Getting the Project Planning in Motion

The post is made possible by the great people at Seavus, creators of online Project Management tools such as ProjectOffice.net, Project Viewer, and Project Planner.  Please visit their site for more information.

This article is based on information from “The Portable MBA in Project Management,” by Eric Verzuh.

Assembling the who, what, and when of a project can be a difficult task. Even small projects can have an overwhelming amount of detail. Fortunately, project management and project planning techniques have evolved to provide a systematic approach for breaking the project down and assembling the details in an organized, informative format. Let’s look at what I consider to be the six basic steps to go through in the process of planning your project out in detail:

• Build a work breakdown structure (step one). The project manager and team identify all the tasks required to build the specified deliverables. The scope statement helps to define the boundaries of the project.
• Identify task relationships (step two). The detailed tasks are placed in the proper sequence and interdependencies of tasks are identified.
• Estimate work tasks (step three). Each of these detailed tasks is assigned an estimate for the amount of labor and equipment needed and for the duration of the task.
• Calculate initial schedule (step four). After estimating the duration of each work task and figuring in the sequence of tasks, the project manager team calculates the total duration of the project. This is just an initial schedule at this point – it will be the basis for managing the remainder of the project and will need to be revised continually.
• Assign and level resources (step five). The project manager team adjusts the schedule to account for resource constraints. Tasks are rescheduled to optimize the use of people and equipment used on the project.
• Develop the budget (step six). Combine the costs associated with materials, labor, equipment, and external services to create a detailed cost estimate and cash flow projection. Whether this is done top-down or bottom-up depends on your organization, your project management practice and how much control the project manager has. Sometimes the estimate is already in hand and it dictates the schedule, unfortunately.

These steps generate all the information required to understand how a project will be executed. The steps are systematic, but they don’t necessarily always come up with the “right answer.” Again, depending on how much control the project manager has over the project management process this overall process can take on different looks. However, one thing is a given – it may take cycles of these steps to find the best balance between cost, schedule, and quality.

More on Lessons Learned

It is my belief from my years of project management that performing a lessons learned activity is one of the most critical processes for future project success and yet also one of the most overlooked and underutilized. We tend to get to the end of a project and breathe a sigh of relief and move on. Rather, we should hold one or more formal sessions with our team and our customer to identify what worked and what didn’t.

The customer always has a lot to say about any implementation and their opinion and input matters greatly. It’s best for you to hear it in a formal lessons learned process rather than have your customer follow-up with your CEO and give him an earful.

I’ve published some of my thoughts on Lessons Learned previously including an article from February 2009 titled simply “Lessons Learned.” Here, I present some further thoughts on lessons during the project implementation process from Jason Charvat’s book “Project Management Nation.”

Lesson Learned During Project Implementation

“What could be simpler than buying some computers, throwing them on a desktop, plugging them in and turning them on?”

The question is simple: The answer is much more complex. Complexity is almost always underestimated until well after the start of the planning process. Many of the elements of deployment require special coordination and handling due to the lack of direct control over the processes or compounding dependencies. Complexity can come from the technical nature of a project that attempts to take advantage of a new technology not yet tested by the corporation and requires full integration into the existing systems. These factors don’t surface until the project manager demands action or some form of change. Implementing a solution without testing it properly is not acceptable.

I Wish I Had Known That

Look for early warning signs that planned business benefits will not be delivered.

• It is not clear that achieving the business benefits is the top priority of those managing the project.
• Time scales and resources for training, testing, and implementation support have been eroded by project slippage, and there are proposals to cut corners.
• Acceptance testing is being carried out by IS specialists and there is no involvement from the business.
• Other parties, who were not previously identified as part of the project, are now being identified as needing to be involved in acceptance testing and implementation.
• Staff involved in developing and agreeing to the original business objectives have moved on.
• The supplier has not demonstrated that the new system is compatible with existing systems and peripherals.
• The solution needs to be tested and demonstrated within the proposed environment (including links to existing systems). Have the tests for accepting the system from the supplier been planned and agreed upon? Has the process for data conversion been planned and has sufficient time been allowed for it?
• All necessary on-site preparations were not included in the planning (e.g., accommodation, cabling, safety, and security).
• All dependencies, such as slippage on other related projects, have not been taken into account.
• Too little attention is paid to testing the final solution.

Project Go – No-Go Decisions – Part 4

In this segment, we’ll look at the non-financial criteria for selecting projects to proceed with. Basically, here we’re looking at weighted factor scoring to identify whether a project should move forward. The info in this article comes mainly from Gary Heerkens’ book “Project Management.”

Using Non-Financial Criteria for Project Selection

Financial models express costs and benefits in dollars and cents. As mentioned earlier, estimating certain kinds of benefits in financial terms can be quite difficult or uncomfortable. In other situations, accurate data may be obtainable, but only by conducting expensive tests, studies, or surveys. Whenever the process of getting good financial data is difficult, expensive, or time-consuming, using a weighted factor scoring model (decision matrix) may be a reasonable option for selecting the best alternative solution.

The figure below shows a decision matrix constructed to determine the preferred model of automobile. We’ve identified six attributes that are meaningful to us: cost, comfort, style, handling, reliability, and resale. We then weight each attribute by assessing a relative importance to it. The weights must total 1.

To use a decision matrix, you need to establish a scale for rating each alternative for each attribute. (The example shown uses a five-point rating scale.) You must define the scale so that everyone has a common understanding of what each rating number—0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5—represents. Once you’ve established the relative weighting and the rating scale, it’s merely a question of filling in the blanks to determine the best alternative. In our example, using six weighted attributes and a five-point scale, the Lincoln Town Car was determined to be the best alternative.

Use of a weighted factor scoring model offers several advantages:

• It allows for using multiple criteria, including financial data. The attributes you select could include any combination of the four financial metrics presented in this chapter.
• It is easy to construct and to interpret.
• It allows for management input. Management can determine the appropriate attributes and the relative weighting. In fact, involving management in constructing the matrix may streamline the project approval process.
• It is well suited to what-if studies and sensitivity analysis. Trade-offs between criteria are readily observable.

There are also some disadvantages:

• The process relies almost entirely upon subjective measure, thus opening it up to questions of bias, halo effects, and reliance on opinion or judgment.
• The result obtained is only a measure of relative attractiveness. There is no absolute verification that any of the alternatives identified is a justifiable investment from a business perspective.
• All attributes are assumed to be independent; there are no allowances made for interdependencies between or among factors.

RCM Technologies, Inc. Announces Acquisition of Project Solutions Group, Inc.

As reported by Global News Wire.

PENNSAUKEN, N.J., July 14, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — RCM Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:RCMT) announced the acquisition of Project Solutions Group, Inc. (PSG), a Marlborough, MA-based specialty provider of project portfolio management and training services for a diverse client base. PSG is a Microsoft Gold-Certified Partner with multiple offices and sales locations nationwide.

PSG has an attractive range of competencies that include Enterprise Project Management, Information Worker Solutions, Portals and Collaboration, and ISV (Independent Software Vendor)/Software Solutions. PSG’s major customers include American Family Insurance, Autodesk, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Continental Airlines, Intuit, M&T Bank, Microsoft, Revlon, Toys R Us and University of Wisconsin – Madison. A newly formed Enterprise Project Management business unit, which encompasses former PSG business, will be part of RCM’s Enterprise Business Solutions group under the leadership of Dale Mansour, RCM Senior Vice President. Former PSG principals Tom Westcott, Tod Monchecourt, and Anisha Mason will manage this new unit.

The RCM Enterprise Business Solutions group’s core mission is to create value-oriented offerings that produce proprietary customized solutions and include intellectual property by bundling software, systems, tools and services into integrated and comprehensive business and technology solutions. PSG’s services fit well within RCM’s overall strategy by complementing and supplementing its existing service offerings. By acquiring PSG, RCM has strengthened the foundational technology layer of its Enterprise Business Solutions group. PSG’s solution expertise, including its Software as a Service (SaaS) offering, enhances RCM’s diversified Microsoft-focused consulting and solution services.

Leon Kopyt, Chairman and CEO of RCM, commented: “We are pleased to welcome PSG into the RCM family and believe that their established Microsoft expertise will greatly contribute toward expanding our Enterprise Business Solutions offerings.”

Read more here.

Project Management Jobs

Project Management-Oman-Construction

Location: South Island
Salary: Negotiable
Company: Globester Recruitment
Sector: Building services
Job role: Project manager
Job type: Permanent

The client is a leader in the construction and engineering industries in Oman. With 30 years experience in this sector.

The company have an urgent requirement for a Project Manager to join their team in Oman. The successful candidate will have experience and knowledge of the Middle East construction sector.

The Requirements
o The candidate need to have a civil engineering degree
o At least 10 years experience in roads ,bridges and pipelines
o  Strong ability to successfully manage, delegate and motivate others
o  Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
o  Good technical skills
o  Fluency in English is required

This is an urgent requirement and to be considered for this position applicants should fulfill the above client requirements to be considered.

If you are suit this role and possess the relevant skills and experience please forward your CV for review to the email address provided. You will be contacted by a representative from Globester Recruitment to discuss before your application is sent to the client.

Please register your interest by emailing your CV to the email address provided (matt@globesterrecruitment.com) .

For all national and international vacancies, please log on to www.globesterjobs.com

Project Quality Manager

Location: Oman
Salary: £65000 – £85000 per annum + Car + Housing + Flights
Company: Digby Morris
Sector: Oil / Gas / Power
Job role: Civil engineer
Job type: Permanent

The Company

Digby Morris’ client has been providing a comprehensive range of professional services to the power industry for over 100 years. They focus on long term partnerships with their customers to develop and execute effective solutions to a diverse range of energy challenges facing the industry such as meeting growing energy demand, maximizing performance of existing assets, and reducing carbon footprint.

Their capabilities and experience cover the full spectrum of professional services from pre-feasibility and environmental delivered through Select to full scope project delivery and support of operations, including operations and maintenance of the asset via their ‘improve offering’.

They optimize their customer’s investments across the entire asset life cycle, from detailed engineering, through vendor quality assurance, construction management to start-up and operations. They pride themselves on a culture characterized by flexibility, capability and partnering. They can act as the prime contractor or work as a member of a joint venture to deliver the most effective service to meet their customers’ needs.

Purpose of the Job

To effectively manage the Quality Assurance / Quality Control resources required to safely execute and handover the Harweel project on schedule, to quality specifications and budget in a way that fulfils PDO’s policy of sustained mutually beneficial relationships with stakeholders and the environment.