It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over

Today was a pretty good day. For past few months we worked hard to win a project that, to describe it mildly, is huge. I mean huge huge. And today was the day we learned we have won it. Sounds like a reason for celebration, time to get out and down several cold ones. So what the hell am I doing here, writing this post ?

Well, one thing I have learned is, that it simply ain’t over ’til it’s over. The moment client gives you the order is where everything begins, not where everything ends. Trying to win the order is a game. It is serious game but still only a game. You do not win it, you loose nothing, except maybe your pride. But once you win the order you are in trouble ! And if the order is big, you are in trouble for next several months. The more you are aware of this, the better for you.

So when it will be over? I always tell my staff, that we can only consider any project to be successfully over when all the goods are in customers’ hands on time, in good condition, money is in our account and after that another 4 months have passed and we have no claims for any refunds. Then it is over and we may be right to mentally move on.

If all goes wrong you loose much more than what you would gain if all goes right. That is a simple math. Maximum you can make (in financial terms) is the profit margin you work with. But there is no maximum to what you can loose …

It is important that all parties involved in the project understand this. One of the reasons we ran into troubles in the past was, that our suppliers considered things done the moment they received the order from us …

How I know this ? Well, I was on the loosing end several times. Luckily the crisis management every time managed to limit the damages to bearable levels and more importantly, I was lucky to be dealing with customers who were part of the solution and not part of the problem. But that may not always be the case.

So, today the troubles began

P.S. I am not the only one who says It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over, here is the other fella, Lenny Kravitz. But he has totally different reason (video inside the article)

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