Question

Discuss trade-offs that may be required when managing the triple constraint. What element(s) of the triple constraint typically take priority in your organization? Why?

Project Management

Answer 1

Triple constraints known as the constaints related to time cost and scope are equally important and change in any one of them affects the other two. The organisations need to identify the just balance of the three after careful consideration of priorities, which differ from organisation to organisation.

Scope of work relates direclty with customer satisfaction and the capability of organisation to deliver high quality results. More the additions in scope, greater the cost and more likely it is to last long. If the time and money is not important for the customer, the scope can be giben priority. It is necessary to know the urgency as well as cost constraints before keeping scope on priority. In some projects such as emergency actions, the time is most important factor, making cost less relevant and scope clear and oftem unchangeable. In other projects, such as development projects, cost is a big factor, hence should be kept on priority as in such projects, scope can be limited and schedule can be delayed to reduce the cost.

It is therefore important before the commencement of project to discuss the issues with customer and identify the relative importabnce of the three constraints for hm /her and go ahead accordingly.

In my organisation, which offers high quality solutions for its cleints, providing value is of utmost important, and therefore scope takes the top slot. Time constraints are there with some clients, and such projects can be accelerated to some extent, though without compromising on quality. Cost is not an issue with most of them, considering the nature of projects.