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Actual for You - Analysis of Project Success Criteria and Success Factors
Effective Marketing is About Loving Your Customers nt’ is based on the fact that success varies with time. Looking at the future benefits of the organisation can be really difficult, because in some cases they don’t even know what they want, yet is vital to know what the project is trying to achieve after completion time so that success criteria are clearly defined in the early stages. This is quite a different approach, because the focus moves from the present success criteria to the future, in a way that a project can be unsuccessful during execution if it is judged by criteria like cost and quality, but in the long term it can turn to be a thriving story. A good example of this hypothesis is hosting the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, which received mass criticism both during the planning period, due to delays in construction time, and when it was finished, due to huge cost. But the benefits that Greece will gain from the Olympic Games can be fully understood after 5 or maybe 10 years from the hosting year (Athens2004.com).“Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.” ~Henry FordDo you cut corners in your products and services? Or do you make the honest effort to do it right even when no one is looking? You can’t expect perfection as that is an impossible goal for the imperfect people we are. The question is simply if you have done your best. Do you do the job right even if your customer or client may never know the difference?Marketing with Integrity is about loving your customer. Develop a relationship with them. Advise them. Help them. Offer them products and services which will help them. Protect them from those who would take advantage of them. It isn’t about being the cheapest in the market, although you could make that your unique selling position.It is really caring about the results your customers get from your products. If good service and quality require higher prices, then you’ll have to charge higher prices. Base your business on really helping solve your customer’s problems.That shouldn’t just be a buzz phrase. Make it the truth to you and your business.Employ educational selling. Tell your customers the whole story if necessary. Give them reasons why they should buy from you. Promote the benefits of your product or service. Have ads which tell a story of how your product has helped other customers and clients. Just make sure it is a true story!Being honest doesn’t mean being boring.It also doesn’t mean being bland. You can still have exciting benefit rich ad copy and true stories to sell you products. You have to use good salesmanship to bring in buyers. Just don’t use salesmanship as an excuse for lying or dishonesty.If you truly love your customers, you won’t deceive them or trick them into buying something they shouldn’t. You won’t tell them this is the best price when it isn’t. You won’t make up fake stories to sell more items. You will do everything you can to help them make a right buying decision. You will give them all the information they need to make a wise decision.You will show them how well your product will help t All the above success criteria "should be simple and attainable and, once defined, they should also be ranked according to priority" (Right Track Associates, 2003). Straightforward criteria are easy to understand by everyone involved in the project and therefore commitment is guaranteed. Unrealistic criteria can put a ‘failure’ label on many projects because of the unreachable standards, ca Out Thinking Your Competition We often hear or read about various success stories. But what is success and what criteria should organizations use to identify success? What factors lead to a successful project? The purpose of this article is to define project success criteria, clarify their difference with success factors and analyse their importance in project management methodology.One thing I have always learned in business is that when your competition is going down, they usually pull something dishonest or disreputable in the process. Further those who cannot compete cheat. But what amazes me is that most of the competition out there cannot think and therefore makes poor choices and linear decisions, which gives you the edge over them. I would like to talk with you briefly about how to; Out Think Your Competition!If your competition is undercapitalized or in money crunch you will notice that they often make very bad decisions. People who don't have very much money and are worried about money generally make very poor decisions that hurt them in the long-term. But this is the nature of how money and decision-making works with humans.Another interesting factor is that people with too much money often do not respect the money and blow the money on stupid things. Large corporations often waste huge amounts of money and marketing when they could do simple little things which would return much more results on their investments in such things as advertising, public relations and publicity.Considering both of these points is rather easy to out think your competition all you need to do is sit in their point of view and consider what you would do in their situation and you will find that they will do the most obvious thing and this makes them highly predictable and easy to beat. It is easy to out think your competition using this method. Please consider all this in 2006. One of the vaguest concepts of project management is project success. Since each individual or group of people who are involved in a project have different needs and expectations, it is very unsurprising that they interpret project success in their own way of understanding (Cleland & Ireland, 2004, p2). "For those involved with a project, project success is normally thought of as the achievement of some pre-determined project goals" (Lim & Mohamed, 1999, p244) while the general public has different views, commonly based on user satisfaction. A classic example of different perspective of successful project is the Sydney Opera House project (Thomsett, 2002), which went 16 times over budget and took 4 times more to finish than originally planned. But the final impact that the Opera House created was so big that no one remembers the original missed goals. The project was a big success for the people and at the same time a big failure from the project management perspective. On the other hand, the Millennium Dome in London was a project on time and on budget but in the eyes of the British people was considered a failure because it didn’t deliver the awe and glamour that it was supposed to generate (Cammack, 2005). "In the same way that quality requires both conformance to the specifications and fitness for use, project success requires a combination of product success (service, result, or outcome) and project management success" (Duncan, 2004). The difference between criteria and factors is fuzzy for many people. The Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary describes a criterion as "a standard by which you judge, decide about or deal with something" while a factor is explained as "a fact or situation which influences the result of something". Lim & Mohamed applied those definitions to project success and illustrated the difference as show in Figure 1. It is clear now that critical factors can lead to a series of events which ultimately meet the overall success criteria of the project, so they shouldn’t be used as synonymous terms. Success Criteria Many lists of success criteria have been introduced in the previous decades by various researchers. Primal success criteria have been an integrated part of project management theory given that early definitions of project management included the so called ‘Iron Triangle’ success criteria – cost, time and quality. (Atkinson, 1999, p338) Atkinson continues that "as a discipline, project management has not really changed or developed the success measurement criteria in almost 50 years". To meet the urgent need of modernizing the out of date success criteria, he suggest the ‘Square Route’ (figure 3) success criteria instead of the ‘Iron Triangle’, where he groups the criteria that other academics have proposed. The main change is the addition of qualitative objectives rather than quantitative, namely the benefits that different group of people can receive from the project. These benefits are seen from two perspectives, one from the organisational view and one from the stakeholders view. It is obvious that each part will have benefit differently from projects. For example one organisation can gain profit through achieving strategic goals when a project is completed and at the same time these goals have a serious environmental impact in the stakeholders’ community. This means that a successful project must bargain between the benefits of the organisation and the satisfaction of end users. The fourth corner of the ‘Square Root’ is the Information System which includes the subjects of maintainability, reliability and validity of project outcomes. One of the "Square’s root" corners, organisational benefits, drew much attention because of it’s significance and it was further analysed. Kerzner (2001, p6) suggests three criteria from the organization perspective in order for a project to be successful. The first is that it must be completed "with minimum or mutually agreed upon scope changes", even though stakeholders constantly have different views about projects’ results (Maylor, 2005, p288). Second, "without disturbing the main work flow of the organization" because a project has to assist organisation’s everyday operations and try to make them more efficient and effective. Finally, it should be completed "without changing the corporate culture" even though projects are "almost exclusively concerned with change – with knocking down the old and building up the new" (Baguley, 1995, p8). A project manager’s main responsibility is to make sure that he delivers change only where is necessary, otherwise he is doomed to find strong resistance from almost all organisational departments (Kerzner, 2001, p158) which ultimately could lead to project failure. A more structured approach to project success is grouping the criteria into categories. Wideman (1996, p3-4) describes four groups, all of them time dependent: "internal project objectives (efficiency during the project), benefit to customer (effectiveness in the short term), direct contribution (in the medium term) and future opportunity (in the long term)". The characterization of ‘time dependent’ is based on the fact that success varies with time. Looking at the future benefits of the organisation can be really difficult, because in some cases they don’t even know what they want, yet is vital to know what the project is trying to achieve after completion time so that success criteria are clearly defined in the early stages. This is quite a different approach, because the focus moves from the present success criteria to the future, in a way that a project can be unsuccessful during execution if it is judged by criteria like cost and quality, but in the long term it can turn to be a thriving story. A good example of this hypothesis is hosting the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, which received mass criticism both during the planning period, due to delays in construction time, and when it was finished, due to huge cost. But the benefits that Greece will gain from the Olympic Games can be fully understood after 5 or maybe 10 years from the hosting year (Athens2004.com). All the above success criteria "should be simple and attainable and, once defined, they should also be ranked according to priority" (Right Track Associates, 2003). Straightforward criteria are easy to understand by everyone involved in the project and therefore commitment is guaranteed. Unrealistic criteria can put a ‘failure’ label on many projects because of the unreachable standards, can Meals, Feels And Wheels-Thought For The Customer Service Professionals Day ndon was a project on time and on budget but in the eyes of the British people was considered a failure because it didn’t deliver the awe and glamour that it was supposed to generate (Cammack, 2005). "In the same way that quality requires both conformance to the specifications and fitness for use, project success requires a combination of product success (service, result, or outcome) and project management success" (Duncan, 2004).I was thinking this morning about how much I like my cereal.This cereal has nice sound when it is poured into the bowl. Inviting, crisp and clean. Little round brightly colored circles of joy all jumbled together. Not only are the colors are pleasing to the eye and they stand out against the white background of my bowl, making the cereal seem to smile at me. As I am splashing milk over the top I feel good about the start to my day.I have other cereals in my cabinet to choose from. They all have the same basic ingredients. Each of them is made from grain, or nuts in some cases, flakes of corn, wheat or rice. They all have nutritional value and taste great with milk.There is just something about my favorite though. My cereal makes me feel good, warm, secure in my day, happy with my choice of cereal. And because it makes me feel that way I know that tomorrow I will be starting my day off with that same cereal.Your Customer Service should feel that way to your Customers.Think about it. Do you have a favorite meal? When you sit down to enjoy it, does the meal invoke memories? Are all of your senses alive and happy with the thought of having that first fork or spoonful pass across your lips and the aroma waft through your nostrils, right to the area of your brain that stores all of your memories and emotions?Your Customers are the feeling the same way about your service when they come back in to see you.Warm, inviting, friendly and secure in the knowledge that the service they receive will match the last great experience you gave them. All of the same triggers that are associated with a favorite meal, with favorite people are in play. If you are having trouble connecting this concept, think of it this way.We all remember a favorite meal. Close your eyes, smell the cooking and feel how that memory is right upfront in your mind, in fact you can taste and smell that dish right now. As I am writing this I am thinking about fried chicken and mashed potatoes. I am thinking about how it tastes, why I like it so much and when I eat it, all of the The difference between criteria and factors is fuzzy for many people. The Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary describes a criterion as "a standard by which you judge, decide about or deal with something" while a factor is explained as "a fact or situation which influences the result of something". Lim & Mohamed applied those definitions to project success and illustrated the difference as show in Figure 1. It is clear now that critical factors can lead to a series of events which ultimately meet the overall success criteria of the project, so they shouldn’t be used as synonymous terms. Success Criteria Many lists of success criteria have been introduced in the previous decades by various researchers. Primal success criteria have been an integrated part of project management theory given that early definitions of project management included the so called ‘Iron Triangle’ success criteria – cost, time and quality. (Atkinson, 1999, p338) Atkinson continues that "as a discipline, project management has not really changed or developed the success measurement criteria in almost 50 years". To meet the urgent need of modernizing the out of date success criteria, he suggest the ‘Square Route’ (figure 3) success criteria instead of the ‘Iron Triangle’, where he groups the criteria that other academics have proposed. The main change is the addition of qualitative objectives rather than quantitative, namely the benefits that different group of people can receive from the project. These benefits are seen from two perspectives, one from the organisational view and one from the stakeholders view. It is obvious that each part will have benefit differently from projects. For example one organisation can gain profit through achieving strategic goals when a project is completed and at the same time these goals have a serious environmental impact in the stakeholders’ community. This means that a successful project must bargain between the benefits of the organisation and the satisfaction of end users. The fourth corner of the ‘Square Root’ is the Information System which includes the subjects of maintainability, reliability and validity of project outcomes. One of the "Square’s root" corners, organisational benefits, drew much attention because of it’s significance and it was further analysed. Kerzner (2001, p6) suggests three criteria from the organization perspective in order for a project to be successful. The first is that it must be completed "with minimum or mutually agreed upon scope changes", even though stakeholders constantly have different views about projects’ results (Maylor, 2005, p288). Second, "without disturbing the main work flow of the organization" because a project has to assist organisation’s everyday operations and try to make them more efficient and effective. Finally, it should be completed "without changing the corporate culture" even though projects are "almost exclusively concerned with change – with knocking down the old and building up the new" (Baguley, 1995, p8). A project manager’s main responsibility is to make sure that he delivers change only where is necessary, otherwise he is doomed to find strong resistance from almost all organisational departments (Kerzner, 2001, p158) which ultimately could lead to project failure. A more structured approach to project success is grouping the criteria into categories. Wideman (1996, p3-4) describes four groups, all of them time dependent: "internal project objectives (efficiency during the project), benefit to customer (effectiveness in the short term), direct contribution (in the medium term) and future opportunity (in the long term)". The characterization of ‘time dependent’ is based on the fact that success varies with time. Looking at the future benefits of the organisation can be really difficult, because in some cases they don’t even know what they want, yet is vital to know what the project is trying to achieve after completion time so that success criteria are clearly defined in the early stages. This is quite a different approach, because the focus moves from the present success criteria to the future, in a way that a project can be unsuccessful during execution if it is judged by criteria like cost and quality, but in the long term it can turn to be a thriving story. A good example of this hypothesis is hosting the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, which received mass criticism both during the planning period, due to delays in construction time, and when it was finished, due to huge cost. But the benefits that Greece will gain from the Olympic Games can be fully understood after 5 or maybe 10 years from the hosting year (Athens2004.com). All the above success criteria "should be simple and attainable and, once defined, they should also be ranked according to priority" (Right Track Associates, 2003). Straightforward criteria are easy to understand by everyone involved in the project and therefore commitment is guaranteed. Unrealistic criteria can put a ‘failure’ label on many projects because of the unreachable standards, ca How To Develop A New Product kinson, 1999, p338)Where do you begin when you have an idea for a new product? With the sales page! Yup, before you even create the product you need to know 1) if there is a need for your product and 2) what exact needs your product will meet.I had an idea formulating for a new educational series. I created a survey that asked questions that would guide me in meeting their needs. I sent it to the people in my e-magazine list and discovered that they wanted to:Focus their passion and talents in a profitable business endeavorLearn to make passive income Get more clientsStudy alone at their own pace with audio/video/workbook downloadsBe a part of an on-going Master Mind Group That seemed like a very clear directive to me. It helped me see how they wanted to learn and what was most important to them. The survey helped me focus my product.The next thing I did was start writing my sales page. What benefits would I offer them? What specific needs would I meet? What features would I offer?As I wrote the sales page, I made choices. Yes, I wanted to use a forum environment. No, I did not want to create transcripts of the conference calls. Yes, I wanted to create a workbook rather than individual handouts. In addition, if I were to do some version of a Master Mind Group what would that look like? How much time would it take? Would there be an on-going fee or is it free with the class? How long would it last? You get the picture, I had to define my product very clearly before I wrote a single word.And guess what, in writing the sales page I had to decide exactly what I was going to teach them every week! So, my series began to have an outline. My graphic designer friend designed the sales page masthead banner for the two classes and I went to work in DreamWeaver to create words that got people excited about what they would learn and achieve as we worked together. A sales pages makes you price out your offering, think up ways to bundle things together, find bonus items you can give to add value, and it makes you set up your shopping cart s Atkinson continues that "as a discipline, project management has not really changed or developed the success measurement criteria in almost 50 years". To meet the urgent need of modernizing the out of date success criteria, he suggest the ‘Square Route’ (figure 3) success criteria instead of the ‘Iron Triangle’, where he groups the criteria that other academics have proposed. The main change is the addition of qualitative objectives rather than quantitative, namely the benefits that different group of people can receive from the project. These benefits are seen from two perspectives, one from the organisational view and one from the stakeholders view. It is obvious that each part will have benefit differently from projects. For example one organisation can gain profit through achieving strategic goals when a project is completed and at the same time these goals have a serious environmental impact in the stakeholders’ community. This means that a successful project must bargain between the benefits of the organisation and the satisfaction of end users. The fourth corner of the ‘Square Root’ is the Information System which includes the subjects of maintainability, reliability and validity of project outcomes. One of the "Square’s root" corners, organisational benefits, drew much attention because of it’s significance and it was further analysed. Kerzner (2001, p6) suggests three criteria from the organization perspective in order for a project to be successful. The first is that it must be completed "with minimum or mutually agreed upon scope changes", even though stakeholders constantly have different views about projects’ results (Maylor, 2005, p288). Second, "without disturbing the main work flow of the organization" because a project has to assist organisation’s everyday operations and try to make them more efficient and effective. Finally, it should be completed "without changing the corporate culture" even though projects are "almost exclusively concerned with change – with knocking down the old and building up the new" (Baguley, 1995, p8). A project manager’s main responsibility is to make sure that he delivers change only where is necessary, otherwise he is doomed to find strong resistance from almost all organisational departments (Kerzner, 2001, p158) which ultimately could lead to project failure. A more structured approach to project success is grouping the criteria into categories. Wideman (1996, p3-4) describes four groups, all of them time dependent: "internal project objectives (efficiency during the project), benefit to customer (effectiveness in the short term), direct contribution (in the medium term) and future opportunity (in the long term)". The characterization of ‘time dependent’ is based on the fact that success varies with time. Looking at the future benefits of the organisation can be really difficult, because in some cases they don’t even know what they want, yet is vital to know what the project is trying to achieve after completion time so that success criteria are clearly defined in the early stages. This is quite a different approach, because the focus moves from the present success criteria to the future, in a way that a project can be unsuccessful during execution if it is judged by criteria like cost and quality, but in the long term it can turn to be a thriving story. A good example of this hypothesis is hosting the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, which received mass criticism both during the planning period, due to delays in construction time, and when it was finished, due to huge cost. But the benefits that Greece will gain from the Olympic Games can be fully understood after 5 or maybe 10 years from the hosting year (Athens2004.com). All the above success criteria "should be simple and attainable and, once defined, they should also be ranked according to priority" (Right Track Associates, 2003). Straightforward criteria are easy to understand by everyone involved in the project and therefore commitment is guaranteed. Unrealistic criteria can put a ‘failure’ label on many projects because of the unreachable standards, ca Titanium Laser Cutting sed. Kerzner (2001, p6) suggests three criteria from the organization perspective in order for a project to be successful. The first is that it must be completed "with minimum or mutually agreed upon scope changes", even though stakeholders constantly have different views about projects’ results (Maylor, 2005, p288). Second, "without disturbing the main work flow of the organization" because a project has to assist organisation’s everyday operations and try to make them more efficient and effective. Finally, it should be completed "without changing the corporate culture" even though projects are "almost exclusively concerned with change – with knocking down the old and building up the new" (Baguley, 1995, p8). A project manager’s main responsibility is to make sure that he delivers change only where is necessary, otherwise he is doomed to find strong resistance from almost all organisational departments (Kerzner, 2001, p158) which ultimately could lead to project failure.If you are looking for titanium laser cutting machines, the Internet provides a directory of companies that offer this type of equipment.Laser cutting remains one of the fastest growing methods in the manufacturing equipment industry. It is being used by fabricators of metals instead of older equipment, such as turret punches.Laser cutting machines offer important advantages in precision, productivity, flexibility, material utilization, and part?s quality. It consists of major components like machine frame, beam delivery, drive system, and resonator.A thermal process that is applied to high quality and precise cutting is termed laser cutting. The energy from a laser cutting machine is focused on a material to burn, melt, and vaporize. A number of laser resonators can produce a beam that is focused on a small hot spot to allow faster and high-quality laser cutting resulting in a less expensive operating cost.Oxygen adds heat to the process and causes the metal to burn and leave a blackened edge. Laser cutting with nitrogen makes the cut cooler, leaving a high quality edge finish.Laser cutting equipment used in industries can cut various materials that include stainless steel,aluminum, titanium, wood, bronze, acrylic, leather, and rubber. It uses various types of drive systems with the linear motors and ball screws providing the most accurate results.A laser cutting machine that gives faster speeds of rapid traverse and greater acceleration are the ones with linear motors. This can also be used when there is a need for precision in laser cutting methods.Laser cutting systems and tools provide solutions to manufacturing problems. It is a proven industrial machine that operates at all times in industrial fabricating shops. The carbon dioxide laser cutting machine is not only reliable and productive but also easy to maintain.Remember these guidelines to help you in your selection of titanium laser cutting machines. A more structured approach to project success is grouping the criteria into categories. Wideman (1996, p3-4) describes four groups, all of them time dependent: "internal project objectives (efficiency during the project), benefit to customer (effectiveness in the short term), direct contribution (in the medium term) and future opportunity (in the long term)". The characterization of ‘time dependent’ is based on the fact that success varies with time. Looking at the future benefits of the organisation can be really difficult, because in some cases they don’t even know what they want, yet is vital to know what the project is trying to achieve after completion time so that success criteria are clearly defined in the early stages. This is quite a different approach, because the focus moves from the present success criteria to the future, in a way that a project can be unsuccessful during execution if it is judged by criteria like cost and quality, but in the long term it can turn to be a thriving story. A good example of this hypothesis is hosting the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, which received mass criticism both during the planning period, due to delays in construction time, and when it was finished, due to huge cost. But the benefits that Greece will gain from the Olympic Games can be fully understood after 5 or maybe 10 years from the hosting year (Athens2004.com). All the above success criteria "should be simple and attainable and, once defined, they should also be ranked according to priority" (Right Track Associates, 2003). Straightforward criteria are easy to understand by everyone involved in the project and therefore commitment is guaranteed. Unrealistic criteria can put a ‘failure’ label on many projects because of the unreachable standards, ca Mentoring nt’ is based on the fact that success varies with time. Looking at the future benefits of the organisation can be really difficult, because in some cases they don’t even know what they want, yet is vital to know what the project is trying to achieve after completion time so that success criteria are clearly defined in the early stages. This is quite a different approach, because the focus moves from the present success criteria to the future, in a way that a project can be unsuccessful during execution if it is judged by criteria like cost and quality, but in the long term it can turn to be a thriving story. A good example of this hypothesis is hosting the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, which received mass criticism both during the planning period, due to delays in construction time, and when it was finished, due to huge cost. But the benefits that Greece will gain from the Olympic Games can be fully understood after 5 or maybe 10 years from the hosting year (Athens2004.com).Some people can dive into a project headfirst without first having received any guidance and without having a plan. The most amazing aspect of this approach is that sometimes these people successfully complete a project. This approach may work for school papers or group projects, but I caution you not to initiate this kind of mentality on an entrepreneurial investment. Even if you are one of those people who have succeeded in the past using this “attack first, ask questions later” approach, I implore you to reconsider doing the same for your first, and in fact, any investment.The simple solution, find a mentor. Talk to people that have already “walked the path that you are traveling.” You might be wondering how and where to talk to these people. I have an answer for you.First, figure out exactly what kind of investment you would like to attempt. Accomplishing this will help you focus your efforts and questions to people who possess the expertise that will be most helpful to you. Once you have established your investment interest, you next must find “experts” who can give you the vital information you need to make an INFORMED decision about your investment goal.Second, start with your immediate family and friends. Asking these people questions will not be difficult, because you will probably feel most comfortable around these people. Make sure you are asking questions of people who can help! DO NOT arbitrarily ask random friends and family members general questions, because you will not gain any useful information. Another pitfall to avoid is making a decision off of this information alone. Friends and family members may “sugar coat” the answers to tough questions so as not to discourage you. Although the intention is kind-hearted and good-spirited, this can only hurt you in the end.If you do not have any friends or family members that can help you directly, ask if they know anybody that can help. Besides providing information, friends and family can provide many outlets for you to find information.In the event that your friends and family and their friends and All the above success criteria "should be simple and attainable and, once defined, they should also be ranked according to priority" (Right Track Associates, 2003). Straightforward criteria are easy to understand by everyone involved in the project and therefore commitment is guaranteed. Unrealistic criteria can put a ‘failure’ label on many projects because of the unreachable standards, can generate low team esteem and team performance in future projects and finally generate unfair disappointment among stakeholders. As for priority issues, it is inevitable that things will go wrong and the project manager will be in a tough situation where he must make the right decision having in mind that he has to sacrifice the least important success criterion. Success Factors As mentioned earlier, "success factors are those inputs to the management system that lead directly or indirectly to the success of the project or business" (Cooke-Davies, 2002, p185). Some project managers "intuitively and informally determine their own success factors. However, if these factors are not explicitly identified and recorded, they will not become part of formal project management reporting process nor they become part of the historical project data" (Rad & Levin, 2002, p18). Belassi & Tukel (1996, p144) classified these factors into 5 distinct groups according to which element they relate to: 1. The project manager Having a project manager is not going to guarantee the success of a project. He must have a number of skills to use during the project to guide the rest of the team to successfully complete all the objectives. In the 2001 CHAOS report (The Standish Group International, 2001, p6), business, communication, responsiveness, process, results, operational, realism and technological skills are mentioned as some of the most important skills a project manager should have to deliver success. However, more resent research by Turner and Muller (2005, p59) has concluded that "the leadership style and competence of the project manager have no impact on project success". It is very interesting to investigate why a highly respectable professional body for project managers published such a contradictive position. A possible answer could be found in the fact that project manager’s results are difficult to prove and even more difficult to measure. If the project is successful, senior management will probably claim that all external factors were favourable. On the contrary, if it turns to be a failure, project manager easily becomes the scapegoat. 2. The project team Project managers are very lucky if they have the option to choose their project team. More often, their team is inherited to the project from various sectors of the organisation. It is vital to have a good project team to work with, with core skills that can be evolved to core competences and capabilities for the whole organisation. All members of the project team must be committed to the success of the project and the overall mission of the company. Apart from their skills and commitment, project team members should have clear communication channels to access "both the functional manager and the project manager within a matrix organization. Effective management of this dual reporting is often a critical success factor for the project" (PMBOK Guide, 2004, p215). 3. The project itself The type of a project underlines some factors that are important to success. For example, if a project is urgent, the critical factor in that case is time. The Wembley stadium is expected to be fully operational due to May's 2006 FA Cup Final and that is the primary target. However, the increase of cost "that has thrown the management's calculations out of kilter" (Evans, 2005) was not a big issue at that time. The size, value of a project and it’s uniqueness of activities can be a puzzle for the project manager who is used to planning and co-ordinating common and simple activities (Belassi & Tukel, 1996, p144). 4. The organization Top management support is the principal success factor for many independent research groups (Tukel & Rom, 1998, p48) (CHAOS Report, 2001, p4) (Cleland & Ireland, 2002, p210) (Tinnirello, 2002, p14) , which means that no project can finish successfully unless the project manager secures true support from the senior or operational management. It is extremely difficult to work in a hostile environment where nobody understands the benefits that the project will deliver to the organisation. "Stakeholder management and contract strategies (number of and size of the contracts, interface between the different contracts and the management of contracts) are separate success factors which are also considered part of organization issues" (Torp, Austeng & Mengesha, 2004, p4). 5. The external environment External environment can be the political, economic, socio-culture and technological (PEST) context in which the project is executed. Factors like the weather, work accidents or the government’s favourable or unfavourable legislation can affect the project in all of its phases. "Note that if a client is from outside the organization, he should also be considered as an external factor influencing the project performance" (Belassi & Tukel, 1996, p145). Competitors should also be accounted as external factors which can undermine project success because the original project could be overshadowed by a more glamorous and successful project launched by another organisation. Conclusion It is critical for a project manager to understand what the stakeholders consider as a successful project. In order to avoid any surprises at the end of the project, there is an urgent need to identify the different perspectives of what success means before the project goes live. It is also vital to remember that success crit
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