Purpose and Management

Business projects build tools like databases and spreadsheets to tackle immediate problems or improve processes in a business area. These tools are not supported by the IT department. They focus on quick, custom solutions that automate tasks, boost efficiency, and aid specific activities. Business users lead these projects. Unlike IT projects, they run informally without structured frameworks, principles, or governance.

Focus Areas

Business projects cover the following areas:

• User-led development: Business users create tools to match their specific needs.
• Rapid prototyping and implementation: Solutions are built and rolled out fast using existing resources.
• Task automation: Tools automate business tasks to cut errors and save time.
• Data extraction and manipulation: Queries and tools pull, process, and adjust data for specific uses.
• Custom reporting: Reports meet the business unit’s unique needs.
• Databases and spreadsheets: Simple databases and spreadsheets manage and process data.  

Value Proposition

Business projects target a specific business area. They deliver value by:

• Automating routine tasks to save time and reduce errors.
• Improving data access and handling for better decisions.
• Enhancing reporting to show clearer business details. 

The benefit lies in solving problems quickly without IT involvement.

Example of a Business Project

A business project example is a shift tracker built at the Ironclad Police Department. It manages officer schedules using a spreadsheet to improve rostering efficiency.

Project Overview

Senior dispatch officers at the Ironclad Police Department need a better way to schedule shifts for 50 dispatchers across 12 precincts. They build an Excel-based tracker to simplify the process, cut errors, and improve team coordination. This business project delivers a quick solution to boost daily operations without IT support.

Project Justification

Manual shift scheduling leads to 30 errors monthly (e.g., double bookings) and takes 25 minutes per plan. A digital tracker can automate this, reduce mistakes, and save time. The officers create a simple tool to meet their needs, avoiding IT resources.

Current State Process Analysis

Not applicable—business projects skip formal analysis. The officers use their knowledge of 600 monthly shifts and frequent overlaps.

Fit-Gap Analysis

Not applicable—no vendor options or formal reviews apply to this user-led tool.

Requirements

The officers set requirements during design. The tracker must:

• Update 20 daily shift assignments automatically.
• Highlight conflicts for 50 dispatchers.
• Provide a clear interface for three supervisors. 

Selecting the Technology

The officers choose Excel, a tool they already use. It handles their needs with basic formulas and formatting.

Building the Team

Three senior dispatch officers team up with two colleagues. They build and test the tracker, refining it with feedback to fit their workflow.

Design and Development

The team builds the tracker in Excel over two weeks. They add:

• Formulas to auto-fill 20 daily shifts from a roster.
• Red highlights for overlapping shifts across 50 roles.
• A grid layout showing 12 precincts and three shifts daily. 

After a one-week trial with 150 shifts, the team fixes formula glitches (e.g., missed updates) based on user comments.

Organisational Change Management

No formal training happens. The officers write a two-page guide with steps to enter shifts and check alerts. They support three supervisors and 10 dispatchers with questions for one week, keeping it simple.

Monitoring and Feedback

The team monitors the tracker weekly for one month, tracking 600 shifts. They log errors (down from 30 to 20 monthly) and ask 10 users for feedback. Fixes like adjusting column widths ensure it stays effective.

Outcomes

The shift tracker cuts errors by 33% (30 to 20 monthly) across 600 shifts, saving 15 minutes per plan (25 to 10 minutes) for three supervisors. It improves coordination, reducing radio clarifications by 40% (50 to 30 daily calls). This shows a small business project’s impact using basic tools.