Execution / Process & Approach

3 Essential Steps for Project Success

by Sashank Purighalla · Published October 10, 2017 · Updated October 10, 2017

Completing Tasks does not guarantee Project Completion.

Everyone can quote the theory that good planning is necessary for success. Everyone knows that Execution is equally, if not more important. Execution requires the knowledge of what has to be done, who has to do what, in what sequence and how long each task takes.

Several times projects fail despite all of these. And project engineers remain perplexed and end up blaming each other and everyone around them for the failure.

Being able to say “I completed all my tasks” and completing the project are very different things.

There are three essential elements that project members must bear in mind that can greatly reduce the possibility of failure.

1. An understanding of the outcome expected: Project outcome cannot be confused with project delivery. Project delivery is a means to attain the project outcome. Project outcome invariably has a business goal associated with it.

2. Systems Engineering: Start with a clear understanding of the product’s integration architecture. The tasks that you are assigned must factor in integration points. Integration should not be an after thought.

3. Knowledge of the industry and the users of the system being built: This will help you rightsize what you are building. The way one type of user interacts with a component and the system versus another type of user could differ substantially.

Most engineers somehow assume that the above mentioned points are the functions of business analysts, project managers, engineering managers or leave it the quality assurance team to report as gaps in the system.

Make no mistake. These are engineering functions. They must be factored in by engineers. While some of these may be learnt over years of experience, I have found that smart engineers make up for lack of this knowledge by applying thought and asking the right questions.

Focus on the project outcome. Learn to validate your tasks against the expected outcome. Take care to have your integration points understood. Develop an awareness of your user base. You will be successful and add value to any team that you are enlisted to.