If you need to start a project, you’ve already failed #noprojects

by Evan Leybourn on      2 minutes read

What is your focus, if not a project?

I want to be controversial for a moment and propose an end to IT projects, project management & project managers. I propose that the entire project process is flawed from the start for one simple reason. If you need to run a project, you’ve already failed.

By definition, an IT project is a temporary structure to govern and deliver a complex change (such as a new product or platform) into an organisation. However, to be truly competitive, an organisation needs to be able to deliver a continuous stream of change. Managed properly, this negates the need for a project and the associated cost overheads.

The key word here is continuous. While there may be fluctuations in demand and effort, there should be a continuous allocation of resources to maintain, enhance and support most IT systems. If done properly there should never be a need to run an “upgrade” project, a “version 2” project, a “maintenance” project, a “greenfields” project, or a “redevelopment” project. Even when creating something for the first time, a revolutionary change rather than an evolutionary change, a project structure explicitly defines an end; a point when the project or product will be done. Rather, it should be understood that (until the end of its life), every product will continuously change and improve. You may bring in additional staff early on, but with good resource management and capacity planning this can be managed across different demands.

This is fundamentally what #noprojects is. The approach, structure, tactics and techniques available to successfully deliver continuous change. At its core, #noprojects predicated on the alignment of activities to outcomes, measured by value, constrained by guiding principles and supported by continuous delivery technologies. These concepts are explored further in this and following articles.

Read the full article - exclusively published on InfoQ: http://www.infoq.com/articles/noprojects1-projects-flawed