5 Steps in Using Project Delivery to Save a Project From Failing

If the concept of Murphy’s Law (which dictates that anything that can go wrong invariably will go wrong) is true anywhere, it is true in the realm of project delivery. Even when you’ve got a team filled with talented and passionate individuals that are being led by an oil and gas industry professional who can clearly see the goal at all times, certain common issues will still in all likelihood rear their ugly head again and again. In the event that these situations do occur, there are five key ways that project delivery can save a project from abject failure.

5 Steps in Using Project Delivery

Consult the Project Delivery Team 

One of the most important steps that you can take when you seem to be looking at the failure of a project is consult with the project delivery team. Remember that nobody knows the ins and outs of the project better than the people who have been working tirelessly towards its completion every day. The first step on the road to recovery should always be bringing everyone together and getting a clear picture of what happened and what needs to be done.

Don’t Be Afraid to Get Outside Help

Sometimes a fresh set of eyes really does wonders. Even if you just consult the opinion of a fellow project manager with a bit more experience who has found him or herself in a similar situation before, outside help can be a great way to get a project back on track.

Perform An Assessment

Performing an assessment on a project involves sitting down and meticulously pouring over all project activities to help find out exactly what went wrong and where. Team members will be interviewed. Data will be organized and gathered. When everything is said and done, you’ll step away with a much better indication of what to do next.

Create a New Plan

If you’re running into a variety of common issues with your project, the chances are that your plan itself may be partially to blame. As a result, the next step involves throwing out the existing plan for project delivery and creating a new one that starts in the exact position that you find yourself in and ends with a recovered project.

Metrics

Another helpful project delivery tool that can be used to save a project from failure is one of metrics. You can begin by evaluating the current status of your project against certain performance metrics, the end result defining the scope of exactly what you should be doing to get things back on track. Metrics will tell you whether or not you should begin the recovery process or abandon ship altogether.

Just because your project is staring down the proverbial gun barrel of failure doesn’t mean that it definitely will. By using the right project delivery methods, you can steer the ship back in the right direction and deliver on time and on budget. 

Key Takeaways:

• Go over everything with team members, as they know the project better than anyone else.
• Don’t be afraid to go outside the team and consult other talented people within your organization.
• If your project delivery plan isn’t working, it may very well be time to create a new plan.

If your company completes and delivers its oil or gas projects in a more timely way than your competitors do, you will be a step ahead of your competitors.  If you would like to learn more about Oracle Primavera or the other various project management software that IMS has to offer, click the link below to have an IMS team member contact you for a free consultation