Why do projects exist? And why do you need to conduct your project using project management principles? The need for change is ever-increasing in the business environment and in people’s private and professional lives. Change happens because of the competitive business world and also the human need of wanting more out of life.

People are involved in projects to solve problems or to take advantage of an opportunity in order to realise benefits at the end of the project. These benefits can be products, services, processes, or any other results. There are so many reasons why projects are needed. Whatever your reasons you need to ensure that your project's benefits are realised.

Many projects continue to fail despite the criteria of a good project manager and many people are unhappy with their jobs, businesses, or life statuses. In order to ensure that your project is a success, you need to state first what are your project success criteria?

The project success criteria are the standards that will determine how your project will be judged as successful at completion. Before, a project was considered to be successful if it is completed on time, within the stated budget, and according to the specified quality.

Just imagine if your project is to build a website, the website is delivered on the stated date, within your budget, and according to the specified features, colours, and quality standards. After one year of that project completion, no one is visiting your site. Tell me, is your project successful?

Time, cost, and quality were considered to be the success criteria before but in order for your project to be successful you need also to realise the personal, business, and end-user benefits, these are the reasons why you started the project in the first place.

What are the benefits? When to list those benefits and how to proceed?

The business benefits may be things such as retaining 90% of your existing customers or attract 100 new customers per year. Produce 1000 products a month. The benefits aligned to your vision, goals, and values if you are doing your own project, or they can be aligned to your business vision, goals, or strategy.

The benefits are listed in the initiation phase normally in your business case if you have one. How to ensure that the benefits are realised at the end of the project? You will need to

- List the benefits you want to get and how to measure them

- Looking at your vision, goals, and strategy, ask yourself if your benefits are inline

- Who will be responsible for realising the benefits

- When the benefits will be realised? Is it short, medium, or long term realisation?

- Track the benefits realisation.

In summary, many people are not happy with their current jobs, businesses, or dream goal project and project continue to fail. Among those reasons is the lack of alignment and benefits realisation. In order to judge if your project has been successful you will not only judge on whether you complete your project on time, within the budget, and according to the required quality.

You will also need to realise your personal, business, or end-users benefits. The benefits are listed earlier in the initiation phase and decide on who will be in charge of their realisation and when they will be realised.

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