Methodology or technology...

The age-old question remains: which came first, the chicken or the egg? In business, and more specifically, the implementation of a project office, a similar question is always asked. While many businesses choose not to follow such a formal route, typically, something triggers their consciousness and they feel they need to start managing their investments, initiatives or ideas in a more official way.

The first step they would typically follow is to throw away the matchbox or Excel spreadsheet on which business plans were readily made and stored. Then follows the big decision - where to start? "Let's get those expensive consultants in to tell us how they would do it - surely this would be the best way of doing it?"

Let's think about that for a second... let's pay someone to tell us how to run projects in our business, a business we understand better than anyone else. I challenge this point! No one will ever know the business as well as the proprietors; however, getting someone in to assist in the implementation of a methodology that governs the way it is managed and implemented - now that is a different story altogether!

So, now this action has been taken, and the most significant decision still awaits - what methodology will be used to guide the company to project excellence; and what is the supporting toolset required to be implemented to help the company achieve this objective? Everyone knows technology needs to be used within the business, as it surpasses any other means of achieving productivity and governance... but where to start?

All processes, documents, templates and other resources that can be decided on will be determined on the basis of specific outcomes required. This means first selecting a methodology to be used that can add significant value.

Various sub-processes, including the overall demand management and execution processes, will be put in place. This is a tremendous benefit to the business, because the technology solution selected will support processes that have already been implemented and adapted in the business. Unfortunately, there is some bad news. No technology solution will just take what the company has designed and 'work' without serious consulting, configuration and fights with the vendor around the specific solution implementation.

Let's decide to implement a technology solution first, every vendor's dream scenario. The company will be promised that this specific solution is configurable and can be easily adapted for whatever methodology or processes it has decided on. This solution might actually be running very quickly, as most vendors today have rapid deployment methods, so it could be up and running within a couple of days. Now starts the change management and training, and... the limitations! "Well, if you change your processes, the solution will be perfect." Sound familiar?

Regrettably, there is no easy answer to any of the abovementioned problem statements and suggestions. The closest a company will get to the holy grail of project management implementations in any form whatsoever is to do them both at the same time.

Let me explain...

It is a proven fact that certain methodologies will work better in certain industries than others, whether these are PMBOK-based, Prince II-based, Agile or the like. This decision will take a little bit of research that is freely available on the Internet. What few people will say is that whatever the company does needs to be done at the same time.

Consider these very simple action plans in this decision - they can potentially save loads of money on expensive consultants and replace redundant technology solutions that simply do not work.

1. What methodology will work in my business? Look at best practices and do some simple research, but please, do not pay someone to say what will work, as it will be throwing money away on something that can be given for free.

2. Should I consider a methodology, hybrid of some or multiples? This is actually very simple to answer, multiples. An overall methodology will assist in the governance of the organisation, but the execution of a specific type of project will sometimes work better if adherent to the overall governance, but executed using a specific method. An example of this could be running PMBOK in the business governing all projects, but sometimes using Agile in the execution, depending on the business need.

3. Should I only pick a technology solution based on my organisation's technology preference? Definitely no! A specific technology could be the best-of-breed, but a company will overlook it because it might have a preference for something else, and then the project office gets a bad rap because the company made a wrong technology decision.

4. How to implement both methodology and technology together? This is the easiest question to answer out of all! All methodologies are based on standard processes, documents, etc, already available. Look for a solution that has these built in and allows the company the flexibility to "change on the fly" or adapt it for the company's specific needs. If it caters for methodology management, ie, the ability to change and create a methodology based on predefined templates, all the better.

So, to answer the chicken/egg question of what came first and what to do first, do it together and choose a technology and methodology that allows flexibility, cost-effectiveness and rapid adoption in the business.