Hello, this is Kamii from the production department.
The environment surrounding the Internet is changing rapidly, and website construction now requires knowledge and adaptability in a wide range of technical fields. As a result, it seems that website renewal projects are increasingly leaving some kind of problem unresolved.
Of course, there are issues on the production side, but there are also times when the client's webmaster thinks, "If only they had understood this, things would have gone more smoothly."
To make a web renewal project go smoothly, cooperation between the client's webmaster and the production project manager is necessary. Without a doubt, it is most important for the production side to understand the client's requests and be able to control the project team. However, to make a production/development project go smoothly, the understanding and cooperation of the client is essential.
In this short, intensive six-part series, I would like to share with you, the webmasters on the client side, what they should keep in mind not only as clients and contractors, but also as co-leaders of the project team.
Planned serialization (titles from the third installment onwards are tentative)
Part 1: QCD accuracy and budget - Two-stage ordering (this time)Part 2: How to proceed with the planning phase (scheduled for late January 2019)
Part 3: Security response, maintenance and operation Part 4: The role of the webmaster in the upstream process and the skills required of designers Part 5: Project scale and resources Part 6: Waterfall model and agile development
Why do budget problems occur?
When renewing a corporate website, it is becoming common to select a production company through a nomination competition.
In many cases, the order is placed on a lump-sum contract basis based on the estimate submitted at the time of the competition proposal, in which case the production company will prepare the estimate at the very top of the project.
<Figure> Lump-sum contract ordering
In order to estimate a site renewal, it is important to understand the current site contents. However, it is very difficult to fully understand the contents using the materials available at the competition proposal stage or an external site survey.
At this stage, the client will probably not be able to allow the production company to access the production server for site inspection.
When making an estimate without knowing the assumptions, it is necessary to have a buffer in case the number of pages to be created increases or the required specifications become more difficult after the project has started.
However, when contractors are selected through a designated competitive process, it is not difficult to imagine that competing companies will submit estimates with as small a buffer as possible in order to win out over their competitors.
In such cases, it is common to set an upper limit on the production conditions, remove content that is deemed relatively unnecessary, and make an estimate that includes restrictions on various development specifications.
After the project has started, if a detailed understanding of the current situation and a review of the production specifications reveals that something beyond the above production conditions is required, the cost and schedule will need to be revised, which can lead to trouble between the client and the production company. In addition, there are also cases where the required specifications are requested to be changed during the production/development process or the testing process.
Rework can lead to problems such as increased work hours and tight response schedules that require extensions, but if there are changes to the technical requirements that the assigned engineers cannot handle, it can also lead to serious problems such as the need to release the engineers and re-arrange personnel.
<Figure> Occurrence of revised estimates
In the case of projects won by competition, I feel that in many cases the cost increases by at least 30% from the initial estimate. This is because, as I mentioned earlier, the initial estimate has limitations on the scope of coverage in order to win the competition.
It is not uncommon for revised estimates to result in the budget increasing to 1.5 to 2 times the original estimate.
Of course, the client will likely have budgeted a certain amount of leeway in the order amount in case of additional requirements or design changes after the project has begun. However, deviations of as much as two or three percent are not easily acceptable.
Two-step ordering
What we recommend is a two-stage ordering process: a planning phase and a construction phase.
・Planning phase: requirements definition, basic design
・Construction phase: detailed design, production/development, testing
<Figure> Two-stage ordering: planning phase and construction phase
If we view a website renewal project as a V-model of the development process, it can be broadly divided into two phases: the "planning phase" and the "construction phase (production, development, and verification)."
<Figure> V-shaped model
By making a new estimate when the basic design is completed, it is possible to improve the accuracy of estimates for the "production, development, and verification" processes and reduce the risk of estimate changes.
This is the same standard procedure used in the systems development and construction industries, as I mentioned last time.
<Figure> System development process
<Diagram> Construction industry process
* In public works, contracts 3 and 4 are generally ordered separately due to the principle of separation of design and construction, but in recent years, there are also cases where contracts 3 and 4 are ordered together in order to utilize the unique technology of the contractor.
QCD accuracy and estimation
Thinking of a site renewal project in two phases, a "planning phase" and a "construction phase," fits into the structure of the development process model, but we also believe it is desirable in terms of the accuracy of estimates needed to accurately grasp the budget.
We will check the accuracy of the project's QCD and estimation procedures at the time of the competition proposal (when the project begins) and at the time the basic design is completed.
1. When proposing a competition
Next, we will review the calculation procedures and accuracy of estimates made at the time of competition proposals and lump-sum contract signing before the project begins.
・Site design:
Create a site map after the renewal. (Accuracy before detailed investigation) Consider the creation specifications for each screen and decide the outline.
・Screen design:
Create a standard screen layout according to the site hierarchy and content classification (major screens only). Consider and outline the application policy for the screen layout and screen components to each page on the site.
・System design:
Determine the scope of the system to be developed, such as CMS and forms, and tentatively decide on development specifications.
・Basic design:
Create the basic design for the entire site (rough design). Create the design of the standard screens according to the site hierarchy and content classification (major screens only, rough design).
As mentioned above, the Quality (specifications) that are the basis for estimating when proposing for a competition do not capture the scope and quantity of the project.
Therefore, as a reference for the cost estimate based on the estimated values at this stage, we will present an estimate based on a comparison of project scale based on the track record of similar projects carried out in the past.
2. Upon completion of basic design
In the "basic design" stage of a site renewal project, the following items are designed:
・Site design:
Create a post-renewal site map (showing all pages within the scope of production) and determine the specifications for creating each screen.
・Screen design:
Create a standard screen layout according to the site hierarchy and content classification. Determine the rules for applying the screen layout and screen components to each page on the site.
・System design:
Determine the scope of the system to be developed, such as CMS and forms, and decide on the development specifications.
・Basic design:
Determine the basic design for the entire site. Create the standard screen designs and screen component designs according to the site hierarchy and content classification, and determine the rules to be applied.
In the basic design stage, we plan the scope of the project and the production specifications, and compile them into design documents. This will determine the total quantity and production specifications (degree of difficulty) of the site.
Once the total quantity and level of difficulty have been determined, it becomes possible to plan the personnel required for construction and estimate the labor hours required.
Based on this manpower plan and labor hour estimate, a process plan is drawn up and costs are calculated.
・Quality (specifications) : Determine the total quantity of the construction phase and production specifications (level of difficulty).
・Cost : Determine the manpower plan based on "Q: Specifications". Calculate the cost.
・Delivery (construction period) : Determine the process plan based on "Q: Specifications".
As described above, once the basic design is completed, the total quantity and production specifications (degree of difficulty) for the project scope are determined, and costs and construction time can be planned and estimated.
The first installment of this intensive series was titled "QCD Accuracy and Budget: Two-Stage Ordering," and discussed the benefits of two-stage ordering, which breaks down a project into two major phases: the planning phase and the construction phase.
The "basic design" process is arguably the most important process in the project, as it determines the specifications for site production as well as the construction period and costs for the construction phase.
In the next installment, titled "Part 2: How to proceed with the planning phase," we will discuss the importance of collaboration between the client's webmaster and the production company during the basic design process.