Project Management Triangles
Quality
Scope
In the mid 1980s Dr. Martin Barnes created the Triangle of objectives to demonstrate that quality, cost and time are interrelated. Fixing one point of the triangle impacts the other two points.
Microsoft's version places quality in the center, making a clear distinction between scope and quality. Here scope is the deliverables and specification, but quality has moved to center, so that any change to any side affects quality
Quality
Time
Cost
Time
Cost
Cost
Cost
Specification
Lock combined Barnes with Kliem & Ludin:Lock replaced 'quality' with 'level of specification'. Arguing that if quality is defined as 'fit for purpose' it can never be negotiable. Specification is more appropriate because that can be negotiated
Kliem and Ludin put people at the center:"if people are not considered a crucial element, the project will fail, even in the presence of good plans, organizational structure, and proper controls."
People
People
Cost
Quality
Schedule
Time
Specification
The Iron Triangle can help with
- Staffing decisions
- Managing expectations
- and more..... it drives the project direction
Project approach
Specification
The project could be completed one day earlier by using an excavator, but what if the cost is fixed?
Cost
Changes to scope
Fix cost
You have a change request to:- Add a custom widget to improve customer experience
Click to fix each part of the triangle & see how that impacts your decision
Fix time
Fix quality
Staffing decisions
Engineer 2
Engineer 3
Engineer 1
- Newly qualified
- 500 per day
- Missing ACME CERT
- 0 notice
- 2yr experience
- 700 per day
- Part certified
- All skills required
- 1 week notice
- 10yr experience
- 1k per day
- Fully certified
- All skills required
- 1 month notice
Time is fixed
Reject the change request as it will delay your project end date.
REJECT
Quality is fixed
Because
Cost is fixed
Reject the change requests as it will increase the cost of the project.
The change could be considered in a future phase.
REJECT
Project Management Triangles
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Created on April 1, 2024
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Transcript
Project Management Triangles
Quality
Scope
In the mid 1980s Dr. Martin Barnes created the Triangle of objectives to demonstrate that quality, cost and time are interrelated. Fixing one point of the triangle impacts the other two points.
Microsoft's version places quality in the center, making a clear distinction between scope and quality. Here scope is the deliverables and specification, but quality has moved to center, so that any change to any side affects quality
Quality
Time
Cost
Time
Cost
Cost
Cost
Specification
Lock combined Barnes with Kliem & Ludin:Lock replaced 'quality' with 'level of specification'. Arguing that if quality is defined as 'fit for purpose' it can never be negotiable. Specification is more appropriate because that can be negotiated
Kliem and Ludin put people at the center:"if people are not considered a crucial element, the project will fail, even in the presence of good plans, organizational structure, and proper controls."
People
People
Cost
Quality
Schedule
Time
Specification
The Iron Triangle can help with
Project approach
Specification
The project could be completed one day earlier by using an excavator, but what if the cost is fixed?
Cost
Changes to scope
Fix cost
You have a change request to:
- Add a custom widget to improve customer experience
Click to fix each part of the triangle & see how that impacts your decisionFix time
Fix quality
Staffing decisions
Engineer 2
Engineer 3
Engineer 1
Time is fixed
Reject the change request as it will delay your project end date.
REJECT
Quality is fixed
Because
Cost is fixed
Reject the change requests as it will increase the cost of the project.
The change could be considered in a future phase.
REJECT