Defining business alignment as the process of "ensuring that a new project, program, or process is connected directly to business impact measures, usually expressed in terms such as output, quality, cost, or time," 10 Steps to Successful Business Alignment offers concrete input, detailed suggestions, and pragmatic know-how on how to plan for, implement, and maintain effective alignment for projects of nearly every size and scope. Written by a pair of renowned experts in the field of business measurement and evaluation, 10 Steps to Successful Business Alignment shows how to connect projects to business measures, and how to maintain alignment with those measures throughout a project's entire life cycle. This book covers the full spectrum of issues related to alignment, including planning the alignment with clients; determining payoff, business, performance, and preference needs; addressing high-level objectives; measuring impact; reporting the results of the alignment; and more. In providing both a conceptual framework as well as nuts-and-bolts information on how to achieve meaningful, effective alignment, some of the topics on which this volume drills down into useful specifics include:
how and when to discuss alignment with clients
which projects are (and which projects aren't) appropriate for applying alignment
the proper ways to clarify and manage expectations of the alignment process
best practices for addressing the needs of a project and the related alignment program
a discussion of the factors that contribute to the success of alignment
how to achieve buy-in on alignment from stakeholders in a project
a detailed, highly objective review of how to measure the impact of alignment
why isolating the impact of alignment process is crucial
the most effective ways to report and communicate your results. Truly a comprehensive resource on alignment, 10 Steps to Successful Business Alignment delivers practical insight on every step of the alignment process, and is essential reading for every professional involved in creating, maintaining, and verifying alignment.
