You pull together a bunch of criteria, get everyone ot agree on the right weights and then assess.

Criteria can be generated via a series of things like business strategy, stated goals, customer satisfaction, financial, time constraints, reputaion etc.

Put up a model, and have the client and stakeholders score (or rank) them.

I believe that as a project manager you should be honest to your customer and if you have a better solution you should propose it. The problem is that sometimes the upper management of your company wouldn’t allow you to make such a proposal to the customer. They believe that doing what the customer wants is the best way to serve them and the easiest way to become successful in business.

I am not a big fan of the agile approach but I definitely support the idea of the incremental delivery. But to do that you must have a customer who is actively interested in the outcome of the project. I have many examples in my professional life of customers who didn’t care at all about the project. It was just an unpleasant obligation they had to do.

I am absolutely in favour of taking the time to explain the implications of badly articulated requirements.

But of they don’t listen? What then?

I am also a believer that if you truly know your client’s business you’ll be able to deliver a better solution than they can desribe.

But how do you ’sell’ them on the concept of your having that insight?

Two broad strategies
1. Build up your trust points through a series of well executed and successful projects
2. Have a look at the incremental delivery associated with the agile approach.

What do you think?

(PS have a look at this game; want to play?)