Customers want a quality experience, whether they are buying a product or a service. And they want it again and again. The ability to repeatedly deliver what the customer wants is the hallmark of successful organizations. In the information technology universe, your customer is the rest of your company. What difference does that make? Absolutely none. Your customer wants a quality experience, again and again. How can you deliver that? The answer is in your methods.

A method is a repeatable process with the skills and tools needed to use it effectively. The right set of methods can help you improve the quality, speed and efficiency of information systems delivery. The wrong set of methods can bog your projects down in unnecessary steps that keep your information technology from changing at the speed of business. The challenge is figuring out what methods are right for you and your organization.

• understand your process maturity to implement the methods that are most appropriate and effective for your current level
• establish baseline measures of productivity and customer satisfaction
• clarify the roles, responsibilities, and rewards for your sponsor, customer, managers, project teams, and project office
• select methods that best meet your current and future needs
• evaluate and purchase appropriate automated tools that support the new processes you are implementing
• schedule training in the use of all related topics: Requirements Definitions, Solution Development Methods, Project Management, Estimating, and related support tools
• regularly evaluate and enhance the methods, provide updates and advanced topics training, and maintain mentoring, coaching and consulting support
• maintain awareness at executive and customer management levels about the purpose of the methods and their expected benefits