Project Management ABC: H for HERMES

Efficient Projects with HERMES – The Swiss Quality Standard

What is HERMES?

The roots of HERMES date back to the 1970s, when the Swiss Federal Administration needed a method to manage its IT projects systematically and successfully. The Federal Administration subsequently developed HERMES for planning, executing, and managing projects and optimized the method specifically for IT and administrative projects. HERMES is characterized by its modular and adaptable structure, which allows the method to be applied flexibly to projects of various sizes and types. Through clear definitions of phases, roles, activities, and deliverables, HERMES ensures that projects proceed in a structured and efficient manner.
For example, HERMES played a central role in the digitization of the Swiss federal administration, in the implementation of a new ERP system at SBB (Swiss Federal Railways), as well as in the introduction of electronic patient records (EPR) in the Swiss healthcare system and in numerous other projects in Switzerland.
Since its first version, HERMES has been continuously refined and adapted to the changing demands of the project landscape. This continuous improvement, adaptation, and expansion makes HERMES one of the most reliable and robust methods in project management, which is successfully used today not only in public administration but also in the private sector. The current version, HERMES 2022, offers a comprehensive and flexible methodology that integrates both traditional and agile approaches to project management.

Specialties of HERMES

• Target Audience: HERMES is specifically tailored to the needs of public administration and IT projects. However, the method is flexible enough to be applied in other industries and to projects of various types and sizes.
• Flexibility and Adaptability: The modular structure, with its wide range of scenarios and modules, makes it possible to adapt the method to the specific requirements of a project and to expand it. In this way, HERMES supports both traditional and agile approaches. In addition, aspects such as risk management, stakeholder management, and quality assurance are taken into account.
• Phase Model: HERMES is based on a clear structure that divides projects into four phases: Initialization, Concept, Implementation, and Rollout. Each phase has specific objectives, activities, and deliverables that help systematically manage and monitor a project’s progress.
• Roles and Responsibilities: Clearly defined roles, such as the client, project manager, and subject matter expert, are also an important part of HERMES. Each role has precisely defined tasks and responsibilities, which leads to a clear structure and assignment of responsibilities within the project team.
• Ease of Use and Clarity: HERMES is designed to be easy to understand and apply, even for project managers who do not have extensive experience with project management methods. Its clear structure, detailed instructions, and ready-to-use components (e.g., modules, documentation, templates, and checklists) make it easier to implement and apply the method.

Structure and organization of HERMES

HERMES is a project management method that stands out for its clearly structured and modular approach. It consists of six components that together provide a flexible and adaptable structure:

1. Scenarios

Projects within an organization can vary greatly, for example in terms of their content or complexity. Therefore, HERMES offers various scenarios that correspond to typical project types, such as the development of services or products, the adaptation of existing services or products, IT development, IT adaptation, and organizational development. The scenarios include all methodological elements relevant to the project. Users can select the standard scenario that best fits their needs and plan the project based on that. Alternatively, they can adapt the scenarios to their organization’s needs or create custom scenarios.

2. Phases and milestones

Regardless of the scenario, the HERMES phase model forms the basis for all projects. It divides projects into four consecutive phases that cover the entire project lifecycle.

• Initialization: The project begins with the initialization phase, during which the project objectives are defined, the framework conditions are clarified, and the decision to approve the project is made.
• Concept: The goal of the concept phase is to plan and prepare for the project implementation in detail.
• Implementation: During the implementation phase, the planned work is carried out and the project deliverables are produced.
• Implementation: The implementation phase facilitates the transition to the new state, during which the project deliverables are handed over to operations and the project is completed.

Each phase begins and ends with milestones that vary depending on the scenario, such as the project initiation order, project approval, phase approvals, or project completion. These are important checkpoints throughout the project’s course, at which progress and the achievement of objectives are reviewed. As such, they serve as quality gates where decisions are made regarding results and the next steps.

3. Modules

Modules are standardized building blocks that cover specific aspects of project management and include thematically related tasks, deliverables, and roles, such as project leadership, quality management, or risk management. The modules are assigned to phases and milestones. Each module contains guidelines and templates that facilitate the implementation of the respective tasks. The HERMES standard includes 12 modules: Project Control, Project Launch, Project Fundamentals, Procurement, Organization, Product, IT System, Testing, Implementation Organization, IT Migration, IT Operations, and Information Security and Data Protection. Depending on the selected scenario, some or all of these modules are used.

4. Roles

HERMES defines clear roles, their relationships, and descriptions of their tasks and responsibilities, as well as the necessary competencies and skills. The basic project organization includes the roles of client, project manager, and subject matter expert. Depending on the project, additional roles such as quality manager, risk manager, or test manager may be added.

5. Tasks

Tasks are used to produce results. Therefore, each task has a description that defines the procedure and the necessary activities. In addition, each task is assigned to a responsible role. Tasks that are thematically related are grouped into modules and assigned to project phases. According to the HERMES methodology, there are two types of tasks: decision tasks—such as project acceptance or phase approval—and other tasks that serve to execute the project, of which 50 different types are defined in the HERMES standard.

6. Results

Results are at the heart of HERMES and can take many different forms. They are categorized into 55 documents and 22 statuses. For the documents, HERMES provides templates that are edited during the project phases. States, on the other hand, are points in time at which a result has been achieved. In a project, these usually correspond to the achievement of a milestone. In addition to the standard documents and states, however, company- or project-specific results can also be defined.

Advantages of HERMES

• HERMES is easy to understand and simple to use. The method provides clear instructions and templates that can be used even by project managers without extensive experience.
• The method provides a clear project structure with defined phases, activities and results.
  Thanks to its modular structure, HERMES can be easily and flexibly adapted to the specific requirements of different projects.
• A clear definition of roles and responsibilities within a project promotes teamwork and helps with project communication.
• HERMES also attaches great importance to quality and risk management, which helps to identify risks at an early stage and ensure the quality of project results.
• The continuous further development of HERMES ensures that the method is always up to date and that current best practices are integrated.

Challenges of HERMES

• HERMES can be too extensive and complex, especially for small projects, even if the method can be adapted flexibly.
• The clear structure and detailed specifications can also mean that the focus is more on adhering to processes than on the actual project results.
• In addition, adapting the method to a specific project can be very time-consuming. As a result, project teams may have to invest a great deal of time in selecting and customizing appropriate modules and scenarios.
• While HERMES is widely used and recognized in Switzerland, the method is less common internationally than, for example, PRINCE2. This can pose a challenge when collaborating with international project teams that may not be as familiar with HERMES.

Conclusion

HERMES offers a structured, transparent, and adaptable project management method that is particularly well-suited for IT and administrative projects. With clearly defined phases, roles, and tasks, HERMES helps project managers steer projects efficiently and in a goal-oriented manner. The method’s continuous refinement ensures that it meets current requirements and best practices, thereby providing a reliable foundation for successful projects.

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