death by project (and the simple choice)

Death by project(and the simple choice)

Steve Greene, salesforce.com

Most IT and operations organizations organize work by project

makes sense. right?

Afterall that’s what we deliver.

projects.projects.projects.

and, more projects.

but, wait a minute.

our customers think our projects take way too long

cost too much

and don’t meet their needs

And, our staff is scattered, over-worked, and under-appreciated

nice.

could there be a better way?

let’s take a look

The Project Based Model

People Projects

Here’s what we start with

Project Based Model

• Project teams are created upon project initiation• Projects are staffed with available resources• Team members work on many projects in

parallel that are managed through many teams• Team members are assigned work by project

managers• Requires heavy-weight centralized Project

Management and coordination• Teams disband upon completion of project

this is what we get

People

Projects

Project Based Model

hmm. that looks confusing and sorta painful

Project Based Model Results

• Context switching is high• Individuals prioritize projects rather than teams• Disrupted and inconsistent flow• Inconsistent and unsustainable pace• Little visibility or transparency• Less predictable• Complex resource management• Complex Octopus team structure

let’s look at another way

The Team Based Model

a simpler model

Team Based Model

• Work flows through self-organized, cross-functional teams

• Teams have dedicated / persistent resources (virtually everything they need to deliver)

• Teams own a specific domain of work (multiple projects + more)

• Project work is prioritized on a backlog• Team members work together each day on only

the top priority work until it’s done• All team members have the same priorities• Simple team structure• Teams persist over time

Self-organized Scrum Teams(x-functional dedicated)

Projects

PrioritizedBacklogs

Shared Services

Team Based Model Benefits

• Consistent and sustainable pace• Less context switching• Faster “time-to-deliver” for high priority work• More predictable• Greater visibility• Greater throughput• Light-weight project management required• Happier customers• Happier teams

feels good. works.

Think about it.