Depending upon the scope of the team responsibility they may be about in creating the implementation phase which would include a detailed project plan or schedule. The purpose of the plan is to coordinate activities and resources and former baseline from which to manage the project. This gives everyone involved the same reference point.

In marketing it always amazes me the lack of detailed project planning. Most marketers resist the idea, misunderstanding the role of detailed planning for marketing projects. They assume that the purpose of a detailed plan is the same as it would be for other repetitive activities like manufacturing. The purpose of a project plan in marketing is to coordinate many of the uncertain activities that happen. Maybe more importantly, a good project plan will coordinate the activities of your resource requirements. Not everything will be predictable but even if we make some of the predictable we will increase the likelihood of success.

Photo courtesy of Systems2win.

Within a project plan we can establish over all and individual process metrics. We will need metrics to produce information quickly so that they may be acted on in the middle of a project rather than at the end. The value of these types of match reached will that they allow you to take action during a project where you can still influence its success. These metrics may are ready BD identified in your value stream map. Measurability is perhaps the most important feature of the project plan.

Once a schedule is completed it should be posted or made available to all stakeholders of the project. Constant updating should appear and be visible to all parties. This should be an active document, and be used to manage the process. A schedule is the translation of the project plan into individual tasks, identifying durations, responsibilities, start and finish dates, resources, flow and milestones. It is very easy for a team to want to jump straight in, generate a schedule and get on with the project. There is more to project planning than this.

Project management is the whole aspect of planning, which leads to a realistic schedule, which in turn requires control. If you have completed your Value Stream Mapping Process, a project plan will be relatively easy to complete.

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Ten Step Project Management

Technorati : Project Management, Project Plan, Value Stream Map, Value Stream Mapping

Stay away from editing it as much as possible, except for your grammar of course. You will water down the statement trying to appeal to everyone versus the segment you are actually marketing too. Do not worry about alienating anyone that is the purpose, discrimination in this sense is not bad! Tim says, “Remember that moving forward on your purpose means saying “no” to jobs, clients, and customers for whom your purpose is not appropriate. Therefore, your public purpose should be a simple and clear articulation in of what you do and who you do it for, in the most purposeful terms possible.”

Steps to creating your Need Statement:

1. Write down the list of possible options you need to choose from.

2. For each option, write a list of pros and cons.

3. Read each statement and rate them by the most useful aspects of your product or service.

4. Ask for advice from salespeople, customers, dealers and other stakeholders within the marketing segment. It is best to read it out loud to a client, such as an elevator speech would be used. The worst thing you could do is to do this by yourself.

5. Weighing these factors make a choice. It does not even have to be the best choice, just the one you choose to live with.

6. Now, try it out. If a sample client “doesn’t get it” then you may need to change the wording, not the meaning of the statement. If you statement inspires, you are ready for prime time. 7. If your sampling struggles with what you are offering, re-think your strategy going through these steps.

8. Re-read what others said about your offering.

9. Using what others said, brainstorm different ideas on how to say the message.

10. Now try different combinations of the 2 list to come up with simple statements that describe what you do and for whom you do it for.

11. Read the statement out loud to others. See which one creates the most interest.

I may go one step further. Play telephone with a group of 4 to 5 people. The message that comes through the last person is more than likely the message that will get transmitted throughout the rest of your marketing process.

P.S. If you are getting ready to map that Customer starting point in your Value Stream Map, this is what you write in that little box with the sawtooth shape on top.

Technorati : Mapping, Marketing Process, Marketing Vision, Value stream Map

This is where we will start finding the true waste in our marketing process. Should we be happy with 2% direct mail returns or accepting the fact that we need to be in front of a customer 7 to 9 times before we get action. We need to ask whether we are making assumptions about what customers need. We need to ask our customers what they need and whether this is properly communicated throughout each stage of our marketing process. An organization exists only to provide value to a customer. Are we supplying value in each phase of our marketing process? If you cannot, see how to re-create that phase in the process or it may be one that you need to stop. Everything you do should create value. If you do, your customers are much more likely to stay engaged.

In my Marketing your Black Belt Webinar, I discuss the lack of clarity as the #1 reason that professional service firms lose jobs. I also believe that your “fuzziness” may directly relate to a customer becoming disengaged. Having clearly defined outcomes based on a customers need will prevent that and reduce your variation in the process. What does variation have to do with the marketing process? Variation creates uncertainty or a lack of clarity. The reason that you may be losing jobs. The lack of confidence in the ability of your marketing processes to deliver on your customer needs. Variation reduces the chances for the customer to trust you.

The simplicity of a single flexible marketing model will create clarity for your customers, staff and as a result better execution. Utilizing a process, you also will spend your time on your customer’s need versus continuously managing the process.

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Why do The Pillars of the Lean Marketing House™ crumble?

Get Rid of Your Marketing Vision Statement and Address the NEED!

Technorati : Duct Tape Marketing, Lean, Marketing, Value Stream Map, Variation