| The purpose of planning is to arrive iteratively at | | | | 2. Sixty-four percent of the features included in |
| an optimized answer to the ultimate new product | | | | products are rarely or never used. |
| development question of what should be | | | | 3. The average project exceeds its schedule by |
| developed. That is, what capabilities should the | | | | 100%. |
| product exhibit, in what timeframe, and with | | | | A critical problem with traditional approaches to |
| which and how many resources? | | | | planning is that they focus on the completion of |
| Planning supports all of these objectives by | | | | activities rather than on the delivery of features. |
| reducing uncertainty about what the product | | | | A traditionally managed project's Gantt chart or |
| should be, by supporting better decision making, | | | | work breakdown structure identifies the activities |
| by establishing trust, and by conveying | | | | that will be performed. This becomes how we |
| information. | | | | measure the progress of the team. A first |
| Unfortunately, the traditional ways in which we | | | | problem with activity-based planning is that |
| plan projects often let us down. In answering the | | | | customers get no value from the completion of |
| combined scope/schedule/resources question for | | | | activities. Features are the unit of customer value. |
| a new product, our traditional planning processes | | | | Planning should be at the level of features, not |
| do not always lead to very satisfactory answers | | | | activities. |
| and products. | | | | A second problem occurs after a traditional |
| Here are some interesting facts concerning | | | | schedule has been created and is being reviewed. |
| planning. | | | | When we review a schedule showing activities, |
| 1. Nearly two-thirds of projects significantly | | | | we do so looking for forgotten activities rather |
| overrun their cost estimates. | | | | than for missing features. |