Fully Threaded Lifecycle Method (FTLM) Introduction

Anyone who ever sponsored or managed a large-scale process/technology improvement initiative is well aware of the variety of problems that can be encountered in this type initiative. For years now, manufacturing organizations and consultants alike execute projects, document lessons learned and add more complexity and tools to their methods in an attempt to reduce the impact of the inevitable problems that can and will occur if Murphy has anything to say about it. Break out the next box of Band-aids as it were!

For more than a decade now, DSA staffs and some very smart associates have been studying the problem. Our analysis confirms that the patient suffers from two primary diseases. We in fact find that every project related problem we could identify could be traced back to one or both of the following root causes, they are:

• Failure to understand and apply structured/proven methods
• Failure to thread these methods at the work-product level

To expand on this point, we find that few individuals are skilled across the variety of methods and tools required to execute efficiently and effectively. We further find that many organizations abrogate from proven method to enable some political, budgetary or calendar related objective(s) and always with the same results:

Mis-set expectations and performance against:

• Expected Time to Value
• Expected Cost to Value
• Expected Quality of Deliverable Functionality
• Expected Return on investment

Additionally, we find that the various methods, Six Sigma and SDLC (Software Delivery Lifecycle) methods in particular, required to execute an effective initiative have evolved as two unique sciences that until now have not been threaded at the work product level. The process team creates a unique set of work products which are often model based and rarely created in a format and at a level of detail that enables the technology staffs to expand on the model to create a model based design that delivers a normalized view readily accessible and understandable to all participants in the project. The process and technology teams have in the past thrown work products over the wall requiring the downstream analysts to conduct exhaustive translations, transformations and assimilations of work products. Back and forth, back and forth!

The current disconnected methods used by most teams can be proven to:

• Increase Time to Value
• Increase Cost to Value
• Reduce the Quality of Deliverable Functionality
• Reduce the Return on Investment
• Distract and Strain the Project Team and Business Organization
• Delay other Strategic Initiatives
• Increase project complexity
• Etc.

Given these findings, perhaps its time to think at a different level of abstraction than we were when we created what is. Perhaps it is time to triage the patient with a true understanding of the root causes for all process / technology initiative related problems and create a Fully Threaded Project Lifecycle Execution Method.

To obtain a full version of the FTLM overview go to the Library to download a copy.

This FTLM method is Copy written and patent is pending. This method is only available for use with the expressed written permission of an authorized DSA representative.