iTools Benefit Management FAQ

Questions you may be asking iTools BM

Topic 1: Changes to strategic plan

Are the promised benefits of a project linked to the enterprise’s strategic objectives? How are they linked at the moment? How often do they get updated? Who would update them and is it a time consuming task at the moment? Would you like to visually review all projects and benefits that are aligned to strategic objectives?

When reviewing strategic direction would it help if the executive team could easily list projects and benefits that are affected by the strategic change, and which projects should be placed into a review process to decide their suitability to continue?

Topic 2: Definition of Benefits

Before an initiative has started, is there a formal process to outline reasons why the initiative will be under taken and the tangible benefits the initiative will return to the enterprise? Typically who outlines the benefits? Are they accountable for their realisation? Would it be useful to tie definition and realization into a single accountability?

On an ongoing basis would you like a benefit management system to enforce a consistent approach for the way benefits are defined and measured for new initiatives?

Topic 3: Visibility of information

Is there a way to view benefit information at any time? Is the executive team required to make decisions while off-site? Overseas? Does it affect the quality of decision making?

When evaluating the status of large initiatives would it be beneficial if you and other executives could access benefit realisation information via your laptop anytime/anywhere and review actual benefits realised against those that were originally promised?

Topic 4: Measuring business benefit

Are the promised tangible benefits measured when the project is underway? What happens when a project is closed – are the benefits still measured? Would you like the ability to continue to measure benefits of closed projects?

On demand and at any time would you like an opportunity for the business sponsors of an initiative to measure the promised benefits even when the project has closed down and the project team has been disbanded?

Topic 5: Benefit Comparisons

Is it possible to view realised benefits of multiple initiatives? Can you compare the initiatives against each other? Are you able to compare project benefits against realised benefits of similar initiatives?

At the executive meetings would it be beneficial if you and other executives could review benefits promised and actual benefits produced against baseline measurement points and be able to create ‘what if’ scenarios if the enterprise didn’t undertake the initiative?

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