Differentiate Between A Project And Business As Usual

Here is a simple answer to the question about the difference between projects and Business As Usual (BAU): A project introduces a new product or a change in product whereas business as usual seeks to reproduce the same item. For example, a project would produce a new IT system and roll it out in the business whereas business as usual would be operating that IT system day in day out.

But let’s expand further on the differences between projects and BAU so that you can better understand them in real-world project situations.

Projects have some key attributes that clearly distinguish them from business as usual (BAU) activities within an organisation. Projects have a specific timeframe with a defined start and end date, while BAU activities are ongoing and continuous. For example, a project to build a new primary school might have a one-year timeline, whereas BAU activities like customer support are performed indefinitely.

But which is more important to a business, and why does Business as Usual matter so much?

Think about a bank or running a school day-to-day. BAU is running online banking or teaching pupils every day. The core operations of the organisation. For most organisations, this core operation is the most important part of the organisation. If organisations get this right, then they should thrive and prosper. If this is the case, why do organisations need projects?

Projects are needed because the world changes, technology moves on, we expect our children to learn new things in new ways. For this reason BAU has to respond to these changes. BAU can adapt to changes in small ways and this is where the philosophy of marginal gains comes from: small incremental improvements that raise performance. But alongside the day-to-day delivery of teaching or running a banking service, it can be hard to make the necessary step changes that are sometimes required. The barrier can be cultural, ‘I have always worked this way’ or capacity ‘I don’t have the time to make a change’ or competence ‘I don’t have the skills to design and implement a new IT system.’

This is where a project can bring together teams of specialists to work with BAU to deliver step changes. Often, a project will require establishing a formal business case (demonstrating why the project is needed) and approval from sponsors or stakeholders.

Due to the nature of projects producing a unique product, service or result, they generally carry a higher risk of failure and will almost certainly need changes to the original project plan as the work progresses. This means that risk management and financial contingencies need to be put in place to account for uncertainties. Also, that the project team need to be prepared to adapt to changing or new requirements. So, there’s a clear difference in mindset, challenges and timescales for BAU and project work.

People involved in BAU activities focus on consistency, short term outputs and delivering the same good service every day. A BAU environment, therefore, is less ambiguous and tends to have less conflict.

Projects are about change – the outputs can take years to develop, and tend to have highly ambiguous and high conflict environments.

These differences highlight why project management requires a distinct approach compared to managing routine BAU operations. It emphasises the need for specialist skills, experience, and a clear understanding of recognised methodologies. Best practices in project execution also play a crucial role in ensuring success. In short, a different mindset is required to successfully deliver in a project management environment.

Let’s delve a bit deeper…

Project life cycle vs Business as Usual (BAU) operations

Projects have a structured lifecycle with distinct phases, typically including initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and control, and closure. In contrast, BAU activities are ongoing routine operations without any particular phases or predetermined end date. So BAU activities focus on repeatedly producing the same outputs or maintaining existing processes. Whereas, each project aims to produce a unique outcome – although in practice many projects are similar to others so perhaps describing them as “unique” is misleading for certain types of projects.

Projects do, however, have unique objectives. For example, constructing a bridge across a river may be similar in some ways to other previous bridge construction projects, but can also have significant differences. Constructing the 5,128-metre-long Prince of Wales Bridge over the River Severn between England and Wales was a very different prospect to constructing the 171-metre-long Swing Bridge across the Tyne, which has a mechanism enabling it to swing open to allow a ship to pass through. Yet both are bridges over UK rivers!

Here are some more differences…

Timescales

Projects have a defined timeframe with a specific start and finish point, unlike BAU which is ongoing. For example, a project to develop a new IT system for a hospital might need to be completed in a defined 1-year period, while BAU activities to support that IT system continue indefinitely.

Risks

Projects inherently carry more risk due to the uncertainties involved, whereas BAU operations have a lower risk because they rely on established, standardised processes. For example, a manufacturing company following a well-defined quality control system experiences fewer unexpected failures compared to a project developing a new production technique. These processes tend to be more stable and have less need for frequent adjustments, which is one of the reasons BAU is less risky for a business, although not entirely without risks as these can clearly arise due to unexpected, external market factors.

Resource allocation

Projects often require specialist teams and resources allocated for a specific duration. The project manager and team members may not necessarily have worked together before even though they might work in the same organisation. Whereas BAU activities use ongoing operational resources and established departmental structures that everyone is familiar with.

Measurement of success

Project success is measured by achieving specific goals within the defined timeframe and budget. In contrast, BAU success is often measured by continuous improvement and maintaining operational efficiency.

Mindset Differences

In a BAU environment, teams focus on delivering consistent results every day. Processes, targets, and outputs tend to be clearly defined, which means there is little ambiguity. Teams have a short-term focus aiming to maintain service quality, meet daily or weekly targets, and ensure customer satisfaction. And because BAU tasks are repetitive and well-understood, conflict levels tend to be lower. These teams value stability and proven methods.

The key strengths of people working in a BAU environment include reliability in meeting defined targets, maintaining and improving established processes and responding quickly to operational needs.

In contrast, a project mindset needs to be all about change and long-term strategic or transformational goals. As we’ve already mentioned, projects typically aim to create something new or implement significant changes within an organisation. This may involve new products, services, or systems that can take months or even years to develop such as our previous examples of building a school or constructing a bridge. Other examples might be implementing a new IT system, or fundamentally rethinking and redesigning core business processes such as in a Business Process Re-Engineering (BPR) project. Consequently, a project environment naturally has higher ambiguity and conflict than business as usual.

Projects often begin with many unknowns. Stakeholders may have competing priorities, and requirements can shift over time. This can lead to more conflict compared with BAU because project teams are stepping into uncharted territory so need to be comfortable with innovation and risk-taking. Project success requires creative thinking to overcome obstacles and manage risks. Teams in project environments have key strengths that are likely to include strong problem-solving and negotiation skills, and familiarity with experimentation and iteration as they will often need to adapt to evolving constraints.

An argument for different personalities?

Given the fundamental differences between projects and business-as-usual, it’s expected that they require different skillsets and possibly different personalities.

In many organisations, there is a tension between those who focus on Business as Usual (BAU) and those who manage projects. BAU is all about keeping the engine running, while projects introduce something new or different. Both are essential, but they operate with distinct approaches and success criteria.

So let’s consider whether they require different types of people and what those types are.

Preference for Routine vs. Change

BAU work can suit people who thrive on routine, clear processes, and immediate achievements. Meanwhile, projects may appeal to those who seek variety, longer-term challenges, and are comfortable with shifting priorities.

Conflict-Handling Styles

People who enjoy harmonious, steady environments often excel in BAU. Those who can handle conflict and ambiguity tend to flourish in project environments. However, these are not rigid categories—many professionals develop skills to excel in both.

Overlap and Transferable Skills

Here are just some of the skills important in both areas:

• Leadership
• Communication
• Time management
• Problem-solving

Whether BAU and project roles require different types of people depends on an individual’s comfort with routine versus transformation, as well as their ability to manage conflict and uncertainty. Ultimately, organisations need both dependable BAU operations people and bold, forward-thinking project teams. By understanding these differences and addressing the challenges of working together, leaders can hopefully assign the right people to the right tasks and ensure that both day-to-day services and transformational projects run smoothly.

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