In late 1991, a multi-million dollar-chip design project was six weeks behind schedule, burdened by skyrocketing costs and at risk of total failure. The project goal: to deliver a specialized micro-processor to a major computer manufacturer for a splashy debut at Comdex, the world’s most celebrated technology showcase. Missing the deadline was not an option.

Consultant from ACT Provided strategies, tools and tactics which allowed the world’s largest computer chip manufacturer to deliver on time.

The Situation

With Comdex looming nine months away, Garth Wilson, the Program Manager on this project, saw that he was going to be completed six weeks too late – long after Comdex closed, and quashing their customer’s opportunity to make an early entry to the notebook PC market. Based on the information in his computerized project tracking system, Garth needed to pull the plug right away. By stopping he would throw away millions already spent, embarrass his company, and damage his own career. But ut was the responsible thing to do unless they could find a way to catch up immediately.

The chip-design project required a guaranteed, on-time delivery on a fixed budget. If the chip wasn’t already for Comdex, his company would be faced with a multi-million dollar loss and the displeasure of a significant customer. This leading company turned to ACT, a consulting firm known for helping large organizations deliver their complex projects on-tim and on-schedule. “Can you find a way to increase our project’s performance?” Wilson asked. “We’re doing a lot of things right, but somehow it doesn’t seem to be coming together. Two weeks before every monthly milestone, we are surprised to find out we are going to slip another two weeks!”

A Rapid, Simple and Significant Change

ACT began by watching the project’s team in action and interviewing key members of the group. The core issues were revealed. “The problem is at the bottom,” the consultants reported. “You’re asking your engineers to make commitments they can’t honor. They are reporting in such a way that make your whole management feedback system invalid–both your computerized tracking system and your management meeting.”

ACT provided tools to quickly correct the issues. Garth Wilson immediately held all-hands meetings and described the issues causing their project trouble. He outlined new procedures suggested by ACT. There was no “hoopla” or “hype”; no fancy new software systems. The new procedures were so simple that many didn’t see how such ordinary things could make the necessary difference.

Within a week, all the engineers and managers had fully mastered the new procedures, and significant changes were made in the way people talked to each other about the work. The managers corrected the computer system inputs. The engineers made commitments they could keep. The project team worked together sharing resources and information in ways they had never before considered. Everyone was working towards the some objectives with the same time frame.

High Productivity with High Morale

During the next four weeks, the project team doubled its productivity. The project was back on its original schedule. Wilson had complete confidence in his information about the status of the project. His engineers were delighted with the new procedures. They barreled ahead, even crashing through two unexpected technical problems during the next few months. The short-term consulting services provided by ACT allowed the project team to bring the project in two weeks early, within budget, and to the original specifications.

During the project's post-mortem, participants at all levels testified to the fact that they had learned an important lesson during the work: What you talk about, Who you talk to, and When you talk makes a lot of difference in successfully delivering a project on-time and within-budget.