Dealing with challenges
In the last post of our blog series, I would like to present the challenges mentioned in the posts on rough conception and detailed conception in more detail and show which mitigating measures we apply in our projects.
The challenges we face …
| Challenges | Description |
|---|---|
| Unclear organizational and project responsibilities | Without clear accountability, misunderstandings and delays can occur, hindering project progress. |
| Insufficient strategic content and preliminary considerations | The lack of a strategic foundation often means that the project team has too little information to make substantive decisions in line with business objectives. |
| Access to and availability of know-how carriers on the customer side | Lack of access to critical information and experts on the customer side can significantly hinder project progress. |
| Lack of involvement of all relevant stakeholders | The non-involvement of relevant stakeholders can lead to a lack of acceptance and ultimately to the failure of the project. |
| Lack of stability in the project team | High fluctuation or unclear responsibilities in the project team can lead to uncertainties and delays and affect the quality of the project work. |
| Changing requirements | Changes in requirements during the project can create significant challenges during implementation. |
| Inadequate information and communication flow | Poor communication within the team and with the customer leads to misunderstandings, errors, and delays. |
| Interactions and dependencies between design and implementation | A lack of coordination between design and implementation can jeopardize project outcomes. |
… And how do we deal with it?
In order to successfully meet the above-mentioned challenges, we start our projects on three levels:
- Methodology
- Organization
- Communication
Methodology
As already mentioned in the first blog post of this series, it is important to adapt the methodology and approach of a project to the existing framework conditions. This requires a comprehensive initial analysis, clear goals, and maintaining flexibility and adaptability in all project phases. In this way, acute and future problems can be identified and addressed at an early stage.
Organization
We establish a clear project organization with roles and responsibilities on several levels with our customers at an early stage as well as a time commitment on the customer side to ensure availability.
At the operational level , we work with a small core team that works together in an interdisciplinary manner and in close coordination. Regular core team meetings / workshops in a one- to two-week rhythm are ideal for this purpose. The core team remains as stable as possible during the conception phase and is supplemented depending on the situation in individual workshops with stakeholders or know-how carriers from the extended project organization.
At the strategic level , a steering committee will be set up consisting of the sponsors, decision-makers and influencers necessary for the project.
Communication
In order to ensure the necessary flow of information within this project organization, suitable communication vessels and channels will be set up and actively used throughout the course of the project.
Regular meetings and workshops serve as communication vessels, which serve the various stakeholder groups within the project organization.
For the operational level , regular (e.g. weekly) core team meetings are suitable, which serve the joint development of content and the organization of pending issues and work assignments. Depending on the situation, know-how carriers or stakeholders outside the core team can also be consulted.
Depending on the size of the organization and thus the number of stakeholders, a regular update meeting is recommended in order to generate feedback on the content developed at an early stage and to ensure the involvement of the relevant stakeholders.
Regular (e.g. monthly) steering meetings are established for the strategic level. These meetings should not be limited to pure status reporting, but should also be used to make strategic decisions and actively address risks and develop mitigation strategies.
All of the aforementioned vessels must be filled with content via suitable communication channels. We rely on digital tools such as Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams or Atlassian Confluence & Jira to collaboratively develop content and prepare it in a way that is appropriate for the target group.
Accompanying the actual project, we recommend active management of the associated change processes at the level of the overall organization, depending on the context.
Result
The design of digital solutions requires a structured approach, clear communication and close cooperation between all parties involved. By focusing on content-related approach, organization and communication, the typical challenges can be successfully mastered.
As a service provider with years of experience in the design of digital solutions, we support you in developing the right strategies to make your digital projects a success. Contact us – we look forward to working with you!