This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Task Scorecards
Task scorecards (see Table 2.4) have the capability to discriminate at the aggregate level of tool completion and summary performance relative to each major task and its requirements.
Table 2.4. Task Scorecard
|
Phase Task |
Average Tool Score |
Percentage Task Fulfillment |
Task Result vs. Delinquent Requests |
Red |
Yellow |
Green |
Deliverable Requirements |
A very insightful metric is the percent of completion that has been attained for each major task within a phase. We believe this is where the real mechanics of cycle-time are governed. If a technical team is overloaded with projects or is not given enough time to use tools, it is almost certain that it will not be able to fully complete its critical tasks. Undercompleted tasks are usually a leading indicator that a schedule likely will slip. Too few tools are being used, and those that are being used are not being fully applied. So a double effect results: poor tool use leading to incomplete data sets and tasks that simply are not finished. This means we make risky decisions on the wrong basis. The data is underdeveloped. High-risk situations are acceptable in our projects, but not because we are too busy to do things right. Task incompletion is a major contributor to why we make mistakes and fail to grow on a sustainable basis. This is a suggested ranking scale to illustrate how you can assign a value from 1 to 10 to quantify the level of risk inherent in the percent of uncompleted tasks:
- 10 = The task is complete in all required dimensions. A well-balanced set of tools has been fully applied to 100% completion.
- 9–8 = The task is approximately 80% to 90% complete. Some minor elements of the task are not fully done. A well-balanced set of tools has been used, but some minor steps have been omitted.
- 7–4 = The task is not complete somewhere across the range of 70% to 40%. Moderate to major elements of the task are not done, and tool selection and use has been moderate to minimal. Selected tools are not being fully used, and significant steps are being skipped.
- 3–1 = The task is not complete across a range of 30% to 10%. Very few tools have been selected and used. Steps have been heavily truncated, and major steps are missing altogether.