Short case studies

This chapter is focused on highlighting the reasons why benefits management is needed. The first case study is based on a project being championed by a very senior executive team member. The project had all the hallmarks of being a “personal” project, one that the team member wanted to push through the system, but didn't appear to merit delivery. The second case study is fictionalized, but is based on an amalgam of situations experienced over a 25 year period. It compares and contrasts the approaches adopted by three types of manufacturing companies in their attempts to develop multi-purpose/multi-product facilities. It highlights the differences in purpose and understanding of the link between business strategy and the project process. The last case study provides an example of a “question mark” project. Had the initial business case been used to assess the benefits, the project would have been deemed a failure, missing many of its more obvious targets (budget, timeline, client confidence). However, the strategic benefits were far broader than the Project Manager was aware. In retrospect, despite the implementation difficulties, the objectives of the organization were met by the project.