Project Management
Success in business relies on many factors. One of the most important is a solid plan that is flexible enough to adapt to changing business needs yet comprehensive in assuring cost control and timely delivery. As PMP ® certified project managers, Avidaid's staff are able to create such a plan to deliver your project on time and on budget.
We specialize in software project management. As developers ourselves, we know the unique needs and environment of creating applications and the pitfalls that can occur. Software projects are unique. Unlike building a house where the walls must go up before the roof, tasks in software projects can be fluid with changing dependencies. Some features require an R&D approach where new technology must be developed first before the product can be built. Up front planning is essential with identification of all stakeholders and the scope clearly defined. Yet, the project manager must be versatile and creative in meeting that scope, often by employing non-conventional methods.
Avidaid follows the project management PMBOK methodology of the Project Management Institute to define and control every project from the development of a project charter through the project's close. Each step is meticulously followed because the most important part of the project management methodology is following the entire methodology. Leaving out any step is like baking a cake without all the ingredients. It just does not work.
We monitor the project's progress on a daily basis with both structured reporting and informal drop-ins to chat with the team. Problems are spotted early and corrective measures taken. We use the earned value method to determine if projects are on time and budget and where corrections need to be made. Of course, software development does not occur in a vacuum. Changes in the marketplace or in government regulations can force changes in an existing project. When this happens, we help management evaluate and understand the impact on the projects constraints. This is a balance between six factors, schedule, budget, scope, quality, risk and resources. Changes in one constraint will impact one or more other constraints. Increasing the scope could lengthen the schedule because there is more work to do, increase the budget because more resources must be hired, reduce quality if inspections are cut, increase risk if contingencies are abandoned, drain resources if other projects are tapped, or all of these.
Risks are unplanned occurrences that can affect the project. Their identification and assessment begins at the start of the project and continues to the close. As risks are identified they are evaluated for their likelihood and impact. Some risks will be ignored because their impact or likelihood are so small it is not cost effective to consider them. Plans are drawn up for rest. These plans can attempt to avoid a risk, to reduce its effect, to share the risk with someone else or to simply accept it and include it in the project plan. Contingencies can be established to mitigate a risk. These may be money set aside for extra expenses, an alternate vendor, a backup development site, or a host other measures. Most people think of a risk as being only a threat, but risks can also be opportunities too. For instance, imagine that your company is ordering 100 computers from a foreign country at an agreed upon delivery and payment schedule of 20 units per month. If the currency exchange rate suddenly changes in your favour, this positive risk can be exploited by accelerating the schedule to deliver all of the computers at once, thus saving the company money.
Communication plans make certain everyone is kept informed, be that management, team members, stakeholders or the project manager. Communication can take the form of formal periodic reports, informal meetings, status reports, an issues log open to the team or a web site to show progress. In software project management communication can include design prototypes that can allow management and customers to visualize what they will be getting.
As the project progresses, the team will perform the work. Each member will bring their own style, opinions and desires with them. This creates a variety of dynamics. Some team members will have more skills and training. Conflicts can arise between team members or departments. Team members can get lost in the details of the project and forget why they are doing it. Every team member will have a personal agenda. It is the role of the project manger to form the team into a cohesive unit and to maintain productivity and quality throughout the project. We make certain to understand each team member as an individual and to know his or her needs. We hold team building exercises that might be a lunch time picnic or a brainstorming session. We have found that when team members are given the tools they need, receive the training they require, clearly understand the goals of the project and feel they are an important part of the team they will perform better, produce higher quality and meet the schedule and budget.
With the team working at full capacity and the project monitored and controlled, our project managers are able to deliver.
Contact us today to get your projects humming.
