Project Management

Project Management is not just keeping track of tasks and time. To be an effective project manager the core skillset is leadership.  This leadership starts in a strong understanding of the ultimate business goals which enables the PM to identify and manage risk. This needs to be coupled with fearless client communication, and the ability to communicate vision and inspire innovation.

Without these traits and skills most mid to large size projects will typically fail, grossly exceed their budget, and ultimately miss their business goals. Sound familiar?

The project plan is not the project. It is an administrative tool to track time, money, and manage resources. If your project plan isn't continually being adjusted for change, then you're not managing the project. The plan is managing you. If the plan is set down in stone - you will sink like one.

At KOgent Systems, we don't believe Project Management can be taught by taking course, reading a book and taking a test. It is a skillset earned by running successful projects and continually refining methodology. It is not for everyone.

Getting Started

Project Vision and Metrics
Does the project have clear and realistic business goals with measurable results. Without both, the project may be viewed as a success or a failure, depending on who you ask. Is that really how you want to get started?

Budget
Does the project have a budget? Is the budget in line with the expected results and metrics identified above? Many projects are under-funded from the start and destined to fail, but no one has the heart to speak up. Often times, with some creative thinking the same goals can be achieved with less, but it requires honesty and resetting expectations.

Resources
Are the resources assigned to the project experienced in the technology? If not, does your plan have room for their learning curve? The resources need to be skilled in the technology, understand the business goals, and support the solution. To build an effective team, everyone must be excited and willing, and also have the necessary time. Do you have a PM that can inspire productivity, root out hidden agendas, and make resource changes? If the team is defined before the requirements are defined, and cannot be changed based their productivity, extended learning-curves, and competing responsibilities, then the plan's success will also be limited.

Dependencies
Are the project dependencies known? The plan milestones will have dependencies, some within the project managers control, some outside. The plan should have alternatives built-in if the dependencies are not met on time. Too often resources are kept on projects with low productivity, waiting until some overdue dependency is achieved. Does the PM have the power to stop work? Many times in big consultant firms billable resource utilization trumps objective project management.

KOgent Leadership
To learn more about our project management
leadership and our methodology please contact us .