One of our significant findings from the Phoenix work that we did back in 2018 was the lack of involvement with end-users and keeping in sight, as the project moved forward, the actual business needs and how the IT solution would be used in the day to day.
In the procurements we looked at in the Next Generation one, we saw a lot of engagement with end-users. If we compare that then with the workplace communications services project, DND was only engaged at the end. As a result, the procurement that occurred there did not meet all of the needs of the department. Now additional costs and other contracts are going to be needed in order to give them all the functionality that the department wanted.
It isn't about focusing in on timelines, but about focusing in on business outcomes. That's where agile procurement plays a really big role in complex IT. It is keeping the outcomes and the business needs in mind throughout the entire process.