Project Rescue Consulting: Common Challenges and Solutions

What is Project Rescue Consulting?

Have you ever been deep into a project that is hitting snags at every corner? Things are over budget and off your timeline and you don’t know how to steady the course? Sounds like Project Rescue Consulting should be at the forefront of your mind.

Project Rescue Consulting is a specialized service where a team of software development experts help an organization salvage a project that has gone off course, is no longer meeting its business objectives, or simply never made it to the finish line. A Project Rescue Consulting team is looking to identify root challenges, implement a strategic intervention, and get the project to a place of operability again.

Project Rescue teams worth their cost should comprise technical experts of a variety of backgrounds including engineers, designers, analysts, and consultants. These teams need a wealth of experience to adjust each Project Rescue Consulting approach to the specific needs of the client. DOOR3 with over 20 years of experience has been offering Project Rescue Consulting for longer than most people have been on the internet, and our list of successful Project Rescue Consulting engagements makes us an excellent reference when learning more about Project Rescue Consulting.

Importance of Consulting in Project Rescue

Outside consulting in a Project Rescue scenario is a total lifeline for an organization struggling to move a project forward. Project Rescue Consulting teams find their value in specialized knowledge and objective perspective, having an unbiased bird’s eye view on the situation and how it escalated to its current state.

Project Rescue Consulting teams help with risk management and implementing necessary change, in hopes that it will result in accelerated project recovery. Even further reaching then project recovery, Project Rescue Consulting teams aim to conclude a rescue with a full knowledge transfer to the team, providing all the information discovered during the process in hopes to leave the final solution in hands capable to support it.

Why projects need rescuing?

There’s a laundry list of reasons a project might be struggling to stay afloat, here’s a few reasons we commonly see:

1. Lack of project scope

Organization has not done enough planning before beginning development of the solution.

2. Poor project management

The project’s management cannot stay on timeline or has misallocated resources.

3. Technical complexities

Project has become too challenging for the internal team to tackle.

4. Resource constraints

Scope or aspirations has surpassed the available resources to execute.

5. Stakeholder conflicts and engagement

Key stakeholders either can’t find common ground in their functionality desires or are too detached from the project to guide it.

6. The impossible to predict

Economic downturns, surprise resignations, or other environmental factors that you couldn’t see coming.

When one or a combination of these challenges show up in your project, it’s time to look into Project Rescue Consulting.

Identifying common challenges faced by DOOR3 and how we address them

We often see a lack of previous development documentation and cost saving efforts dig organizations into holes they can’t get out of on their own. Everyone wants to save money in business, but sometimes saving money can cost more than doing it right in the first place.

DOOR3 recently provided Project Rescue Consulting services to a new healthcare client who came to us with a mess on their hands. An internal developer had recently quit his job, and with him taking a majority of the information about their intranet system with him, as the client had neglected to ensure proper project documentation.

The intranet had been hobbled together by this developer, in a variety of shoestring code and outdated technology. After his departure, that precariously built intranet, that was integral for overall business function, began breaking down rapidly.

In a situation like this, DOOR3 moves in immediately to stabilize the software and get you operational again, like life support for your solution. Once we’re confident that the product is meeting our baseline operational standards, we move to begin engaging the stakeholders on their project scope and aspirations. We’re looking to build your next long-term solution, not just something that meets your bare minimum requirements.

In the case of this healthcare provider, we were able to stabilize their software and implement a technical discovery immediately to establish what the client’s overall objectives were. From there we were able to build the intranet system their organization deserved, sunsetting the shoestring solution as it had now become legacy technology. Our solution has received high praise from the team, as well are the holistic Project Rescue Consulting services provided.

Stakeholder alignment and communication

If a project’s stakeholders can’t agree on the functionalities and scope of a product, it is doomed from the start.

Frequently, a Project Rescue Consultant’s biggest task is getting all stakeholders involved to see each other eye to eye. Often stakeholders are fighting for the different needs of their teams, and might forget that everyone is working towards the same goal, a solution that solves a larger problem within your organization’s objectives. Here are a few communication strategies to encourage stakeholder engagement and support.

1. Frequent updates and transparency

Always keep stakeholders informed on updates to the project whether it directly relates to them or not. Make sure updates are transparent in status, very often trust has been broken in the engagement prior to this one, make sure communications work towards rebuilding that trust.

2. Encourage decision making

The fastest way to engage stakeholders is to make them part of the decision making process. Find opportunities to let your stakeholders advise on decisions regarding functionality, design, and overall execution.

3. Regular meetings

Teams that don’t meet regularly get less done and have weaker communication skills, meet often and with an agenda in hand. Regular meetings will also help encourage the building of the aforementioned trust.

4. Management of expectations

There is no such thing as a perfect fix. Even products that solve your business problems may have glitches of their own. Keep in mind the realities of building a piece of software and make sure your stakeholders know that as well. Managed expectations are key to successfully iterated products.

Comprehensive assessment and analysis: how consulting process starts with DOOR3

Once a potential partner reaches out to us, we immediately get connected to begin the consulting process, wasted time is wasted money.

Our clients start with a few conversations to give us a high-level overview of the situation. Once the situation has been identified, we are likely to recommend a technical discovery to start off with. A technical discovery is DOOR3’s unique process aimed at holistically revealing all elements of a project. We source all previous documentation, review codebases, gather requirements, and do systems analysis with primary stakeholders, product owners, and user groups. We normally try to ensure these discoveries are as in depth as possible, however in circumstances where a system needs to be stabilized as soon as possible, we expedite our process to get you back online as soon as possible.

Once the discovery has been completed or the solution has been stabilized, we can begin planning the next phase of development.

Strategic planning and roadmapping

Now that we have all the relevant information at our disposal reviewed and organized, we can enter the strategic planning phase of our Project Rescue Consulting.

This phase involves reviewing our findings and putting together a comprehensive proposal and roadmap for the project’s stakeholders to review. Once these items have been reviewed individually, it’s time to get everyone in a room together to discuss feedback or adjustments to the plan as deemed necessary by the stakeholders. This is where trust and communication really comes into play, we spend significant time with our stakeholders to ensure that the finalized plan meets the whole team’s needs and is majority approved.

Once the plan and roadmap are approved, it’s time to begin executing the development of the project.

Technical remediation and code quality improvement

We begin development through a thorough code review to improve quality and maintainability. We peer review our code to make sure best practices are being followed at all times.

Following our review is code refactoring. We analyze and execute code restructuring to improve on non-functional attributes. We follow three golden rules during refactoring:

1. Establish clear goals

We don’t refactor for the sake of refactoring. Objectives must be established before any restructuring occurs, whether those are focused on readability, complexity, or performance.

2. Make changes incrementally

Agile over waterfall. Keep changes minimal before another round of testing. It’s easier to find mistakes or bugs in smaller batches of code.

3. Continuously test

As much as possible. Remember, a rescue isn’t just building software, it’s correcting someone else’s mistakes as well. Testing often reduces the probability of difficult to find errors.

Speaking of someone else’s errors, technical debt reduction is another important step in remediation. Identifying, addressing, and preventing future debt from occurring are critical steps in remediation, as well as making sure documentation is thorough in case a previous issue rears its ugly head again.

Team empowerment and support

Throughout the development process, it’s important to us that the client side team feels supported throughout the process. We make sure to include all relevant stakeholders in communications, ask questions, and leave final decisions in the hands of the client. It’s your project, we may have our thoughts on how to best execute, but we want you to feel like the solution you end up with is your own. Keeping two way communication channels and total transparency are ways we do that, plus as an independent software development company, we hold loyalty to know one but the organization we’re working with.

Meet the DOOR3 consultants

Our principal consultants are a group of highly experienced tech professionals whose entire focus is making sure DOOR3 delivers the exact solution you’re looking for. Let’s meet a few of the members that make up our principal consultant team.

Michael Montecuollo

Director of Principal Consulting

Michael is DOOR3’s fearless leader of our consulting arm and also manages the practice. He oversees all client engagements at DOOR3, while also taking an active role in strategy and solution development. Michael has over 14 years of experience in digital strategy, development, UX, and technology.

Stefan Berreth

Principal Consultant

Based in Switzerland, Stefan manages accounts in both North America and Europe. He brings 25 years of international software industry experience to the table, ranging from a deep understanding of IT to software development and interactive design. He’s overseen global software pre-sales as well as working in account and customer success management in the technology industry.

Amy Lo

Principal Consultant

Amy has advised and led technology transformation engagements for a wide range of clients over the last 20 years of her management consulting experience. Leveraging her deep wealth of business analysis and product management expertise, Amy oversees DOOR3’s Discovery Engagement, defining the best solutions to address our client’s business challenges.

Continuous improvement and learning

Development doesn’t stop just because you have a working product, maintenance and improvement cannot be ignored. Continuous iteration is a great way to extend a product’s lifecycle. We know that software development can be expensive, which is why we make sure to build products that can evolve with your business, not technology that’s stuck in a different time.

Project managers with DOOR3 build in regular feedback loops and continuous training opportunities. Incorporating these elements keeps a fresh perspective on the solution and continues the expansion of product understanding for your team. We also make sure to set up monitoring systems for your product, so that if something goes wrong, we are the first ones to spring to action.

How DOOR3 Can Help

With two decades of experience in software development and UX design, DOOR3’s capabilities to tackle any project small or large cannot be overstated. Our team of global experts are ready to support your organization and tackle tricky takeovers at a moment’s notice. Plus, our client’s have some really nice things to say about us:

“I’ve received unbelievable, personalized service and attention.”

- Owner, Digital Gift Card Platform

“DOOR3 is adaptable enough to deliver quality experiences while keeping the bigger picture in mind.”

- Director of Product Management, Elsevier

“They were on top of the project and understood what we needed.”

- Former VP of App Development, FreshDirect

So don’t wait another day to save your project, contact us today!

FAQs

1. How does DOOR3 tailor its approach to different types of troubled projects?

DOOR3 customizes its approach to Project Rescue consulting based on the unique characteristics and challenges of each project. Consultants adapt strategies, methodologies, and solutions to suit the specific needs, goals, and constraints of individual projects.

2. Can DOOR3 assist provide Project Rescue consulting for projects using legacy technologies?

Yes, DOOR3 has experience in rescuing projects using legacy technologies. Consultants assess the existing technology stack, identify compatibility issues, and develop migration strategies to modernize systems while minimizing disruption to ongoing operations.

3. What role do stakeholders play in the Project Rescue consulting process, and how does DOOR3 engage them effectively?

Stakeholders play a crucial role in Project Rescue efforts, providing input, support, and feedback throughout the process. DOOR3 engages stakeholders through regular communication, collaborative workshops, and transparent reporting to ensure alignment and buy-in for proposed solutions.

4. Can DOOR3 provide interim leadership or project management support during Project Rescue consulting services?

Yes, DOOR3 offers interim leadership and project management support to supplement existing project teams or fill leadership gaps during Project Rescue efforts. Experienced consultants provide guidance, direction, and oversight to ensure project continuity and progress.

5. How does DOOR3 ensure knowledge transfer and continuity after completing a Project Rescue consulting engagement?

DOOR3 prioritizes knowledge transfer and documentation to ensure continuity after completing a Project Rescue engagement. Consultants work closely with project teams to transfer skills, best practices, and lessons learned, empowering teams to sustain project momentum and success.

6. Does DOOR3 provide ongoing support and monitoring after completing a Project Rescue consulting engagement?

Yes, DOOR3 offers ongoing support and monitoring to ensure the long-term success and sustainability of rescued projects. Consultants provide post-implementation support, performance monitoring, and guidance to address emerging challenges and opportunities.

7. Can DOOR3 assist with Project Rescue consulting for projects facing regulatory compliance issues?

Yes, DOOR3 has experience in addressing regulatory compliance issues in troubled projects. Consultants assess compliance requirements, identify gaps, and implement measures to ensure projects meet regulatory standards while maintaining project objectives and timelines.

8. How does DOOR3 ensure that Project Rescue consulting efforts align with clients’ budgetary constraints and financial goals?

DOOR3 collaborates closely with clients to understand budgetary constraints and financial goals, developing cost-effective solutions that deliver maximum value and ROI. Consultants prioritize resource allocation, cost management, and efficiency to optimize project outcomes within budgetary constraints.

9. Can DOOR3 assist with Project Rescue consulting efforts for projects with distributed or remote teams?

Yes, DOOR3 has experience in managing Project Rescue efforts for projects with distributed or remote teams. Consultants leverage communication tools, collaboration platforms, and agile methodologies to facilitate effective teamwork and coordination across geographically dispersed teams.

10. How does DOOR3 stay abreast of emerging trends and best practices in Project Rescue consulting?

DOOR3 invests in continuous learning, professional development, and industry research to stay abreast of emerging trends and best practices in Project Rescue consulting. Consultants participate in training programs, attend industry conferences, and collaborate with peers to remain at the forefront of their field.