Stalled Infrastructure Project: Access Control Upgrades

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Issue

Onit Partner Edward Byers’ client, a Pacific Northwest area health insurance company, had a critical and high-visibility project in flight involving the replacement of its Access Control (“Key Card”) system, as it had reached “end-of-life” and was no longer supported by its vendor. Under the auspices of a previous project manager the project had inexplicably stalled. The client needed a project manager with a turnaround strategy to get the project back on track.

Strategy

Because the project had to be completed, and was already underway with the system provider selected, project turnaround was an absolute must. Accordingly, the strategy selected was to thoroughly analyze the perceived problem areas in the project delivery, then effect a “culture change” for the project. This included engaging all of the appropriate stakeholders and creating an attitude of ownership amongst them, changing their perception of the project from something they watched happen from the sidelines to something they were part of.

Crafting a Solution

Introducing the art and science of project management to both the system provider and to key client stakeholders resulted in all participants of the project team becoming “project managers”. This facilitated the introduction of tools such as RACIs and Earned Value metrics, as participants then understood and appreciated their value. Once the proper project management tools were in place and a culture change was effected, the project turnaround occurred via an intense focus on schedule and execution, both of which could now be objectively measured with the aforementioned tools.

The tools created a culture of discipline and accountability, and by reconfiguring project meetings and status reporting around objective measures rather than subjective perceptions of project status, Edward was able to create a cohesive and pro-active project team. Collaboration improved and all team members felt that they had a role to play in removing roadblocks.

Results

The project was completed successfully, garnering the following praise from the client: “Edward managed the project from vendor selection through the implementation and close-out (7-month engagement). He was a very quick study, he quickly came up to speed and took total control over the project week one!! I would highly recommend Edward to any firm who is looking for a PM with exceptional technical expertise and proven leadership skills to execute your strategy through a multi-departmental collaboration”.