Project Management Approaches for IT Projects

1. Project Management Approaches for IT Projects Project Management Challenges and Solutions for Managing IT Service, IT Product, and Mixed Implementation Projects Bill Schneider, PMP Senior Project Manager Susquehanna Technologies

2. Goals • Explore and understand the similarities and differences in managing various IT implementation projects. • Determine project approach strategies, and management materials for successful implementations.

3. Agenda • Project Types and Approaches • Attributes and Challenges • Key Project Approach Strategies • Management Materials • Discussion

4. Project Types • Project Types • Custom Implementation Projects • Product Implementation Projects • Mixed

5. Project Approaches • Approaches • In-house • Outsource • Mixed

6. In-house Custom Projects • Description • Build custom software to solve your business challenge • Attributes • Highly customized needs • Business needs/processes do not match available COTS • Identified market opportunity • Confidential processes/data • Challenges • Driven by cost with sacrifice to remainder of triple constraint • Employ technical staff to build and maintain • Not well defined • Unattainable objective(s) • Business strategy misalignment

7. In-house Custom Projects (cont’d) • Key Project Approach Strategies • Involve champion and stakeholder constantly and deeply • Determine technical staff requirements • Determine, define, and evaluate project metrics

8. In-house Custom Projects (cont’d) • Management Materials • Project Charter • Stakeholders involvement activities • Staff acquisition and team development plans • Project cost measurements and controls

9. In-house Product Projects • Description • Implementing COTS to solve your business challenge • Attributes • COTS meets business needs and processes • Challenges • Product implementation creates turf wars • Project implementation cycle does not meet business needs • Have technical staff with very specialized knowledge to build and maintain

10. In-house Product Projects (cont’d) • Key Project Approach Strategies • Leverage and manage stakeholders • Evaluate products • Acquire specialized staff • Perform and understand functional gap analysis

11. In-house Product Projects (cont’d) • Management Materials • Business process documentation • Project Charter • Stakeholders involvement activities • Staff acquisition and team development plans

12. In-house Mixed Projects • Description • Implementing COTS with customizations to solve your business challenge • Attributes • Highly customized needs • Business needs and processes somewhat match available COTS • Identified market opportunity • Confidential processes or data • Challenges • COTS not conducive to customization • Projects driven by cost with sacrifice to triple constraint • Have technical staff with very specialized knowledge to build and maintain • Project implementation cycle does not meet business needs

13. In-house Mixed Projects (cont’d) • Key Project Approach Strategies • Perform and understand functional gap analysis • Communicate gap analysis • Understand product flexibility and customizability • All other in-house strategies

14. In-house Mixed Projects (cont’d) • Management Materials • Maintenance project charter and plans • All other in-house materials

15. Outsourced Custom Projects • Description • Contracting to have custom software built to solve your business challenge • Attributes • Highly customized needs • Business needs and processes does not match available COTS • Identified market opportunity • Challenges • Rely on another company for technical and PM expertise • Potential mismatch of PMLC approach • Platform standardization and flux • Procurement • Communication • Managing integrated team

16. Outsourced Custom Projects (cont’d) • Key Project Approach Strategies • Perform rigorous procurement • Communicate, communicate, communicate • Ensure you are a stakeholder from the beginning

17. Outsourced Custom Projects (cont’d) • Management Materials • Procurement Plan • Communications Plan • Internal Project Charter and Project Plan • Detailed scope management

18. Outsourced Product Projects • Description • Contracting to have COTS implemented to solve your business challenge • Attributes • COTS meets business needs and processes • Do not have technical personnel versed in COTS on staff • Challenges • Rely on another company for technical and PM expertise • No match of PMLC approach • Project implementation cycle does not meet business needs • May work with PSO, PSO Partner, or both • Procurement • Communication • Managing integrated team

19. Outsourced Product Projects (cont’d) • Key Project Approach Strategies • Perform rigorous procurement • Communicate, communicate, communicate • Ensure you are a stakeholder from the beginning • Perform and understand functional gap analysis

20. Outsourced Product Projects (cont’d) • Management Materials • Procurement Plan • Communications Plan • Internal Project Charter and Project Plan • Detailed scope management and understanding of scope

21. Outsourced Mixed Projects • Description • Contracting to have COTS implemented and customized to solve your business challenge • Attributes • COTS somewhat meets needs • Do not have technical personnel versed in COTS on staff • Challenges • COTS not conducive to customization • Rely on another company for variety of expertise - technical and PM • No match of PMLC approach • Platform standardization and flux • Project implementation cycle does not meet business needs • Procurement • Communication • Managing integrated team

22. Outsourced Mixed Projects (cont’d) • Key Project Approach Strategies • Perform rigorous procurement • Communicate, communicate, communicate • Ensure you are a stakeholder from the beginning • Perform and understand functional gap analysis

23. Outsourced Mixed Projects (cont’d) • Management Materials • Procurement Plan • Communications Plan • Internal Project Charter and Project Plan • Detailed scope management and understanding of scope

24. Mixed Custom Projects • Description • Building custom software to solve your business challenge with contracted help • Attributes • Highly customized needs • Business needs and processes does not match available COTS • Identified market opportunity • Confidential processes or data • Has in-house staff but does not have bandwidth, skill set, knowledge in specific industry area • Challenges • Projects driven by cost with sacrifice to triple constraint • Have development staff to build and maintain • Not well enough defined • Unattainable objective • Out of alignment with business strategy • Rely on another company for technical and PM expertise • Procurement • Communication • Managing integrated team

25. Mixed Custom Projects (cont’d) • Key Project Approach Strategies • Focus on Integration • Involve champion and stakeholder constantly and deeply • Determine, define, and evaluate project metrics • Perform rigorous procurement • Communicate, communicate, communicate

26. Mixed Custom Projects (cont’d) • Management Materials • Project Charter • Change Control Plan • Stakeholders involvement activities • Staff acquisition and team development plans • Project cost measurements and controls • Procurement Plan • Communications Plan • Internal Project Charter and Project Plan • Detailed scope management

27. Mixed Product Projects • Description • Implementing COTS to solve your business challenge with contracted help • Attributes • COTS meets business needs and processes • Has in-house staff but does not have bandwidth, skill set, knowledge in specific COTS platform • Challenges • Project implementation cycle does not meet business needs • Have some technical personnel with very specialized knowledge to build and maintain • Rely on another company for technical expertise • Match timing on product versioning • May work with PSO, PSO Partner, or both • Procurement • Communication • Managing integrated team

28. Mixed Product Projects (cont’d) • Key Project Approach Strategies • Focus on Integration • Leverage and manage stakeholders • Evaluate products • Acquire specialized staff • Perform and understand functional gap analysis • Perform rigorous procurement • Communicate, communicate, communicate • Ensure you are a stakeholder from the beginning

29. Mixed Product Projects (cont’d) • Management Materials • Change Control Plan • Business process documentation • Project Charter • Stakeholders involvement activities • Staff acquisition and team development plans • Procurement Plan • Communications Plan • Internal Project Charter and Project Plan • Understand scope

30. Mixed Mixed Projects • Description • Implementing COTS with customizations to solve your business challenge with contracted help • Attributes • COTS somewhat meets needs • Do not have technical personnel versed in COTS on staff, but has technical personnel versed in platform • Challenges • COTS not conducive to customization • Have technical staff with very specialized knowledge to build and maintain • Project implementation cycle does not meet business needs • Rely on another company for technical expertise • Match upgrade timing on installed HW and SW platforms • Match timing on product versioning • Procurement • Communication • Managing integrated team

31. Mixed Mixed Projects (cont’d) • Key Project Approach Strategies • Focus on Integration • Perform and understand functional gap analysis • Communicate gap analysis • Understand product flexibility and customizability • All other In-house Strategies • Perform rigorous procurement • Communicate, communicate, communicate • Ensure you are a stakeholder from the beginning • Perform and understand functional gap analysis

32. Mixed Mixed Projects (cont’d) • Management Materials • Change control Plan • Maintenance Project Charter and Plans • All other in-house materials • Procurement Plan • Communications Plan • Internal Project Charter and Project Plan • Detailed scope management and understanding of scope

33. Discussion