Notes

Outline

Chapter 16: Closing

What Is Involved in Closing Projects? Closing processes include gaining stakeholder acceptance of the final product and bringing the project or phase to an orderly end Closing verifies that all of the deliverables have been completed A project audit is often done

Transition Planning It is important to plan for and execute a smooth transition of the project into the normal operations of the company Most projects produce results that are integrated into the existing organizational structure Some projects require the addition of new organizational structures Some projects end by extinction or starvation

Table 16-1. Closing Processes and Outputs

Administrative Closure Administrative closure involves verifying and documenting project results to formalize acceptance of the products produced collecting project records ensuring products meet specifications analyzing whether the project was successful and effective archiving project information for future use NWA had several reviews of the benefits of ResNet

Table 16-2. ResNet Benefits Results from March 1996 Benefits Review

ResNet Audit A formal audit was completed on December 10, 1996 Two main questions addressed: What benefits, in terms of selling and call handle time, have been realized by the Reservations Department as a result of ResNet How do those real results compare with projected results in the PR2 plan?

Audit Answers to Questions The Reservations Department has significantly increased selling as a result of management leadership, the market environment, and the opportunities provided by ResNet as a selling tool While increased selling, new hires, E-ticket sales, and other factors have increased Reservations' average call handle time for 1996, statistics support a handle time benefit from ResNet conversion Of the two items audited, the higher than expected increase in selling compensated for the shortfall in call handle time, resulting in a net gain of $0.8 million to Northwest Airlines in 1996 versus the PR-2 projections.

Final Audit Report Results ResNet greatly surpassed expectation ResNet increased direct sales by 17.7% versus the planned 5.5% This increase in direct sales meant an additional $2.3 million in 1996 commission savings In its first year of operation, ResNet saved Northwest Airlines over $15 million, and savings were over $33 million in the second year

Figure 16-1.  Selling Impact of ResNet

Audit Methodology The audit methodology showed the amount of rigor that NWA put into its project audits and benefits measurement (see What Went Right?) Experts analyzed historical information and ensured that data was not biased Several statistical techniques were used to develop and measure the benefits of ResNet

ResNet Final Recognition Party and Personnel Transition Peeter and his team knew how important strong starts were, and they also wanted to have a strong finish A final recognition party celebrated everyone’s achievements on ResNet Peeter again authorized funds to hire actors to help organize fun events like the ResNet Rap performance

Figure 16-2.  ResNet Developers’ Rap*

What Went Wrong?

Lessons Learned Although the ResNet team did not write any formal lessons learned, Peeter, Kathy, and Arvid shared the following advice: Let workers have fun Beginnings are important Top management support is critical Managing change is 50% of project management Make management reviews interactive Set realistic milestone dates, and then stick to the schedule as much as possible Plan at a workable level

ResNet+ Business and market forces added new requirements to ResNet Arvid Lee led the ResNet+ project to add more capabilities to ResNet Project cost was $12.5 million, and it ran from July 1998 through May 2001 NWA is focuses on business needs as the basis for ResNet+ and all new projects

New ResNet+ Functions New business functions:  Changes were made due to a new frequent flier system, new marketing programs with alliance partners, and changes to Worldspan Computer-based training:  New call center agents can complete a full training curriculum online ResQuest:  This feature provides an integrated intranet-based online reference system with access to nearly 40,000 documents

Figure 16-3. Business Need for ResNet+

Not an Automatic “No-brainer” ResNet+ fully supports travel plans booked directly by customers via the Internet Arvid Lee says that converting to a totally Web-based application is not an automatic “no-brainer” decision The current ResNet+ interface is designed for high productivity It would be a major financial investment to convert to a Web-based application