Breaking the Unattainable Triangle

We all know about the unattainable delivery triangle; You can’t have quality if you want it delivered fast and cheap. You can’t have it cheap if you want quality done quickly. It’s embedded in our mantra and something we bring out when discussing projects and programmes with co CxOs. It feels like a real “go to” piece of wisdom and undeniable logic that’s been around for years.

The problem is that today’s business is driven to constantly improve revenues, increase profit, and improve market-share. There is no “either-or”, it’s now an “and, and, and” world. If we’re using an “either-or” model such as the delivery triangle, we’re going to be out of step with the rest of the business who are working to an “and, and, and” model and that’s not sustainable.

If the rest of SMT/Exec is being driven to deliver “and, and, and”; higher revenue, better profits, greater market-share, then we can’t rest on our laurels and expect the unattainable delivery triangle to be acceptable because that’s not how they work.

So, how do we deliver in the middle of the Venn diagram when for years we’ve told ourselves and others that it’s an impossibility?

Fortunately, the technology landscape we have now makes an “and, and, and” far more likely and in my opinion that change alone makes it possible to break the unattainable delivery triangle and enable all three outcomes.

Ten years ago, implementing the IT side of any project always involved capital investment; nowadays not so much. The world of SaaS, Freemium and low-code/no-code has seen to that. Significant things can be delivered for little, or even no, money. This has been a paradigm shift that we should be taking advantage of.

If the Cost element of the triangle is no longer the issue it was, does that make the unattainable deliverable? Well, possibly, but not totally.

This is going to seem off topic, but bear with me. Over the years, I’ve observed, and others have researched that the best CIOs are those that are great communicators, prioritise creating and developing relationships and have high EQs. And this is where we, as CIOs, can make the impossible possible. And that for me is the key to actually breaking the impossible triangle.

I hope, as CIOs, we all know “The Mythical Man Month” from the 1970s by Frederick Brooks and much of what it talks about holds true today, that in itself needs recognition! In this context, there are two things stand out; Firstly, very good, professional programmes are up to ten times as productive as poor ones with the same training and two-years’ experience. Secondly teams should communicate with one another in as many ways as possible because communication is at the root of all failure.

Also, the Project Management Institute has research that says most projects fail due to three things: People, Process and Communications and this aligns with Frederick Brook’s suggestion that programmes run by programme professionals are ten times more productive. Note, there’s no mention of the unattainable triangle.

So, to achieve the impossible, we need to be great communicators and foster the same in our teams and with the customer. We need to engage only very good programme professionals and we need to take advantage of the change in the cost paradigm. If we do that, we too have the opportunity to achieve the unattainable and deliver high quality outcomes quickly at a reasonable cost.

So, if we’re to deliver in the “and, and, and” world where “either-or” no longer cuts the mustard, we need to:

? Have only the best and most experienced people running and being involved in the project. That goes from top to bottom including the Project staff (PMs, BAs, TAs, etc) and those in the business (Stakeholders, Subject Matter Experts, etc).

? Utilise standard systems and software: Preferably off-the-shelf, preferably cloud, preferably with a way of trying before buying and always avoiding a capital investment in tech.

? Use stuff that’s already been used successfully by others: There’s no need for projects to involve cutting edge technology. Tried and tested means there’s been plenty of others there before you to make sure it works. Never reinvent a wheel and if at all possible, avoid doing something brand new.

I believe if we are rigorous and use the above ideas the Quality, Cost and Speed triangle can be properly bent out of shape and appropriately broken and we too can join the “and, and, and” world of today’s business. The problem is; if we don’t, we’re never going to be seen as a really engaged part of the business, this is a problem we must solve if we’re to be taken seriously.

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