todolist # 3 - Define the flexibility matrix

When do we say that a project is successfull?. When it is completed on time, within budget and met all it's scope. That is when the projects gets completed within it's triple constraints of time, cost and scope. In this case we say that the project management of the project is of high quality. Before starting the starting, one has to get clarity on the sponsor's priorities with respect to the triple constraints. Along with the sponsor the project manager has to agree on and document whether;

• Scope is highly or moderately or least flexible
• Schedule is highly or moderately or least flexible
• Cost is highly or moderately or least flexible

Everything cannot be highly flexible nor least flexible nor moderately flexible. It has to be spread across. Once this is defined and agreed upon by the sponsor, this becomes the basis for project management decision making.

In one of my project management workshops, I got a project manager whose sponsor was the ruler of that country. For his project schedule was least flexible, scope was moderaly flexible and the cost was most flexible. During the execution, there was shortage of a particular kind of glass which was not very expensive (this what was required). Since it was not available and since the cost is highly flexible and schedule is not flexible, they bought very expensive high quality glass, which was not really required and this decision was right at the given project context.

You are always better with a defined and documented flexibility matrix than without it !

Again coming back to the triple constraints. Earlier we said that the project management is of high quality if the project is completed on time, within budget and met it's scope. This does not guarantee that the deliverable of the project (product of the project) is of high quality.

The iridium project of motorolla was completed on time, within budget and met it's scope. The product os the project did not click, becuse it did not have a business case. Whatever it could do, the internet could do at a fraction of the cost. In this case, will the project manager loose his job?. Need not - becuase he has delivered within the triple constraints of time, cost and scope. In this case, the sponsor may loose his job.

Going by this standard, the project management of vista - operating system from microsoft is a flop and it is making money in the market. Similarly Titanic movie...:-)