How to think big and start small with projects

I was talking to a consultant doctor recently and they mentioned an NHS IT programme called a “Millennium” project.

Because it’s been around since before 2000, and still hasn’t delivered the value it promised.

It’s a familiar problem, especially in IT:

It takes too long to build
It’s too big when it finally arrives
It delivers value too late, or not at all

In most cases, the root cause is simple: Instead of starting small with a pilot, everything was built as one big thing.

Enter Modularity

That’s where modularity comes in. I think of this first as ‘Delivery Phases’:

Phase 1: Release a pilot that works in the real world
Phase 2: Replicate and scale what already works

Quick version: what is modular design?

Modularity means building your project from small, repeatable units rather than one all-or-nothing solution. Think Lego blocks, not a single giant sculpture. Each block can be built, tested, and improved independently.

Modular Rolling out a change one department at a time.

Non-Modular A big-bang IT launch where everything goes live at once.

Why this matters

Modular projects deliver value earlier, surface risk sooner, and as studies show, are far more likely to finish on time and to cost.

📆

Tuesday Action

Take 5 minutes. Ask yourself if your project is using pilots and repeatable blocks.

Is your project building with many small things (good) or one big thing (not so good)?

What is your Lego?

Quickly explore if your project is using modular design principles.

Quick Check: Modularity Assessment →

Let’s change the game.
Greg