Benefits realisation is the process of ensuring that the benefits of a project are achieved. It involves planning for, monitoring and achieving those benefits. The benefits of a project can be anything from financial savings to improved customer satisfaction. But whatever the benefits are, they need to be planned for from the start of the project. That way, you can make sure that they’re actually achieved at the end. Benefits realisation is about more than just ticking boxes. It’s about making sure that a project delivers on its promises. So if you’re working on a project, make sure you have a benefits realisation plan in place.

What is benefits realisation?

Benefits realisation is the process of ensuring that the benefits of a project or initiative are realised. This includes identifying, quantify and tracking benefits as well as ensuring that benefits are delivered and sustained.

The benefits realisation process begins with identification of the desired outcomes or benefits of a project. Once these have been identified, they need to be quantified in order to be tracked. To do this, indicators and measures need to be selected which will enable progress towards the achievement of the benefits to be monitored.

Once the benefits have been realised, it is important to ensure that they are sustained. This may require ongoing monitoring and review as well as organisational changes to embed the new way of working brought about by the project or initiative.

What are the benefits of benefits realisation?

There are numerous benefits of benefits realisation, including:

• improved decision making – by understanding the potential benefits of a project or initiative, organisations can make more informed decisions about whether to proceed with it or not

• increased clarity – Benefits Realisation can help to increase clarity about what an organisation is trying to achieve from a project or initiative, and how this will be delivered

• better prioritisation – if there are multiple projects or initiatives being considered, Benefits Realisation can help to identify which are most likely to deliver the greatest benefits and should therefore be given priority

• improved performance – as well as achieving the desired benefits, successful implementation of Benefits Realisation can also lead to increased efficiency and effectiveness in how an organisation delivers its services or products. This can in turn lead to improved financial performance.

What are the key steps to take when implementing benefits realisation?

When it comes to benefits realisation, there are key steps that you need to take in order to ensure its success. Here they are:

1. Define what you want to achieve: Before anything else, you need to be clear about what it is that you want to achieve through benefits realisation. What are your goals and objectives? What would success look like? Answering these questions will help you develop a clearer strategy for achieving your desired outcomes.

2. Develop a plan: Once you know what you want to achieve, you need to develop a plan of action. This should detail how you will go about achieving your goals, who will be responsible for each task, and what resources will be required. Without a plan, it will be difficult to measure progress or track results.

3. Implement the plan: The next step is to put your plan into action. This will involve carrying out the tasks that have been assigned and ensuring that all of the necessary resources are in place. It is important to monitor progress throughout this stage so that any necessary adjustments can be made if things aren’t going according to plan.

4. Evaluate results: Finally, once the objectives have been achieved, it is important to take some time to evaluate the results. This will help identify any areas where improvement is needed and ensure that future benefits realisation efforts are more successful.

How can you measure the success of your benefits realisation project?

There are a number of ways that you can measure the success of your benefits realisation project. The most important thing is to set clear and achievable objectives at the outset of the project. Once these objectives have been agreed, you can then measure progress against them throughout the duration of the project.

Other ways of measuring success include looking at how effectively the project has been delivered within its timescale and budget, and whether or not it has met its targets for improving business performance. You can also assess how well the project team has worked together and how satisfied stakeholders are with the outcome of the project.

By taking all of these factors into account, you can get a good overview of how successful your benefits realisation project has been.

Case study

A benefits realisation case study is a detailed examination of how an organisation has implemented benefits realisation in order to achieve specific objectives. It can provide valuable insights into the successes and challenges experienced by the organisation, as well as best practice for other organisations seeking to implement benefits realisation.

Conclusion

Benefits realisation is a process that helps organisations to realise the value of their investment in change. It involves setting out what benefits you want to achieve from your investment, and then making sure that these benefits are delivered. By using benefits realisation, organisations can improve their chances of success by ensuring that they focus on the right things and get the most value for their money.