Clearly defined project outcomes or goals should be driven by results – Satisfaction would come down the line, mostly post-project delivery. To seek this during project implementations may result in poor judgement and subsequent decisions impacting on successful project delivery.
When the water starts boiling it is foolish to turn off the heat – Nelson Mandela.
The journey to successful delivery on IT projects and projects in general should be largely based on clearly defined results which are tangible measurable goals expected as the project outcome, and projects delivery success criteria should primarily be based on these pre-defined results (goals).
It is necessary from the start of the project to define goals as results and not have it based on satisfaction. While the sales process to securing deals borders mostly on satisfaction to get the client’s buy in, by painting the final project outcomes for instance; phrases like “increase in productivity”, “make more money”, “stand out”, “be the first”, “improve employee engagement”, “reduce operating costs” … etc. – these terms or ultimate project benefits are rarely experienced or seen during project delivery.
Upfront the client needs to be made aware of this to prevent misconceptions down the line as the project progresses. Emotions are very powerful forces and quality decisions could easily be clouded when there is a mis-match between ‘satisfaction’ and ‘results’.
Satisfaction is equally important since this is mostly the basis on which the deal was secured, and this too has to be met. Therefore, it is important to ensure that final results be directly matched to client expectations. These have to be clearly defined as well and expected ‘delivery times’ and ‘key criteria’ needed to deliver on project benefits (i.e. satisfaction) must be outlined and followed through.
While successful projects are delivered primarily on results, client expectations are the real reason a client feels satisfied that the project is successful. In other words, it is possible to deliver on a project based on outlined results (goals), but still fail to gain client satisfaction based on perceived project benefits.
A careful blend of results and satisfaction based on expertise and experience is the perfect recipe for overall IT project success. And as with all projects, both sides (trained professionals and clients) must deliver on their commitments for overall project success.
