Manage customer expectations

And We Shall Be Luminous Again

Get it in writing to avoid misunderstanding project objectives and requirements.

Good practice is to understand and document the project scope. Do your best to confirm customer expectations and needs are aligned. It’s in everyones best interest to ensure the project definition is approved in writing.

Always provide stakeholder's with a written statement of the work which defines the scope and benefits for the project. Make sure there is a common understanding so there is minimal room for differences later on down the road.

Requirements: The Sponsor’s expectations must be determined

Gather and process information on the project in order to formulate a plan of attack.

Scenario: Clearly define the Sponsor’s business requirement and plan to solve it. The Sponsor’s expectations must be determined with respect to solution requirements. The Sponsor may not have thought about the project in terms of deliverables—expectations for these deliverables must be well-defined.

Tools and Techniques for Sizing Projects

Optimize the use of project management resources

Use a scalable project management approach that factors into consideration size, complexity, cost and risk for each project. Enable project governance structures and document how project decisions are made. Make sure all projects have authority to execute.

Continuously align project and business objectives

Prior to each project’s initiation, establish a project management governance structure that is appropriate to the project’s size, complexity and risks, including legal, regulatory and reputation type considerations.

Scope the project and complete project Definition

Develop the Project scope including resource requirements, outcomes, planning structure, and organizational breakdown structure.

Scenario: Key aspects of the solution are known and defined including deliverables, expectations, sequencing, milestones, and where decisions can be made. Inputs to the next step, PLAN, can be formulated.