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When faced with the task of implementing a new system, software application, or network, regardless of the type, many business owners rush to get the latest and greatest concerning themselves more with installation and operation than they do with planning. However, any project, big or small, will start with a weak foundation dooming it to failure with out adequate planning.

Several studies and surveys conducted over the past few years support this. For example, a survey[1] conducted by KPMG Canada indicates that the top two main reasons for project failure were 1) poor project planning – more specifically a lack of risk management and a weak project plan, and 2) a weak business case – system needs were not thoroughly researched and justified as they related to business needs. In a comprehensive study[2] performed by OASIG - a Special Interest Group concerned with the Organizational Aspects of IT based out of the UK – it was discovered that:

80-90% of systems do not meet their performance goals

About 80% of systems are delivered late and over budget

Around 40% of development efforts fail or are abandoned

Fewer than 40% fully address training and skills requirements

Less than 25% properly integrate business and technology objectives

Just 10-20% meets all their success criteria

And the reasons for these failures:

Lack of a complete requirement specification

Lack of an appropriate development methodology

Poor decomposition of design into manageable components

But it doesn’t have to be this way. With some basic planning, and knowing where to get the right help, any project can, and should, be successful.  

The process of planning is key, without it, there is no clear path to success.

Whether the system is a network, application, workflow, or task, the process of planning is critical and without it, there will be no direction or clear path to success. Getting a plan together shouldn’t be a difficult task either. You already know where you want to get, so it’s only a matter of working backwards from there. By knowing the desired outcomes, you can slowly work your way back through the system and identify all the processes needed to achieve them. This will then allow you to sit back and understand what you’ll require to carry out the processes.

There are five requirements to successful planning: 1.defining goals or specific accomplishments that must be met in order to achieve some larger overall result; 2. defining strategies, or methods and processes, required to achieve the goal; 3. setting objectives or specific accomplishments (typically called milestones) by which you can measure your implementation success; 4. defining and assigning tasks required to create and implement the system; 5. allocating resources, including the people, materials, technology and money that are needed to implement the strategies or processes.

While planning is essential, it is only part of the process. Even with a strong plan in hand, success can only be guaranteed if the plan is properly executed. Accountability is crucial and plans should specify who is responsible for achieving each result, including goals and objectives. Dates should be set for completion of each result, and responsible parties should regularly review status of the plan.

I have found the following books very helpful in the area of business planning: Successful Business Planning: Energizing Your Company's Potential by Norton Paley; The Business Planning Guide by David H. Bangs and Successful Business Planning for Entrepreneurs (with CD-ROM) by Jerry Moorman.

For additional information or help on generating or implementing a system plan go to www.rsolutionsinc.com.

Cesar Fernandez is President of Real Solutions Inc. a business and IT consulting company that helps company remain successful by developing business and IT solutions in line with their business processes. Cesar Fernandez may be contacted at 706 429 0085 or by email at cfernandez@rsolutionsinc.com.

[1] Source: www.it-cortex.com

[2] Source: www.aworc.org