How not to waste resources and not regret the implementation of software. II
Continuation. Start here: https://habr.com/ru/articles/727792/
Based on the responses to the first part, it became clear that the issue is wider than just the effectiveness of a particular project, and it became necessary to clarify our position:
I believe that there is no universal instruction on how to conduct business. No matter how hard gurus, business coaches, MBAs try to convince that actions according to their plan lead to success, in real life it does not work;
The concept of “how to do it right” in business is very relative. Rather, led to the desired result, or not. Naturally, taking into account moral standards, if they are followed;
No two companies are exactly the same. Well, perhaps, very small ones, and even then there will be differences. We are all humans;
Instructions, rules (see Clause 1), and software (so far artificial intelligence has not reached the proper level) provide a tool, teach how to use it. But how the business will take advantage of this depends on real people;
The same tool works differently in different companies.
Case 2
From management consulting experience. An appeal from the manager of a business center in the Moscow region to help deal with an incorrectly functioning management system. Personal meeting on the territory of the Customer.
Newly built business center, good location, beautiful house, convenient access and parking. Inside is also not bad, previously rated as a class B – B +. At the reception, they quickly issued a pass, well, except that they didn’t take us to the office.
We start a conversation with the manager, what is the reason for the appeal. A story about serious methodological preparation for doing business, about the development of all business processes and the development of instructions for jobs. As an example, the work instruction of the manager himself is retrieved. A large folder (seemingly at least 150 sheets) omit the general sections (TB, firemen) and proceed to the instructions for Tuesday – the current day:
08:00 – 08:05 Enter the office, change clothes, turn on the computer;
08:05 – 08:20 Start the system, check mail;
08:20 – 08:40 React to the situations of the previous day and make decisions.
I won’t bore you with a complete list. The entire working day is scheduled, including time for operational tasks, solving current issues, solving issues of the current week, current month and time for preparing proposals for future periods, for long-term plans. And there are such instructions for each day of the week with a detailed description of what needs to be done. There are similar instructions for every workplace up to cleaners and janitors. In addition, the software for the system for monitoring the performance of work has been developed. The manager demonstrated how the reception works on issuing my pass. Hooray! The girl met the standard.
It was the first time I came across such detailed job descriptions, and when I asked why a manager needs the help of a consultant, I got the expected answer (already in pure Russian) – yes, it doesn’t work !!! It turned out that earlier the person also worked as a building manager, but not in Russia, but in Germany and tried to apply this experience. All these instructions are developed by him personally.
Bottom line: the building management system needs to be completely redesigned with a high probability of dismissal of a (good) manager. What is good for a Russian is good for a German…
And returning to the main topic of the article. There are very common cases when, according to the results of the survey and the assessment of the cost of the project, the customer is not ready for such a budget. Attempts to cut the budget result in a loss of functionality of the solution and, accordingly, in the future, a discrepancy between the customer’s expectations and the results of the project. Options for resolving the situation, or abandoning the project, or launching in a truncated format, but here a lot depends on the negotiators of the parties and the competent execution of legal and project documentation.
Case 3
Large agricultural holding. The task of maximum “digitalization” of one of the activities was set. A fashionable topic… but there are difficulties in agriculture, where there is still a lot of manual labor. The project was supposed to find a solution from the formation of forecasts for the next 10 – 20 years and their implementation in the current activities of the company. Given the scale and complexity of the work, several companies specializing in these types of activities were involved in the first stage of the project – the survey and description of business processes. And so: a long preparation (usual for large companies), contracts are signed and … forward to a brighter future.
When working on the project, it turned out that this was not the first call. Previously, surveys were already carried out by two companies, but they were limited only to top-level processes, things did not go further.
Results of global work:
business processes up to the third level;
a roadmap for implementation has been developed;
an assessment of the project cost was carried out;
participants of the project are defined;
prepared materials for the contract.
Bottom line: after lengthy negotiations, the customer abandoned the project. Everything returned to the state “as it was”, that is, they began to plug the most painful holes, both by their own developers and by the forces of the cheapest third-party performers – to produce a zoo in which no one can figure it out.
Yes, the cost of development according to the original plan, of course, turned out to be very tangible, but quite lifting for the customer. And here’s how to evaluate whether the customer won? Or lost?
