The 12 Days of Christmas: 12 Good Practices in Business Change and IT Project Assurance

?12 Good Practices in Business Change and IT Project Assurance

?? On the first day of Christmas, my sponsor gave to me…

A Clear and Aligned Strategy!

• Every project needs a guiding star. Ensure your project goals align with business objectives, or risk wandering like lost wise men.

?? On the second day of Christmas, my sponsor gave to me…

Two Realistic Timelines!

• One for what the stakeholders want, and one for what is actually achievable (and hopefully they are the same). Pad that timeline like Santa’s sleigh - it always takes longer than expected to deliver the gifts.

?? On the third day of Christmas, my sponsor gave to me…

Three Key Stakeholders!

• But actually engage them! Silent stakeholders are like ghosts of Christmas past - they will haunt you when the deliverables do not meet expectations.

?? On the fourth day of Christmas, my sponsor gave to me…

Four Risk Logs Logging!

• Do not let risks go unnoticed like unwrapped presents under the tree. Keep that risk log up-to-date and visible. Address risks early, so they do not become unwelcome guests at your Christmas party.

?? On the fifth day of Christmas, my sponsor gave to me…

Fiiiiive Change Requests!

• Gold-plated requirements are great for ornaments, but not for projects. Manage scope creep with discipline, or your project will grow bigger than a snowstorm in December.

?? On the sixth day of Christmas, my sponsor gave to me…

Six Milestones Met!

• Celebrate each success, big or small. Progressing through milestones is like opening advent calendar doors—one step closer to the big day.

?? On the seventh day of Christmas, my sponsor gave to me…

Seven Budgets Balancing!

• Keep an eye on the bottom line. Your CFO will not appreciate holiday surprises, especially if the project ends up costing more than Santa’s reindeer upkeep.

?? On the eighth day of Christmas, my sponsor gave to me…

Eight Engaged End-Users!

• End-user input is the star atop the tree. If they do not like the system, your shiny new IT project will gather dust like last year’s fruitcake.

?? On the ninth day of Christmas, my sponsor gave to me…

Nine Data Backups!

• A fail-safe plan is not just for emergencies—it is mandatory. Backups are the guardian angels of your data. Do not tempt fate or Scrooge-like disasters.

?? On the tenth day of Christmas, my sponsor gave to me…

Ten Tests a-Testing!

• Unit, integration, UAT, regression—test everything! Releasing without rigorous testing is like delivering presents without checking your list twice.

?? On the eleventh day of Christmas, my sponsor gave to me…

Eleven Feedback Loops!

• Frequent feedback is your secret weapon. Listen, learn, and iterate before someone declares, “This isn’t what I wanted!”

?? On the twelfth day of Christmas, my sponsor gave to me…

Twelve Lessons Learned!

• Gather the team post-project to reflect on what worked, what did not, and what to avoid next time. Continuous improvement is the gift that keeps on giving.

These twelve practices are not just for Christmas!

By using them all the time, your business change and IT project assurance efforts will not only have a much greater chance to succeed but also spread as much cheer as a well-sung carol!

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Have a great break when it comes!