ADVISORY ARTICLE
By Yogi Schulz
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Some project stakeholders claim “less is more” because they have convinced themselves that their IT project will be finished earlier and be cheaper if they cut corners. However, even a catchy slogan like “less is more” may not contain such magic.
How can a project manager push back against this dysfunctional “less is more” delusion without being dismissed as not a team player?
Let’s examine what a focus on “less is more” produces for IT projects by describing the results for a few major project deliverables and what a project manager can do to avoid this lose-lose situation that adds risk, reduces quality, and often leads to failure.
A “less is more” project charter
A thinner, vaguer, shorter project charter is cheaper and faster to produce. It saves time at the beginning of the project. It’s easy for stakeholders to accept because they can read a lot into it that may not be there. It sounds like a win.
During design, a shorter project charter leads to many effort-consuming debates about the approach to the project, the rationale for the project, and the roles and responsibilities involved. Later, the team recognizes that the hasty budget in the shorter project charter is inadequate for the emerging scope.
A project manager can push for a longer project charter by insisting that the following topics be included:
- A description of the approach to the project.
- A team organization chart.
- A cost-benefit analysis.
- A risk assessment.
- A realistic budget, as opposed to a low-ball one.
A “less is more” scope definition
A high-level scope definition is quick and easy. It avoids having to achieve a consensus with stakeholders. That saves a lot of time.
More…
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How to cite this article: Schulz, Y. (2025). Is less ever more on IT projects? PM World Journal, Vol. XIV, Issue VI, June. Available online at https://pmworldlibrary.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/pmwj153-Jun2025-Schulz-Is-less-ever-more-on-IT-projects.pdf
About the Author
Yogi Schulz
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Yogi Schulz has over 40 years of Information Technology experience in various industries. Yogi works extensively in the petroleum industry to select and implement financial, production revenue accounting, land & contracts and geotechnical systems. He manages projects that arise from changes in business requirements, from the need to leverage technology opportunities and from mergers. His specialties include IT strategy, web strategy and systems project management.
Mr. Schulz regularly speaks to industry groups and writes a regular column for IT World Canada and Engineering.com. He has written for Microsoft.com and the Calgary Herald. His writing focuses on project management and IT developments of interest to management. Mr. Schulz served as a member of the Board of Directors of the PPDM Association for twenty years until 2015. Learn more at https://www.corvelle.com/. He can be contacted at yogischulz@corvelle.com
His new book, co-authored by Jocelyn Schulz Lapointe, is “A Project Sponsor’s Warp-Speed Guide: Improving Project Performance.”
To view other works by Yogi Schulz, visit his author showcase in the PM World Library at https://pmworldlibrary.net/authors/yogi-schulz/
