Optimize not compromise
by jed simms on April 8, 2011
Some people see ‘optimization’ as a bridge far too far – way beyond where they are today.
But they are mistaking optimisation for perfection.
Optimization is about getting the best, most practical value from the resources and options available with maximum efficiency.
It involves trade-offs between what is available and what is cost-effective. It balances risk and return. It is not about getting every drop of value or delivering the perfect result.
But it is not about compromise either.
Today, too many projects are compromised when they could have been optimized. Scope is compromised. Time and cost is compromised. Value is vaporised.
You see, projects are currently not set up for optimisation. Many of the key optimisation pre-requisites are missing. For example, the ability to:
- compute each benefit’s cost of delivery, to identify low value/high cost project elements that can be culled.
- define upstream project work in clear, specific, measurable process and outcomes terms so as to streamline the delivery effort and minimize the 30% or so of the time and effort spent on rework.
Totally Optimized Projects are within any organization’s reach. You just need to start by refocusing on the pre-requisites of optimization rather than continuing to accept compromises.
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