Successful technology projects progress through three key steps during their lifecycle: defining the solution, building the solution and finally, operating and running the solution. Companies undertaking these projects are challenged to align their teams to the goals of the business as they navigate these three phases.
The Align Evaluation help our clients understand how well they are positioned to achieve their technology goals.
Using the Align Evaluation, we have helped clients who are at the start of a large project, those who are considering a restructuring of their existing technology team, or where the technology team is struggling to make progress on delivering on an existing project.
Defining The Solution
The start of any project sets the foundations for the success or failure of the overall outcome.
When evaluating this phase of the project, we’re considering the definition of the problem being solved, the technical approach that is being pursued, and how all of that is brought together into a roadmap.
The evaluation also considers the wider environment in which the project is executing. This includes questions on budget, stakeholder engagement, technical strategy, structure, and skills.
The evaluation, at this phase, answers the question of whether the organisation has given itself the best opportunity to succeed in the delivery of the project.
Building The Solution
The build phase of the project translates the plan into the desired outcome.
When evaluating this phase of the project, we’re considering the dynamics that either have, or are intended to exist in the implementation. Primarily this is grounded in the processes that are used including the ongoing design and development process, the testing process and the supporting integration and development release processes.
The evaluation considers the staff and skills available to the project including the implications of recruitment and onboarding in relation to both the delivery and the budget.
The evaluation, at this phase offers insights on the ongoing development efforts, highlighting volatility, bottlenecks and full deviations from the intended plan.
Operating and Running the Solution
The operating and running phase of the project deals with the project after it is released for general use.
When evaluating this phase of the project, we’re considering the release process, and the implications of that release in the short term including factors relating to security, scalability, but also maintenance and bug fixing.
The wider elements of the review consider the longer term implications of the solution including business continuity, disaster recovery and, where appropriate, any regulatory environment in which the project must operate.
The final element of the evaluation brings the review full circle, looking at the architecture as implemented, and its impact on the technology team’s ability to upgrade and enhance the solution to keep pace with the ongoing demands of the business.
How Long Does an Evaluation Take?
The duration of the evaluation is influenced by three factors: where the project is in its lifecycle, the availability of the team to participate in the evaluation, and the requested depth of the evaluation.
We work with our clients to establish a plan for the evaluation that best meets their needs, use the link below to set up a call to discuss your needs further.
Photo Credits
Photo by Polina Zimmerman: https://www.pexels.com/photo/notes-on-board-3782142/
Photo by Mizuno K: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-working-on-computer-in-office-12903147/
Photo by Mikhail Nilov: https://www.pexels.com/photo/men-working-on-a-computer-7988742/
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