While construction projects are often associated with cost overruns and delays, the Empire State Building stands as a shining example of what’s possible with the right approach.
In 1929, amid the Great Depression, plans were drawn up for a 102-story skyscraper in New York City. The project had a budget of $50 million (equivalent to $820 million in 2021) and an ambitious timeline.
To ensure success, the project team followed several fundamental principles:
- Hire “masterbuilders”: The Starrett Brothers and Eken, known for their expertise in skyscraper construction, were hired as general contractors. William Lamb, the architect who designed the Reynolds Building, which inspired the much larger Empire State Building, was brought on as the general contractor.
- Build with Lego: Lamb designed the building with standardized floor plans to simplify construction and reduce errors.
- Think slow, act fast: Lamb’s standardization and up-front planning enabled workers to build fast, starting at three floors a week and accelerating to one floor a day at the peak of construction.
The result? The Empire State Building was completed in just 18 months, weeks ahead of schedule, and under budget by a staggering 17%. This remarkable achievement is a testament to the power of experienced leadership, meticulous planning, and a focus on reuse for accelerated execution – principles that can be applied to IT megaprojects today.
Are IT megaprojects destined to fail?
In the world of complex projects, IT megaprojects stand out for all the wrong reasons. According to Bent Flyvbjerg’s book, How Big Things Get Done, IT projects are the fifth most likely project type to fail. To put this in perspective, the only projects more likely to fail than IT projects are nuclear storage, hosting the Olympics, nuclear power, and hydroelectric dams.
Contrast this with solar power, energy transmission, wind power, pipelines, and road construction projects. These projects are more likely to succeed due to their repetitive nature and inherent scalability. For example, a solar project can start generating revenue with the first solar panel installed, and the revenue scales as more panels and arrays are added. This differs vastly from nuclear power plant projects, where the entire plant must be built and certified before any revenue is realized.
This begs the question: How can we make IT projects more resistant to failure, more like those successful solar projects? Fortunately, MuleSoft and its API-led connectivity methodology can help. Let’s explore this in the context of a subset of the book’s “Eleven Heuristics for Better Project Leadership”.
The power of modularity
Flyvbjerg’s “Build with Lego” heuristic emphasizes breaking down large, complex projects into smaller, manageable, and reusable components. This modular approach minimizes the impact of errors and allows for faster iteration and adaptation.
MuleSoft’s API-led connectivity aligns perfectly with this principle. APIs serve as the “Lego bricks” of IT solutions. They enable different systems and applications to communicate and share data seamlessly. By building IT projects with reusable APIs, organizations can:
- Increase flexibility: Modular components can be easily modified or replaced without disrupting entire systems.
- Promote reusability: APIs can be reused across multiple projects, reducing development time and costs.
- Accelerate development: Teams can work on different components simultaneously, speeding up project timelines.
Imagine a large organization undertaking a digital transformation initiative. Instead of building a monolithic platform from scratch, they can reuse existing APIs and connectors to integrate systems of record, like inventory management, customer relationship management (CRM), and payment gateways.
Each API represents a specific function, and they can be combined and recombined to create new customer experiences, adapt to changing market conditions, and embrace new technologies faster by building on what they already have in place.
The importance of thorough planning
Another crucial heuristic is “Think Slow, Act Fast”. This principle highlights the importance of investing time in the planning and design phase to avoid costly mistakes and delays during execution.
MuleSoft’s design-first approach to API development mirrors this philosophy. Before any code is written, a detailed API contract is defined, specifying the API’s functionality, data structures, and security requirements. This upfront investment in design leads to:
- Reduced rework: By clearly defining the API contract, developers can avoid costly rework later in the project.
- Improved collaboration: The API contract acts as a shared understanding between different teams, facilitating smoother collaboration.
- Faster time-to-market: A well-defined API allows development to proceed more efficiently, accelerating time-to-market.
Consider a healthcare organization implementing a new patient portal. By carefully designing the APIs that will connect the portal to electronic health records (EHR) systems, appointment scheduling systems, and billing systems, the organization can ensure a smooth user experience and reuse the APIs in future projects.
Lean on experience and expertise
Flyvbjerg’s heuristics, “Hire a Masterbuilder” and “Get Your Team Right” both emphasize the critical role of experience and expertise in project success. If your team needs to increase experience with a particular technology, hire individuals or consultants with a proven track record of success. Instead of facing challenges for the first time, experienced individuals can help guide the team around potential pitfalls, resulting in faster success, less waste, and a more prepared team overall.
In the context of IT megaprojects, MuleSoft and its extensive partner ecosystem can be your “Masterbuilder.” With a robust professional services organization and a network of certified partners with deep expertise in API-led connectivity, MuleSoft is armed with a wealth of experience delivering successful IT projects – no matter the complexities, including:
- Advisory Services: Expert guidance on API-led architecture, design, and implementation.
- Implementation Services: Hands-on assistance with building and deploying integrations.
- Training and enablement: Comprehensive training programs to upskill your team on MuleSoft technologies.
By leveraging MuleSoft’s partner ecosystem and professional services, organizations can increase their chances of on-time and on-budget project delivery and minimize the risk of failure.
Applying these lessons to IT megaprojects
The principles that led to the Empire State Building’s success – modularity, thorough planning, and experienced leadership – are just as relevant to modern IT megaprojects. Let’s see how these principles, combined with MuleSoft’s API-led connectivity, can revolutionize IT megaproject execution.
API-led connectivity as the foundation
Adopting an API-led approach is the cornerstone of successful IT megaprojects. This involves designing and building APIs encapsulating specific business capabilities or data sources. These APIs become the Lego building blocks for creating grander, more complex solutions.
Modular design
Just as the Empire State Building was constructed floor by floor, IT megaprojects can be broken down into smaller, more manageable modules. Each module can be developed, tested, and deployed independently, reducing the risk of the entire project being derailed by a single issue.
For example, a large organization implementing a new omnichannel platform could break the project into inventory management, order processing, customer service, and marketing automation modules. Each module would be built around a set of APIs, allowing for independent development and deployment.
Thorough planning
Thorough planning is essential for any IT megaproject. This includes defining clear project goals, identifying stakeholders, creating a detailed project plan, and conducting a comprehensive risk assessment.
MuleSoft provides a suite of tools and methodologies to streamline the planning process. For example, the Anypoint Platform’s API Designer allows teams to collaboratively design and document APIs, ensuring that all stakeholders clearly understand the project requirements.
Experienced teams
As the Empire State Building project demonstrated, having experienced teams is crucial for success. MuleSoft’s consulting organization and partner ecosystem provide access to global networks of experts who can guide and support your IT megaproject. These experts deeply understand API-led connectivity and have a proven track record of delivering successful projects.
MuleSoft: Your partner for IT megaproject success
MuleSoft isn’t just an integration platform; it’s a strategic partner for organizations embarking on IT megaprojects. By leveraging MuleSoft’s API-led connectivity platform and ecosystem, IT leaders can overcome many challenges plaguing large-scale projects.
Recap of Benefits:
- Accelerated development: Reusable APIs speed up development cycles and enable faster time to market.
- Increased agility: Modular architecture makes adapting to changing business requirements easier.
- Reduced risk: Thorough planning and design, combined with expert guidance, minimize the risk of costly errors and delays.
- Enhanced collaboration: APIs provide a common language for different teams to communicate and collaborate effectively.
- Improved scalability: API-led architecture enables systems to scale seamlessly as the organization grows.
These benefits translate to a higher likelihood of project success, delivering value to the organization and its stakeholders.
What’s your megaproject?
Don’t leave success to chance if you’re embarking on your next IT megaproject. Explore how MuleSoft’s API-led connectivity, consulting organization, and partner ecosystem can help you achieve your project goals. Reach out to a MuleSoft expert today to discuss your specific needs and discover how MuleSoft can empower your organization to build its own digital Empire State Building.
From vision to victory – make your megaprojects deliver
IT megaprojects don’t have to be synonymous with failure. IT leaders can conquer complexity, avoid catastrophe, and deliver transformative projects that drive business value by applying the lessons from How Big Things Get Done, embracing an API-led approach, and partnering with experts like MuleSoft and its partners.
Remember, the key to success lies in building with Lego, thinking slow and acting fast, and getting your team right. With the right approach and the right tools, your IT megaproject can be the next Empire State Building, a towering symbol of innovation and achievement.
