1.project Plan Template

 

 

Project Plan Template

 

Document Control Document Information  © 

Document Id Document Owner  Issue Date Last Saved Date File Name

Information [Document [Document Manage Management ment System #]  [Owner Name]  [Date]  [Date]  [Name] 

Document History Version [1.0]

Issue Date [Date]

Changes [Section, Page(s) and Text Revised]  

Document Approvals Role Project Sponsor 

Name

Signature

 © 

Date

Project Review Group

Project Manager 

Quality Manager  (if applicable) Procurement Manager  (if applicable) Communications Manager  (if applicable) Project Office Manager  Manager  (if applicable)

Copyright © azman 2012

i

 

Table of Contents TEMPLATE GUIDE.......................................................................................................................... 1 1 PLANNING BASIS........................................................................................................................ 2 1.1 SCOPE.............................................................................................................................................................. 2 1.2 MILESTONES ....................................................................................................................................................... 2 1.3 PHASES............................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................2 2 1.4 ACTIVITIES.......................................................................................................................................................... ..........................................................................................................................................................3 3 1.5 T ASKS............................................................................................................................................................... ...............................................................................................................................................................3 3 1.6 EFFORT............................................................................................................................................................. .............................................................................................................................................................3 3 1.7 RESOURCES ........................................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................................4 4

2 PROJECT PLAN.......................................................................................................................... 4 2.1 SCHEDULE.......................................................................................................................................................... ..........................................................................................................................................................4 4 2.2 DEPENDENCIES .................................................................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................................................5 5 2.3 ASSUMPTIONS ...................................................................................................................................................... ......................................................................................................................................................5 5 2.4 CONSTRAINTS ...................................................................................................................................................... ......................................................................................................................................................5 5

3 APPENDIX.................................................................................................................................. 5 3.1 7 THINGS YOU SHOULDN’T DO WHEN M ANAGING  A PROJECT........................................................................................ ........................................................................................9 9 3.2 HOW TO PLAN  A PROJECT WHEN YOU’VE NEVER PLANNED  A PROJECT BEFORE............................................................. 12 3.3 TOP 10 MUST H AVE PROJECT SOFTWARE FEATURES................................................................................................ 15 3.4 4 W AYS TO REENERGIZE OURSELVES   AS PROJECT M ANAGERS..................................................................................... .....................................................................................19 19 HINGS OU HOULD EVER O URING  A ROJECT EPORT 3.5 4 T Y S N D D   P R ................................................................................. 22 3.6 WHEN IS IT TIME TO CREATE  A PROJECT M ANAGEMEN  ANAGEMENT T OFFICE?..................................................................................25 ..................................................................................25

Copyright © azman 2012

ii

 

Template Guide What is a Project Plan?  The  Proj Project ect Pla Plan n is the central central do docu cumen mentt by wh which ich the pr proje oject ct is fo forma rmally lly ma mana naged ged.. A Proje Pro ject ct Pl Plan an is a do docu cumen mentt wh which ich lis lists ts th the e ac activ tiviti ities es,, tas tasks ks an and d re resou source rces s re requ quire ired d to complet com plete e the pro project ject and rea realise lise the bus business iness benefits benefits outl outline ined d in the Pro Project ject Bus Business iness Case. A typical Project Plan includes includes:: • • •

 A description of of the major phases phases undertaken to complete complete the project  project   A schedule of the activities, activities, tasks, durations, durations, dependencies, dependencies, resources resources and timeframes  A listing of the ass assumptions umptions and constraints constraints identified during during the planning planning process.

To create a Project Plan, the following steps are undertake undertaken: n: • • • • • • •

Reiterate the project scope Identify the project milestones, phases, activities and tasks Quantify the effort required for each task   Allocate project project resource Construct a project schedule List any planning dependencies, dependencies, assumptions, constrain constraints ts Document the formal Project Plan for approval.

When to use a Project Plan  Although a summarise summarised d Project Plan is identified early in the Project Start-up Phase (within the Business Case), a detailed Project Plan is not usually created until the project scope has been formally defined (within a Project Charter) and the project team appointed. The Project  Plan is completed early in the Project Planning Phase and is, typically, prior to a Quality  Plan and the formalisation formalisation of a Supplier's Supplier's contract. Unlike other other documents in the Project  Project  Lifecycle, the Project Plan is referenced constantly throughout the project. As the project is undertaken, the Project Manager tracks the percentage of task completion and the task  completion date (actual vs planned) to assess overall project performance. These statistics are communicated to the Project Sponsor/Board within a regular Project Status Report.   How to use this template This document provides a guide on the topics usually included in a Project Plan. Sections may ma y be ad adde ded, d, rem remov oved ed or re rede defin fined ed at you yourr le leisu isure re to me meet et yo your ur pa parti rticu cular lar bu busin siness ess circumstance. circumstanc e. Example tables, tables, diagrams and charts charts have been added added (where suitable) suitable) to  provide further further guidance on how how to complete each each relevant section. section.

Copyright © azman 2012

1

 

Basis 1 Planning Ba 1.1 Scope The activities and tasks defined in the project plan must be undertaken within the scope of  the project. For this reason, reiterate the scope of the project here as defined in the Project  Charter .

1. 1.2 2 Mil ile est sto one nes s  A milestone is “a major event in the project” and represents the completion of a set of  activities. Examples of milestones milestones include: include: • • • • •

Business Case approved Feasibility Feasibili ty Study approved Project Charter approved Project Team appointed Project Office established. established.

List and describe the key project milestones within the following table: Milestone

Description

Delivery Date

Business Case  Approved..  Approved

The Business Case has been documented and was approved by the Project Sponsor.

xx/yy/zz

1.3 Phases  A  A phase  phase is “a set of activities which will be undertaken to deliver a substantial portion of the overall project”. Examples include: • • • •

Project Initiation Project Planning Project Execution Project Closure.

List and describe the major project phases within the following table. Phase

Description

Sequence

Project In Initia itiati tio on

Definin ining g tth he pr projec ject b by y de developing ing a busine iness case, feasibility study and Project Charter as well as recruiting the project team and establishing the project office.

Phase # 1

 © 

Copyright © azman 2012

2

 

1.4 4 Act ctiv ivit itie ies s 1.  An activity  activity is is “a set of tasks which are required to be undertaken to complete the project." Examples include: • • •

Develop Quality Plan Formulate Supplier Contracts Perform Project Closure. Closure.

List and describe the major project activities within the following table. Phase

Activity

Description

Sequence

Project Planning

Develop Quality Plan

Produce a document describing Quality  Assurance  Assur ance and Quality Quality Control Control and proc process ess review activities to be undertaken.

 After the Pr Project oject Plan but before the formulation of  supplier contracts

 © 

1.5 Tasks

 A ‘task  ‘task ’ is simply an item of work to be completed within the project. List all tasks required to undertake each activity, within the following table: Phase

Activity

Task

Sequence

Project Planning

Develop Quality Plan

Identify Quality Targets Identify Quality Assurance Techniques Techniques Identify Quality Control Techniques Document Quality Plan

1st 2nd 3rd 4th

1.6 Effort For each task listed above, quantify the likely ‘effort’ required to complete complete the task. Task

Effort

Identify Quality Targets Identify Quality Assurance Techniques Identify Quality Control Techniques Document Quality Plan

no. days no. days  days  no. days no. days

 © 

Copyright © azman 2012

3

 

1.7 7 Re Reso sou urc rce es 1. For each task identified, list the resources allocated to complete the task. Task

Resource

Identify Quality Targets Identify Quality Assurance Techniques Identify Quality Control Techniques Document Quality Plan

name name name name

 © 

2 Project Plan 2.1 Schedule Provide a summarised schedule for each of the phases and activities within the project. ID

Ta sk N a m e

3

IN ITIA TION

D u ra ti o n

ary 5/0 1

1 2/ 2/0 1 1 9 /0 /0 1 2 6 /0 /0 1

Fe bru a ry 2 /0 /0 2 9 /0 /0 2

16 6//0 2 2 3 3//0 2

M arc h 1 /0 /0 3

8 /0 /0 3

A pr   15 5//0 3 2 2 //0 0 3 29 29 /0 /0 3

1 6 day s

4

D ev el op B u s i n es s C as e

4 day s

10

P er for m Feas i bi l i ty S tu dy

5 day s

17

E s tabl i s h Ter m s of R efer en ce

4 day s

23

A ppoi n t P roj ect Team

3 day s

28

S et-u p P roj ect Offi ce

3 day s

33

Perform Stage-Gate

1 day

34 35

PLA N N IN G

48 day s

36

C r eate P r oj ect P l an

9 day s

47

C r eate R es ou r ce Pl an

5 day s

54

C r eate Fi n an ci al P l an

5 day s

61

C r eate Qu al i ty Pl an

4 day s

67

C r eate R i s k Pl an

6 day s

75

C r eate A cceptan ce P l an

4 day s

81

C r eate C om m u n i cati on s P l an

4 day s

87

C r eate P r ocu rem en t P l an

4 day s

93

C on tr act Su ppl i ers

6 day s

10 1

Perform Stage-Gate

1 day

10 2 10 3

EX E C U TION

5 day s

10 4

B u i l d D el i v er abl es

3 day s

10 9

Mon i tor i n g an d C on tr ol

4 day s

122

Perform Stage-Gate

1 day

123 124

C LOS U R E

125

P er for m P roj ect C l os u r e

132

R ev i ew P r oj ect C om pl eti on

7 days 6 day s 1 day

Note: Refer to the t he Appendix for a detailed detailed project schedule.

Copyright © azman 2012

4

 

2.2 2 De Depe pend nden enci cies es 2. ‘Dependencies’ are logical relationships between phases, activities or tasks which influence the way that the project must be undertaken. Dependencies may be either internal to the project (e.g. between project activities) or external to the project (e.g. a depende dependency ncy between a pr proj ojec ectt ac acti tivi vity ty an and d a busi busine ness ss ac acti tivi vity ty). ). Ther There e are are fo four ur ty type pes s of de depe pend nden enci cies es:: 1. Fi Fini nish sh-t -too-st star artt (the item this activity depends on must finish before this activity can start) 2. Fi Fini nish sh-t -too-fi fini nish sh (the item this activity depends on must finish before this activity can finish) 3. Star Startt-to to-s -sta tart rt (the item this activity depends on must start before this activity can start) 4. Star Startt-to to-f -fin inis ish h (the item this activity depends on must start before this activity can finish). List any key project dependencies identified by completing the following table: Activity

Depends on

Dependency Type

Set-up Project Office

Appoint Project Team

Finish-to-start

 © 

In the example given above, the activity ”Appoint Project Team” must finish before activity “Set-up Project Office” can start.

2.3 Assu sum mpt ptio ions ns 2.3 As List any planning assumptions made. For example: It is assumed that: • • •

The project will not change in scope The resources identified will be available upon request  Approved funding funding will be available available upon request. request.

2.4 Co Cons nstr trai aint nts s List any planning planning constraints identified. identified. For example: example: • • •

The project must operate within the funding and resource allocation allocations s approved The project team must deliver the software with no requirement for additional additional hardware Staff must complete the project within normal working hours.

3 Appendix  Attach any documentation documentation you believe believe is relevant relevant to the Project Plan. Plan. For example: • •

Detailed Project Schedule (listingCase, all project phases, activities and tasks) Other documentation (Business Feasibility Study, Project Charter)

Copyright © azman 2012

5

 

•

Other relevant information or correspondence.

3.0. 6 Ways to Be a Project Manager When You Are Not a Project Manager You are very good at what you do. You may be in marketing, finance, operations, or  even sales. Your peers recognize and appreciate you for the contribution you make to the team. keep everyone on the to same serve as a the subject matter in areas thatYou few people have answers and page, love digging into details. Youexpert keep the team motivated, compile a project report when asked, serve as a listening ear  when people need someone to talk to, and make sure the best ideas are not overlooked but implemented in the department going forward. Your peers talk about what a great project manager you are. There’s only one problem, however. You’re not a project manager! That’s right….that’s not your job. You came on board as an SEO guru, or accounts receivable expert, or training manager or pre-sales coordinator. You don’t know anything about work breakdown structures, milestones, deliverables, work packages, project reporting software, crashing a project, resource allocations, or cost overruns. But, you do have the innate ability and gift to keep people organized so the work gets done and out the door. What to do? While it is extra work, you do enjoy keeping people organized. And, truth be known, it makes your life a little li ttle easier as well. You work with some chaotic types that, let’s just say, are not as encumbered by organizational skills as you are. They’ve never even read a report generated from any reporting software. Keeping them on track makes your work that much easier to accomplish since you depend upon them to finish their job before you start. If you enjoy this type of work, don’t mind putting in a little extra time, and have even considered transitioning over to a project manager position…then the following 6 tips will help you be a project manager even when you are not a project manager.

1. Get input from everyone

 A lesson project managers managers learn early on is that if they have not included the thoughts, opinions, likes and dislikes from all stakeholders then their project will fall on hard times.  

The first time a project veers off track and inconveniences one group or another another you will hear phrases like “they never asked me” , “I knew that was a problem but never  got the opportunity them” , or “that’s or “that’s time I heard about this.”  this.” This This is typically followed bytoatell commensurate levelthe of first not wanting to help fix the problem.

Copyright © azman 2012

6

 

Make sure to ask everybody if they have any thoughts about the endeavor that is about to get underway. Even if their answer is “No” , then they have had the ability to provide their input.

2. Start tracking with a spreadsheet s preadsheet If you are not a MS Project aficionado or an expert on another piece of project reporting software, then playing the part of a project manager can start out as simply as tracking the agreed upon tasks (from step 1 above) in a spreadsheet. This may be sacrilege to some project managers. We are not talking about using a spreadsheet in perpetuity. However, a spreadsheet is a great place to start to quickly compile and update a list of tasks, owners, due dates, status, and associated risks. This can then be used as the foundation for a basic project report as well as serve as the source of activity that can feed into a full-blown project management system.

3. Compile and work from your daily to-do list

Now that you have received input from everyone,

have the big

picture captured on a spreadsheet (or similar) program, you can now start putting your daily to-do list to work from. You know you need to follow up on a particular part of the project that is due today, have a project report to compile for the owner’s of the company, and a meeting scheduled to get approval on a new technology that is being implemented. Not all of  these will be spelled out on the basic spreadsheet tracking plan from step #2, but this plan is what feeds into your daily to-do list. This will help keep you and your  team on track.

4. Use the classic 4-blocker as a simple project report While PowerPoint may have its negatives (way too many presentations with bullet points that are read word for word), it also has some positives as well. The Classic 4Blocker those positives. is when you takeblocks a PowerPoint slide and divide it is upone intoof four sections. YouThis will end up with wit h two on top and two blocks on bottom. This is a great format to use for your project report. The top left block bl ock is called Week’s Accomplishments and speaks to those items i tems that have been completed over the past week. The top right block is called Next Steps and is a chronological, high level plan of the immediate next steps (approximately 4 weeks ahead) along with a brief description. This can be pulled directly from the project tracking spreadshee spreadsheett in step 2 above.  

The bottom left block is called Risks and highlights any problems that have the potential of preventing the project moving forward and associated mitigation in case the event occurs. The bottom right block is called For Discussion / Issues and provides opportunity for any topics that need to be discussed or issues that have surfaced that are problematic for the project.

Copyright © azman 2012

7

 

That’s it. This basic report provides a glimpse into the recent past, shows what’s next, answer the question of what could possibly go wrong (and what to do when it does) and allows for general discussion. A great and simple tool to be used as the basis for a weekly project report.

5. Document changes This is one area new project managers don’t realize is critical until they have been  

burned once or twice. Document changes! It doesn’t matter if they are big or small,  just keep a log of who, what, why, where, where, and when as it relates to the change. Who requested the change? What is the change? Why is there a reason for the change? Where will the change be made (what part of the project), and when or how long will this change take? This powerful “memory jogger” will save many an argument and eliminate misunderstandings that could arise from one team member  not knowing what another team member (or even they themselves) changed on the project.

6. Acknowledge and celebrate success Even though you may not be a full-time project manager  this is an area that often ,

gets overlooked. You don’t want to take it for  granted that the team really pushed the envelope to make things happen. Give credit where credit is due. Let everyone know that someone went above and beyond. Make a big deal out of the team reaching a goal to your manager and acknowledge that commitments were met.  Acknowledgement could could range from an email to everyone with spe specifics cifics about the success of the project, to a nice dinner, gift cards, or even something as fun as taking the whole team bowling after work. It doesn’t have to be expensive and it really falls squarely into the category of “it’s the thought that counts.” Your team will appreciate you are thinking about them. If you have been thrust into a situation where you are playing the part of an ad hoc project manager, then make the most of it. Your workmates recognize the fact that you are organized, detail-oriented and can keep everyone on track. Follow the 6 principles above and you will soon find your way towards making an even more positive difference to your team and company.

Copyright © azman 2012

8

 

Things You Sho Shouldn’t uldn’t Do Do When When Managin Managing g a Project Project 3.1 7 Things February 23, 2012

You may wonder – What kind of title is that: ”7 Things You Shouldn’t Do When Managing a Project.” You can’t get much more negative than those 9 words! As Project Managers we are trained to be optimistic, to look for the silver lining, and to focus on what CAN and SHOULD be done rather than what CAN NOT and SHOULD NOT be done. However, as you progress through your project management career you will find that there are a number of areas, behaviors, and practices you will want to stay as far  away from as possible. The following lists of seven behaviors are at the top of the list li st when it comes to what you SHOULD NOT do when managing a project.

1. Don’t take the first answer you receive as a fact Project Managers are enmeshed in ongoing and incessant negotiation. Every day consists of negotiating dates, prices, deliverables and deadlines. Never take the first answer you receive as fact if it doesn’t meet your needs! Rather, view it as a starting point for negotiation. We have all been in the situation where a resource will say it is going to take a certain, ridiculous number of hours to get a task done. However, the more you drill into the details, the more m ore questions you ask, and the more experience you gain…you quickly find that the task at hand can be done in a fraction of the original time quoted. Resources have been trained to spread the work out over as long a time period as possible. Project Managers must be trained to recognize when this is happening and quickly put an end to that behavior.

2. Don’t miss the forest for the trees It’s easy to get caught in the mindset of Project Management just being a series of  activities related to making sure checklists are updated, processes are followed,

and procedures are implemented. Meanwhile, the project you are responsible for managing is careening out of control. Sure, you have to use these tools as guidelines, but don’t ever let them overtake the common sense you need to apply a Project Manager. job is todone. make sound decisions and use innovative andas creative thinking to getYour the project

Copyright © azman 2012

9

 

It may get messy at times and you may push the envelope. You may even break the processes that are in place and stretch the procedures. Good for you! When it’s all said and done you will end up with a project that is complete and bringing value to the organization, and not just a piece of paper with a bunch of checkmarks on it.

3. Don’t let them see you sweat s weat

Project Management is hard and it can be stressful. The work is fraught with the unknown and many times the unconceivable. But, it’s your job to be unflappable when this type of chaos is thrown your way. You are in the front of your  team taking the brunt of the politics, shifting priorities, indecision, and juggling of  resources. You need to shield your team from these turbulent winds, process what needs to be done next, and then bring clarity and focused direction for others to follow. Don’t overreact to what is thrown your way. Rather than stir things up and make things worse, calm things down and make things better. canis,sweat allthat youalone. want trying to want figuretoout whatand therespect next best thing to do for your You project but do People follow someone who is in control, not someone who is bouncing off the walls with indecision and worry.

4. Don’t do your team members work Here’s the scene. It’s late in the afternoon and everyone is ready to wrap things up. It’s been a rough week and the team has put in long hours. You are doing a final fi nal sanity check on a Deliverable that was due for your project and you notice it’s wrong! Your background is someone who has come up through the ranks in that particular  area (perhaps an Engineer, Developer, Business Analyst, etc.) and something that you know you can fix yourself. Fight that urge and don’t do it! Get it back to the person that was responsible for this deliverable being right and have them correct the issue. It’s not a matter of being mean-spirited or hard on your team. Rather, it’s about everyone respecting each other’s functions. Your function on this project is that of a Project Manager and all the responsibility that entails. Your function is not that of an Engineer, Developer, or  Business Analyst. Keeping those lines clear ensures accountability stays where accountability should be and will nearly always guarantee better project deliverables.

5. Don’t escalate too early..or too late Escalation is an art. When you escalate too early, people will think you are someone that cries wolf all the time and begin to tune you out. If you escalate too late, you will quickly lose credibility and effectiveness as a project manager and find your career  heading toward trouble. There’s no science to Escalation (knowing when to make a big deal out of something that is causing the project to be at risk) other than learning from your wrong

Copyright © azman 2012

10

 

decisions in the past. As a rule of thumb, always identify those areas that have the potential for blowing up on a project and impacting a number of other departments and organizations. Then, zero in on those areas with laser focus to make sure you understand what is important and needs extra attention.

6. Don’t get bogged down in the details

Let’s face it…Project Managers LOVE details. We like to know how things work, we like to know cause and effect, we like to understand what drives people to make the decisions they make and act the way they do. This fascination with details, however, could also get us bogged down in areas where it could be hard to recover. You may find yourself enamored with the latest technology and wanting to understand the ins and outs. Or, you may get bogged down in helping a particular  team figure out a thorny problem. Try and stay away from this type of activity as much as you can. That’s the job of the experts on your teams to figure out. Your job is to continue to pave the way for the entire project.

7. Don’t declare victory too soon You can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s been a long, hard slough through problem after problem and you can finally see the project is about ready to wrap up. You are right on the verge of reaching your goal. You may feel the urge to let up on the gas a bit, not push quite as hard, or let a date slip every now and then since you are so close. Don’t get caught in that trap! Finish the project 100%. The reality is that you “don’t know what you don’t know”. Problems and unexpected issues could be lurking right around the corner and you find that you need every possible minute to work through them. Or, you may find that you breeze through the rest of the project with time to spare. There’s nothing wrong with delivering early!

Copyright © azman 2012

11

 

3.2 2 How How To Plan Plan a Pr Proj ojec ectt Wh When en You’v You’ve e Ne Neve ver r Pla Plann nned ed a Pro Proje ject ct 3. Before

Planning a project may appear overwhelming if it is something you have never done before. Where do you even start? All you have is a vague directive from someone up the corporate ladder, a nominal budget, and a deadline for when it must be complete. Plus, you are expected to fit this into your normal day-to-day job, of which “project management” is not in the job description. This is the stuff nightmares are made of. Well, there is no need to lose sleep over how to plan pl an a project. It really is a matter m atter of  asking the right questions and assembling the right amount of documentation around the answers to get your project moving forward. The following seven questions are a great place to start:

1. Who is involved? The first question you need to know the answer to is who is involved?

Is this a pet project for one of the executives of your company or is this something that a client has asked to be complete? Assemble a list of who these people are, their respective roles, and their level of involvement in the project. This will serve as a directory of who to go to when questions or issues arise. It will also identify the project sponsor who is endorsing or backing up this project. You want to maintain a close working relationship with the project sponsor and keep the lines of  communication open.

2. Why is this important?

Next, you want to ask the project sponsor (identified above) why this project is important. Is it a project that will generate revenue for the company? Is it a project that will reduce expense expense? ? Or, it may be an entirely different reason why this project is important to implement and complete. Having an understanding of 

Copyright © azman 2012

12

 

what is driving this project will help you be able to make decisions that may come up along the way.

3. Will I have the authority to do this?  There is nothing more frustrating than having accountability and responsibility without the commensurate level of authority you need to get the job done.

You need to have a level of comfort that you will have access to the necessary resources and budgets to complete the project at hand. In formal project management planning, this would be accomplished by means of a document called the Project Charter. This is a document that provides the authority assigned to the project manager to ensure the project can be complete.  Asking and obtaining answers answers to the three questions abov above e are the foundational steps you will need to start your project off on the right foot. At this point, you haven’t even really talked about the project itself other than understanding who is involved, why it’s important, and receiving confirmation that you will have access to what you need in order to get the job done. Now comes the fun part when it comes to how to plan a project.

4. What needs to be done?  This is the question where you get everyone in the same room and ask them what needs to be done. What is the goal that everyone wants to achieve? What will the final project look like and how will everyone know when it is complete? Carefully capturing these requirements and statements will serve as the basis for  understanding if something needs to be built, repurposed, purchased or any variation thereof. In formal project management planning, the result of this would be a Requirements Document that typically would be put together by a business analyst.

5. How will this be done?

Now that everyone understands what needs to be done to consider the project a success, you need to bring in the experts as to how it will be done. There are many roads that lead to the same place and some may take longer than others. If you have identified the proper subject matter experts from question #1 above, you can rely upon them to show you the best path to take. This question would typically

Copyright © azman 2012

13

 

result in the creation of a scope, or solution document that specifically details how the project will be implemented.

6. Who will do this? With the “what” and “how” questions answered, the next question is “who?” The way you get the answer to this question is to take the deliverables that were defined in Question 5 and break them down into steps that can be assigned to a particular  person. For example, let’s say the project was to complete a new website for the company. You identified in Question 5 that you will need to have a Web Design, Web Host, Content, and Web Development. You determined that the content for the pages will need to come from someone in the Marketing department. Voila’. You now have a name associated with the activity and can move on to the final question.

7. How long will this take? You now simply go to the resource you have identified to complete the task at hand and ask them how long they think they will need. Hopefully, this fits into the schedule established at the outset, and you schedule this into your project plan.

If not, you can always come to some type of agreement of what would be a reasonable amount of time to get the job done. That’s it…a simple way of planning a project even if you have never planned a project before by asking 7 questions. You can make this as formal or informal a process as necessary. It may be something that you can put together yourself, or, it may require input from a large number of people depending upon the complexity of  the project. Just remember to not lose sight of the big picture and why the project was important to start with (Question 2). By keeping this in mind, m ind, you will be able to not get bogged down in meaningless details and strong personalities that can quickly derail your  project with minutiae. By staying focused and maintaining clarity around the questions above you’ll soon find yourself running one successful project after  another.

Copyright © azman 2012

14

 

Must Have Have Project Project Softwa Software re Features Features 3.3 Top 10 Must  April 18, 2012

There is a natural evolution a project manager will go through as they start down the path of managing projects. Early on in their career (which may not start out as project management), they find they have an affinity toward organizing tasks and people. They don’t like to waste time. They look for areas where efficiency and predictability can be introduced to whatever they are working on. They are not big fans of surprises and put simple systems and processes in place to prevent these from happening.

Early Project Software – The “To-Do” List The “To-Do” list is their best friend. This list is by their side all day long. It is reviewed, refreshed, and reprioritized constantly. Tasks are crossed off while new ones are added. Pages are torn out while new lists are started. There is the exhilarating sense of accomplishment and progress that an ever-changing “to-do” list

brings to a nascent project manager. But, this fledgling project manager soon outgrows the “To-Do” list. It becomes apparent that priorities, people, and tasks change too frequently. The sheet of paper  is not large enough to hold all the activity and the changes cause the paper to fill up with a cryptic scribbled down mess.

Copyright © azman 2012

15

 

Precursor to Project Software – The Precursor Spreadsheet

The next stage in this evolutionary process is the utilitarian spreadsheet. It seems like it was designed with a project manager in mind. The grids, the boxes, the ability to sort and resort and the flexibility to add whatever you need seem like the perfect home for the “To-Do” list. This tool allows a new project manager to keep all of their activity in one place, put together basic reports, update status, keep track of issues, and even color code and prioritize those tasks that are most important. But the almighty spreadsheet also hits a brick wall and also discovered to be deficient for a project manager. It is quickly found that one change in one place does not affect all places where the change should be made. More people need to work on projects together and the single desktop nature of the spreadsheet limits collaboration. Plus, the real-time reporting needs that management wants on projects are hard to keep up with using pivot tables and pre-defined charts and graphs.

Project Software – But Which One? What’s next? Enter Project Software. But, where do you start? There are so many different variations of project software on the market that it’s confusing to know where to even begin. Rather than get bogged down in brand or type, focus on functionality first. Ask yourself the question “what does this project software need to do?” and start putting a list together of what you know to be true in your organization and circumstance. Consider the following 10 features as a starting point for your decision-making process:

1. Robust Dashboard One of the limitations l imitations of using a spreadsheet as pseudo-project management software is the level of effort necessary to provide an overview of one or many projects. Project software needs to have the flexibility to provide dashboard reports that can be presented to an executive for a high-level overview of project status to the more granular view that a project manager or team lead would need.

Copyright © azman 2012

16

 

2. Ability to Track Costs Every project should be viewed as having its own Profit and Loss statement.

In order for this to occur, you need the ability to enter expenses and costs against the project that will either be billed for or absorbed in the bottom line.

3. Reporting that is Agile People are used to getting information exactly the way they want it. It’s no different when reporting on projects. The project software you choose needs to give you the flexibility to create and customize your own reports knowing that one group of  stakeholders wants the information one way and the next wants it another way.

4. Easy to Adjust Plans  A plan is just that…a plan. You will need to be able able to easily modify and adjust the plan depending upon the changing project environment.

5. Issue and Risk R isk Management It is the rare project that will make it from Point A to Point B without some bumps along the way. That’s to be expected and perfectly acceptable. What is not acceptable is to allow those bumps to turn into mountains that obstruct progress. The project software you choose needs to have the ability to identify and monitor risk (potential Issue) and Issues (realized Risk).

6. Ability to Track Time 

This is important for any company to know what their employees are working on, but is imperative for companies that bill their customers either fixed fee or time and materials. The project software needs to have the ability for  employees to enter their time so billable hours are captured and future estimates become more accurate.

7. Control Changes Scope Creep is the nemesis of any project. It’s not a matter of “if” it will happen, but “when” it will happen. If handled and tracked properly, these changes can be either  an additional source of revenue for your company, or at the very least, keep a project on track. The project software you choose must have the ability to manage change effortlessly.

Copyright © azman 2012

17

 

8. Ability to Store Documentation Documentation is the life blood of any project and e-mailing project documents can only get you so far. You are never sure if everyone is working off the right version, has received the latest plan, or has the most recent business requirements. Project software should allow for the ability to have documents stored not only at a project level, but at a task level as well. This removes any doubt that everyone is literally working from the same page.

9. Must be Web-Based With everything, and everyone, moving to “the cloud”, there are few, if any reasons r easons

why a project software solution would not be web-based. If  not web-based, it must at least be accessible remotely as the nature of projects and teams is rapidly changing from one centralized location to many decentralized locations. An extension of being web-based is the knowledge that the application is secure. You must feel confident that confidential and proprietary information is not something that is readily available for others to see. Security roles and the ability to turn features on and off for particular users are a must. m ust.

10. Encourages Collaboration With the advent of Blogs, Twitter, IM and other rapid-fire media, it is no longer  enough to just have a web-based application and say that it is collaborative. Verify that the project software solution you are reviewing allows users to truly collaborate (share documents, calendars, discussions, comments, etc.) to facilitate any ambiguity being removed from your projects. It may seem like a tall order to find project software that has all of the features listed above, but they do exist. The Top 10 list above should help with your due diligence and research now that you have moved m oved beyond the “To-Do” List and Spreadsheet as your project management tools of choice.

Copyright © azman 2012

18

 

Ways to Reenerg Reenergize ize Ourselve Ourselves s as Projec Projectt Managers Managers 3.4 4 Ways

It’s been said that the only difference between a rut and a grave is its depth. We may find that sometimes our jobs as project managers has settled into such a rut, such a routine, that we feel as if we could die if we had to do this just one more day. Whenever we find ourselves in such a state of mind, we need to step back, assess our situation and take the necessary steps to reinvigorate ourselves and bring our   jobs, performance and results back back to life! What can we do as project managers to get out of a rut and bring EXCITEMENT back to the job?

Where Did The Good Times Go? Remember the first day you started your job? Everything was new and exciting, every conversation was brimming with opportunity and the days flew by! You joined j oined a team of project managers that was going to change the world at this company. Fast forward a couple of years and the picture has changed. Many things have become routine; the same conversation has been had a thousand times before and the days seem to drag. What happened? It’s the same job, the same people, and the same place as the day you started, but something has happened. You may m ay have even contemplated quitting your job to start somewhere else so you can experience the same excitement again. Before you take such drastic measures, consider four things you can do to plug yourself back in and get energized about your position again.  

 

1. Meet with (happy) customers Let’s face it, a project managers day is typically filled with putting out fires, dealing with project stakeholders that may be frustrated, and fielding dissatisfied client’s issues and complaints. Day after day, week after week and year after year this type

of activity will gradually wear you down. This results in sapping you of  the energy and feeling of accomplishment that accompanies a job well done. The nature of our job as project managers is to deal with problems and escalations on a daily basis and this can bring you down, no matter how good you are. What can you do? Go visit some happy customers. Take a day and go out and visit customers that are using your product or have benefited from a successful project implementation. Hear what they like, listen to how it saved them money, m oney, made their   

Copyright © azman 2012

19

 

 jobs easier, or helps their customers. customers. Reflect on their ideas and suggestions suggestions about making things better. You will come back with a renewed EXCITEMENT about the services you and your company provides. Think about it this way. When was the last time you called the electric company and said you really appreciate the fact that your electricity has stayed on for a long period of time without interruption? Probably never! They only hear from you when there’s a problem. As  As project managers, you are are the electric company. It is the rare day when someone will let you know they appreciate their lights being on. Change your routine, take the initiative to visit some happy customers. You’ll feel better after you do.  

2. Pursue a new certification If you have things running like clockwork and have some time to spare, why not work towards another certification? If you are a Certified Associate of Project Management (CAPM), you can move toward your PMP. If you already a PMP, work on becoming a Program Management Professional (PgMP). You can even contemplate Six Sigma or ITIL Certifications. Most employers will pay for this additional training and certification for project managers that are doing a great job at their company. All you need to do is come up with a compelling value-add reason of how this will benefit your company. It doesn’t  

necessarily even need to be a new certification you pursue. Look into adopting a new project management methodology. Join an association of project managers that allow for NETWORKING opportunities and find new and exciting ways of doing things. Subscribe to project management JOURNALS and find great project management BLOGS to read and keep you inspired.

3. Unclutter EVERYTHI EVERYTHING NG One thing that happens when you stay somewhere for a long period of time is that clutter accumulates. This clutter is made up of different things, both literal and figurative. For example, your office may be cluttered, you may not be able to see the top of your desk, or your computer is littered with unused files and shortcuts.

There may be orphaned projects that are languishing and just need to be closed out, or broken relationships that need m mending. ending. All of these things need your attention so you can move forward gracefully and efficiently.  

If you come in each day with the weight of clutter bogging you down, you will find it hard to work on new and exciting things. Clean up your office, rediscover your  desktop, close out projects that need to be closed and mend rrelationships elationships that may be broken. You will feel a great weight lifted off your shoulders and begin to look at things in a new way. A  A great time to go through this exercise of UNCLUTTERING UNCLUTTERING everything is the end of the year. Schedules slow down a bit, people are on vacation and you may find that you have a little “quiet time” to yourself. Take this opportunity to organize what you need and eliminate what you don’t    

.

Copyright © azman 2012

20

 

4. Bring in new blood If you are in a position to hire hir e people and you need to bring in someone new, bring someone on-board that is different than you. We are all drawn toward certain types of people and personalities. When you look at the team of project managers you have assembled, are they the same as you? Do they have the same background, same education, and same experience? Hire someone that is i s qualified, but also has a different background, different education and different experiences. Bringing in new blood adds excitement back to the mix. What if you are not in a position to bring someone new on board? You can still connect with people that are entirely different than you. If you are in IT, connect with someone in Marketing. If you are in Marketing, connect with someone in Finance. Break out of your comfort zone of hanging out with your team of project managers all the time. This can be either inside or outside your organization. You will find fi nd that they may have experienced similar issues as you, but approached it from an entirely different angle. You can bring this energy and different approach back to your routine and become more engaged. So, you may not be able to bring back the same excitement you had the day you started your new job, but you can come close. Meet with happy customers, pursue a new certification, unclutter EVERYTHING, and bring in new blood all for the purpose of bringing excitement back to your job.

Copyright © azman 2012

21

 

3.5 4 Things Things You Sho Should uld Never Never Do During During a Proje Project ct Report Report May 3, 2012

You’ve made great progress on the project you’re implementing for one of your  largest clients. The enterprise-level project is a two year endeavor and you’re halfway through the first year. Time is flying by and it’s i t’s time again for the Quarterly Executive Project Review. You know which one I’m I’ m talking about. The one where you and select members of your team are traipsed in front of the Client’s Cli ent’s executive team to talk about the project report, provide an update on issues, answer their  questions and ask for their help in those areas that need assistance. You’re picturing yourself in front of this stuffy crowd of stately stakeholders all looking over the top of their glasses at you. They have a permanent look of disbelief etched upon their face. Your presentation is up on the screen and your project reporting software is coming into focus. You begin talking, but are interrupted almost immediately with a barrage of questions that rivals any episode of Jeopardy. But then you realize… that was the way it USED to be! You be!  You used to dread these meetings. You would sweat and fret over the presentation. You would obsess over  your reporting software in preparation for the meeting. You would make sure that each and every word was hand-picked so as not to cause alarm, enflame, or elicit any other type of emotion, that would cause this honorable crowd to go down a path of negativity of which would be hard to recover. It’s not like that anymore. You’ve figured out how to present at these types of  meetings, and have come to almost (“a-l-m-o-s-t”), look forward to these meetings. If  you have the same gut-wrenching, heart-palpitating, headache-inducing reaction to the Quarterly Executive Project Review, then the following points will help you make the most of these meetings. But first, let’s talk about the benefits that can be derived from such a meeting.

The Benefits of the Quarterly Executive Project Review

Copyright © azman 2012

22

 

Look past the fact that the meeting is called a Project Review. You can make it whatever you want. Sure, you need to discuss project status, risks, next steps, etc., but you can also use it to focus on new opportunities, gather strategic information related to where the customer is going, and make the relationship between your two organizations seem like a match made in heaven. You don’t have to limit the meeting to what was pulled from fr om your project reporting software. Use this meeting as an opportunity to clear up all those stubborn little obstacles that haven’t been resolved since the project started. Your counterpart at this client meeting has done the best he can, but sometimes things are even out of his of his control.  At this table are the people that can make a difference, difference, and even more importantly, they can make a decision so activity can get unstuck and the project can move forward. Resources can be assigned, schedules can be cleared, and budgets can be reallocated at the single nod of an executive giving the go-ahead.

A Recipe of DO NOT’s for a Good Executive Review The following are some guidelines you’ll want to follow for the purpose of having a productive and stress-free executive review.

Don’t dwell on the past  past 

This crowd doesn’t care that you met your goals. It’s an assumption on their part. These people are a no-nonsense, no-excuses group of  people that didn’t get where they are by resting on their laurels. Spend 20% of the meeting rapidly going down the checklist of what’s been accomplished so everyone is on the same page, and then the remaining 80% of the time on the future. Talk about next steps, strategic initiatives and issue resolution. This is how this crowd is wired, that’s what keeps them engaged, and that’s what makes you sound credible.

Don’t just present the positive If you get in front of everyone and just focus on everything that went right, then your  credibility begins to dwindle as well. These people have made plenty of mistakes in

Copyright © azman 2012

23

 

their career and they know stuff happens. They also realize that’s part of business and if you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not pushing the envelope and you’re

They know there’s more to business than just certainly not learning. what shows up on a sanitized project report. You don’t have to air all of your dirty laundry, but do be mindful to include a ‘missed opportunities’ component to the presentation. It can go something like this. “We tried a new way of completing this particular task in hopes of reducing cost for your company. Unfortunately, we found that it didn’t work and we stumbled a bit on the schedule. However, what we did learn from this brief experiment has now been implemented in another section of the project where we have been able to reduce cost by 15%. Any questions?” That resonates with this crowd and gives them the respect they deserve.

Don’t sound like a Project Manager   This group of people doesn’t care about Gantt charts, or project schedules, work breakdown structures, or the project reporting r eporting software you use. Do you know what they do care about? The bottom line. Do you know why they care about the bottom line? Because their personal financial statements are joined at the hip with the company’s bottom line. Bonuses, compensation and other employment variables are intrinsically connected to how well the company is doing.With this fact in mind, always speak in terms of how much money this saved, the income it generated, the expenses it cut and any combination thereof that allows them the ability to take home a bit more for themselves.

Don’t spend a lot of time putting Your PowerPoint together  This may sound counterintuitive, but they don’t want to see another PowerPoint presentation. If they wanted to read mind-numbing bullet after mind-numbing bullet they could do that on their own time. Have a conversation with these people. Ask them questions. Let them ask you questions. Look them in the eye when you talk to them…not at some screen filled with mindless dribble that you’re reading from. If you do have a PowerPoint, just have it serve as a backdrop to the main show…which is

you. I had a friend who spent weeks obsessing over his PowerPoint. It had to be just right. It was money slide that carefullyThe andday slowly built upon itself andcame was and designed to the leave the crowd breathless. of the executive review

Copyright © azman 2012

24

 

the presentation started out great. Then, somebody accidentally hit the button that shut everything down. The screen went up into the ceiling, the projector shut off, and his hopes fell to the floor. All that was left was printed-out copies of a jumbled mess that left people with no clue of what he was talking about. He vowed never to let that happen again and since that day has kept it simple. Take a new view of the Quarterly Executive Project Review meeting. View it as an opportunity to tell good things and move your project forward. Apply the four  principles above and you’ll find that you just can’t wait until you get in front of these executives again!

3.6 Whe When n is it Time Time to Create Create a Projec Projectt Manageme Management nt Office? Office?

 A Project Management Office (PMO) is a department department or group of people that defines and maintains the standards related to project management, within an organization.  As an extension of defining and maintaining these standards, a pro project ject management office is more importantly, i mportantly, responsible for the successful execution and implementation of projects that fall under their jurisdiction. There are a number of benefits that come from implementing such a structure within a company. But a PMO is not something that is typically started right out of the gate, especially within a smaller company. The following article will discuss some of the benefits of a PMO as well as some of the tell-tale signs suggesting it might be time to establish a PMO.

The Benefits of a Project Management Office There are a number of benefits that come to a company as soon as they implement an enterprise-wide project management office:

Create and implement consistent systems and processes One of the most noticeable benefits of a project management office is their ability to to create and implement consistent systems and processes. Companies will become successful for a number of reasons. They have a great product, they have great salespeople, they are innovative, or a combination of other factors will lead to their 

Copyright © azman 2012

25

 

success. With this success comes growth, and with growth comes growing pains.

There’s a certain mindset that occurs as a company is growing exponentially. I once heard a colleague of a fast growing company express the sentiment that “any decision that moves the company forward is the right decision”. The spirit of what he was saying was that you can’t take time to slow down in a fast growing company and methodically analyze every possible solution to a decision that needs to be made. Rather, people need to make decisions on-the-spot and in real time in order to keep things moving. This works great in theory. However, long-term, what it introduces is very inconsistent, unpredictable, and sometimes unreliable ways of getting the work out the door, whatever that work may be. Once a company has reached this point of  confusion, it’s a great relief to those who are affected to have an objective third party (also known as a PMO) come in and smooth things out. The members of the project management office will identify the systems and processes that are working, get rid of those that aren’t, and fill in any missing gaps.

An objective source of truth  Another benefit that comes once a project project management office is implemente implemented d is that there is one objective location to find the truth. What does this mean? If it is set up properly, a PMO will not have any resources reporting directly to them (other than project managers and perhaps some business analysts). As such, there is nothing to hide or cover up when it comes to reporting on project status.If a department is running their own projects, they may not be quite as objective to report on the true tr ue

status of where things stand. We’re not talking about people deliberately lying here, but rather providing their “version of the truth”. For  example, a department may know they missed the date of a deliverable. But, they also know that by the time the next status meeting comes around they will be able to catch up and choose not to report it is a potential risk. ri sk. Then, an emergency happens, this deliverable never gets finished, and now the project is in crisis mode.  A project management office provides provides visibility into such an occurrence and and heads off the negative consequences. If the deliverable was not complete on the date needed and a clear (and near) end date was not forthcoming, thi this s would have been

Copyright © azman 2012

26

 

reported as a potential risk. This would have given the project sponsor or company executives the ability to do something about it so it didn’t get out of control. The President of a software development company once told me that he uses the person that runs his project management office as the barometer for how well (or  poorly) things are going on within the company. “If he’s a little littl e on edge, I know I need to dig into more details and see where I need to help. If he’s calm, cool, and collected then I just go to lunch. I know everything is going just fine.”

Introduces economies of scale  A project management office also reduces reduces or eliminates duplicated efforts and

wasted resources. If someone doesn’t have an overarching view of  the activity that is happening within a company, similar projects and initiatives can start to appear in multiple locations when there really is no need. One solution would suffice, but the people that are working on the other solutions are not aware that there’s already a solution. A project management office can stop this duplication of  efforts by coordinating amongst various departments and only expending the effort necessary to get the job done…once. The above are just some of the benefits you’ll realize once a project management office is implemented successfully. But, how do you know when it’s time to go down this path?

When is it Time for a Project Management Office? There’s no particular size, revenue, or makeup of a company that would indicate that it’s time to start a want project office. However, thedepartment. following symptoms may be signs that you to management look into setting up this valuable

1. Work is not getting out the door  Due to the success of the company and what you offer, there are log-jams and slowdowns that are creating bottlenecks across the company. This is i s drastically slowing work down, creating rework, and introducing all of the subsequent problems that occur because of this type of mismanagement.

2. It feels like lik e every project is the firs firstt time you’ve done something like this Even though you may have done a particular type of project time and time again (for  example, your company may create websites that require some amount of  customization for a client) it feels like this is the first time you’ve ever done this type of project. People are tripping over each other, necessary questions are not asked

Copyright © azman 2012

27

 

until it’s too late, or deliverables sit on a shelf somewhere, not getting worked on, while the department that should  should be be doing the work is sitting on its hands. If it becomes a comedy of errors to get a project out the door, then it may be time to set up a project management office.

3. There is not a single s ingle group that knows what’s going on across the company Everybody has bits and pieces of where things stand, or they may have their own very myopic view of the world…but nobody knows how everything ties together…

and this is starting to create problems. Deliverables that are passed from one department to the next may not be configured in the proper way, or  they be missing key elements of what was originally agreed upon re delivery. It may be time to put a project management office in place to provide that general overview.  As previously mentioned, a project project management office is something that that will typically be introduced into a company once it has reached a certain size. However, the principles of a project management office can be applied across companies of any size as they get a jump start on creating the systems and processes needed to successfully run their projects as they grow. Looking for a project management solution that will grow with you as your company grows? Whether you have one project manager m anager or dozens of project managers

Copyright © azman 2012

28