LIMS Project Pitfall #9

“If there are changes to project scope, plan, or timeline, our LIMS project is a failure.”

Change is not failure, but NOT managing change is!

Healthy projects will have changes.  LIMS is a dynamic system and implementing LIMS requires a dynamic implementation process.  Business processes can change over time and end users will be happier if the system meets their new requirements, not requirements decided upon a year or years ago.

Execution and control of these change requests is the key. Changes should be evaluated thoroughly and follow a robust change request procedure.  Consider change requests in terms of:

• Budget impact
• Timeline impact
• Priority

A change that is triggered by reasonable requirements and does not have much impact on the overall cost and timeline of the project, can greatly refine and improve upon the original design delivered to production, resulting in much higher end-user acceptance.

On the contrary, a change can still be triggered by reasonable requirements and greatly improve original design, but if the change also greatly impacts the cost and timeline of the project and does not fit within the current budget then the change cannot be accepted in the current phase of the project.  However, these types of change requests can evolve into a set of requirements for subsequent or future phases.  

If you manage change well, you will be able to meet end user expectations much better than if you remain static. 

To avoid this LIMS Project Pitfall remember:

• Change is not failure, but NOT managing change is!
• Don’t be afraid of change – the real failure is not managing the change.
• Follow a robust Change Request Process
• Evaluate change requests according to:
  • Budget impact
  • Timeline impact
  • Priority
• Change requests that to not meet the budget, timeline, or priority criteria can evolve into a set of requirements for subsequent or future phases
• The flip side can also be a LIMS Project Pitfall “If we have very few changes to the project scope/plan/timeline, our LIMS project will be successful.”
  • Meeting user expectations is important - changes that are managed well, meet end user expectations much better than remaining static

 

Don’t miss the next installment in our LIMS Project Pitfall series.

LIMS Project Pitfall #10: “Personnel changes during the LIMS project won’t greatly influence the execution of the project plan.”

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