Project goals for Dynamics 365 implementation projects

Well-defined project goals are essential for steering a project and for defining some of the key conditions of satisfaction for the stakeholders. Often, the project goals are described in the project charter or as part of the project kickoff. In any case, it's worth shining a spotlight on them as part of the Initiate phase of the project and regularly throughout the project. We recommend taking deliberate actions to reexamine the goals in the context of your latest understanding of the project.

When you review or craft project goals, consider the questions that are asked in the following sections.

Are the goals clear and realistic?

If your goals are overly ambitious or vague, the project may expend unreasonable effort and time in the attempt to meet them, only to fall short of the expectations set. No project intends to create unclear or unrealistic project goals. Yet there's a long history of projects with such goals. So we recommend conducting an honest review to confirm the project goals against the latest project scope.

Where possible, create objective goals, which are easier to measure, work with, and track. Some qualitative goals such as "the new system should work at least as well as the old system" are open to interpretation and can drive the wrong project behavior. They can be misinterpreted and force the team to design customizations in the new system to try to recreate the old system. Instead, consider the goals in terms of the overall business outcomes you desire; this framing allows the project to deliver them in a way that is most efficient in the new system architecture.

Are the goals aligned with the business priorities?

If the goals aren't well aligned with the priorities of the business stakeholders and the business units, the project doesn't receive the necessary business ownership, participation, or attention. Consider whether the IT priorities and the business priorities expressed (or implied) by the project goals are complementary. We also recommend explicitly verifying that the priorities given by the organization are well understood and aligned with the priorities of the operating business units. Sometimes group-led policies and requirements implied by the project goals, which are expected to deliver more controls and value at the group level, may generate more work at the operating unit level.

It's essential to have all the stakeholders pull the project in the same direction; conflicts at the level of misaligned goals are hard for the project team to solve. For example, Finance leadership wants to improve compliance by adding more checks and approvals in a purchase process. Meanwhile, Procurement leadership looks for a faster, less bureaucratic, and more streamlined purchasing process. In this scenario, unless the goals are balanced, the project delivery falters. The end result probably disappoints both stakeholders. Another common example is when IT leadership has a goal of a single platform or instance for multiple business units, but the leaders for the different business units have no goals to create common business processes. This mismatch can remain hidden and undermine the feasibility and efficiency of a single platform.

Again, we recommend reviewing the goals with the stakeholders to confirm that they promote the right project delivery and business outcomes. Successful projects have not only ownership of the project goals from the business, but also ownership of the successful delivery of the project goals.

Are the project goals well understood by all the project members?

Some projects rely on a single kick-off meeting to communicate the goals. However, many goals would benefit from more in-depth discussion (especially with project members from outside the business) to better explain the underlying business reasons. Consider how you can reinforce this communication not just during the initial induction of a new project member, but also throughout the project lifecycle.

Have the project goals been correctly translated into project deliverables?

Once a project starts the Implementation phase, the necessary attention needed for the day-to-day management and delivery can sometimes overshadow the importance of the strategic project goals. It's a key finding from project post go-live reviews, the original aims of the project faded into the background as the project battled with the day-to-day challenges.

In many cases, projects are driven by the fit gap list, which takes a narrow view of the business expectations. Consider specifically reviewing the initial scope of the project and initial solution blueprint and project plan with the business stakeholders. It's an opportunity to assess how well the goals are mapped to the project deliverables and take any corrective actions.

Is the governance process structured to formally monitor progress against the goals?

Progress is an often-neglected area. Sometimes, projects only seriously review the goals or success criteria as part of the final go-live assessment, which is too late. Try to avoid this by defining specific structured processes to ensure the assessment is ongoing. For example, look at how the solution design blueprint helps meet the business process objectives. Also, look at how the data migration and reporting strategy meets the information access objectives. Monitor to confirm that the project priorities are aligned with the project goals and aren't diverted by other considerations or day-to-day challenges.

Once a project starts the Implementation phase, the necessary attention needed for the day-to-day management and delivery can sometimes overshadow the importance of the strategic project goals.

Next steps

• Learn how to set up the right project organization and assign the roles and responsibilities that support your project efficiency and effectiveness
• Learn how to choose the best project approach and methodology that suit your project scope, complexity, and constraints
• Learn how to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of classic governance structures, such as change management, risk management, and issue management
• Learn how to apply good governance processes to key project areas
• Learn how to create a well-structured project plan that helps you track and improve your project progress and outcomes
• Review the main points and takeaways from this section
• Use the Success by Design checklist to assess and improve your project governance model and processes
• Read a case study of how a customer implemented Dynamics 365 with effective project governance.