Project Management Case Studies

Project Management Discipline Improves Performance

Industry: Retail

This national retailer provides consumers with merchandise (apparel, home furnishings and automotive aftermarket), services and credit offerings. After experiencing delays, cost overruns and scope creep during the rollout of its latest credit card program, the retailer engaged Novations to conduct a project assessment and make recommendations to improve their project planning and launch processes.

Critical Issues

• A meaningful project management process to address:
  • Requirements gathering
  • Communications among functional departments
  • Resource selection and assignment
  • Integration with similar projects
• Conflicts between the business and IT groups

Solution

Novations’ assessment revealed issues that needed immediate resolution. First, business requirements originated from three departments and were never elaborated to a final scope definition. Second, communications among stakeholders, project managers and team members was poor. Third, projects with similar objectives were underway in other departments. Lastly, there was no project launch procedure.

Novations’ recommendations included: combining related projects into a program; conformity to their project management process; and, a re-launch of the planning process in support of credit card projects.

Results

• Credit card programs were launched on time
• Programs delivered 66% more participants with 35% fewer resources
• Cost savings totaled $80,000 a month

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