I’m surprised how common it is that the only real measures in place as to whether or not a project is successful is if it launched on time with negligible defects. While those are important for IT and Project Management, this is where Product and UX have dropped the ball. Some of this may be a result of how the project was driven through, ie the business is adding new feature functionality that has been placed on the backlog to be developed and delivered. Perhaps, Product and UX feel that the Project Requestor should be responsible for project KPIs as part of their making the case for the project to begin with. Two thoughts on that:
1) Companies rarely require the same rigor of ROI projection models they once did. When project delivery started moving toward rapid iterative development cycles, much of the up front work was streamlined or removed.
2) The KPIs the Requestor might deem criteria for success based contextually on their role in business, might be very different than UX or Product measures.
The Net/Net, whether or not the project comes with KPIs, Product and UX should define their own as well.
So before web or app projects are underway, it is crucial to establish success measure targets to ensure that the project meets its intended goals and objectives. Whether it is a sitewide enhancement or a new feature launch, having clearly defined success metrics helps in evaluating the performance and impact of the project. I’ve previously written about the Google HEART Framework for UX and Product measures. Whatever framework you’re using for overall team measures should be leveraged for these Project Level KPIs.
First and foremost, it is essential to identify the key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with the project's objectives. These KPIs can vary depending on the nature of the project, but common metrics include user engagement, conversion rates, site traffic, revenue generation, reduction in time to complete task, and may only be focusing on lifting one or two, so don’t overcomplicate things. By determining these KPIs, the project team can focus on the most critical aspects of the project and measure its success accordingly.
Once the KPIs are identified, it is important to set specific and measurable targets for each metric. This involves establishing realistic and achievable goals that reflect the desired outcomes of the project. For instance, if the goal is to increase user engagement, the success measure target could be a 20% increase in average session duration or a 15% increase in the number of pages per session. By setting these targets, the project team can track progress and evaluate the effectiveness of their efforts.
In addition to setting success measure targets, it is also essential to define the timeframe for achieving these goals. This involves establishing short-term and long-term milestones to track the progress of the project. Short-term milestones can be measured on a weekly or monthly basis, while long-term milestones can be evaluated quarterly or annually. By doing so, the project team can assess the impact of their actions over time and make adjustments as needed.
Furthermore, it is crucial to regularly monitor and analyze the project's performance against the established success measure targets. This involves collecting and interpreting data to gain insights into the project's effectiveness. By utilizing analytics tools and software, the project team can track user behavior, identify patterns, and make data-driven decisions to optimize the project's performance.
Benefits:
Lessons Learned - reduces repeating actions with limited or negative outcomes
Employee Engagement - allows team to directly tie their work to impacts to the business
Performance Reviews - brings specific work examples and impact to the discussion
Reporting to Senior Leadership - provides specifics to highlight team wins
In tracking improvements to call the projects a success or not, it is important to continually assess the project's performance against the established success measure targets, for continual improvement of the sites and to your team’s productivity.