Create Central Lessons Learnt Database and Save Millions
Ravi Shankar
Experienced Technology Leader. Excellent people leader and trusted advisor
Many PMs conduct Lessons Learnt exercise at the end of their projects, and document the details diligently and stored those files on project folder, and move on to a next project. When a similar project starts after a few months or years, new project team wouldn’t be aware of the history and they repeat similar same mistakes. This is a very common occurrence at many major organisations.
Portfolio/Program Management office should create a central database of lessons learnt of all projects with good search function. The database should consists of project name, description, investment and benefits, project structure, duration, open risks and issues, lessons learnt against project approach, team dynamics, documentation, org structure, governance, duration, and budget, quality, scope, etc.
When a new project starts, PM should search and analyse this database and prevent mistakes reoccurring. This saves thousands to millions of dollars to the organisation.
Experienced Technology Leader. Excellent people leader and trusted advisor
9 年Thanks James. I like your idea of referencing the lessons learned database in business cases; this will reduce repeating earlier mistakes and delivery stakeholders should aware of it. I will recommend AXELOS to include this as one of the contents in a business case template as part of PRINCE2 course.
ICT Manager The Bridge
9 年Spot on Ravi! There is no leverage of the effort involved in capturing this knowledge if the business and delivery stakeholders cannot see it. I advise they do two other things. Agree some 'common' headings to collate lessons learned and make it mandatory when puting business cases together to reference the lessons learned database - or no funding will be allocated!