ABSTRACT
Project execution requires the Lean and agile PM to adhere to all the standard rules of traditional project management as well as staying flexible and keeping employees motivated. The purpose of a project pilot or a test prior to rolling out the project is to identify and manage risk, validate the benefit, and secure buy-in. Whereas all project management theories support the idea of piloting or testing, as noted, traditional and Lean take a formal approach. In traditional project management, a schedule and effort/cost variance is often called earned value. This metric integrates project scope, cost, and schedule measures to help the PM assess and measure project performance and progress. Change requests to the scope of work should be limited in the actual project but may be prevalent in the pilot due to the fact that some pilots are flexible by design, especially the handful conducted in agile environments.
