Technology
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Strategic programmes are crucial for business to adapt .
BILLIONS ARE WASTED ON FAILED DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION PROJECTS
by Mark Kayser , CEO of FlowState
Digital transformation is no longer an option – it ' s a must for every organisation that wants to stay relevant and compete in an ever-changing world .
Trillions of dollars are being allocated to strategic programmes each year but billions are being wasted on failed digital transformation projects .
Strategic programmes are crucial for business to adapt , but why do 70 % of these programmes fail to achieve their goals ? In short , it ' s due to lack of executive buy-in , wrong execution strategy , poor timing and resistance to change . All of which are real issues in the South African context .
To succeed , strategic programmes need to deliver business value on time and within budget . In this environment the speed of execution is critical . When unpacking the data and the methodologies used to execute strategic programmes , one soon realises the administrative challenges associated with executing these programmes .
Many corporates are using Project Portfolio Management ( PPM ) solutions to track strategic programmes . Unfortunately this is insufficient for strategic programmes because programmes are extremely different to projects .
This cookie cutter approach creates many problems for programme teams and that is why they soon find spreadsheets , slide decks , endless meetings and emails as the biggest challenge when trying to keep the programme
Clarity is key when dealing with complexity . Although useful , PPM solutions are not designed to solve for the complexities of programme delivery . The side effect is fragmented information and a lot of manual effort to stay on top of all these moving parts .
ADMIN VERSUS STRATEGIC EXECUTION Ironically , apps that are supposed to help productivity usually result in huge inefficiencies because valuable time is wasted organising work around tools instead of productivity tools helping to organise work . Each tool adds more noise and complexity , reducing productivity and efficiency .
There are so many violations of common sense in programmes today . The amount of time and effort that is spent on producing throw away reports is ludicrous . Even more concerning , more than 50 % of time is spent in meetings , where meeting effectiveness is perceived to be only around 50 % effective .
There is also an endless flow of emails to stay on top of the programme and work is all over the place , requiring a
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www . hvacronline . co . za RACA Journal I October 2021 43