Project Management

Don’t “Goldplate” (Deliver More than the Client Requested)

The term goldplating refers to delivering more than what the client requested. Even though it might seem that this is a good thing, it is wrong for two reasons. First, the primary focus of the project should be to make sure that you deliver what the client wants - on time and within budget. By adding in additional work, you increase the risk that the project will not meet its deadline or budget. If you end up missing your deadline date, you will not find sympathy if you explain that the date was missed because of adding more work than the client agreed to.

Second, if you deliver more than the client expected, there is always the implication that you could have delivered what they wanted for less time and duration. if you goldplate, you are taking it upon yourself to make a business decision on what is of most value to the client. There may be some good reasons why the additional features were not included in the initial project scope. They may, in fact, be of marginal value to the client. There may be more value in having the solution completed early and for less cost. The point is that this is a client decision and not one that the project manager should make.

Under-promising and over-delivering should only apply to delivering earlier or for less money than was anticipated. It should not include delivering more requirements than were asked for. The client may, in fact, ask you to include more requirements in the solution. If they do, the new requirements should be processed through scope change management. However, the client may have other uses for the savings that are more important to them. If you can complete the project earlier or for less money than was budgeted, let the client make the decision on what to do with the good fortune.

Make Sure Quality Management Focuses on Processes, Not People

The focus of quality management is to build the right processes so that the entire team can produce the deliverables that meet the client’s expectations. Therefore, if a particular deliverable has a quality problem, the project manager and project team should focus on how the project work processes can be improved - not on trying to determine who is to blame.

Most problems with quality are the result of poor or inadequate work processes, not because of the malicious act of a particular person. In fact, it is thought that at least 80% of quality problems can be resolved by changing and strengthening business processes. Less than 20% of problems are under a team member’s control. Furthermore, the processes that your organization utilizes are largely determined by management. So, when workers or team members have quality problems, it is important for managers to identify the weak or broken processes involved and fix them. This is a management responsibility – not the responsibility of the staff. This does not mean that everyone cannot be involved. However, the setting up and enforcement of business processes is primarily a management responsibility.

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Wideman Glossary Term of the Week - Life Cycle Cost ("LCC")

• The total cost of a system or facility over its full life, including the cost of development, acquisition, operation, support and disposal.

• The total cost of implementation and ownership of a system over its useful life. It includes the cost of development, acquisition, operation, maintenance, support, and where applicable, disposal.

• The sum of all costs over the useful life of a building, system or product. It includes the cost of design, construction, acquisition, operation, maintenance, and salvage (or resale) value, if any.

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