Factors that commonly lead to the success or failure of a project
Analyze and reflect on factors that commonly lead to the success or failure of a project
Scenario
You have reached the end of Release One of the XYZ Business Workflow project, and your team has faced some challenges during the development process.
One software tester and one developer from your team resigned. You found replacements for both of them. But, the new developer had to be trained by one of your other team members. This affected the team’s productivity.
Also, during one of your status meetings with the client stakeholders, their product owner requested a change in a feature that was almost complete. They were also very resistant to give any additional time for the first release. As a result, you had to add extra hours to your development time.
To accommodate these changes, your team worked extra hours and even some weekends to complete the project. Finally, you managed to deliver the first release according to schedule.
Although the release goes fairly smoothly, after a few days, the customer reports that their users are facing some issues with the software. They also have a list of changes and two new features they would like to see in the software before your final rollout in Release Two.
Directions
Analysis and Recommendations
Your executive team has asked you to prepare a report summarizing your analysis of the first release of the XYZ Business Workflow software and recommendations for how you think Release Two of the project should be planned.
Think about the project charter, the initial project plan you created in Project One, and the challenges the project team has faced so far. What steps did you take to manage these challenges? In retrospect, can you think of some other strategies you could have used during project planning and/or risk mitigation for better results? Specifically, your report should include the following:
Reflect on the project so far and provide your analysis of what went well and what could have been better.
Outline what you think were the successes and failures of the project.
Identify major challenges your team faced in completing this project and describe how you handled them.
List some alternate strategies you could have used during project planning and/or during risk mitigation for better results.
Based on your experience with Release One, provide some recommendations for managing the second release of the XYZ Business Workflow software, including the methodology, change management, and quality control strategies.
Use information from the scenario, Project One and Project Two, and make reasonable assumptions as you complete these tasks. Be sure to explain your assumptions.
What to Submit
To complete this project, you must submit the following:
Project Analysis Recommendations
Write a short paper with your analysis of the first phase of the software development project and your recommendations for the second phase. Your paper should be 750 to 1,250 words in length; cite any references using the APA format.
Sample Solution
What went well- The team was able to deliver the first release of the software on time and within budget.
- The software met the requirements of the client stakeholders.
- The team was able to work effectively with the client stakeholders to manage changes to the project.
- The team was able to overcome the challenges of losing two team members and a change in requirements.
- The team could have done a better job of planning for the risks of losing team members and changing requirements.
- The team could have communicated more effectively with the client stakeholders to manage expectations.
- The team could have done a better job of testing the software before release.
- The team should develop a more robust risk management plan that includes strategies for dealing with the loss of team members and changing requirements.
- The team should communicate more effectively with the client stakeholders to manage expectations.
- The team should do more extensive testing of the software before release.
Full Answer Section
Factors that commonly lead to the success or failure of a project There are many factors that can contribute to the success or failure of a project. Some of the most common factors include:- Communication: Effective communication is essential for the success of any project. The project team must be able to communicate effectively with each other, with the client stakeholders, and with other stakeholders.
- Planning: A well-planned project is more likely to be successful than a poorly planned project. The project plan should be comprehensive and should take into account all of the potential risks and challenges.
- Execution: The project team must be able to execute the project plan effectively. This includes having the right skills and resources, and being able to work together effectively.
- Change management: Change is inevitable in any project. The project team must be able to manage change effectively in order to keep the project on track.
- Risk management: Risk management is the process of identifying and mitigating risks to the project. A well-managed project will have a plan in place to deal with potential risks.