
+47 22 01 38 00 An internal project may be perceived as less organization
interesting and less prestigious than an external
Sweden project and therefore it may be difficult to recruit
+46 (0)8 587 077 00 employees internally.

United Kingdom
London
+44 (0)20 7518 5010
Twickenham
+44 (0)20 8843 7000

deltek.com
info@deltek.com

Deltek (Nasdaq: PROJ) is the leading global provider of enterprise software and information solutions for professional
services firms and government contractors. For decades, we have delivered actionable insight that empowers our
customers to unlock their business potential. Over 14,500 organizations and 1.8 million users in approximately 80 countries
around the world rely on Deltek to research and identify opportunities, win new business, optimize resources, streamline
operations, and deliver more profitable projects. Deltek – Know more. Do more.® deltek.com

© 2011 Deltek, Inc. All rights reserved. All referenced trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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Top10 Key Attributes For A Successful Project

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