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On the other hand, ICT is being introduced massively in all types
of industrial and commodity products in order to match the overwhelming
demand for more, better, newer functionality. This factor leads
to the endless piling up of layer upon layer of electronics and
software etc. so as to turn any project into an amazing bunch
of complexity only matched up by MS Windows. Besides, security
imperatives are enormous and cannot be trifled with because of
manufacturers’ responsibilities, and sometimes reputations, are
at stake; would you agree to ‘reboot’ your car as you are driving
at 70 mph on the M25 with other cars all around you?
Apart from risks to human beings, the cost of bad project management
for car manufacturers could amount to hundreds of millions of
dollars, not mentioning the intangible degradation of corporate
image. Such an increasing complexity of both industrial and commodity
products also has an impact on the piling up of experts of each
separate domain who have to be involved at all stages of innovation
projects. Last but not least, the pressure on costs and margins
related to B2C products is such that it introduces yet another
significant level of complexity (margins per vehicle are very
low and even lower as soon as the market slumps and car-dealers
have to apply bigger discounts.
Another factor of complexity related to innovation projects is
brought by the increasing usage of technology in personal and
professional communications contexts. Such effective means of communications
make transverse communications easier unless they are badly used.
For instance, electronic versions of project schedules, however
effective when handled by professionals, may end up amplifying
complexity and confusion when they are badly used [and this has
nothing to do with technology per se].
At the end of the day, what are the lessons learnt that could
prove useful to user projects leaders and marketing managers alike
who want to be successful with their innovation projects without
being daunted by such overwhelming complexity? For one, one should
bear in mind that communication is about humans talking to each
other as opposed to machines or software taking over the whole
process- however powerful technology may be. Managing projects
is about managing skills as opposed to merely reporting on schedules,
mind over matter, in a manner of speaking. However obvious, skills
management is often badly performed, and one of the major reasons
for project failure. And skills management often means that skilful
project members have to be acknowledged as such, and duly rewarded.
Key project skills may not be found at the top of hierarchy. In
fact, there is no match between hierarchy and project success.
Key project resources may not even be aware of how important their
role is. They have to be empowered. This is why innovation projects
do not require project managers but project leaders;
and the difference between these two terms is more than just formal.
Project leaders do show the way to their teams, provide
vision and share it with them. ILM management has developed the
drHeam™ methodology (whereby H represents the
human factor), which takes all the above variables into account.
DrHeam isn’t just a tool, but it is mainly an approach geared
towards complex innovation projects management. With drHeam, projects
are hinging upon a so-called drHeam master-plan and the team will
be fitted into a web-like organisation chart: this is why J Civilise, owner and founder of ILM, named
it orbital organisation because the project team can be
depicted as planets revolving around each other, as opposed to
the standard pyramidal hierarchical organisation chart. This orbital
chart is in fact a sort of galaxy where all the players in this
galaxy have been identified – regardless of how powerful or influential
they may be. Only competence and knowledge matter.
Orbital project management is therefore geared towards the end
result as opposed to the well-being of a few managers who find
solace in gaining more power. One of the strengths of Civilise’s
approach is to encompass the complexity of the entire organisation
instead of hiding such complexity behind the fake reassurance
of a well ordained organisation chart. In
a drHeam project, value units (i.e. the lowest identifiable units
within a project) are allocated to so-called value-units managers.
A value unit manager will be given carte blanche to bypass
the hierarchy in order to get a job done, because his/her project
status is considered more critical than anything else
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| Figure
13: orbital project management
by Jacques Civilise |
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