How in your career have you been able to “jolt” stalled IT projects into full production? Particularly looking for advice on generating momentum for D&A and AI rollouts.

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VP IT in Media5 months ago

I like both the previous comments. 

Maybe also ask yourself what is the core essence of the value of the project. Then ask yourself what is the business value (if you didn’t already answer it that way). Then think what is the least amount of work you can do to deliver any part of that business value. Then do that thing even if you have to do it on your own. You have a good chance of gathering support and momentum if you try this path.

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no title5 months ago

You have to solve a problem senior management wants solved and the staff level wants solved too. <br><br>Once, in another job years ago, we had the IT analytics team solve a prediction problem that senior management was very concerned about, but there were people who were employed to watch the metrics in real time to make the prediction. Obviously, they didn't buy into the outcome because people were slightly more accurate. It would have been a great anomaly detection to alert engineers when they needed to take a look more closely so they could focus on other work.<br><br>An engineer in a meeting actually called the work "IT's science fair project." Ouch!   <br><br>So, we had to pivot to something a little more complex that the engineers themselves needed to solve for senior management and IT and the engineers were incentivized to collaborate together.  <br><br>The original anomaly detection prediction system project is now in place and working after other successes. 

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CISO/CPO & Adjunct Law Professor in Finance (non-banking)5 months ago

I agree with Dalen Copeland on locking in small wins and showing how a project can provide value. 

Additionally, ensure you have executive support from a revenue impacting business leader, non-revenue business lines are generally less powerful. The sponsoring executive can be the "cheerleader" to ensure there is widespread adoption and resources are allocated.

Now for the unpleasant bit.
If there is no executive support for a stalled project then perhaps there isn't sufficient interest to continue. Unfortunately, sometimes projects continue due to bureaucratic momentum or just to mollify someone. Was someone's pet project that received a greenlight as a favor? It is better to stop a project that has lost its purpose early, than to push the project forward just because it was started.

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VP of Digital Technology5 months ago

Land a pilot/POC that people care about and are willing to advocate for as the stepping stone to your broader rollout. 

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