Choose from the following:
Applications of the Project Success Integrated Solution
Short Success Stories

Case Studies
Technology Case Study 1
Technology Case Study 2
Manufacturing Process Improvement Case Study (Six Sigma)
Service Provider Case Study
Product Development Case Study 1
Product Development Case Study 2

Applications of the YCA Integrated SolutionSM

YCA's products and services are applicable to the management of virtually any type of project. More specifically, YCA's techniques have been applied successfully to managing each of the following project types:

• Product development and introduction
• Facility development and start-up, or relocation
• Equipment installation and implementation of new process technologies
• Information systems development and implementation
• Business process re-engineering
• Marketing program development and execution
• Architectural and engineering design
• Real estate development, construction, and renovation
• Industrial maintenance
• Advertising campaign development and roll-out
• Initial public stock offering
• Merger or acquisition
• Special events
• Human resources benefit program development and internal communication
• Applied research

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Short Success Stories

A large multi-national retail chain was able to reduce the duration of store development and open stores two weeks earlier by re-sequencing the site approval activity by its Chairman. A typical week of sales revenue for client's stores was estimated at $1,000,000.
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By crashing the project schedule, a product development team for a paper products client was able to introduce its product to the market four months earlier than originally estimated. Incremental profit was estimated at $4,000,000 per month.
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Project planning sessions for a merger of two multi-national companies clearly illustrated that five times the number of human resource teams were required to interview employees of the acquired organization in order to achieve contractual hiring deadlines.
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Several YCA clients have used the Project Success Method as a tool to determine when to abandon product development. Often organizations have no process to monitor status for dynamic projects.
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Successful cut-over of a major technology project was the sole contractual requirement for the $1.1 billion sale of a client in the financial services industry. Sixty days later, the same client was resold for $1.8 billion.
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The Vice President of Properties & Facilities for a client in the communications industry attributed PSM training as the primary reason for doubling the number of projects completed and quadrupling the dollar volume compared to the previous year with no increase in staff.
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Two project managers with years of construction experience for a client in the lodging industry stated they "always wondered about those charts and graphs hanging on the wall of the construction trailer" and after completing the PSMSM training, "now we know".
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Using the Project Success MethodSM, an electric utility client was able to triple the number of projects completed in a typical summer repair outage.

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Technology Case Study 1

Background:
The Board of Directors at a multi-national aerospace and industrial company had approved the migration from a legacy system to a super-minicomputer platform with a Unix operating system, supporting a relational database. The project would have a hardware and a software phase. In the hardware phase, a vendor was to develop software that would simulate the legacy system on the super-mini and allow the company to move off its leased mainframe. In the software phase, purchased and developed business applications would replace the simulated legacy system. As the project moved toward the end of its first year, the development of the software simulator was seriously behind schedule, no plan existed for the remainder of the hardware phase, and little thought had been given as to how to even do the software phase. The company faced the prospect of having to extend the lease on the mainframe and incur additional cost of $1.2 million. The CEO decided to name a new IT Director and adopt a formal project management methodology. The client enlisted YCA to provide a custom blend of Project SuccessSM Training, Consulting, and System Development services.

Results:
The project was a success, meeting its time, cost, and quality objectives. Other important outcomes included:

• The vendor delivered a working software simulator on time, for the agreed upon price.
• The company released the mainframe and avoided the $1.2 million cost to extend the lease.
• The software phase had a defined scope and customer.
• A collaborative team was formed with members from each company and all key disciplines.
• The software migration completed on time and on budget, with all agreed upon functionality.
• The project would serve as a model for successful migrations at the company's European and Asian operations as well as for new acquisitions.
• All of the company's key operations around the world operate on this integrated system.

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Technology Case Study 2

Background:
A multi-national retail corporation consisting of several brands/divisions identified potential annual maintenance and operating cost reductions as well as operating efficiencies in excess of $200M per year from developing and implementing a common computer system for operations. The project had undergone four years of software development little to show. The project had become a political "football" with operators threatening to develop or purchase their own systems due to Y2K pressures. Numerous product delivery commitments had been made to the prospective customers without the benefit of detailed planning. A 30 person IT staff was responsible for software development, pilot support, and customer relations. The client enlisted YCA to provide a custom blend of Project Success Training, Consulting, and System Development services.

Results:
The project is on-going, however, the initial release is being tested on-time in multiple store locations. Other important outcomes of the YCA effort include:

• The project was reinvigorated, not abandoned.
• The teams re-scoped various releases in order to create a realistic set of deliverables and produce a series of bug-free software/infrastructure products.
• The realization of the need for, and planning of internal marketing programs.
• The doubling of IT staff and the recruitment of operators to participate in design, testing, and rollout.
• The establishment of a senior team of sponsors to help guide and make critical decisions for the project team.
• The implementation of a project office for the entire program, which transitioned YCA expertise leading to self-sufficiency in planning and controlling the ongoing project.

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Manufacturing Process Improvement Case Study (Six Sigma)

The Challenge:
Profits at the largest division of an aerospace/industrial company had failed to meet plan for the last several years. Quality problems continued to plague the division, highlighted by the loss of its supplier certification from its biggest customer. To address these cost and quality issues, the division launched a "Six Sigma" program to improve quality, increase customer satisfaction, and generate higher profits. First year objectives were set: 1) reduce the number of defects in delivered products by 60%; 2) regain the supplier certification pulled by the company's largest customer; and 3) break-even on the investment in Six Sigma. The client enlisted YCA to provide a custom blend of Project Success Training, Consulting, and System Development services.

Results:
The project was a success, meeting its time, cost, and quality objectives. Other important outcomes included:

• The company regained its supplier certification within six months through significant improvement in delivered quality and a proven ability to hold and improve upon those gains.
• Delivered quality improved by 75% within twelve months.
• The company generated a net "profit" on its initial Six Sigma investment: tangible project savings less the cost of training, scrap, rework.
• A large multi-national corporation, recognized as a leader in Six Sigma implementation, selected one of the company's black belt projects as a "project of the year," which resulted in a significant sales/marketing opportunity for the company.
• The Project SuccessSM planning and control techniques learned and practiced on Six Sigma project were applied to other types of projects for additional benefit.

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Service Provider Case Study

The Challenge:
A major utility company partnered with a software company to web-enable the utility's customer service process. The first project they initiated was over budget and failed to meet both time and quality objectives. The launch of the second project was delayed because neither company could agree on website requirements, design, and development method. Concerned that the second project would be a repeat of the first, the utility company decided to utilize YCA Project Success training and consulting services. The client enlisted YCA to provide a custom blend of Project Success Training, Consulting, and System Development services.

Results:
The project was a success, meeting its time, cost, and quality objectives. Other important outcomes included:

• A collaborative working relationship has formed between the executives of the utility company and the service provider.
• The "high-performing" project team is positioned to deliver success on subsequent web-enablement projects.
• The service provider is achieving their profit objectives under the performance-pay structure.
• The companies are partnering on an additional project that will provide over $4 million in revenues for the service provider.

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Product Development Case Study 1

Background:
A product development team for an European equipment manufacturer was faced with a tremendous challenge. A competitor had just announced a technologically superior product, and to prevent a 25%+ loss in market share, a radically redesigned model had to be introduced at a trade fair in 14 months. The team was only minimally staffed, and the normal development cycle for new products was 39 months. Several component systems requiring major upgrades were dependent on traditionally very long lead-time parts with potentially unreliable suppliers. Additionally, sales were suffering due to severe quality problems throughout their product line and the entire organization was primarily focused on quickly improving quality. Finally, the company president utilized a very centralized method of decision-making and project teams normally were not delegated the authority to make decisions that would impact project performance.

Approach: The core project team including project manager had already completed the Project Success MethodSM training. YCA provided consulting assistance in chartering, schedule development, crashing, resource planning, and periodic schedule updates/revisions. PSMSM training was conducted for new members after the team was fully staffed. With design help from YCA, the client was able to develop and implement a formal project management system.

Results:
The new product was successfully completed and introduced at the trade fair in 14 months. The project manager's technical knowledge and planning skills were acknowledged and he was promoted. The project team members all acquired new individual competencies and confidence that helped improve company performance. Other significant outcomes included:

• Due to the project charter, company management was fully aware of the potential project risks.
• The project schedule contained specific activities and duration for rigorous product testing preventing potential shortcuts that would negatively impact product quality after development.
• The project manager was able to accurately estimate and obtain staffing needed to successfully complete the project. He used the project schedule to illustrate how any subsequent reductions in staff would delay completion, thus he was able to maintain staff throughout the project.
• Parts of the project schedule were used to communicate responsibility and delivery dates to key internal and external suppliers who were not able to participate in the project planning.
• Contingency plans were made to deal with potential supplier failures for critical long lead-time parts.
• Management was impressed with the team's knowledge of the project situation due to its detailed plans, and was willing to delegate authority for more decision-making. The project team gained a sense of empowerment that had not previously existed in the company.
• The knowledge discipline acquired in planning and controlling the project development product was used to assist in the resolution of broad quality problems that plagued the company.
• The schedule for the project was utilized as a template for future product development plans.

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Product Development Case Study 2

The Challenge:
The CEO of a large aerospace company committed the organization to delivering a new fuel control system for a small jet engine application in seven months. If successful the new system would displace a competitor's product and provide opportunity for significant increase in revenue and market share. To this point, the organization had never delivered a new system in less than eighteen months. The project required driven people, strong teamwork between supplier and customer, and a proven project management method. The client enlisted YCA to provide a custom blend of Project Success Training, Consulting, and System Development services.

Results:

• The company delivered the fuel system in seven months.
• The system met its cost, weight, and functionality targets.
• A close working relationship developed between both supplier and customer.
• The project was a source of pride for the entire organization.
• The project became a model and a standard for all future development projects.

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