Alain Chabat's 2002 film Asterix and Obelix Mission Cleopatra has become a classic of French comedy. Beyond its caustic humor, the film is also packed with lessons on project management. Maëlle Lorvin, Consultant at Blue Soft Consulting, takes us through the management of the pharaonic construction site entrusted to architect Edifis. His challenge: to build a magnificent palace in three months to satisfy Cleopatra. A successful gamble or a project doomed to failure? Analysis.

An inexperienced project manager

Cleopatra appoints Edifis as project manager. Good or bad idea?

It all began when Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, entrusted Edifis with the task of building a sumptuous palace in record time. If the young architect succeeds, he'll be showered with gold. But if he fails, he'll end up in the crocodile pit. "A project manager is like an orchestra conductor on a project," explains Maëlle. The project manager needs to have good communication skills, while making sure that the various parties involved in the project communicate well. They also need leadership skills, since it's up to them to see their teams through to the end, as well as management qualities.

From the very start of the film, we realize that Edifis is not the most appropriate project manager for the situation. "We're not really on a super-sophisticated construction site. We also know that Edifis has never worked on a site of this scale, so he has very, very little experience," confirms Maëlle.

Cleopatra relies on Edifis for its "breath of fresh air" and innovative vision, to the detriment of experience.

A huge challenge: to build a palace in three months. But where's the framing?

Three short months to build a structure worthy of the greatest Pharaohs - that's quite a challenge! But does Edifis, who has just been appointed project manager, really appreciate the magnitude of the task ahead? Between tight deadlines, limited resources and pressure from his superiors, he's going to have to demonstrate unfailing organization and leadership.

However, Numérobis starts off with a bang, omitting an elementary phase of the preparation phase: the scoping phase. This phase will enable us to answer the main questions: what is the budget? what are the resources?

According to Maëlle, "Numérobis completely forgets this stage. We have no feasibility study. There's no budget study either. There's also one final element that Numérobis doesn't take into account at all from the start of the film, and that's risk management.

So we're off to build the palace, but we haven't yet framed the project. And that's not going to do our dear friend Edifis any good.

Risk management forgotten, but not for long

Internal risk: attempted sabotage by Amonbofis

Despite these heavyweight reinforcements, not everything is going to go smoothly. Amonbofis, the jealous architect, has not said his last word. To derail the project, he's going to stir up discontent among the workers, even provoking a revolt on the site. An internal risk that Edifis should have anticipated by keeping an eye on his rival. Having failed to defuse the conflict in time, Edifis is now forced to manage a crisis in a hurry, backed by the persuasive powers of Asterix and Obelix, and the wisdom of the Druid Getafix.

External risk: a threat to stone supplies

Another problem: a blockage in the supply of stone, the essential material for building the palace. Without these precious blocks, no progress could be made! Once again, Asterix and Obelix came close to the crocodiles with a major operational risk that had not been assessed in advance, but which jeopardized the entire project. Fortunately, Asterix and Obelix's powers of reflection and legendary strength will once again save the day and unblock the situation.

Other potential risks

Beyond these two incidents, many other risks could have derailed the project. A poorly calibrated budget could have led to a lack of resources along the way. Conflicts within the project team could have demotivated the troops and slowed the pace. Not to mention accidents, bad weather or last-minute changes imposed by Cleopatra. All threats to be taken into account by any project manager worthy of the name.

The importance of stakeholders

Identify and involve stakeholders

In any project, it's essential to properly identify and involve the stakeholders. Here, the sponsor is Cleopatra herself: she sets the objective, the deadline and allocates the resources. Then comes the project team, the men and women who will build the edifice stone by stone. Not forgetting the end-users, all those people who will enjoy the palace once it's completed. As a reminder, a good project manager needs to know how to dialogue with each of these stakeholders.

The Project Management Officer, the key role of Otis, scribe

In this gallery of characters, there's one who plays a crucial role: Otis, Edifis' faithful scribe. The project manager's right-hand man, he assists him on a daily basis in coordinating and facilitating tasks. Otis is like the Swiss Army knife of the site, the one who finds solutions to problems, unblocks complex situations and ensures that everyone works hand in hand. A profile that could be likened to that of the Project Management Officer (PMO) in our modern organizations.

On the same subject, discover the 5 key roles of the PMO and PMO methods and tools.

Rival architect, Amonbofis, the worst nightmare

But not all the parties involved play a positive role! Such is the case with Amonbofis, Cleopatra's official architect, who takes a very dim view of the arrival of this young competitor. Even though he's not a member of the project team, Amonbofis will do everything in his power to put obstacles in Edifis' path and sabotage his work. It's an insidious threat that our project manager should have anticipated in order to better counter. Without Asterix and Obelix, it's hard to face up to it unprepared.

The use of external experts

The arrival of Asterix and Obelix, the irreducible Gauls

Edifis quickly realized that his team alone would not be able to build the palace on schedule. He lacks the manpower, the specialized skills and the resources to meet the deadlines imposed by Cleopatra. Between delays and problems, Edifis sought out unique solutions and know-how to help him complete the project. That's when Asterix and Obelix, along with Getafix, come into play, contributing their expertise, superhuman strength and wisdom.

Change of working method

As part of project management, it's also important to select a project management method, such as V-cycle or agile methods, as Maëlle points out. Normally, you don't change methods during the course of a project. But in the case of Edifis, Asterix and Obelix "will be able to contribute a new working method to improve and optimize the construction of the palace", explains Maëlle. Gone are the archaic and unproductive techniques, replaced by innovation and efficiency! Asterix and Obelix, the irreducibles bring a fresh perspective and creative solutions to optimize the site. A real management lesson for Edifis, who discovers that sometimes you have to shake things up to move forward.

Sponsor support

Cleopatra's escalating problems

Despite all his efforts, and the arrival of Asterix and Obelix, Edifis sees trouble piling up and the project slipping through his fingers. Rather than suffer, he decides to alert his sponsor, Cleopatra. It's a courageous move, but one that's necessary to avert disaster. As a good project manager, Edifis knows he must be accountable and not hide the difficulties. Being transparent and finding solutions is the attitude of a good project manager.

The importance of involving the customer

This incident reminds us just how crucial it is to involve the client at every key stage of the project. Despite the arrival of our Asterix and Obelix experts, their support is a precious resource for the project manager, who gains in legitimacy and means of action. A committed sponsor is also a guarantee of stability: it can reaffirm objectives, remotivate the troops and release additional budgets when needed. In short, it's an indispensable ally in weathering storms and bringing the project to a successful conclusion.

So, good or bad project management? Despite a chaotic start and obvious shortcomings in his project management, our architect ultimately succeeded, against all odds. He was able to surround himself with complementary experts, Asterix and Obélix, to name but a few, adopt innovative methods and enlist the support of his client to overcome the many obstacles thrown in his path. Proof that even a novice project manager can triumph if he demonstrates adaptability, openness and tenacity.

At Blue Soft Consulting, we work with ambitious transformation projects every day, in both the public and private sectors. And if there's one lesson we've learned from Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra, it's that the success of a project depends above all on collective intelligence. Only a close-knit team, supported by an inspiring leader and a committed sponsor, can overcome the most complex challenges.

So, are you ready to take on your challenges with us? To get started on your project together, contact us