For nearly every client, when asked if they have a launch date in mind the answer is always ASAP. What clients do not understand is the cause and effect of ASAP. During this session we will have an open discussion surrounding the following topics: - How to set client expectations around deadlines - The cause and effect of missed dates - The benefits of planning and working in a cushion - How to become focused on quality not on hours - Removing the term hours from your vocabulary - Lessons learned from past experiences

1. A Date is a Date
Managing Internal and External Expectations

2. Failure is common
Nearly 70% of projects are
late, over budget, or don’t meet
expectations.

3. Never trust a salesman
● Sales team job: Bring in new
business. No matter what.
● DPM’s job: See past the story that
sales has painted and determine
from the very beginning a clearly
defined scope and timeline.
● Without clearly defined goals, how
do you know what to deliver and
when?

4. Define expectations from the start
● Separate the wants vs the
needs.
● Get the right info by asking
the right questions.
● Build a [Realistic] Timeline.

5. Ask the right
questions

6. Accepting a deadline is a Commitment

7. Plan with a cushion in mind
● Set an artificial soft deadline in advance of the stated deadline as a target date
for completion.
● Allow more cushion for the higher the degree of uncertainty and complexity of the
project.
THE 1.5 RULE
Client Estimate = Your Estimate X 1.5

8. Divide and Conquer
● List out your features
● Break the whole project into
smaller pieces
● Identify the problem child -
handle it first
● Take control

9. Don’t ignore the warning signs

10. Over Communicate.
Over Communicate.
Over Communicate.
● Be a solid communicator.
● Call first, e-mail second.
● Raise risks and concerns to your
client.
● Don’t run a project base on
scope hope.

11. Protect your deadline

12. Focus on
Quality

13. Don’t talk about the hours
Talk about the task at
hand.

14. Cause and effect of missed dates

15. Where did it all go wrong?
❏ Poor Planning
❏ No time for design
❏ Unclear goals and objectives
❏ Lack of understanding
❏ Objectives changing during the
project
❏ Unrealistic time or resource
estimates
❏ Lack of executive support and
user involvement
❏ Failure to communicate
❏ Failure to act as a team
❏ Inappropriate skills
❏ Lack of Quality management

16. Learn from mistakes
● Band-Aids or major surgery?
● How did “it” happen and how can we keep it from
happening again?
● Poor planning or execution?
● Resist assigning blame.

17. Prevent future mishaps

18. Always remember ...
“There is a great difference between knowing and understanding: you can know a lot about something
and not really understand it.”
Charles Kettering