PMcrunch

Basic project management teaches us that quality is defined by meeting requirements, but not exceeding them. If we deliver more than what the customer asked for, it is considered to be gold plating – a bad thing. The premise is that there is a balance as per the triple constraint among quality, cost and schedule, and that it is the job of the project manager to manage that balance. In these tough times, however, how can a project manager produce excellence and in essence exceed customer expectations without gold plating?

The assertion that gold plating is bad is actually a good one. The whole point of it is to manage scope creep and manage expectations.  This can enable us to manage budgets and keep our projects under control. After all, these are keys to project success. However in competing for resources and building the strongest most effective relationships with stakeholders, this approach alone may not be a winner.

I think that the prospect of over-delivering, albeit without gold plating, is an exciting prospect that can be a real differentiator for a project team. Indeed, this kind of over-delivering can be the primary differentiating factor for many project focused organizations that have nothing to sell but their excellence in delivering projects on budget, on time and within quality standards.  There is the potential to deliver projects also to the absolute delight of the customer.

Over-delivering does not need to be gold plating and does not need cost extra. In fact, over-delivering, if done properly, can actually decrease costs. Here are some ways:

1. Think of your knowledge.  Your team may have a million invisible knowledge nuggets that might be worth a great deal to your stakeholders. Could it be that holding some sessions, where your stakeholders get to mingle with members of your team, would bridge communication gaps and add a great deal of delight to the stakeholders’ experience?
2. It is not necessarily delivering more that delights the customer, but it is how it is delivered. Create a customer service mindset on your team. Create broad stake holder awareness among everyone so that it is readily apparent to these stake holders that they are number one.
3. Use your imagination. Tap the imagination of everyone on the team. Find ways that costs absolutely nothing.

But you can give more to the customer than additional free features, functionality, products whatever else they are purchasing. Look for ways to make things just that much better for your stake holders and you will go along way to guarantee project and program success as well as project and program survival.

____________________
John Reiling, PMP
Project Management Training Online
Lean Six Sigma Training Online