Solving the Wrong Problem!

by Ram Reddy

Have you ever been associated with a project where the execution was flawless, but yet you were unable to achieve the business objectives? I have -- as a member of a cross-functional project team, whose charter was to design an electronic business solution for a retailer with hundreds of stores across the Midwestern US. The project team was on sound footing as it related to the methodology, executive sponsorship, makeup of the team, and functional specifications. Every action of the team went according to the master plan with minimum deviations. Visibility of the project and active executive sponsorship within the firm made gathering the specifications for the electronic business solution relatively painless. Participants came to the meetings prepared and focused on solving the e-business problem.