Big Ticket Transformations: Doomed to Run Late and Overbudget?

Are company’s big IT transformation projects like the Berlin Airport, the Elizabeth Line, or the Second Avenue Subway similar in that they take forever with massive cost overruns? We turned to an expert to find out.

Host Adam Dorrell talks with Steve Abramson of Jasmar Associates. Steve has 30+ years of professional services experience across the consumer goods and retail sectors working for large businesses such as IBM and KPMG, and smaller, high-growth companies. In that time he’s worked in many CPG and retail companies including Unilever, Diageo, Coca-Cola, Tesco, Kingfisher, Boots, and Marks & Spencer. 

Steve’s practice is specializing in helping companies avoid the pitfalls of big-ticket projects. It’s a scary statistic to know that only 0.5% of projects deliver on time, on budget, and with the required benefits.

He explains that projects don't usually “go” wrong, they start wrong.

What’s needed is for leadership to abandon "False Certainty“ and accept tradeoffs. And those in Customer Experience should watch out for a lack of appropriate buy-in and ownership from the business. Managers can get through this by making it a “business project” with a business owner. 

It’s a fascinating insight for anyone trying to wrestle a big project through. Steve’s details are on https://www.jasmarassociates.com