Salesforce projects, along with most other projects, work within three main constraints:
- Scope (features/capabilities)
- Time (schedule)
- Cost (resources & budget)
These are also known as the iron triangle, which you have to admit sounds a whole lot cooler than just saying, “three constraints”.
What’s important here is there’s always a balance between these factors. It’s exceptionally rare to have all three, and quality usually resides in the middle of them. Thus project managers need to be able to balance the tradeoffs within these three constraints to ensure project success.
It is also important to understand from the client which of these constraints is most important to them. The client can choose one immutable constraint and must be flexible with the other two, otherwise quality may be negatively impacted.
For example if the implementation must launch by a specific date, then the scope and budget will need to be flexible to ensure an on-time delivery. If the budget is immovable, then there may need to be flexibility in the scope to be able to deliver within the budget allotted.
The takeaway
One of the most important questions to ask the client during the discovery phase of a project is, which of these three constraints are immutable? The follow-up question is then, are you willing to be flexible on the other two constraints to ensure the project is a success?