The Success Case Method

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The Success Case Method: Step by Step

The SCM Steps

There are five overall steps to be followed in planning and conducting

an SC study.

1. Focusing and planning a Success Case study

2. Creating an “impact model” that defines what success should

look like

3. Designing and implementing a survey to search for best and

worst cases

4. Interviewing and documenting success cases

5. Communicating findings, conclusions, and recommendations

Depending on the purpose and scope of the study, some of the

steps may have different subparts. Sometimes, for example, one pur-

pose of the study is to determine how broadly an innovation has been

adopted. In these instances, Step 3 (designing and implementing a sur-

vey to search for best and worst cases) will include a procedure for tap-

ping different samples of job roles to assess how widespread certain

application behaviors are being implemented among key innovation

roles and audiences. Or, in a large SCM study, a complex reporting

process may be required that provides different reports and presenta-

tions to different audiences.

1. Focusing and Planning a Success Case Study

This first step is focused on thinking through what will be required to

conduct an effective study that will provide the information people

need and expect. The principal aim of this step is first to clarify and

understand what the study needs to accomplish, then be sure that all

the necessary pieces of the study are indeed planned for so that the

promise of the study will, in fact, be delivered.

The Success Case Method

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Some of the key considerations and decisions that must be made as

part of this first step are:

• What is the purpose of the study? An SC study may have one or

more of a range of possible purposes. Depending on the pur-

pose, or purposes, the design for the study will need to be . . .

Some common purposes are:

• To allay—or confirm—the fears of skeptics who question

the results and worthiness of a new program

• To determine what about a new program is working well

enough to be maintained and what is not working that may

require revision or deletion

• To strengthen “marketing” of a program or initiatives by

documenting real and noteworthy instances of success

• To help managers in one part of an organization determine

what they need to do to get their employees to achieve the

greater success that managers in other parts of the organiza-

tion are experiencing

• To provide exemplary models of especially successful

behavior and program applications that can be used to

inspire and motivate others

• To assess the return on investment of an initiative

• To identify recommendations for revisions to improve

impact

• To help decide whether a pilot initiative is having a positive

enough impact to justify a broader roll-out

• To “de-bug” a hastily implemented solution

• Who (what groups and individuals) want or need the study to be

done, and why is it important to them? There are typically several

stakeholders in a program, and often these different stakeholders