How crucial is it to bring senior management in at a given stage?
Karten: Our best experiences—and those where we had the best results—have been those that come with top-down support. It is important to have a direct ear to the top from the beginning. If those people are championing the project and are fully indoctrinated, you increase the likelihood of a much more successful program. Wiklund: In progressive companies, senior management usually insists on being involved from the start. In any case, it is essential to involve senior management at certain milestones. Otherwise, you can upset the applecart by bringing senior management in later to judge a fairly mature design. If the design does not strike them right, you may be sent back to the beginning. So it is important to get management support and feedback early. You need to get management invested early in the design process so that they can lend their support, and the development process is less subject to upheaval. How would you determine what the milestones would be? Wiklund: Senior managemen
