Killer Project

It strikes me that a ‘Killer App’  (short for ‘Killer application’)  is a lot like a keystone in a traditional stone arch.

The term is generally used in Information Technology circles to refer to :-

“…any computer program that is so necessary or desirable that it provides the core value of some larger technology”

It’s only a small part of what’s going on (like the keystone), but it makes the larger system work, it generates disproportionate value, and it becomes indispensable.

So here’s the hook, there are ‘Killer Projects’ out there too - small perfectly formed projects that are capable of delivering hugely disproportionate value to your organization.
(Actually when I’m talking to new clients, this is actually what I’m probing for)

So what is the key to finding and making these killer projects work?

1) They are aligned with the key ‘constraint’ or bottleneck to significantly better performance. In a complex organization it’s often difficult to stand back and assess where the real constraint to better performance is… so what about this as a question. If I needed to increase my performance not by 2 or 3% this year, but by 50 – 60%, where would I start?

2) They are often hidden in larger projects – A £300 Million pound SAP implementation might address your key constraint, but sometimes this is just a scattergun effect? I’ve seen £20k projects that have started a chain reaction that revolutionizes a big business. That was a killer project! So unlike most projects that seem to add feature upon feature to their requirements catalogue… It sometimes pays to ask the question “where is the real value hiding? What is the least we could do and still get the really big payoff?”

3) They cross boundaries – boundaries and silos inevitably create their own blind-spots and bottlenecks. Killer Projects often cut across fiefdoms to deliver ‘naive’ value. 
(Hint: Killer Projects need powerful sponsors, and luckily powerful sponsors love “Killer Projects”)

4) They aim high – It all normally starts with someone who doesn’t accept (or understand) the status quo, and dares to aim high, really high. (Hold on… I’m having a 90’s flashback to Tom Peters talking about Wow! projects… woah, trippy ;o)

 

Tags: Killer+Project, Project+Management