White Paper: Fundamentals of Project
Management
EnterpriseCM, Inc. :: 1008 Arrowhead Drive, Crossville, TN 38572 :: +1.866.788.5383 :: www.EnterpriseCM.com
EnterpriseCM, Inc. :: www.EnterpriseCM.com :: +1.866.788.5383 :: [email protected]
Fundamentals of Project Management
Projects begin because a problem creates a need. In order to solve the problem or fulfill the need,
you need to formulate a measurable goal. Once a goal is set, you can develop a strategy to meet it.
A project is the strategy to meet this goal.
All projects must be defined in terms of Time, Budget, and Performance. This is commonly referred
to as the ‘Triple Constraints’. The one constraint that has the highest priority becomes the driver of
the project.
Triple Constraints
TIM
E
ST
CO
RESOURCES
PERFORMANCE
The key to the project is to determine what the constraints are and their priority. How do you do that?
ASK QUESTIONS!
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Ask a comparative question.
o If we had to sacrifice performance to meet the deadline, what would the customer want you
to do?
Ask a “What if” question.
o What if we eliminated build management or online forms, how will that impact the project?
Have we thought of other ways to solve the problem?
Why do they want this done?
If time, money and resource limitations were not a problem, what would the customer want?
How would the customer rank this project with other projects that are happening?
What is the most likely thing to go wrong with this project, and how can you avoid it?
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EnterpriseCM, Inc. / www.EnterpriseCM.com
Fundamentals of Project Management
EnterpriseCM, Inc. :: www.EnterpriseCM.com :: +1.866.788.5383 :: [email protected]
A preacher and a cab driver reach the pearly gates of heaven. The cabbie gets through and
is presented with a silk robe and a golden staff. When the preacher enters he is presented with a
cotton robe and a bronze staff.
The preacher asks why the cabbie was presented with higher quality material. The preacher
said he was responsible for bring many more people into the fold.
Saint Peter simply said, “Yes this is true but when you preached, people snoozed. When the
cabbie drove, people PRAYED!
Moral of the story: In the end it’s the results that count!
Ten Commandments of Project Management
I. Set a clear project goal. (Covey: Begin with the end in mind.)
II. Determine the project objectives. (Sub-units or Sub-goals)
III. Establish checkpoints (milestones), activities, relationships (how tasks are interrelated), and
time estimates.
IV. Draw a picture of the project schedule (MS Project).
V. Direct people individually and as a project team.
VI. Reinforce commitment (walk the talk) and excitement of the project team.
VII. Keep everyone connected with the project informed.
VIII. Build agreements that vitalize (win/win) team members.
IX. Empower yourself and others of the project team.
X. Encourage risk taking and creativity but manage it closely.
Project Planning
Project planning is perhaps the most important activity of any project. A lack of proper and thorough
planning will rapidly become obvious as the project moves into the subsequent phases. As a result,
much time and energy must be dedicated to this activity.
The typical components of project planning include:
• Create a Project Management Plan ? Include all the associated project documentation noted in
the following bullet points plus be sure to include the contact information for your project team
members.
• Project Summary ? The Project Manager should document the problem that the team is trying to
resolve. Reference to triple constraints and their priority should be made.
• Project Requirements ? Time, costs, and performance.
• Milestones ? Be sure to celebrate along the way.
• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) ? The WBS are the lower level, detailed tasks that make up
the real work that has to be performed during the project. The depth of the WBS is dependent on
what level of clarity and direction is required or desired.
• Network Diagram ? Having they physical layout always adds clarity and value.
• Budget ? How much money and time has been contracted for? Are there travel and expense
caps that must be adhered to?
• Project Management Structure ? Communicate project management and team hierarchy.
• Logistical Support ? Ensure you understand the work environment and the recommended travel
and lodging information, if applicable.
• Acceptance Plan ? This ensures all parties are working from not only the same set of work plans
but also the acceptance of the end result.
• Standards for Property Control and Security ? What system ID’s have been created for use?
Are access badges required?
• Project Reviews / Status Reports ? Schedule regular, weekly meetings for entire project team.
Coordinate additional resources as needed.
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EnterpriseCM, Inc. / www.EnterpriseCM.com
Fundamentals of Project Management
EnterpriseCM, Inc. :: www.EnterpriseCM.com :: +1.866.788.5383 :: [email protected]
ECM Specific Questions
As the ECM project manager you should be able to answer the following questions. If you can’t then
now is the time to get the answers.
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Do the project’s objectives fit into the overall IT and / or business strategy?
When is the project due? How is the date determined?
What would be the result of late delivery?
What would be the result of limited success (functionality)?
Could there be any ‘political’ implications of the project’s failure?
Is the project a part of a larger program?
Does the supplier, if any, have a reputation for delivering high quality?
Does the contract provide enough detail to identify what the vendor, if any, will deliver?
Does the project have the wholehearted support of the management team?
What’s the commitment level of the user community?
Have the training requirements been identified and addressed?
How clearly are the project’s objectives defined?
Does the project team understand the project methodology?
What are the skills of the project team?
Does the project team need training?
How many separate users are involved and impacted?
Have the technical options been weighed?
Are the requirements clear and concise?
How many sites are being impacted?
Who will be responsible for testing?
Have requirements for long-term operations, maintenance, and support been identified?
This is not an exhaustive list but it does give an idea of the breadth of knowledge and awareness
required to effectively manage an Enterprise Change Management solution project.
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EnterpriseCM, Inc. / www.EnterpriseCM.com
Fundamentals of Project Management
EnterpriseCM, Inc. :: www.EnterpriseCM.com :: +1.866.788.5383 :: [email protected]
The Process of Change
After reviewing the other information at EnterpriseCM.com it should be evident that a concerted
amount of effort has to be targeted toward understanding and managing the process of change itself
within your organization.
Why change?
Where are we
now?
Review
How will we
achieve the
change?
Where do we
want to be?
How should we
approach the
change?
What needs to
change?
Are we ready for
change?
The first question is ‘why change?’; this leads to consideration of where the organization is and what
outcomes are desired, the planning and implementation of a change effort, and finally a review of the
outcome. The results of the review, combined with the impact of other changes in the organization
and external developments, will eventually give rise to another cycle of change. In addition, it is likely
that at any given time there will be more than one change process going on in an organization.
After a major change effort, everyone in the organization will probably be hoping for a period of
stability. But periods of ‘steady state’ are unlikely to last long. In the public sector, new initiatives
show no sign of slackening, and the pressure of competition is ever-present for all organizations. For
both the public and private sectors, developments in IT are constantly suggesting new options for
improvements in internal administration and service delivery.
Everyone has lived through attempts to introduce changes into the organization, some more
successful than others. So, what distinguishes the successes from the failures?
Corporate Preconditions:
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Business strategy defined
Alignment to the business strategy
Roles and responsibilities understood
Skills and capabilities in place
Organizational learning and communication
A framework for managing risk
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EnterpriseCM, Inc. / www.EnterpriseCM.com
Fundamentals of Project Management
EnterpriseCM, Inc. :: www.EnterpriseCM.com :: +1.866.788.5383 :: [email protected]
Critical Success Factors:
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Change definition
Management commitment
Organizational complexity recognized
Change owner nominated
The right project team
Communication and involvement
Staff development and support
Institutionalization of change
Without these, a change effort is likely to fail. The responsibility to effectively manage a project falls
onto the project manager. Oftentimes the project manager simply has to take it upon himself/herself
to seek out the knowledge needed to be successful. Hopefully, this document provides the baseline
of knowledge and helps trigger thoughts that will eventually help you be successful.
For More Information: Please contact Jeff Crump ([email protected]) ant
EnterpriseCM, Inc.
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EnterpriseCM, Inc. / www.EnterpriseCM.com
Fundamentals of Project Management