The Prometheus framework helps leaders successfully direct Digital & IT endeavors
Background to our Framework
Since the 1960s Digital and Information Technologies (D&IT) have been a force for change. Increasingly, D&IT is crucial to almost every activity, product, and effort. Enterprises have myriad tools and methods for managing projects and broader-scoped programs. Yet, after over 60 years, most enterprises struggle with medium to large D&IT enabled endeavors. .
Prometheus Endeavor has learned over decades that organizations utilizing structured frameworks to guide their efforts are the most successful. Since most of today’s opportunities to utilize D&IT are larger and more complex than prior efforts, most stakeholders are forced to attempt a variety of new activities without relevant experience. We have created a descriptive model to assist enterprises considering and deploying new D&IT endeavors.
The Framework
Building upon Gibson and Nolan’s “The Four Stages of EDP Growth” published in the Harvard Business Review, Prometheus Endeavor has updated and adapted the basic framework to today’s D&IT challenges. This framework has been used in thousands of enterprises of all sizes and types. Those considering or implementing a D&IT effort should ask themselves how completely they are addressing the seven factors of the Framework below.
Context
Context includes trends, forces, and issues that are beyond the enterprise’s control, but which enable or limit what can be accomplished. Context varies by part of the world and changes over time. Context influences all factors in the Prometheus framework and is ignored at the enterprise’s peril.
Demand
Endeavors are strategically important, enterprise efforts that are typically enabled by D&IT systems and services. Endeavors include current D&IT products and services as well as planned expansions.
Stakeholders include individuals and entities that conceive the use, purpose, and value of endeavors as well as those who use the endeavor’s products and services. Enterprise staff, business executives, customers, bankers, shareholders, suppliers, consultants, and others can all be stakeholders.
Supply
Resources include the D&IT technologies and services deployed along with people who deliver and maintain it. Resource issues include the robustness and security of the enterprise architecture as well as the appropriateness of D&IT skills required over the intended life of the endeavor.
Management includes the techniques and procedures used to appropriately find, vet, source, and deliver D&IT products and services It includes the leadership and governance of the endeavor over its intended lifetime. Examples include planning, endeavor / project / program management, outsourcing management, change management, and organization change management..
Leadership and Financial Management
Experiential Learning Most D&IT endeavors involve many stakeholders, resources and management approaches that have not previously been deployed together in that particular manner. Given the size and complexity of an endeavor, stakeholders need to accept the importance of “chunking” the effort into manageable pieces and redefining and reorienting the what’s, why’s and how’s in-flight. Overly ambitious efforts frequently lead to failed or sub-optimal D&IT endeavors.
Financial Management D&IT investment should result in business value and material contribution or engagement. For profit enterprises D&IT endeavors typically seek to increase sales or decrease costs. Government and not-for-profit D&IT endeavors often seek to support the enterprise’s mission.
PE’s Framework can be used to help enterprises succeed in every part of the life cycle including assessing the current state of D&IT, planning a new D&IT Endeavor, assessing readiness / risks, or implementing / managing production operations.
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