Skip to main content
Top

2024 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

5. Unknowns Are Your Best Friends

All Projects Have Uncertainties

Author : Raphael H Cohen

Published in: Pre-Project Excellence

Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland

Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.

search-config
loading …

Abstract

This chapter provides a practical framework for managing uncertainties and implementing projects successfully, which aligns with the principles outlined in ISO 56007. It explains the process of assessing the effort required to reduce the uncertainty of Opportunities or projects. The first step involves identifying as many Unknowns/uncertainties as possible at the pre-project stage. The IpOp Model has been designed as a step-by-step process to facilitate the identification and prioritization of Unknowns, which are not to be confused with Risks. The list of Unknowns can then be used to calibrate the effort (time, money, and skills) required to reduce the level of uncertainty of the project. This chapter emphasizes the importance of drafting an Opportunity Case to demonstrate the merits of the Opportunity and obtain necessary Resources. It also highlights the need for two Action Plans, one outlining Tactical Moves for reducing critical Unknowns and a second one for delivering the Definition of Success. The process involves obtaining conditional buy-in from Decision-makers and Investors, spending Resources to reduce critical Unknowns, and obtaining later a final green light to launch the project. Since ISO 56007 recommends to catalog uncertainties as early as possible but does not explain how to identify them, the IpOp Model appears to be a very useful complement for operationalizing ISO 56007’s recommendations.

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 102.000 Bücher
  • über 537 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Automobil + Motoren
  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
  • Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe
  • Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 67.000 Bücher
  • über 340 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Versicherung + Risiko




Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

Footnotes
1
See Chap. 11.
 
2
For more information about Factors see Chap. 12.
 
3
See below step 5 in “The Process from idea to launch”.
 
4
See Table 5.1
 
5
See Chap. 14.
 
6
See Chap. 11.
 
7
See Chap. 20.
 
8
See Chap. 15.
 
10
See Chap. 15.
 
13
See the beginning of Chap. 4.
 
14
They are Stakeholders as explained in Chap. 13.
 
15
See Chap. 18
 
16
Intellectual Property.
 
17
See Chap. 11.
 
18
See Chap. 11.
 
20
The software described in Chap. 18 automatically produces this list. It also outlines the level of reliability of each section of the Opportunity Case according to the team analyzing the project.
 
21
ISO 56000.
 
22
I refer here to the lack of predictability of a Factor that may be triggered by an external event with a probability to happen, which is different from ‘the unpredictability of a desired/potential innovation’. For a deeper analysis of the semantic differences between uncertainties and unknowns, and their respective implications, refer to “Uncertainty in innovation”, Raphael H Cohen, Chapter 73 of World Encyclopedia of Entrepreneurship, second Edition”, Léo Paul Dana, 2021, Edward Elgar Publishing Limited, Cheltenham.
 
23
ISO 56007, section 4.3.2.
 
24
See section 4.3 in ISO 56007.
 
25
ISO 56007, section 6.3.4.
 
26
ISO 56007, annex B5.
 
27
ISO 56007, aannex B.
 
28
ISO 56007, section 4.3.4 and annexes B2 and B3.
 
29
Defined in section 4.3 of ISO 56007 as “Uncertainty arises from a state of deficiency of information, understanding or knowledge that increases the unpredictability of a desired or potential outcome.”
 
Metadata
Title
Unknowns Are Your Best Friends
Author
Raphael H Cohen
Copyright Year
2024
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-61774-4_5

Premium Partner