1. The Client
1.1. SOW Decisions
1.1.1. Last Minute Requests (Increase Workload)
1.1.2. Frequently Changing Mind (More or Less Work)
1.1.3. Approving Work Statements
1.2. Client wants or doesn't want a specific person
1.3. Partner Issues Increases Complexity/Time
2. Employee Availability
2.1. Vacations/PTO
2.2. Unexpected Illnesses
2.3. Employee Turnover
2.4. Senior Staff as Buffer
2.4.1. Directors too Billable
2.5. Hiring
2.5.1. Difficult to Find "Ripplers"
2.5.2. Time to Fill is Long (6 Weeks)
2.5.3. Utility Players vs. Traditional Consultants
3. The Work
3.1. Winning one More Project or Task
3.2. Budget Cuts
3.3. Striving for Excellence
3.3.1. Quality = is 90% Okay?
3.3.2. Make it simpler?
3.4. Bidding & Doing Work at same time
3.4.1. Hard to be bidding when overwhelmed
3.4.2. Uncertainty of Future Work
3.5. Task Order Contracts
3.5.1. When will the next task order happen?
4. Employee Classification
4.1. Non-Exempt
4.1.1. Can't Exceed 40 Hours
4.2. Part-Time On Call (Surge)
4.2.1. Not Always Available
4.2.2. Hired but never tested
4.2.3. Hired but no experience with Ripple Work approaches
4.3. Regular Part-Time/Full-Time Reduced
4.3.1. Not available 5 Days a Week
4.4. Location
4.4.1. Working Remotely Full-Time
4.5. Clearances
4.5.1. Lack of clearance needed for certain positions
4.6. Network/File Access
4.6.1. Lack of access to client resources/credentials
5. Knowledge
5.1. Project/Client Context
5.2. Task Specific Skills
5.2.1. Identify Scare Skills & Schedule Cross Training
5.2.1.1. Contracting Knowledge
5.2.2. Document Process for Routine Activities
5.3. Employee Level
5.4. Capacity (Key Company Skills)
5.5. Employees who are specialized
5.5.1. Not easily assigned to all projects