using dashboards to monitor project performance - is there a practical approach?
DESCRIPTION
Slide deck for Jane Betterton's Project Management Dashboards talk for the NMTC Women in Technology group, Thursday, January 25th, 2012.TRANSCRIPT
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Jane BettertonBetterton Technical Services
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Business Results
Tools & Techniques
Inputs:Vision
MissionStrategyMarket
Outputs
Source: PMI. Org OPM3 Standard Presentation © 2012 Project Management Institute, Inc. 2
1/25/2012
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Business Results
Tools & Techniques
Inputs:Vision
MissionStrategyMarket
Outputs
Source: PMI. Org OPM3 Standard Presentation © 2012 Project Management Institute, Inc. 3
Scorecards◦ Used to monitor strategic alignment and success with
strategic objectives. (Balanced Scorecard is one of the better known techniques)
Dashboards◦ Used day to day at the tactical and operational level◦ Just like your car dashboard, you need real-time
information to drive your car to arrive at your destination (strategic objectives)
Make sure Dashboards “connect” to your Scorecards◦ Example: If a scorecard objective for your car is “increase
miles per gallon by 10% in the next year” then your dashboard should have a real time view of this data so that performance towards that target is met.
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Business Results
Tools & Techniques
Inputs:Vision
MissionStrategyMarket
Outputs
Key Concept: Focusing the “Scope” of the Dashboard Increases the Likelihood of a Successful Dashboard or Scorecard Implementation
Focus Area : Project Performance
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Helps project managers track multiple projects◦ Driving multiple cars at one time
Communicates status of projects to organizations in a standardized view that supports◦ Developing dashboards drive standardization
Provides a more objective view of project status and performance◦ Dashboards drive an organization towards performance
targets Alerts decision makers to take action earlier Serves as communication tool for project
manager Key Concept: As you are building your Dashboard think how you will track benefits of using the Dashboard. Since Dashboards require a lot of work, keep benefits visible so support can continue
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Time
Performance(Scope + Quality)
Risk
Work/ Cost(Resources)
Key Concept: Try to use existing data & processes first. Improving processes/data ANDbuilding a dashboard is usually too much for an organization to do at one time
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Reference: ProjectManager.com
Ideal Approach – Provides Roll Up Based on Time, Cost, Resources & Risks. This could be a roll up of multiple projects or an entire program/ portfolio
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Time Component Challenges
• Requires standardizing milestones at an individual project level so that roll-ups of multiple projects are meaningful
• Requires agreeing on business rules of when a tasks/ milestone is missed
• Defining a baseline for dates before the project begins
• Unless you are using off the shelf software a “drill” down” can be difficult
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Work/ Cost Component Challenges
• Organization must have an approach to identify cost (expenses, work time, labor time)
• Cost data is often lagging and not available for weeks
• Costing in and R&D, IT or internal project can be difficult to forecast
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Resources Component Challenges
• Requires resources be allocated in advance
• In order to have accurate data, resources have to do time tracking by project
• It is difficult for a person to admit they are “under-allocated”
• Many organizations do not have project time tracking with timely information
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Risk Component Challenges• Requires the organization
develop a standard approach to logging risk with a rating system
• Organization must value risk information as much as time-cost-work information
• Project managers must be rewarded for logging risk –this is difficult culture shift for most organizations
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Paper/ Wall Type
Electronic – Server
Electronic – Web
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Paper Based◦ Advantage: Easy to get started and use to drive
standardization◦ Advantage: Great starting point before investing in
electronic approach ◦ Disadvantage: Drill down and updates are difficult/
labor intensive Wall Based◦ Advantage: Supports stand up meeting and quick
updates◦ Disadvantage: Not portable, difficult to use for
reports
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Electronic – Local Server◦ Advantage: Using Excel type approach may not require
IT resources and it will be available for updating by multiple users
◦ Advantage: Drives standardization to the next level◦ Disadvantage: Drill down is possible, but requires
advanced skills in Excel and information is not available in the field
Electronic – Web Based◦ Advantage: Drill Downs and reports based on best
practices are built in◦ Disadvantage: Usually requires IT support & managing
software & users is usually a full time job◦ Disadvantage: Security and working with organization’s
firewall
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Know the questions your dashboard is trying to answer before building it
Make sure you can actually collect the data you want to measure
Begin by summarizing and analyzing data you already collect
Dashboards should always have a printable version
Your first dashboard should never use a dashboard tool – that should come later
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Source: www.ciodashboard.com
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Unless you are in a very large organization with IT Support – Start small◦ Consider paper approach, standardization is
sometime harder that you think◦ Consider publishing a companion report with the
dashboard to avoid putting too much on the dashboard◦ Do not be afraid to “Cut & Paste’ information from
other tools and reports Implementing a Dashboard to Monitor Project
Performance is Complex◦ Write a Project Plan before you start!!!
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What has been your experience implementing dashboards?◦ Have you had success or observed success with the
electronic tools? If your company does not have dashboards to
monitor performance, how do they do this? Is the work required to develop a dashboard
worth it?
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Person, Ron. "9 - Developing Executive & Operational Dashboards." Balanced Scorecards & Operational Dashboards with Microsoft Excel. Indianapolis: Wiley, 2009. 107-12. Print.
Curran, Chris. "10 CIO Dashboard Tips — CIO Dashboard." CIO Dashboard — IT Strategies for CIOs and IT Leaders. Ciodashboard.com, 25 June 2009. Web. 25 Jan. 2012. <http://www.ciodashboard.com/metrics-and-measurement/10-cio-dashboard-tips/>.
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BTS Principal, Jane Betterton - Since 1992 Jane has utilized best practices in project management to provide practical solutions in today’s dynamic and complex organizational structures. She has extensive strategic planning, project management, organizational and personnel development experience. With her academic and professional background in chemical engineering, R&D type manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and software development, Jane has specialized in working with complex technical environments. Jane is an expert in MS Project, and Microsoft Office applications and their use in communicating effectively in an organization.
Jane is actively working with PMI’s Organizational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3) to objectively assess an organization’s level of maturity in planning, executing and closing their projects, managing their programs and leveraging their portfolio to reach their strategic goals. Jane is a PMI OPM3 Certified Professional.
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Organizational Project Management Maturity Model – OPM3
• Provides a way for organizations to measure themselves against best in class practices of managing Projects, Programs & Portfolios.
• Shows the maturity of organizations in implementing OPM to achieve their organizational objectives.
• Highlights needed areas of improvement for organizations to help them achieve better business results.
Source: PMI. Org OPM3 Standard Presentation © 2012 Project Management Institute, Inc.
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Reference: http://www.magnatag.com23