Several themes for project success

Several themes needs to be adressed during the project. Of courses, the culture and the context of the project may affect the different themes, but we can consider that there is 4 main theme streams as follow :

1 - Past

A quick overview on the past makes it possible to put the as visible as possible the current location. The participants observe the question in a broader context, which gives an orientation to their specific activity.
The time devoted to this activity is deliberately short, in order to avoid sinking in the details and to keep the rate/rhythm to go forward.
The participants have the possibility of starting to share their “point of view” on the basis of their own activity, exchanging with the whole of the group or in sub-group.
The benefit of this exercise is to share a common historical vision of the question to treat as well as a first transfer of knowledge within the group.

2 - The current location

The first meeting of mapping makes it possible to the participants to understand the main business processes relating to the subject to be treated, and that everyone is used like any other resources. All the maps describing the existing state (AS-IS) constitute the base of the work.
By sub-group of 4 to 10 people, the participants work out their first map. This task calls upon Vhiseo® methodology and easily assimilable symbols.

The question to examine during the working session precisely determines the perimeter and the contents of the map. When this work of process mapping is completed, each team presents his map to the whole group. Typically, the participants note that the various entities of the organization have different opinions on the line of business (LOB).

We then ask the participants to detail one or more key zones of the first overall map, and to show what occurs precisely. For example, in the ordering process, a team can model the process of managing the order, the another the production process, and a third, the process of delivery. These maps are then discussed in plenary group.

During modeling, the organizer facilitates the detailed analysis of the problems. The group can locate the key success factors which justify the change. The group can also test the need to establish well the objectives of the activity before going further in the creation of the scenarios.

The discussion on what exists emphasizes clearly the relevant objectives of activity, the current difficulties, abnormal operations, and the change appropriatenesses: all these points being documented by a whole of sights that everyone can apprehend, understand and explain to the others.

3 - Future tendencies

The Vhiseo® method and tools aims at helping the customers not only to solve the current problems but also to prepare them with the challenges to come. This is why, we asks the participants to share what they think of being the tendencies and major challenges that their company, organization or community have to face.

Sometimes, a visionary expert is invited, at the time of this stage, to provide a complementary vision to the participants. In addition, we list the probable tendencies directing the future of the company, this activity provides a whole of useful zones of interest to work out the card of the future scenarios.

4 - Scenarios of the future

For this phase, the participants use the Vhiseo® tool to create maps of scenarios of the various zones of interest. They can also take only one topic and imagine scenarios corresponding to different duration periods like 9 months, 18 months or 3 years.

After the presentation of the maps, the relevant criteria must be discussed, some is their number:

* the cost and duration of implementation
* competitive advantages
* the perenniality of the company
* etc…

The organizer helps also the group to refine its privileged scenario.
In the case of maps for different calendar timeframes, the possibility of refining the 3 scenarios often comes from a new appreciation of timeframes for the change impementation.

A complement of analysis on future scenarios is provided by the examination of delicate points like the roles and responsibilities, competencies, the development requirements and the impact of new technologies.

This work on the futur scenarios will produce a clear image of the action plan to implement the changes which make it possible to transpose a promising scenario into reality.