The Phoenix Project

The Phoenix Project

Week #3 - Chapters 11-15

By: Layla Massiatte, Jannah Hall, and Amber Sawyer MBA 550-1

Overview of each chapter, key insights, and takeaways

Agenda

Overview

• Theory of Constraints
• Centralized knowledge
• Firefighting

• Main challenges
• Their solution
• Our solution

• Key failures in Phoenix Project
• Mitigating these risks
• Other solutions

Gamification

Microlearning

Learning strategy based on small content units that are consumed quickly. Ideal for reinforcing concepts or learning in a flexible way.

It involves applying game dynamics (challenges, rewards, levels) in learning environments to increase user motivation and engagement.

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

• Scope Creep/ Prevention steps

• Interdepartmental siloing
• Solutions

• 4th category of work
• Erik's 3 ways
• The Goal steps

Immediate Feedback

Engagement

Problem-Based Learning (PBL)

Level of emotional and mental involvement of the user with the content. High engagement improves information retention and overall course experience.

Didactic technique that proposes solving real or simulated situations to foster critical thinking and practical application of knowledge.

It is the feedback the user receives right after an activity. It helps correct errors quickly and improves understanding.

Questions/ Comments

Chapter 15

Chapter 14

Chapter 11

Chapter Recap

WIP - "silent killer"

Flaws in Change Management System

Possible Solutions

Change Reliance on Brent

Challenges

Main challenges of this chapter

Work-in-Progress

Change Implementation

Chapter 11 Solutions

Our solutions

Kanban Method

Gantt Chart

Benefits of Visualization

More info

More info

More info

Assessment

Chapter 12

Chapter Recap

In-store POS systems failure

Phoenix Project Late Deployment

Possible Solutions

Total manual fallback mode

Key Failures

Key Failures Leading to the Post- Phoenix Project Catastrophe

• Inconsistency between developers and engineers -> firewall port left closed (lack of communication)
• Lost version control of the Phoenix project (lack of accountability and accuracy)
• Deadline pressure led to corner cutting -> critical business operations put at risk

Mitigating Risks

How could these issues have been avoided?

Lack of Accountability/ Accuracy

Business Operations at Risk

Lack of Communication

What else do you think could've been done?

Chapter 13

Chapter Recap

Knowledge is Centralized to 1 Person

Brent is constantly interrupted.

Possible Solutions

Firefighting & Fixing Problems

Chapter 13

Brent is completely consumed by unplanned work.

• Brent spends his days firefighting and fixing problems; no time for completing meaningful work
• He's constantly interrupted; causing no time for real project work.

Chapter 14

Chapter Recap

Struggles with keeping up with technology

Split of company and outsourcing IT

Ongoing interdepartmental silos

Scope creep

Chapter 14 Quote

'It's not the upfront capital that kills you, it's the operations and maintenance on the back end'

Bill Palmer to Chris Allers, pg. 150

Scope Creep

What is Scope Creep?

How does it relate to the Phoenix Project?

Preventing Scope Creep

Develop a scope management plan

Define your project scope statement

What else?

Create a WBS

Interdepartmental Silos

So far we have learned

• Little to no alignment between different departments
• Lack of communication between all departments
• Marketing sets their own deadlines without any input from other departments
• Constant conflicts between IT, Development, Security, etc.
• No monthly/weekly meetings

What techniques, methods, or tools can be used to stop these issues?

Breaking Down Department Silos: Solutions

Team & Management Bonding

Strengthen Cross-Department Relationships

Clarify Roles & Responsibilities

Chapter 15

Chapter Recap

4th Category of Work

Change Management Process Hiccups

The Goal

Erik's 3 Ways

Preventing Unplanned Work

Solution

Unplanned Work

Work that prevents you from doing the important planned work that achieves operational goals.

Risk Management Plans

Erik's 3 Ways

Erik's 3 Pronged Approach to Preventing Unplanned Work

Recognize and Address How Unplanned Work Destroys Planned Work

Safeguarding the Flow of Planned Work

Eradicating Sources of Unplanned Work

5 Focusing Steps From the Goal

Can you identify the first 3?

Gamification

Microlearning

Learning strategy based on small content units that are consumed quickly. Ideal for reinforcing concepts or learning in a flexible way.

It involves applying game dynamics (challenges, rewards, levels) in learning environments to increase user motivation and engagement.

Identify the Constraint

Exploit the Constraint

Subordinate the Constraint

Any ideas on how they might be able to set the tempo of work according to Brent?

Conclusion

Do you have questions?

If something was not clear or you want to delve deeper into any topic, don’t hesitate to ask.

Thank you!

Benefits of Visualization Tools

• Clear ownership → stronger accountability
• Visual workflows → faster execution
• Bottlenecks visible → quicker fixes
• Transparency → less rework & errors

Change Implementation

In this chapter we see the change process not being implemented as inteded where change gets started but not finish. We also see another form of reliance on Brent for these change processes highlighting him again as a bottleneck.

Work-In-Progress

Bill comes to the realization of how much scheduled work isn't getting done within IT operations. He proposes filtering changes that require Brent to level 3 engineers.

Strengthening Department Relationships

• Encourage regualr interdepartmental meetings (ex. CAB meetings)
• Foster open communication & expectation management
• Build accountability -> reduce blame culture

Scenario Planning & Response

• Be Proactive
• Clear Communication
• Customer Care
• Alignment & Ownership

Define your project scope statement

• Defines product features, requirements, and deliverables
• Lists user acceptance criteria

• Identifies what’s out of scope under Project Exclusions

Build Accountability & Improve Accuracy

• Use critical analysis to find bottlenecks
• Don't waste efforts optimizing non-constraints
• Cross training

Kanban Method

The Kanban method is a project management tool that is used as a means to design, manage, and improve flow systems for knowledge work. Used as a tool to visualize and limit work-in-progress tasks.

Team Bonding

• Break down silos through team bonding actvities
• Boost morale, trust, and communication
• Strengthen workplace culture & accountability
• Organize offsite/team builing events (ex. post-phoenix celebration, excursions - rage room, etc.)

Develop Scope Management Plan The purpose of the process of planning scope management is to determine how the project scope will be defined, validated, and controlled

Improve Communication

• Project Communications Management plan
• Be proactive
• Personal experience

Choose your resources From videos to podcasts, articles, or forums. Explore and select the formats that best suit you and the content you will work with.

Clarify Roles & Responsibility

• Implement tools like a RACI chart for project stakeholders
• Ensure alignment across all departments
• Ability to meet deadlines, requirements, etc.
• Prevent overlaps, confusion, and finger-pointing

Type of responsibility assignment matrix; shows:

• Responsible - who does the work
• Accountable - who signs off on the work/authority
• Consulted - who has information necessary to complete the work
• Informed - who needs to be notified of work status/results

Scope Creep

What is it?

Scope creep is defined as the tendency for project scope to continually increase (time, money, features, etc.)

Examples of this in this chapter:

• Lengthening development intervals to include more features
• Marketing constantly asking for more and setting unrealistic deadlines
• Too many commitments/projects - every department overworked and stretched thin

Create a Work Breakdown Structure

• Deliverable-focused framework that defines total project scope

• Breaks project work into discrete deliverables

• Organizes deliverables into a logical hierarchy

• Provides clarity on all required work

Gantt Chart

A Gantt Chart is a project management tool that is used to display project schedule information by listing project activities and their corresponding start and finish dates in a calendar format; establishes how and when (shows timelines & dependencies)