Reinventing The Wheel

Who asked for a new wheel anyway?

Possibly the greatest expression of inefficiency and wasting of time in any process is the re-invention of the wheel.  The wheel I am referring to in this case being any tool, template, form, process, database, log, etc that a project team routinely requires to get the job done or track and execute task completion.  Time and time again I see fancy new wheels spinning along the project execution cycle, certain that the existing wheel would have achieved the same thing with less time, effort and confusion.  And how then, if it proves 'road-worthy', will this new wheel find it's rightful place amongst the tools available to all other PM's?  This failure to seek out and use best practices and tools is to the ultimate detriment of a project, the project team, and future project efforts.

Not that new ideas should not be welcomed or encouraged - in fact new ideas are vital to progress and efficiency, and are a basic element of a CAPA type system every PM organization should have set up (corrective and preventative actions).  But starting from scratch is rarely less effort than the few steps it takes to source the latest platform and customize it within reason towards your new vision of things.  It is worth noting that virtually all project teams are made up of functional resources moving from project to project within a similar environment.  When similar, recognizable tools are shared between projects there is a less steep learning curve at the task beginning, or in the event of inevitable team member turnover.

Except for a highly regulated environment or very narrow range of application (such as a pre-flight checklist or nuclear waste containment protocol, perhaps..?), templates and tools are made to be a guide which can then be modified and customized to fit current needs.  Templates typically represent a tried and true standard for execution, having all of the bugs already worked out.  If, however, a template in practice shows inefficiency, error, etc, that is what feedback loops and Lessons Learned meetings are for (see post elsewhere in this blog), along with a system to flag the latest established version.  So, your shiny new wheel could be the best thing to happen in your industry, but if it is not systematically shared and fed back into the 'wheel pool', future teams cannot benefit.  Likewise, fail to use a perceived 'old wheel', and you may be missing out on a past team's hard-earned knowledge.

Besides the missed lessons or potential misalignment between team members and other project teams, an extension of this reinvention problem occurs where you risk invalidating your output or procedure due to the deviation from an accepted norm or industry standard.  Take the case of pooled project data or downstream application of a project output where an upstream team reinvented a variable capture, timing or definition.  When multiple project output is later pooled and the variables do not match, what additional problems have then been created that a standardized approach would have prevented?

Is there ever any reason To reinvent the wheel?  Of course!  If the old wheel contributes to known problems or proves to be dated and unreliable, throw it away.  When cultural, regulatory or economic shifts portend the birth of a new reality, it's time to take a fresh perspective.  If the new tasks are so unique that the old wheel does not conform sufficiently, establish a new one and make it available for current and future project teams to use.  It should be noted, however, that few projects conducted in the same basic environment are truly significantly different from recent ongoing project activities.  And if, finally, through sharing of Lessons Learned, the shortcomings of a particular wheel are shown to outweigh its value.

Best practices are not always The best practices but should at least serve as a starting point for project and functional leaders, and at times may be the de facto requirement whether perfect or not.  The key is in obtaining consensus from past and future end-users, alignment with standards, implement a Lessons Learned or feedback loop, and have a process for updating and centrally locating all tools, templates, etc (essentially best practices) where they are known to all and easily accessible.