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Tag: Planning

Taking Project Document Management Beyond Paper Pushing

Written by Neil Stolovitsky on . Posted in Articles. 3 Comments on Taking Project Document Management Beyond Paper Pushing

Managing a project can require up to 50 different types of documents for planning, tracking and reporting.  Feasibility studies, resource spreadsheets, financial and project plans, supplier contracts, post-implementation reviews, change request forms and project status reports are essential ingredients in successful project management. They are the components of “project documents,” which are the definitive record of a project that details the project cycle from inception to conclusion.

Most project managers would agree that the project document plays a central role in strategically developing the best possible plan, communicating progress and status to all stakeholders. The type of project documents you produce, their formatting and organization are a big part of what makes your organization able to move through the project lifecycle, which consists of:

  1. Definition or Conception – Defining the charter and the details surrounding the project’s objectives are key drivers in building the project’s road to success. The charter document is the heart of project initiation.
  2. Planning – Detailing the project’s overall scope, resource scheduling, client agreements and risk management details.
  3. Execution – Tracking, acting and reacting. Here the project documents are delivering the actuals and updates to the project plan. Cost, time, physical progress and emerging issues are documented in this phase.
  4. Closure – Closure documents detail outstanding issues and/or deliverables, project outcome reviews and best practices for future use.

Documents have a role in each of these phases, helping to keep the project cycle moving fluidly. At the same time, however, documents need managing themselves or they take over the process they’re supposed to facilitate. As they shepherd projects through these phases, managers can easily fall into the trap of producing piles of documents that cloud their vision with redundant information and contribute to a project’s failure. Using a project document incorrectly can minimize a project managers’ strategic value. Poorly managed documents can conceal a project’s true status, create confusion and frustrate those who want answers and those who need to deliver. Sound project document management determines whether information flows effectively through project teams and stakeholders or turns into bottlenecks that cause projects to exceed their time line, budget or scope.

The sheer volume of information contained in project documents and the need to share it among all stakeholders are the primary reasons that project documents can turn into useless paperwork. Although collecting project information is essential, many project managers have trouble focusing on the most relevant information contained in project documents and using it to unclog bottlenecks and update stakeholders. Poorly managed project documents produce the following symptoms:

  • Lack of visibility –Managers and stakeholders have an unclear picture of project statuses and related work. Project documents do not exchange information, creating redundancies that cloud the picture.
  • Weak security – Poor security measures, inadequate business rules and workflows often direct critical project information to the wrong people and impede progress toward goals. 
  • Loss of data – Many project management organizations do not store their project documentation in a single repository. The information in these documents can be lost or so difficult to access it might as well be lost. Lack of data integrity means inaccurate information could end up in decision-making reports.
  • Limited collaboration – Project documents (e.g. spreadsheets) are often managed as unstructured data sitting in emails, on desktops and in paper format. More often than not, project documents are not easily shared among project stakeholders that may need to access information from multiple locations.

Identifying the document management issues specific to your organization is an important first step in eliminating this document management mayhem. The next step is to adopt a best practices approach developed by outstanding project managers. The basic quality that sets great project managers apart from good project managers is the ability to minimize time spent producing documents and maximizing their more important strategic role of managing people. Re-using documents and applying document management methods commonly used in other areas of business are the strategies common to most great project managers.

Re-using project plans, complex business case documents, standard contracts, specification sheets and project status reports helps managers focus on managing the project without getting bogged down in paperwork. Great project managers are excellent at “templatizing” their project documents to make creating them fast and accurate. Eliminating redundant document re-creation by building templates reduces opportunities for errors from repetitive processes such as transcribing, cutting and pasting information.

Document management technology and methods have been evolving steadily almost since documents were first committed to electronic form in the mainframe era. Document management encompasses procedures such as information storage and archiving, integrity and portability – the very qualities essential to productive project management. Here are some of the best practice elements found in the document management world that can be applied to project management practitioners:

  • Document capture – all electronic and paper documents should be in a central repository for easy retrieval.
  • Version control – check-in and check-out options and tiered security, such as read and write access, ensures data integrity.
  • Workflows – the ability to design and apply configurable workflows that map to the business processes.
  • Reporting and analysis – the ability to exchange information between documents for reporting and analysis purposes to provide better visibility across the organization.
  • Collaboration – the ability to share documents among relevant stakeholders, as well as restrict the documents to those who should not have access.

In an ideal world, project managers would be able to capture the finest of details in their project documents and have the ability to retrieve relevant information on demand when they need to make well-informed decisions. That ideal world of agile, informative documents isn’t fictional. It already exists in the corporate world; it has just existed outside the traditional scope of project management. Adapting the sound document management processes that have made legal, financial, compliance and production more efficient will make project management a strategic advantage for innovative companies in any industry.

Don’t forget to leave your comments below.

Neil Stolovitsky has 10 years of IT experience with end-user, consulting, and vendor organizations, along with extensive expertise in business development, software selection, and channel strategies. Neil is a senior solution specialist with Genius Inside.

Seven Crucial Steps to Effective Project Risk Management

Written by p45h Medica on . Posted in Articles. 1 Comment on Seven Crucial Steps to Effective Project Risk Management

FeatureDec14thRisk Management is simply defined as identifying, analyzing and managing the uncertainties in a project -both positive (opportunities) and negative (threats). The benefits of risk management are instrumental to a project’s success. By proactively addressing uncertainties, in combination with a strong project management program, problems within the project can decrease by as much as 60 or 70 %.

The International Organization for Standardization identifies the following principles of risk management.

Risk management should:

~ create value ~ be integral to the organization process
~ be part of the decision making ~ address uncertainty and assumptions
~ be systematic and structured ~ be based on accurate information
~ be project specific ~ account for human factors
~ be transparent and inclusive ~ be responsive to change
~ be periodically re-assessed

But what are the steps to building an effective risk management program?

1. Embed risk management as an integral part of the project. Stakeholder buy-in and support is very important to achieve a successful risk management process. It is a good practice to ensure that there are demonstrable benefits to illustrate this approach and make risk management part of the day to day operations.

2. Identify Risk. This step is most effective when done very early in the project. Having a brainstorming session with team member to list out several potential risk items is a good beginning. Include all potential risks, including the risks that are already known and assumed, such as scope creep. Include threats that may stem from human threats, operational issues, procedural impacts, financial threats and natural events. Talk to the industry experts who may have experience in your project type to get a different perspective.

Identify not only the threats, but also any opportunities that may impact your project. Opportunities may assist you in bringing the project in on schedule, perhaps with better deliverables or make it more profitable.

Communication at this stage is crucial. Including communication of risk as part of all meetings is effective to illustrate the importance of risk management, share the risk potentials and provide a platform for discussion.

3. Assign Ownership. Who is going to be responsible for what risk? This person will be accountable to optimize a specific risk-either decrease the threat or capitalize on the opportunity. They will identify the possible triggers to their assigned risk.

Assigning ownership is also important in establishing an effective and clear communication channel. All involved with the project know whom to call when questions arise.

4. Estimate or Prioritize Risks. Once the risks are identified, the next step is to assess the likelihood of the threat being realized. Some risks will have a much higher impact. One approach to estimating the risk is to make a best estimate of the probability and multiply this by the amount it will cost to set things right, if it happens. This will provide an impact value associated with the risk. Another approach is to assign each risk a numerical rating, such as a scale from 1 to 5. Do you have any potentially large events that can cause huge losses OR gains? These will be the number one priorities. Ensure that your priorities are used consistently and focus on the biggest risks first and the lesser priority risks as applicable.

5. Analyze the Risk. What is this risk about? What are the effects of this risk? What causes will make this risk occur? List the different causes and circumstances that affect the risk likelihood; doing a simulation to illustrate how likely the project is to finish on a specific date or at what cost. Gaining a sound understanding of the risk is a solid foundation for an effective proactive response and provides insights to manage the risks.

6. Manage the Risk. Plan out and implement a response for each risk. Typically you will have four options – Transfer the risk (subcontracting scope or adding contractual clauses), risk avoidance (eliminating the source of the risk, such as changing a vendor), risk minimization (influencing the impact) and risk acceptance.

Create a contingency plan for the largest risks. This would encompass all actions taken if a risk were to occur.

7. Create a Risk Register. This will enable you to view progress and stay on top of each risk. A good risk register or log will include a risk description, ownership, and the analysis of cause and effect. This register will also include the associated tasks. A good risk register is a valuable tool in communication project status. It should be easily maintained and updated. By remaining current and up to date, the risk register will be viewed as a relevant and useful tool throughout the project lifecycle.

Once a solid risk management process is established, it forms the basis for crisis prevention and cost effectiveness. Risk management involves adapting the use of existing resources, contingency planning and resource allotment. This process does not need to be complicated. By implementing a project risk management process at the beginning of each project, the team can prepare for whatever may occur and maximize the project results.

Don’t forget to leave your comments below.

Josh Medica, CEO and President of Integrated Consulting. Josh’s passion and commitment to project excellence has established him as a project management/project controls industry expert. He transferred that passion and knowledge into executive level master training classes on all topics related to project management and project controls.  Josh has facilitated risk workshops on projects ranging from id=”mce_marker”0 MM to $2 BB .  His dynamic and thought provoking presentation style has positioned him as a leading trainer/educator. His speaking circuit also includes house training for large EPC companies, engineering companies, and major oil companies across the globe.

Would You Like To Close Out The Year With Project Success?

Written by Lisa Anderson on . Posted in Articles. 3 Comments on Would You Like To Close Out The Year With Project Success?

FEATURENov30thfAs we close out the year, wouldn’t it be nice to achieve year-end results with critical projects?  As many companies and leaders get lost in the holidays, it is an opportunity for those who stay focused on the key priorities.  By no means should you forget the holidays and thanking your people for a good year; however, if you channel your efforts on the critical few, you could not only end the year on a positive note but also accelerate project results in time for year-end.

There are several keys to success in delivering project results; however, one simple yet secret weapon is follow-up.  The best plans are useless without follow through and follow-up. I’ve found it quite amazing the number of highly paid, intelligent leaders that do not value or do not make the time to follow-up. Why spend millions of dollars developing plans if you don’t plan to put in the work to make sure they occur?  So what are a few tips to ensure results occur?  1) Plan.  2) Prioritize.  3) Follow-up.

  1. Plan:  First, develop a simple plan.  What needs to be done?  By who?  When?  What support is required?  It doesn’t have to be fancy or use the latest technology (a scrap piece of paper with action items will likely suffice). This will provide the structure for your follow-up.  In my experience across hundreds of projects in multiple industries and geographies, working a simple list is the 80/20 of success
  2. Prioritize:  Prioritize your follow-up. It isn’t necessary to follow-up on everything. If there is one common mistake in today’s new normal business environment, it is getting caught in an endless sea of tasks in a survival mode.  Instead of going down that rabbit hole, think about what’s most important.  What can have the largest impact on your project between now and the end of the year? Next, follow up on only those priority tasks; for example, the critical path or the A priorities.  If you follow up on only the tasks that are key, the people related to those tasks will intuitively realize the implied importance and prioritize accordingly. Additionally, the more you are able to explain why the specific tasks are important, the more the people responsible for the tasks will understand and value them themselves. On the other hand, if you followed up on every task, it would just become a nuisance, and you’d likely be ignored.
  3. Follow up:  Think function & not form. It doesn’t matter whether you follow-up via email, phone, a fancy software or whatever. What matters is that you follow-up. You will achieve the best results if you change your follow-up style to the person you are following up with. For example, if you are following up with someone who reads email voraciously but doesn’t typically talk on the phone, send an urgent email. On the other hand, if you are following up with someone who enjoys talking with people (regardless of whether he/she has email), pick up the phone.

When you follow up, make sure to follow up in advance of the due date on critical tasks and critical path items. This gives the person an opportunity to remember and plan for the task. I’ve found that 99% of the people will complete the task with this type of follow-up, whereas, without the follow-up, I might receive a 50% completion ratio, mainly due to conflicting priorities and busy schedules.

It isn’t complex, expensive or requires capital investment to follow-up, it just requires a bit of energy, yet, it yields significant results. Why not close out the year with your project team celebrating a significant “win”?

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How Much Project Management is Enough?

Written by Kiron Bondale on . Posted in Articles. 3 Comments on How Much Project Management is Enough?

FEATURENOV23rdRecent resistance to implementing PM practices in an organization raises the questions, “How much pm is enough?”  “Do we need any of it at all?”

Does every project need a plan?  Yes!    

Does every project need to be controlled?  Again, yes. 

“How?” is another question. The nature of the plan, control reporting period, type of reports, etc. depend on a number of factors. 

Clearly, small projects performed by dedicated resources from the same organization unit who regularly work on projects together need a far less formal planning and control than larger projects being worked on by virtual teams from multiple organizations.

In addition, the prior success experience of the organization on projects should be considered to determine if past failures or successes are linked to project management.

When there is resistance to PM where it generally stems from fear of accountability and loss of autonomy and fear that there will be an administrative burden that will take time away from work on the project’s content. Scaling PM is a means for addressing this resistance.

Accountability

Project management is all about accountability.  Fear of accountability is tough to address. Few will readily admit to being afraid of accountability. Fear of accountability is often based on the experience or belief that they will be held to schedules and budgets that are not within their power to control.

For example if my task is to complete on Thursday and I rely on an input that is provided by someone else, then I might have a late delivery I could not control effect my performance evaluation.

Of course well educated project managers might say that schedule performance metrics must be qualified by the reasons for shortfalls.

True. But, how many clients and managers have the skill, data and desire to take a look at causes when they have hard facts in front of them.  It is more often the case that they say “You were late and I don’t want any more excuses” as opposed to “I understand that you were late because your input was delivered to you late and the deadline we gave you was overly aggressive.”

So we need to educate and remind everyone that a rational approach is needed. But, we should not eliminate planning and control because people do not want to be held accountable for their commitments.

Administrative Burden – How much is enough?

As for administrative burden, it is undeniable.  Project planning and control take time and effort. The amounts of time and effort vary depending on the level of formality, the tools and techniques being used and the skill of the PM.

How much is enough? A project charter with a description of the project, clearly stated measurable objectives and identification of the stakeholders and their roles and responsibilities is a must.  It could be a page or two and even be in the form of an email.  What you call it and its media and format are secondary.

An agreement regarding how the stakeholders will communicate and control the project should be in place.  In an informal setting it can be tacit and unwritten.  However, if there are disagreements about how the project is being controlled, then a more formal plan or process definition is needed.

There should be a comprehensive structured list of activities and their deliverables (a work breakdown structure) with a level of granularity that makes sense for the situation.  One week to two week task durations are a guideline for short term (one – two months out) but an initial plan with monthly milestones may be enough.  Some attention to risk is necessary.  Maybe it is not in the form of a formal risk register, but there should be some written statement of risks and their potential impact and responses. 

Target dates for at least the major activities (say about a month long) are needed.  A budget may or may not be necessary.

Regular status meetings and a report of progress against the expected target dates with a projection to the end of the project is a bare minimum for control.

Finally, some post project review with a report of its findings and recommendations is needed, whether for a single project, phase of an large project or a group of small projects.

There is no definitive answer to “How much PM is enough?”  To decide on what is needed in your situation, evaluate whether the benefits are worth the cost and risk.  When PM is applied skillfully, in a situationally appropriate way, it generally improves the probability of project success and pays for itself. When we let fear and adherence to inappropriate rigid standards drive decision making, everyone loses.

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To Escalate or Not to Escalate? That is the Question!

Written by Kiron Bondale on . Posted in Articles. 2 Comments on To Escalate or Not to Escalate? That is the Question!

A review of troubled projects reveals that the inability of the project manager or team to appropriately escalate decisions or issues is a common contributor to failure.

In some instances, the challenge is insufficient escalation.  This either results from the “superhero complex” that some project managers or teams develop (e.g. I can fix the world’s problems by myself) or a lack of appropriate judgment (e.g. I can see the light approaching at the end of the tunnel, but I’m sure it’s just the exit and NOT the train).

In other cases, excessive escalation can cause stakeholders and sponsors to get numb – this is the classic “Cry Wolf” effect.  When a concern emerges that truly requires attention, no one pays attention.

Like many of the soft skills necessary to be a successful project manager, there’s no silver bullet that will guarantee effective escalation but here are some tips that might help:

1. As part of your stakeholder analysis, find out what their escalation requirements are.  Similar to risk bias, stakeholders are likely to have differing views on what kinds of decisions or issues need to be escalated to them for resolution and while you may not be able to tailor your approach to exactly meet these expectations for individual stakeholders this up front requirements gathering can reduce the likelihood of your being far off the mark.

2. Document escalation criteria and processes within your project’s communication management plan.  Such criteria should be objective or at least be supported by examples of the types of events that merit escalation.

3. Leverage an external observer who can provide you with unbiased feedback on a situation.  Obviously you should not abuse this resource with each and every decision or issue that emerges on your projects unless a formal mentor-mentee agreement exists, but having the support of an external advisor can reduce the likelihood that your own intuition is invalid.

4. Make sure you’ve done some analysis.  For example, when faced with a decision or issue you can ask your team to perform a quick expected impact calculation (combining maximum impact and probability of occurrence) based on the question “What’s the worst that could happen if we choose to deal with this without escalating?”.

5. “Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, three times is enemy action”.  If repeated attempts to resolve an issue or make a decision within the team have failed, escalation can at least reduce the likelihood of further project impacts.

Communication is the most important project management knowledge area, and the ability to effectively escalate is a critical competency for any project manager.

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