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Project delivery - operationalisation vs integration


In this article we’re going to discuss, two strategies in which a project can be delivered seamlessly. These two strategies - operationalisation and integration are very different from one and the other but can be used as solutions in project delivery.


Project Delivery/Project Life Cycle


A Project Life Cycle or Project delivery process can be defined as a unique procedure that describes a comprehensive and integrated approach to completing a given project type.


Five stages of a project life cycle are:

  1. Project Initiation.

  2. Project Planning.

  3. Project Execution.

  4. Project Monitoring.

  5. Project Closure.

What is Operationalisation?


Turning abstract notions into measurable observations is what operationalisation is all about.


Some concepts are easily measurable, such as height or age, while others, such as spirituality or intelligence, are not. You can methodically collect data on processes and phenomena that aren't directly observable via operationalization.


For example, while there is no direct way to measure a company's "pandemic preparedness," we can operationalise the concept by creating a checklist of tasks that should be completed and assigning a pandemic-preparedness score to each department based on the number of tasks completed and the quality or thoroughness with which they were completed.


In project delivery, operationalisation can be used to quantify abstract procedures of team members and stakeholders.


Operationalising Project Delivery

  • Set goals for the entire project.

  • Collect information on the current state of operating teams and stakeholders.

  • Set goals for your organization's operations team.

  • Develop specific strategies for implementation against objectives.

  • Create indicators to measure the success of your strategy and your progress towards your goals.


What is Integration?


Integration can be seen as the process of uniting different things for a greater function or the synchronisation of all project parts. This involves resolving disputes between different areas of a project, determining trade-offs between conflicting demands, and appraising resources, as well as coordinating tasks, resources, stakeholders, and any other project elements.


Due to recent tendencies to offer creative combinations of products and services suited to each customer's demands, integration has become increasingly important.


In project delivery, integration can be seen as the process of coordinating all elements of a project.


Steps of Project Delivery Integration

  • Start the project, summarise goals, and define the steps to complete the project.

  • Create a master plan for the project – this will provide a baseline for the project’s schedule and include the scope and all necessary costs in executing the project.

  • Follow the plan with the project managers, integrating all the activities of assigned team members into the overall project goals. Integrating project tasks with one and other.

  • Monitor and control the project’s progress and performance.

  • Perform integrated change – here you will assign a team member to help document and evaluate change requests and indicate the next steps.

  • After completion, carry out a formal review of the entire project. This will determine the success of the project, the existing problems, and the lessons learned to improve future projects.

In summary, both integration and operationalisation help project delivery seamless. Integration deals will use workable processes and systems to accomplish project goals, operationalisation is more on optimizing concepts of events and activities to accomplish project goals.


We, at OVAC Group, can help develop a project delivery strategy that works for you. Email us at: enquiries@ovacgroup.com for a free consultation with our team specialists.

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