Check out the resources below for more information on risk management
- A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) 6th Edition
- Agile Risk Management by Alan Moran
Case Study Conclusion
Going back to the infrastructure project that gave us an opportunity to be on CNN, once we got over our shock at the architect’s idea of doing a flash cut, we said, “How about this – the Business needs to be OK with whichever way we go, since they ultimately bear the risks. Let’s document the risks and our risk response plans for both options – going slow or going with a flash cut – and let them decide.”
The architect was in full support of that, so we spent weeks documenting all the ways both approaches could go wrong and impact business operations, and developing plans to avoid or mitigate those risks. Finally, we presented them to a steering committee made up of executives from every major line of business in the organization. We were confident that this risk-averse organization would balk at the idea of a flash cut. When we finished the presentation, they said, “You’ve done a good job of thinking through the risks here. We feel good with the flash-cut approach. Go for it.”
We were stunned at the decision, and, with some trepidation, moved ahead with the project. To help ensure our success, we implemented the most rigorous risk management process I’ve ever had in any project – an independent risk board supported by an outside risk coordinator to keep us honest with our risk management plans and activities. Several months later we flipped the switch on our global flash cut, flipping over hundreds of applications and thousands of devices which were used by hundreds of thousands of employees. And not a single thing went wrong. Best of all, we were not on the nightly news.
