PRoject Management Software Review
Overview
The client, a local authority, engaged LEVA to provide a post implementation review of their project management software including success factors, pain points and engagement with the new software. This work included workshops with users and managers and designing, and implementing a staff survey, as well as the analysis and report on the findings. The surveys focus was on the clients’ recently implemented project management delivery and reporting software, to better understand identified pain points and how well the software usage had embedded across the organisation.
LEVA started by reviewing the pain points in the clients’ end-to-end project delivery processes. The pain points were categorised into themes, with a common theme presenting around the user experience with the project management software. Software pain points were centred around quirks with data entry, system speed, ease of use and accuracy of data entered.
The client sought to better understand how widespread the pain points were affecting delivery teams and wanted to broaden the survey scope to include participants managing differing project types, delivery durations and project values and to incorporate IT projects as well as Capex programmes/projects. The survey also needed to include project values ranging broadly into three bands, <$2m, between $3-15M, $16 -$40m.
The survey was constructed in a web-based application providing participants with a mix of predetermined responses and free form text to gain an understanding on the following key areas:
- Understanding the participants role in the organisation – to explore their data needs and usage
- Project management components – sampling participants knowledge of those project data components they require for project delivery & identifying any gaps in the current software.
- Software use and satisfaction – does the current software provide all of the desired components and how well does it provide these components?
- Understanding the software implementation project – what was the participants experience during implementation? • Understanding participants exposure to other project delivery software and seeking to benchmark the current software against others.
- An opportunity to provide overall comments.
The completed survey data was analysed to quantify responses and a qualitative assessment was completed to better place those responses into context. The survey results resonated with the previous investigations and helped quantify the pain points into specific themes and impacts on the delivery teams and an organisational view of how supportive the project delivery software is for the teams.
Approach
Collaborative – LEVA met with a range of senior leaders from across the organisation to understand what success looked like; they wanted an independent perspective around how their teams viewed and utilised the current software. The survey content and key areas were collectively formed and agreed ahead of the survey launch.
Adaptive – During the survey process additional business units were identified and LEVA merged two survey activities into a single report.
Experience based – LEVA based its review and survey content on their PMO/programme and project management experience from across other organisations – utilising previous experiences and knowledge is key to LEVA’s approach.
Pragmatic artefacts – LEVA’s approach was based on presenting the complexity of the data captured through the survey process into easily understood and actionable decision steps. Documentation was PowerPoint based rather than Excel and long wordy documents making it easy for the client to navigate and digest.
Independent insights – LEVA’s approach is to call out what it has observed, providing candid and constructive insights to add value for our clients, our recommendations are well-considered and substantiated within our investigative approach.
