A project can be completed successfully – and still deliver no benefits.
At TLC Family Care Healthplan, claims submission was digitised. According to a Project Management Institute case study, the number of paper claims fell from 10,000 to 6,000 per month. Annual savings in processing costs: US$15,120.
Results like these only become visible if benefits are measured after implementation as well. In my view, that is exactly why the completion date needs to be followed by a second appointment: a benefits review during operations.
Before the project ends, four things should be clear:
• Who is responsible for ensuring that the benefits actually materialise?
• What are the baseline and the target?
• When will we review the results together?
• What will we decide if the benefits fail to materialise?
This turns a completion report into a leadership decision. Depending on the initiative, the review may take place after a few months – what matters is that it is firmly agreed.
Who in your organisation still checks the promised benefits after a project ends?
#ProjectManagement #Transformation #Execution
