Project Market Appraisal:

Aligning Projects with Business Strategy and Delivering Customer Value

Prof. Joffi Thomas

While deciding the project portfolio the firm needs to assess its own capability to pursue the projects as
well the chance of project success. The success of a project could be evaluated on five dimensions
namely, (i) Project efficiency (ii) Impact in the customer, (iii) Impact on the team (iv) Business and
direct success and (v) Preparation for the future (Shenhar and Dvir 2007).

In this session we shall evaluate the project portfolio from both the firm perspective as well as the
customer perspective. We need to think together on the following issues in project management.

 How do you assess the impact of any project on its customers, internal or external?
 How will you ensure that the project contribute to meeting business objectives in the short term
as well as in the long term?
 Which projects would facilitate the accomplishment of the firm goals and deliver superior
customer value?

We will use a case on Infosys Technologies to understand how these issues are anticipated and managed
while planning (project selection) and implementing projects.

Note:
Participants are required to come prepared to the session after analyzing the case on Infosys
Technologies Ltd.: Growing Share of a Customer’s Business and addressing the preparatory
questions given below.

Session – Feb 21 (Sunday) 06:45- 9:30 PM : Aligning Projects with Business Strategy

Essential Prior Reading: Case on Infosys Technologies Ltd.

Case Preparatory Questions

1. Analyse Infosys business strategy and its evolution? How important is PFS account to Infosys?
2. What are the factors forcing Prairie Four Square (PFS) Insurance to consider “sole sourcing” compared to
its current “best of breed” IT services procurement policy?
3. What quantifiable cost savings, not specified in project contracts, has Infosys delivered to PFS during the
past five years?
4. How can Infosys’ PFS Account Team persuasively sell the firm’s ability to deliver a superior end-to-end
solution for the Ariba e-Procurement System project?

References: These readings will help your thinking on aligning projects to deliver superior customer value; for
reference later.
1. Understand what customer’s value, Harvard Business Review, 1998.
2. Selling Solutions is n’t enough, MIT Sloan Management Review, 2018.