European Business Improvements

And so we have the dreaded project review. Dreaded, because you know that the management are going to beat you up, (again.) You and your team never do anything quick enough do you? But have you ever thought (dreamed) about the purpose of an effective review? An effective review is two way. As the belt in charge of the project, it is up to you to ensure that this two-way process happens.

It allows management to:
· See where the project is going
· See what progress has been made
· Review the project’s continued alignment with corporate goals 
    * Look at potential spin-off projects
· Check that the understanding of the project and its objectives is consistent
· Demonstrate their continued support for the project
· Offer coaching in tools and techniques
· To recognise the efforts taking place.

But, it also allows the team to:
· Demonstrate the progress that the team is making
· Request further relevant information about the commercial aspects of the project
· Request training in new tools and techniques
· Check the continued validity of the project
· Ask for help and support in facilities and resources
· Ask for help in removing road-blocks and other obstacles

Typically a project review will cover the following agenda:
· Where are we in terms of the DMAIC cycle?
· Brief review of the project as a whole
· Detailed review of happenings since the last review
   * Discussions about any data. What does it tell us, is it solid and valid?
· Key thoughts from both the project team and project reviewers
· An agreed action plan for the next steps and their timing
· Any suggestions as to how the next review might work better
· Time and date of the next review