1. Auxilium Webinar
12/16/08
    Webinar     Recovering Troubled Projects : Practical Advice for Managing Suppliers
Brought to you by:
Susan de la Vergne
and
Featuring Christopher L. Dennis
Steaming Kettle Consulting 1
12/16/08
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2. Who We Are Chris Susan 12/16/08 12/16/08 2 Auxilium Webinar
SUSAN: Whenever I listen to a webinar, I always want to know what those people behind the voices actually look like. So let’s just take a moment to introduce ourselves visually.
Chris introduces himself. "Troubled projects are my life's work.”
Poll question #1
Chris
Susan
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3. Our Scenario Grave boss You are summoned to a meeting… Grave situation
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Our Scenario
Grave boss
You are summoned to a meeting…
Grave situation
And we’ve all been to this very meeting at one time or another during our careers, haven’t we! (Susan hold on slide 'til after "the mechanic's role.")
Bearded Boss graphic source:
Will you fix it?
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4. enhance your ability to recover troubled projects
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12/16/08
You can
enhance your ability to recover troubled projects
when you
Make accurate diagnoses
Triage efficiently, and
Cultivate good bedside manner
And today you’re going to tell us how to do all three?
Surgeon graphic source:
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5. Many Scary Questions Should we even try? Can the problem
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Should we even try?
Many Scary Questions
Can the problem
project be saved?
Can the problem project be saved?
Do we know the real problem?
Define for us what you mean by “supplier,” just to make sure we’re all lined up with the term in the same way.
X-ray Doc graphic source:
Can relationships change to accommodate an altered scope?
Are suppliers part of the problem?
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6. Project Suppliers In Group Out Group Material supplier Service bureau
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Project Suppliers
In Group
Out Group
Material supplier
Raw or Finished
Service bureau
Design
Marketing
Corporate
Purchasing IT
Project Team
I hope this pastoral scene helps focus and shift your ideas about project teams and suppliers…
Now lest anyone draw any incorrect conclusions about the association of cattle with project suppliers, maybe you should fill our audience in a bit about your background--with respect to cattle, that is.
Chris: Cows are my power animal.
Mixed Herds:
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7. Project Pathogens Unproven technology External events
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Project Pathogens
Unproven technology
External events
Inadequate information
Unclear or wrong goals
Failure of communication
Inadequate resources
Failure of management
Susan: So the red guys are pathogens, eh?
Susan: So tell me more about the role of the project doctor.
Legionella graphic source:
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8. increase suppliers’ contributions to project recovery
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12/16/08
You can
increase suppliers’ contributions to project recovery
when you
• Localize the source of troublesome symptoms
• Deepen understanding of team/supplier relationships, and
• Uncover suppliers’ secret power
Fem doc:
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9. Where Are Vendors Entangled?
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Where Are Vendors Entangled?
Work breakdown approach
Leverage existing project documentation
Comfortable for experienced PM
Value stream approach
Leverage existing process documentation
Comfortable for lean and 6S
Yarn ball:
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10. Example Work Breakdown
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Example Work Breakdown
New Bicycle WBS
1.Market Research
2. Design
3. Prototype
4. Market
5. Transfer to Prod.
Customer Interviews
Frame
Build
Design Campaign
Source New Parts
Competitor Survey
Drive Train
Mechanical Test
Recruit New Retail
Modify Line
I love work breakdown structures; it makes projects look so civilized and predictable.
Susan: So tell me more about the role of the project doctor.
Financial Analysis
Finish
Market Test
Team Sponsorship
Alter Distribution
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11. Step 1: ID Troubled Work New Bicycle WBS 1. Market Research 2. Design
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Step 1: ID Troubled Work
New Bicycle WBS
1. Market Research
2. Design
3. Prototype
4. Market
5. Transfer to Prod.
Customer Interviews
Frame
Build
Design Campaign
Source New Parts
Competitor Survey
Drive Train
Mechanical Test
Recruit New Retail
Modify Line
Of the red work packages, the team must prioritize its effort.
Address the biggest problems first.
For today’s work we’ll assume that prototyping is where the biggest problems are.
And remember that today we’re focusing on suppliers (change slide)å
at end of slide SUSAN: Now that we've identified what's red, what's our next step?
Financial Analysis
Finish
Market Test
Team Sponsorship
Alter Distribution
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12. Step 2: List Suppliers for TW
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Step 2: List Suppliers for TW
New Bicycle WBS
As you list, look for
Repeating names
New relationships
New services/ materials
3. Prototype
Steel Stamping
West Welding
Ironworks, Inc.
Build
Susan: I certainly hope “Sensors R Us” is doing better than “Toys R Us”
Sensors ’R Us
Wild Ride
West Welding
Data Bucket
Mechanical Test
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13. Step 3: Map Symptoms Common symptoms Eliminate asymptomatic
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Step 3: Map Symptoms
Common symptoms
Delivering nothing
Delivering garbage
Delivering late
High costs
Eliminate asymptomatic
Nothing
Garbage
Late
Cost
Steel Stampng
West Welding*
Ironworks, Inc.
Sensors ’R Us
Wild Ride
Data Bucket
3. Prototype
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14. Step 4: Localize Symptoms
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Step 4: Localize Symptoms
Did project team set up trouble by…?
Failing to deliver
Delivering garbage
Delivering late
Passing on costs
Dependencies
Evaluate input quality
Fixed Unworkable Design
Project Team Delay
No Excuse
Project Gantt Chart
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15. Diagnosis Checklist Troubled work packages, prioritized
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Diagnosis Checklist
Troubled work packages, prioritized
Critical path
List of vendors
Symptomatic interactions
Localized symptoms
Root cause helpful but not necessary
May never know root cause
To increase contributions
Must know the ‘now’ contribution
Doctor checklist,
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16. Deepen Understanding of Team/Supplier Relationships
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Deepen Understanding of Team/Supplier Relationships
People
Quality of interaction
Statement of Work
Is it working?
Couples counseling:
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17. Supplier Relationships
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Supplier Relationships
Sales
Contracting
Leaders
Information Exchange
Material Exchange
Feedback/compliance
Payment
Parallel ladders,
In Group
Out Group
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18. Step 1: Diagram Relationships
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Step 1: Diagram Relationships
Be Clear
About Vacancies
Role
In Group
Out Group
Project Team
West Welding
Sales
Anne M.
Rex Semter
Leaders Me
Alan Bailey
Design Hand-off
Empty (Quit)
QA/QC, Handback
Santosh J.
??? (Don’t know)
Accts Pay.
Clerk 1
Clerk 2
Those of you familiar with project roles and responsibilites documentation will find some similarities to this approach.
After C says "familiar with project roles,"
SUSAN: So these are the specific roles involved in the supplier interaction?"
More, and then before we leave the slide, SUSAN: Do I need to know who the clerks are?
Recognize Knowledge Gaps
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19. Step 2: Quality Assessment
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Step 2: Quality Assessment
Role IG OG
Silence
Fear
Fatigue
Overload
Surprise
Sales AM RS
Leaders Me AB
Design Hand-off
QA/QC, Handback SJ
???
Accts Pay. C1 C2
Look For
Silence
Fear
Fatigue
Disinterest
Overload
Misunderstanding
Surprise
Your insight…
Assessment worksheet
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20. Step 3: Collaborate on Adjustments
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Step 3: Collaborate on Adjustments
Consider
Strategic awareness
Personnel swaps
Goal alignment
Role clarification
Their ideas
Remember, their engagement and action is a contribution
Susan: Is the goal alignment you're talking about here referring to making sure your project and your suppliers' goals are lined up?
Rescue stretcher:
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21. Revisiting SOW Listen First
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Revisiting SOW Listen First
Problems you might not know about
Fresh solution ideas
People are more likely to implement ideas they own
Poll question #3
Rabbit ears:
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22. Revisiting SOW Choosing Words
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Revisiting SOW Choosing Words
Get rid of “win-win”
You’re asking for more
Supplier indicates a win for them
Use questions to generate possibilities
New possibilities are a significant contribution
After Chris says "don't say win/win"
SUSAN: I’m so glad to hear you say that. Because so help me, if I never hear “win win” again, it’ll be too soon. But besides that it's an incredibly overused and tired phrase, what's the danger of using it here?
Dictionary,
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23. What false or outdated assumptions are we operating under?
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What false or outdated assumptions are we operating under?
Question source: 75 Cage-Rattiling Questions To Change the Way You Work by Dick Whitney & Melissa Giovagnoli
Amish buggy,
Help identify mental ruts
Help distinguish troubled work
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24. How is the SOW inhibiting delivery?
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How is the SOW inhibiting delivery?
Help reveal the supplier’s viewpoint
Question source: 75 Cage-Rattiling Questions To Change the Way You Work by Dick Whitney & Melissa Giovagnoli
Winter wall:
Help remove onerous constraints
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25. Getting Out Before divorce Avoid rash action Consult your counsel
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Getting Out
Before divorce
Consult your counsel
Calculate the total costs
Including your counsel
Reassess risk
Susan: Sounds a little like marriage counseling.
Broken heart:
Avoid rash action
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26. What contribution is needed?
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To increase suppliers’ contributions to project recovery…
Fulfill supplier promise
Review scope of work
What contribution is needed?
Recovery ribbon,
Do something spectacular
Unveil vendors’ secret power
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27. Contribution’s Benefit
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Contribution’s Benefit
Why should a suppler increase their contribution?
They can sell it to the next customer
Ensure vendors a real benefit
Whole-hearted endorsement
Ownership stake
Why should a supplier engage in heavy lifting?
Moving day:
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28. The Power of “Wow!” Use end-of-recovery viewpoint
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The Power of “Wow!”
Use end-of-recovery viewpoint
What will your organization say after the contribution?
What would the supplier put on their web site after the contribution?
Use “Wow!” to open up possibilities
Fear constrains thinking
Break everyone’s mind set
Looking for mutual advantage. Sounds like the advice we got in our last webinar about conflict resolution.
Happy leap:
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29. Wow! We made up four weeks using their embedded systems programmer!
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Wow! We made up four weeks using their embedded systems programmer!
SUSAN reads the WOW statement
Embedded System:
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30. Wow! A great power supply design! On time and 20% savings!
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Wow! A great power supply design! On time and 20% savings!
SUSAN reads the WOW statement
Copper wire,
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31. Your Mission: Three Wow! Statements
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Your Mission: Three Wow! Statements 1!
Look back after recovery
Hear your sponsor’s voice
Imagine a vendor’s marketing flyer
Think big, smile, laugh at your outrageousness 2! 3!
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32. Getting the Message Out
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Getting the Message Out
You don’t know who has the secret power
Every vendor
Vendor’s vendors
Vendor’s consultants
Personal, personal, personal
Secret powers revealed by trust
Engage the team
Cell & clipboard:
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33. Starting the “Secret Power” Conversation
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Starting the “Secret Power” Conversation
Why do
you ask?
CHRIS: What do you do…
SUSAN: Why do you ask?
CHRIS: We’re searching…
“What do you do that we don’t know about?”
We searching for
a partner to…
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34. Guam Networking Example
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Guam Networking Example
Objective: Replace billing system (Budget >$1M)
Trouble: IT staff, reliable network
Wow!:
“With their help we made up four weeks and reduced packet loss by three orders of magnitude!”
Secret power:
Rate consultant -> IT team
Brought in via rate consultant contract
Question asked to work begun: < 2 weeks
Cost: ~15% of total budget
Guam map graphic source:
12/16/08
Steaming Kettle Consulting

35. increase suppliers’ contributions to project recovery
Auxilium Webinar
12/16/08
You can
increase suppliers’ contributions to project recovery
when you
• Localize the source of troublesome symptoms
• Deepen understanding of team/supplier relationships, and
• Uncover suppliers’ secret power
Flight surgeons:
Steaming Kettle Consulting

36. Credits Auxilium Webinar 12/16/08
Bearded Boss,
Surgeon,
X-ray Doc,
Fem doc,
Mixed herds,
Yarn ball,
Legionella,
Doctor checklist,
Couples counseling,
Parallel ladders,
Rescue stretcher,
Lies,
Rabbit ears,
Dictionary,
Amish buggy,
Bloody prison,
Great winter wall,
Broken heart,
Recovery ribbon,
Moving day,
Happy leap,
Embedded system,
Topo map,
Copper wire,
Hand light bulb,
Cell & clipboard,
Guam map,
Flight surgeons,
Credits
SUSAN: No need to write down the resources. We'll post this whole thing.
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37. Steaming Kettle Consulting
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12/16/08
Phone:
Steaming Kettle Consulting