An organization has a capacity to execute projects, much like it has a capacity to make product.  Layering on more and more projects, especially “priority one” projects, creates “bad multitasking” that hinders performance instead of helping.

A good Project Portfolio helps you run the optimum number of current projects while preparing you for the next one.  By running fewer projects simultaneously, you can actually improve your overall capacity.

There are many reasons that projects are always late.  Understanding those reasons can help you improve your on-time performance.

One problem is with the way we estimate our durations.  We often insist on the most optimistic estimate of several sequential tasks.  The result is a statistical certainty that the project will be late.

Another problem is with human behavior: something called the “student syndrome,” a form of procrastination.  Frankly, many of us don’t begin to work on a task until it is nearly due.  In Project Management vernacular this means we work on a task at the latest possible time before the next task is due to start (instead of the earliest possible time we could have worked on our tasks).  This scenario also virtually guarantees a late project.

The good news is that there are schedule techniques and behavior changes that can address these problems, resulting in realistic schedules and on-time performance.

·         Operations Improvement Project Portfolio

o   Individual projects to improve transactional efficiencies across the enterprise

o   Portfolio creation and management to rank projects

o   Initiation of individual projects

·         Imported IQF Pineapple from Costa Rica to the US to support a restaurant product launch

o   Packaging

o   Logistics

·         Upgrade Maximo® in 8 plants in 8 months.

o   Operations planning

o   Training development

o   Training delivery

o   Post upgrade support

·         Vendor Onboarding/Registration

·         MRO Inventory Optimization

·         Preventive Maintenance program update

·         Purchasing, Receiving, Invoice and Accrual procedures

·         Electronic device design upgrade

o   Justified killing this troubled project, saving the company thousands of dollars.

·         Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) implementation

·         Strategic Sales project, Supplier Performance Measurement Process

o   Customer engagement matrix

o   Engagement worksheets

o   Survey development

o   Internal information holders

o   Supplier Trust

·         Construction of juice concentrate tank farm

o   Civil/Construction

o   Tanks/Process/Controls

o   CIP systems

·         Waste Water automation

·         Implementation of Maximo® in 33 factories in 3 years.

·         SAP®-Ariba®-Maximo® integration

·         Automated salad line

·         Cut fruit project

o   28 new SKUs

o   4 locations

o   5 processing lines

o   On-time!

·         Undocking a submarine following a refueling overhaul