Effectively initiating a project or programme is one of the greatest challenges for any delivery lead. The alignment of multiple stakeholders with varying drivers and needs on core requirements, budgets and constraints is one of the key challenges in this process; rapidly designing solution and delivery frameworks which ensure those requirements are met and benefits realised is another. Efficiently and effectively initiating projects is a necessity, which if not delivered successfully will derail a project before it has even started. Investment in a focused start-up save money and ensure success in the long run.
ASE's Approach
ASE have developed a Solution Envisioning process which is specifically aimed at driving successful Programme/Project Start-up and Initiation stages and creating the organisational alignment, opportunity momentum and key solution/delivery products required for successful project/programme initiation:
The process is lead by highly skilled ASE consultants and utilises a joint team approach - working with the client, merging external SMEs (Subject Matter Expertise) where needed with the client’s internal business knowledge and delivery skills, to create a core team who then drive the process engaging the wider stakeholder community in the process initially through interviews and then through a joint workshopping process.
Finally a write-up and handover stage make sure all the key products are delivered to the quality standards agreed at the start of the process and critically ensures that the owners of the delivery going forward have all the tools they need to successfully now drive the delivery stages of the project
Key Benefits
- Stakeholder alignment, opportunity momentum and project/programme start-up products created rapidly and efficiently ensuring best possible project start
- The process offers the greatest value for money, combining the programme management and initiation expertise of ASE, other external SME (as per any gaps identified) and client delivery and business knowledge in the most cost effective manner - ensuring the optimal use of all resources
- Key stakeholders are all engaged and aligned but at minimal disruption to their schedules - critically ensuring their engagement and buy-in to the envisioning process
- The process is adaptable to the constraint of the client environment (e.g. skills available, timescales etc) and to the size, scale and complexity of the project or programme
- The process has been proven and has been successfully integrated into the project delivery lifecycle and handed over to clients to run for themselves
Read more in the case study: Introducing the Solution Envisioning Process