Ready Get Set Go

Approved

When you commence with a project it is important to establish how the project will be planned, controlled and rolled out.

• Familiarize yourself with your new assignment

1

• Your project team2

• Your action plan3

Getting Familiar

THE ORGANISATION

Culture

Management

PhilosophyMarket

People

Company website

Who is who?

THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE

Strategy

Governance

Process and

Procedures

Project Delivery

Project Operation

s

The PMO Centre of Excellence

Alignment of strategy into the PMO.

The project roadmap and prioritisation

Support of the project teams

Documentation and templates

Best practice and project processes

Communication management strategy

Project management support

Resource management and allocation

Does the PMO provide guidance on

UNDERSTANDING THE PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE

Business Roadmap for calendar year

It begins with defining the company’s vision and mission

Planning the Product Roadmap

Defining the concept

Defining the business rules and product specifications

Developing and Launching the Product

Develop the Product

Project Initiation Project Planning Project Execution Project Closeout

Launch the final product

End of Product Lifecycle

Conduct Analysis and Research

Findings are documentedDocument is reviewed by nominated stakeholders

Stakeholders approve and sign off concept

Hold workshops to define the business rules and

userability of the product to be launched

Findings are documentedDocument is reviewed by nominated stakeholders

The business rules and product specifications are approved by

the Business Owners and nominated stakeholders

Document distributed to Development team

Identify concept for production

Team is appointed to proceed with

the marketing plan

TIME

SALES

Introductory stage

GrowthStage

MaturityStage

DeclineStage

Defining the Marketing Plan

Concept is aligned to the marketing strategy and financial planning for

calendar year

Findings are documentedDocument is reviewed by nominated stakeholders

The Marketing strategy and financial planning for the concept are approved

by the Business Owners and nominated stakeholders

Business rules and product specifications

commence

The objectives will outline· Who we are as a company· What do we want to achieve· How do we want to achieve this· The timeline to meet these objectives

These objectives are communicated

to the business units

TeamsManagersCustomers

Results in

Product Life Cycle

THE PROJECT ENVIRONMENT

Formal

Not so formal

THE PROJECT STRUCTURE

Agile

Waterfall

Iterative What approach is used for project management?

Or is the project customised using PMBOK and Prince2

The Project Team

THE IT PROJECT ORGANOGRAM

Pro

ject

Team

Stakeholders

Technical

Testing

Production

Getting to know your

STAKEHOLDERS

Identify your stakeholders

Strategic clients

Strategic Partners

Employees

Suppliers

the stakeholder matrix

STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT

When you start a project go and where possible meet the stakeholders. Get to know them, let them know who you are as a project manager. Find out their concerns, their expectations and a good cup of coffee always helps.

Without a doubt good stakeholder management is a testimony to your influence in an organization, and a key component to a healthy project delivery.

THE TECHNICAL TEAM

Providing the right skills

Able to fit into the project

overall

Understanding their role

On starting a project you will appoint a technical team and having the right technical team is a vital component to ensure your project is delivered successfully. Make sure the various skills sets fit well together and provide the right level of expertise.

THE TESTING TEAM

It works

The test team is the final factor to deliver a successful project. Important to select the right team. Work with the technical lead to establish the right test resources

• Governance• Social Media• Reporting & web analytics• Testing & usability testing• Tweaking• Content quality• Optimisation• Performance• Specification• Accessibility• User experience

PRODUCTION AND ON-LINE

Agree with Production and On-Line what their roles are during the project and how will the finalised project be handed over on Go live?

Take me where I want to go

Your Action Plan

YOUR ACTION PLAN – A PERSONAL NOTE

I have always at the beginning of the project sat down and asked myself what will make this project work and noted my thoughts and proceeded to brain storm them with the team. I know 100% that when I get buy-in from the get go it helps build the team but more importantly as a project manager you are ensuring the best possible result for your project.

For me by applying the principles of project management and best practice has stood the test of time and allowed business objectives, strategies and visions to be delivered efficiently and effectively.

ON STARTING A PROJECT – MY 10 POINT PLAN

1. Go back to the beginning. How did it start? Was the project approved at executive level.

2. Obtain the approved mandate for the project

3. Setup the project folders

4. Setup the project kick off meeting

5. Prepare the kick off presentation

6. Discuss the roles and responsibility with the team

7. Get the stakeholder’s buy in at the kick off meeting

8. Finalise the governance, documentation and project process

9. Setup how the cloud will be managed – drop box, Google Docs

10. Finally have fun and oh yes coffee helps

FINAL THOUGHTS

Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.- Henry Ford (1863-1947) (American industrialist and pioneer of the assembly-line production method).