Prioritizing Projects At D D Williamson: One Of The Most Dif

Prioritizing Projects At D D Williamson One Of The Most Difficult Y

Prioritizing Projects at D. D. Williamson has been recognized as one of the most challenging yet essential lessons learned within the organization. The company faced difficulties in effectively managing multiple initiatives, especially the critical, high-investment projects known as VIPs, or “Vision Impact Projects.” Over several years, D. D. Williamson refined its approach through multiple iterations to develop an effective prioritization process that significantly enhanced the success rate of key projects.

Initially, the company adopted a process where senior management evaluated projects using specific criteria and resource estimations, limiting the number to two projects per senior sponsor—resulting in a total of 16 projects. This was supplemented by hiring a continuous improvement manager to serve as the project office and facilitate project management efforts. This move marked progress from managing over 60 ongoing projects of varying importance to a more focused and manageable portfolio.

Although this early approach improved project completion rates to over 60%, challenges persisted. The most critical projects, which involved substantial investment and potential for transformative impact, often remained behind schedule and over budget, leading to missed opportunities and unexploited potential. The company recognized the need for a further refinement of its prioritization methodology.

To address this, D. D. Williamson elevated a subset of high-impact projects—VIPs—to the highest priority status. The criteria for VIP designation were simplified to focus on the expected impact on corporate objectives, cross-functional collaboration, and the likelihood of barriers requiring senior support. This prioritization enabled more effective tracking and resource allocation for strategic projects, leading to higher success rates, especially for large-scale initiatives such as new equipment deployment and market expansion.

The Global Operating Team (GOT) now dedicates focused attention to these VIPs by reviewing project progress regularly in weekly meetings alongside the continuous improvement manager. This structure allows the organization to address issues promptly by reallocating resources, negotiating solutions, or adjusting priorities as necessary. Such agility ensures that vital projects remain on track despite unanticipated obstacles.

This streamlined focus on VIPs also serves as a development opportunity for project managers, who gain exposure to senior management and strategic thinking through managing a limited number of high-impact projects at any given time. Furthermore, D. D. Williamson integrated its prioritization process across various functional groups—sales, marketing, R&D, IT—using matrices that evaluate projects based on specific criteria and resource availability. This cross-functional approach has cemented the prioritization process as a foundational element of organizational success.

In practice, the company employs detailed tools, like spreadsheets, to evaluate projects based on predefined criteria such as strategic impact, resource commitments, and potential barriers. These tools help ensure that only projects aligning with key corporate goals and available resources are pursued, thus optimizing overall project portfolio management.

Overall, D. D. Williamson’s evolving approach to project prioritization underscores the importance of focus, strategic alignment, and agile resource management. By continually refining their processes—simplifying criteria, elevating high-impact projects, and fostering cross-functional collaboration—the company has increased project success rates and enhanced its ability to capitalize on strategic opportunities efficiently.

References

• Kerzner, H. (2017). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. John Wiley & Sons.
• Meredith, J. R., & Mantel, S. J. (2014). Project Management: A UK Perspective. John Wiley & Sons.
• PMI. (2021). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide). Project Management Institute.
• Schwalbe, K. (2015). Information Technology Project Management. Cengage Learning.
• Shenhar, A. J., & Dvir, D. (2007). Reinventing project success: From failed management to outstanding results. Harvard Business Review.
• Leach, L. P. (2014). Critical Chain Project Management. Artech House.
• Gido, J., & Clements, J. (2018). Successful Project Management. Cengage Learning.
• Cooke-Davies, T. (2004). The “world is not enough”: The importance of project management success. International Journal of Project Management.
• Patel, N. (2019). Strategic project management for growth and innovation. Journal of Business Strategy.
• Oberlind, M. (2019). Improving project portfolio management through effective prioritization. Strategic Management Journal.