Frequently Asked Questions

Most drift is not technical but governance-related: the sponsor is engaged late, decisions slip, scope and progress discipline weaken. Without a control rhythm and decision record system, drift is inevitable.

When the number of projects, budget, or strategic impact grows, and decisions should depend on a designed decision rhythm rather than individuals. A PMO is needed to establish that rhythm and visibility.

When the sponsor is aligned and regularly involved, critical decisions are not delayed and accountability does not dilute. Steering rhythm and a decision log structure the sponsor role.

Beyond technology licenses and implementation: internal resource load, opportunity cost of delayed decisions, and rework rates should be included. Making these items visible is the first step.

Cutover discipline, data readiness and validation, and clear ownership afterwards. If go-live pressure is dumped onto cutover and risk is deferred, the problem blows up in production.

If you start without assessing data readiness and process health, the POC does not deliver. First the control tower and decision rhythm; then a measurable pilot in a bounded scope.

Early warning on time/scope variance, KPI visibility, action ownership, and (where relevant) usage/adoption rates. Every intervention should be tied to a metric.

Clarify your current transformation portfolio and decision mechanisms with a short diagnosis. Then a controlled improvement in a small but high-impact area.

Ideally before kickoff. If the PMO establishes the decision rhythm, reporting standard and escalation path before the project starts, execution stays disciplined from day one. A PMO set up after the project is already running usually turns into crisis management.

Fit-gap is the analysis output: it tells you whether each requirement is covered by the standard system. Customization is a development decision taken based on that analysis. Not every gap becomes a customization — often a process change is the better answer.

Typically 2 to 6 weeks. The duration depends on project size, number of users, and the count of open critical defects. Hypercare exit should be tied to pre-defined exit criteria, not to a date on the calendar.

Kickoff is the one-off project start alignment. The steering committee is the recurring decision body that meets throughout the project. Kickoff is where scope and role negotiation happens; steering is where risk and scope-change decisions are taken.

A single total man-day number is not enough. Ask which role is loaded in which week, and which dependencies sit on the critical path. 20 man-days does not automatically become five days with four people if the work cannot be parallelized.

Whenever a request would alter agreed scope, schedule or budget. Verbal changes are the biggest source of conflict after go-live. The CR rule should be written at kickoff: who raises it, within how many days it is assessed, and above which threshold it needs steering approval.