Fast, cheap and good - the diabolical triangle of a successful project?
Part 2 of the "Project planning" series
Buyers of business solutions all over the world have one thing in common: they want their favourite solutions to be delivered, implemented and supported well, quickly and cheaply. Unfortunately, in practice it is often the case that only two of these three essential goals can be realised at the same time and in the same project. This problem is often referred to as the diabolical triangle. If you are a customer who wants everything at once, you should be prepared to make some difficult decisions. You also need to understand the impact of these decisions on your implementation process, your organisation and your budgets.
It can be helpful if you take a closer look at each of the three aspects before deciding on your favourite variable. After all, you need to be able to recognise the contribution of each of these aspects to your success.
Fast
You can deploy modern, cloud-based ERP/CRM software within minutes. Today's solutions can configure themselves and are even able to convert the data. But that's just the technical aspect! The human aspect follows its own dynamic. With a completely different timeline. Implementing processes, introducing new processes and winning over employees (or sometimes even convincing them) takes much longer. Not to mention the impact of a disruptive business model, where you may have to rethink all your current processes. It doesn't take long to implement ERP/CRM badly. It simply takes time to successfully implement a solution.
The desire for a quick implementation is often a result of postponed, difficult decisions. You can avoid this by making your important decisions consistently and on time.
Cheap
It is undisputed that nobody wants to pay more for a successful project than is absolutely necessary. But does that justify the constant search for the cheapest solution? Some of the most common attempts we see include selecting a solution with a limited likelihood of continuity, insufficient time for project preparation, cutting budgets for organisational change, selecting the wrong key users and poor communication. But as always in life, quality comes at a price.
Good
Good solutions are of course the foundation of any project success. So this should really be the main motive in all the discussions you have and decisions you make. It helps if you can give this the top priority in your organisation and be clear that no other projects will be started during implementation.
Probably the best advice we can give you is to focus on just one of these three aspects. And that is the "good" dimension! After all, the implementation of your new solution is the basis for your future business success. This, in turn, is crucial for attracting and retaining customers and employees alike. So don't be tempted to rush things or do things on the cheap at the expense of quality.
Our conclusion
The "diabolical triangle" of a successful project describes the dilemma that only two of the three goals - fast, cheap and good - can be achieved at the same time. A decision must be made to focus on one of these factors.
Before you start a project, you should be clear about which aspects are most important to you. Is it just a quick solution or do you want to be able to work with it in the long term?
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