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Project
Management Project managers have developed a range of tools to
help manage and control projects. There
are standard project management applications that identify tasks, time and
resources, prepare schedules, identify dependencies among tasks, set priorities
and manage resources. There are tools to help manage project budgets and cash
flow. There are tools to evaluate software as it is developed for efficiencies
and functional correctness. There are testing applications that can subject new
software to a wide range of vigorous testing routines.
Individuals can even take courses in project management skills, gaining a
certification that implies a level of project management competency. In spite of this, projects of any significant size
(usually measured in terms of budget and resources) continue to run over initial
budget estimates, do not deliver quality products on time and in many cases,
foster an adversarial working environment. That
Didn't Work, Now What? Identifying a new initiative or project does not have
to be like the proverbial disaster of past projects.
There are a number of areas that can contribute to a successful project
if recognized for their overall contribution.
IT professionals typically do not have an appropriate appreciation of the user community's approach and skills as it pertains to the design of new system applications. Potential users need time to think outside of their
current activities and processes. They
may need assistance in developing a vision of what could be, what the ideal
solution may look like. As the
initiative evolves, the user community needs considerably more feedback in terms
of what is being created, delivered in the same format as the earlier
discussions, not in the form of flow charts and data diagrams. The users need
time to understand the impact of their decisions, understand the scope of the
problems they are trying to address and the consequences, trade-offs and
constraints that are inherent in any design phase. Quality and Testing are two critical components
of any project, yet they are two of the first tasks to be compromised when
budgets or timing constraints appear. The results are predictable every time but
we still make the same mistake. The execution of the implementation phase can take a
reasonably managed project into the realm of a perceived disaster.
First of all, the implementation phase is the delivery of the end
product, the goods the organization has been waiting for, the results of a
significant budget expenditure and the use of considerable corporate resources.
How many times has training been done at the last minute using
pre-released software or inadequate processes and procedures in place?
How many times have new systems been implemented with little or no
concern for migration strategies to address work in progress or bridges from old
systems to the new product? And how
often has the new application failed in its first days of implementation to
stand up to the riggers of operational use? Balance The real skill in Project Management is balance.
Balance in managing compromise. Balance
in managing conflicting positions. Balance in managing the inherent conflict
between quality vs. rapid delivery, functionality vs. costs and service vs.
production. If the lessons are quite clear then the solution
requires the skills and experience of a seasoned professional project manager
that will make the difference. |
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