Multiple Projects
And The Project Slate
The discussion in this section has focused on single
projects. A trade-off approach has been defined to determine the most
appropriate project concept for an international project. However, in the real
world there are multiple projects that are reviewed and approved at the same
time. The same approach can be extended to multiple projects.
The real world is a political world where there are multiple
projects, hidden agendas, and trade-offs. It is better to make trade-offs in a
proactive way. The project slate is the set of approved projects at a particular
point in time.
Here are the steps to follow:
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Step 1: Identify potential projects at both the local and
international level.
-
Step 2: Undertake to develop project concepts for each of
the projects with the most promise.
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Step 3: Collect the roles and resource requirements for the
projects.
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Step 4: Prepare a resource analysis table.
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Step 5: Perform trade-offs and select which projects are to
go ahead and which of the current projects should be cancelled.
What is a resource analysis table? A format appears in Fig. 2.9. In this figure the
locations or business units are listed as rows in the first column. In the
second column comments about non-project work are entered. The next set of
columns is for the major current projects. The third set of columns is for new
projects. The entries in the table for these columns are comments about
resources and resource requirements.
How do you employ this table? Well, much of life is a “zero-sum”
game. That is, there are only so many resources. If you allocate a resource to
one project, it is really not available for other projects. The purpose of this
table is to actively support trade-offs between projects and regular work with
regard to resources.
A fundamental lesson learned for us has been that companies embark
on international projects without performing this kind of trade-off analysis.
Projects are approved individually without regard for the available resources.
You have to look at the available resources and what has already been committed
before you can commit to more projects. This is a basic point of the book. This
theme will return again and again in almost all chapters. If resources are not
proactively considered in approving projects, here are some of the major
problems that are likely to occur.
-
A new project will be approved. When work begins, each
location and business unit will be forced to make on-the-spot trade-offs. What
is more important? To finish the current project; to complete other work; or to
start another project? From the wording it is clear that the new project loses.
-
The new project will begin to cause a ripple effect.
Problems in other projects due to resource shortages will start appearing. It is
as if starting the new international project is like casting a stone in a
lake—the effects emanate out from where the stone hit the water.
That is why you must work to sell the new project to
management and employees at the local as well as headquarters levels. That is
also why you want to encourage people to review current projects and kill off
those that are not making progress or that will not produce substantial benefits
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