PROJECT MANAGEMENT METHODOLOGY
PROJECT MANAGEMENT METHODOLOGY
In contrast to other methodologies, a consolidated Project Management Methodology provides specific processes for managing the customer relationship and improving customer satisfaction. In addition, it directly incorporates the concepts of quality management, such as focus on customer, empowerment, measurement, cost of quality, and continuous process improvement across the entire project.
The scope of the Project Management Methodology includes all aspects of the work for which Professional Services is responsible, including the work of subcontractors and customer personnel assigned to the project team. Any consolidated methodology begins with contract award and ends with the acceptance of the solution by the customer.
Objectives
The Project Management Methodology should include activities, work products, tools and techniques designed to:
- deliver a quality product or service that meets user specifications, adds business value, and is successfully implemented,
- emphasize using COTS products to the maximum extent possible while minimizing the amount of systems integration and customization work
- ensure that projects are delivered within schedule and within budget in accordance with all of the terms of the contract,
- ensure that the customer receives business value for a fair price and that the delivery organization achieves an optimum return for the effort expended,
- facilitate effective management of project staff and user resources,
- create a productive and motivated team that is empowered and committed and is given opportunities for growth,
- ensure that the approach to quality is based on rigorous measurement and optimization of the cost of quality,
- ensure that quality assurance works positively and constructively as an integral part of the project team, while retaining access to more senior levels of the company should that be needed,
- ensure that the quality of processes and products is continually and consistently measured and improved,
- produce a fully satisfied customer who commissions additional work, acts as a positive reference, provides positive feedback on performance, rates the delivery organization highly on integrity, honesty, consistency and accessibility, and recommends the delivery organization to superiors and associates.
A methodology is a well-defined, written set of processes and responsibilities describing how projects are to be managed. Use of a methodology significantly increases the likelihood of a successful project, while decreasing the potential for missing key issues or encountering unforeseen, last minute, surprises. The methodology also ensures early project definition by identifying scope and task assignments. Obtaining "up front" customer involvement and commitment to the project is also an important aspect of the methodology. Other benefits include improved workload control and better communications between those affected by, or involved in, the project. Finally, the methodology brings consistency to all projects and ensures proper project documentation.
The project team benefits from use of the methodology because their tasks are clearly defined. The fact that each step of the project is analyzed and documented early in the process helps ensure important tasks are not omitted. Having a structured process where issues regarding requirements, resources, target dates, etc. are resolved jointly by the project team and the customer is invaluable. This methodology recognizes a "one-size-fits-all" approach does not apply and that the level of project management "overhead" must be scaled appropriately to each project; thus, the methodology matches the project team's planning effort, and required documentation, to the size and impact of the project. In essence, the methodology provides a "menu" from which project teams select appropriate options for their specific project.
The organization benefits because the methodology provides communication tools that will help keep management informed regarding the progress of all projects. Clear definitions of go/no go decision points are an important aspect of the methodology that is valuable to management. Finally, management involvement is improved because of the consistent process and terminology used for all projects, and because they have a wealth of historical data with which to evaluate future projects.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT METHODOLOGY - To learn more about this author, visit Atul Uchil's Website.
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To address the needs of large, complex projects, a consolidated Project Management Methodology should encompass managing customer relations, contract management, team management, configuration management, risk management, and quality management. Traditionally, these have been viewed as separate disciplines. In practice, however, the activities and tasks of each of these disciplines are highly complementary and must be tightly integrated to avoid the "stovepipe" effect of separate and distinct methodologies.
In contrast to other methodologies, a consolidated Project Management Methodology provides specific processes for managing the customer relationship and improving customer satisfaction. In addition, it directly incorporates the concepts of quality management, such as focus on customer, empowerment, measurement, cost of quality, and continuous process improvement across the entire project.
The scope of the Project Management Methodology includes all aspects of the work for which Professional Services is responsible, including the work of subcontractors and customer personnel assigned to the project team. Any consolidated methodology begins with contract award and ends with the acceptance of the solution by the customer.
Objectives
The Project Management Methodology should include activities, work products, tools and techniques designed to:
- deliver a quality product or service that meets user specifications, adds business value, and is successfully implemented,
- emphasize using COTS products to the maximum extent possible while minimizing the amount of systems integration and customization work
- ensure that projects are delivered within schedule and within budget in accordance with all of the terms of the contract,
- ensure that the customer receives business value for a fair price and that the delivery organization achieves an optimum return for the effort expended,
- facilitate effective management of project staff and user resources,
- create a productive and motivated team that is empowered and committed and is given opportunities for growth,
- ensure that the approach to quality is based on rigorous measurement and optimization of the cost of quality,
- ensure that quality assurance works positively and constructively as an integral part of the project team, while retaining access to more senior levels of the company should that be needed,
- ensure that the quality of processes and products is continually and consistently measured and improved,
- produce a fully satisfied customer who commissions additional work, acts as a positive reference, provides positive feedback on performance, rates the delivery organization highly on integrity, honesty, consistency and accessibility, and recommends the delivery organization to superiors and associates.
A methodology is a well-defined, written set of processes and responsibilities describing how projects are to be managed. Use of a methodology significantly increases the likelihood of a successful project, while decreasing the potential for missing key issues or encountering unforeseen, last minute, surprises. The methodology also ensures early project definition by identifying scope and task assignments. Obtaining "up front" customer involvement and commitment to the project is also an important aspect of the methodology. Other benefits include improved workload control and better communications between those affected by, or involved in, the project. Finally, the methodology brings consistency to all projects and ensures proper project documentation.
The project team benefits from use of the methodology because their tasks are clearly defined. The fact that each step of the project is analyzed and documented early in the process helps ensure important tasks are not omitted. Having a structured process where issues regarding requirements, resources, target dates, etc. are resolved jointly by the project team and the customer is invaluable. This methodology recognizes a "one-size-fits-all" approach does not apply and that the level of project management "overhead" must be scaled appropriately to each project; thus, the methodology matches the project team's planning effort, and required documentation, to the size and impact of the project. In essence, the methodology provides a "menu" from which project teams select appropriate options for their specific project.
The organization benefits because the methodology provides communication tools that will help keep management informed regarding the progress of all projects. Clear definitions of go/no go decision points are an important aspect of the methodology that is valuable to management. Finally, management involvement is improved because of the consistent process and terminology used for all projects, and because they have a wealth of historical data with which to evaluate future projects.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT METHODOLOGY - To learn more about this author, visit Atul Uchil's Website.
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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