Home of projectPDQ™

Designing and Delivering projects for business benefit - development and implementation.

Diagnosing and Fixing Project Problems in Information Systems projects.

Who are projectPDQ?

A niche consultancy focused on diagnosis and solutions provision for problematic information systems projects. Phil Marks, the Principal, is a programme and project manager with over 20 years international consulting experience in both software development and implementation.

What is projectPDQ?

A structured and repeatable approach to assessing the quality of a project resulting in a Project Diagnostic Quotient and a delivery or problem resolution plan.

A project can be diagnosed at inception (even conception) stage - this takes a view of all the risk factors to produce a balanced PDQ. These factors include:

Organisational Factors

• Capability Maturity Model - organisations may score well on this scale but projects may still fail because of poor design or project-specific factors.
• Project InDigestion - an organisation may score well on CMM, but under relentless and highly pressured business change rates, the capacity of the organisation to digest a particular project at a particular time may be very limited, with inter-project dependencies and resource scarcity setting a project up for failure.

Project Factors

• project-specific technology literacy
• requirements clarity
• business process model quality
• scale of change
• rate of business change anticipated during the project lifecycle
• training requirements
• resource requirements
• proposed methodology

Project PDQ is not a remote self service diagnostic tool. Such tools produce feedback that is based on the input of interested parties. That introduces the risk of bias. Projects are about people working together effectively.

The technique uses experienced consultants (with never less that 15 years senior experience) for design of new projects and investigation of failing projects. The use of highly experienced consultants means that a sharp focus is rapidly developed on the key problem areas.

This leads to short timescale indication of problem resolution strategies, so minimising misdirected project cash burn.

How does it work?

It is based on

• a series of structured interviews across the key stakeholders, and suppliers (internal and external).

• review of the project collateral - knowledgebase and the project planning, control, requirements, design and test artifacts.

The Project Diagnostic Quotient is based on an objective calculation of these factors weighted heavily towards the consultant's assessment of the tangible project artifacts.

It is not a case of 'hiring a consultant to tell me the time and then lending her my watch". We bring real experience to bear on projects.

Why should an organisation use projectPDQ?

The reasons are manifold, but typically:

New Projects

• initiate a new project with best practice and an objective assessment of the risks.

Problem Projects

• unbiased external assessment of project problems
• make internal political issues visible
• put the spotlight on 'the elephant in the room'
• objectively moderated discussion of the issues
• resolution plans originated outside the organisation thereby enabling easier internal ownership and
• uniting the project personnel in a jointly owned resolution plan

What types of project does projectPDQ suit?

The service is appropriate for software development, infrastructure and migration projects, where total project effort is more than about 100 man-days.

The approach is technology-independent. If a project is failing because of technology issues then that is an indication of methodology issues. Whilst resolution may require technology-specific answers, the systemic methodology issue will still need to be addressed to avoid its reappearing in another project. Systemic methodology issues may include, for example: project sizing, planning and scheduling which is out of phase with the rate of business change; a deficient recruitment process; poor business requirements gathering and sign-off; lack of project standards; inappropriate toolsets; inadequate quality system; inadequate test processes.

Want to know more?

Contact me  to arrange an introductory meeting.

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