Georgey’s blog

One of the most used examples in project management is “the coffee” one.

3 people working in project management were asked to write down (on a high level) how they would proceed to make a cup of coffee.

Person ‘A’ proposed the following:

• Buy the kettle, the cups, the milk, the sugar, and the coffee.
• Ask what kind of coffee is needed (with or without milk, sugar, etc.) 
• Make the coffee.

Person ‘B’ proposed the following:

• Check the kitchen and see what we already have (Kettle, milk, coffee, etc.).
• Ask what kind of coffee is needed and advise if it is possible based on what we find in the kitchen.
• Make the coffee.

Person ‘C’ proposed the following:

• Ask what kind of coffee I want.
• Check the local coffee shop for availability and price.
• Buy the coffee.

 The end result of all 3 proposals is me having the coffee, but it all comes with complications.

The first one is going for the whole start-up in order to make a cup of coffee. This can be very costly if we do it only for the purpose of one cup. Only chose this solution if you have the money and you are sure more cups will be served later, otherwise you end up losing money.

The second one is going to use what he already has (already paid for) and try to satisfy my needs. If I wanted Skim milk and all he had was normal milk, Person ‘B’ might try to convince me to change my mind and try the other milk. This is a very cost effective way, low risk and usually gets the job done. Worst case might be nuying the skim milk only.

The third person doesn’t have the equipment or the ingredients, so he opted to buy me the coffee form outside. He ‘outsourced’ it so he doesn’t worry much about the equipment and the ingredients. He’s pretty sure as well that the coffee will be good since he’s buying it from a specialised supplier. It’s a great solution for people who need to achieve something outside their field of expertise and a low risk (unless the coffee is really bad).as a stand-alone cup of coffee, this might cost more on the long run.

Bottom line: making a cup of coffee is like working on a project. How would you do it?