Article #20:
Assess and Demonstrate Document Strategy Success

In the previous series of columns I have been exploring the methods and techniques that can be used to design and implement an effective and meaningful document strategy. One important success factor for document strategy designers is the ability to build ongoing sponsorship and support of your efforts. After all, you’ll need buy-in from decision-makers and co-workers in order to make your strategy take flight. Build that buy-in by demonstrating the success of your efforts thus far, and making the benefits of your strategic approach clearly understood.

The success of your document strategy can only be known if you first assess it and then demonstrate it. In my book, “Designing a Document Strategy,” I suggest that once you implement your document strategy (or parts of it) it is important to evaluate the performance of the new process or solution to ensure that the improvements you anticipated and promised are actually delivered. This requires careful examination. You may be tempted to skip this step and simply declare success and move on. But assessing and demonstrating your success is essential in order to build your reputation for achievement and encourage sponsors and co-workers to embrace and accept your document strategy efforts in the future.

 

Questions to consider are:

• Did you achieve the outcomes you set for this project? To what extent?
• Did the project end within budget?
• Were costs planned and allocated appropriately?
• Was the return on investment that you anticipated achieved?
• Were areas of opportunities identified and responded to?
• Did the project start and end on time?
• Were problems handled promptly and efficiently?
• Were all of the tasks completed? Were they correctly performed and on time?
• Were the correct resources deployed for this project?
• Did team members have the tools and time they needed to perform their assignments?
• Were resources realistically established in light of the budget or time estimates of the project?
  
  

Once you have achieved success, demonstrate it. Communicate to your sponsors and co-workers the benefit of your efforts. By doing so, you will be more likely to win continuing support and justification for similar document strategy projects. Do this by preparing a written report for your sponsors. In addition, it is helpful to prepare a condensed version for your team members and others who may offer “testimony” to your success. Follow your initial project plan and describe the results of your project.

Your report should include the following components:

• Project Timeline. Indicate the beginning and ending date of your project. Also note whether your project was completed on time or if it took longer than anticipated. If you were on schedule, list the aspects that helped you meet your timeline. If you were off schedule, list the causes and the methods you used to correct the timeline.
  
  
• Project Benefits and Outcomes. List and describe the results of your project and how they were measured. Describe the benefits you achieved and detail the hard numbers. Compare and contrast the outcomes to your original objectives.
  
  
• Continuing Opportunities. Describe the other opportunities that resulted from your project.
  
  
• Financial Outcomes. Describe both the estimated and actual costs of your project. Be sure to include clear and quantifiable financial figures. If you came in under budget, indicate the reasons why and how these savings can be applied in other areas. If you went over budget, indicate the reasons why and how the deficit may be recovered elsewhere.
  
  
• Suggested Follow Up. Recommend how the results of your project can be sustained or updated.
  
  
• Lessons Learned. Describe what you learned from your experience. How can your success be duplicated? How can mistakes or mishaps be avoided in the future? Describe what worked well, and what must be done differently in future projects.
  
  
• Project Team Recognition. Indicate the team members who made key contributions. Suggest ways to recognize, compensate and celebrate their success. If people feel that their work is appreciated, they will be more likely to willingly support and participate in future document strategy efforts.
  
  
• Additional Comments. Offer additional comments or concerns that will be helpful for evaluating the success of your project. Opportunities for continuous improvement should be recapped as well.
  
  

By demonstrating your success you will be much more likely to gain the sponsorship and support you need for your document strategy in the future. You’ve done great work; now let everyone know about it!

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Read more articles in this series