Requirements Must Lead, Physical Items Must Follow
Every project begins with a plan which is a matrix of sequenced tasks. Plans may be adjusted along the way as illustrated in the following cycle.
To "plan" is to state the requirements. To "do" is to execute the plan (achieve the initial requirements). To "study" is to review the results and options. To "act" is to make a business decision and either continue with the plan or adjust it.
- - -and then repeat the cycle again and again.
Missing Link in Project Management
Project management became a formal discipline over 30 years ago. The Plan, Do, Study, Act cycle, work breakdown structures and critical path charts are the key elements of that discipline.
Provisions for changing faster and documenting better, however, have always been weak links.
The Plan, Do, Study, Act cycle, when dissected into its component elements, is more than one cycle. It is two interdependent cycles; one for requirements and the other for physical items.
Each of the two cycles has its own type of authorization; one for upgrading requirements and another for working on physical items.
The need for corrective action and intervention resources grows when physical items get ahead of requirements. Ability to accommodate change is a prerequisite for maintaining the proper sequence.
Institute of Configuration Management Scottsdale, AZ 85261-5656 Tel: (480) 998-8600 Fax: (480) 998-8923 Email: info@icmhq.com