Project Management
Project Management is the discipline that applies knowledge, experience, skills, tools and techniques to a set of disparate activities to ensure that project expectations are met and that the project results in the committed outcome. The project management scope of work includes project scoping, cost, schedule, quality, resources, communications, risk and integration management. These tasks play a fundamental role in achieving the committed project milestones. They must also provide an early warning system that will give the team sufficient time to take corrective action and still achieve budgetary and scheduling requirements.
If your organisation has planned, developed or implemented a technology project, or if you have contracted IT consulting services, you know that planning is important. Having an understanding of the available budget, the financial, functional and strategic impact of the project, and the timetable in which you must complete your technology project is important. But the documented plan is not enough!
Some IT research firms report that only 15% of all technology projects actually conclude on time, on budget and to the satisfaction of the end users, management team and technology professionals.
At Elegant MicroWeb we believe in planning. But, more importantly, we believe in setting reasonable expectations, establishing a practical budget and schedule and engaging proper resources and management techniques to ensure that the project will be completed successfully. We know how to get it done! We are experts in the project management process and we can provide these services to help you with software project management, and assist you with scope management and managing project risk.
We understand and use the most popular, well–respected project management tools, including Waterfall and Agile methodologies. While many IT organizations use project management methodology, the key to success is, first and foremost, in the belief in and adherence to these protocols and the experience to respond rapidly and with appropriate knowledge to resolve issues that threaten the critical path of the project. Global project management is also a challenge. Unless the IT organisation can work with a project plan and remote resources to keep the project on track, the team and process may fail because of poor communication, sluggish response time and an inability to collaborate and make course corrections as required.
Elegant MicroWeb has over a decade of client and partner experience and is expert at the project management process. We deliver best–in–class software products and services on time and within budget to meet the needs of our global clients. Our well–structured project management organisation ensures that every project is conducted in a disciplined fashion, using the latest techniques and methodologies, and involving all stakeholders in the process.
We have vast experience with a range of flexible delivery models, e.g., onsite, offshore and hybrid models that are designed to suit the needs of our clients and provide appropriate alternatives to fit the unique requirements of a project or organisation.
The Elegant MicroWeb project team uses the most suitable project management methodology for every project. One such technique is a sequential software development process, aptly named the Waterfall methodology. This technique follows the project from conception, through initiation, analysis, design and validation, construction, testing and maintenance. It is a cascading process that assumes phase dependency and moves to the next phase only when the preceding phase is completed. It places significant emphasis on documentation in every phase. Without appropriate experience, the IT professional may get ‘lost’ in the process and the project will grind to a halt. The Elegant MicroWeb team is skilled in the use of Waterfall and can structure the project phases and expectations so as not to create burdensome ‘over processed’ project management guidelines and goals.
The Elegant MicroWeb team is also skilled in the use of the AGILE project management methods and techniques
The Agile process is designed to accommodate frequent inspection and analysis so as to ensure that the project can remain on track, even in the face of the constant changes and complications experienced in the average technology project timeline. The Agile philosophy promotes project management discipline, but it also engenders teamwork, collaboration, accountability and a standardized set of engineering practices that enable rapid application delivery and ensure quality output. Agile projects are typically aligned with the overall goals and strategy of the company and division to ensure that the final product has satisfied both the documented and the lesser known requirements of the users and the management team. Agile is often used in a manufacturing environment and is closely aligned with Six Sigma techniques and processes.
The Elegant MicroWeb team is very familiar with the Agile process and has used it for project management tasks with great success. We understand the tradeoffs and the issues that arise with the collaborative environment and we are skilled at enforcing accountability and team and individual responsibility. We maintain a positive focus and provide clarity for tasks and activities so that there is never any question about assignments or schedules.
As you will see from the graphic below, the Agile process is far from the sequential, orderly process designed and developed for the Waterfall Methodology.
Waterfall
Agile
Structured
Flexible
Phase dependent
Concurrent
Metrics based on artifacts
Metrics based on goals
Large phases
Small components
Dependent on documented requirements
Dependent on iterative process
Focused on project end date
Focused on small deliverables throughout project
The merits of any and all of the project management techniques are diverse and one technique may be more appropriate than another for a particular project. Perhaps more critical than any other project management task, is the ability to assess project and organisational requirements and select the appropriate project management tools and methods for each specific project.
The Elegant MicroWeb project management process involves
- Identifying and optimising competing demands for functionality, schedule, budget, risk and quality
- Reconciling the needs of stakeholders with the expectations for the project
- Delivering outcomes associated with user requirements and approved benefits
We provide an integrated framework for project organisation, planning and control to achieve
- Timely, cost–effective production of all output
- Optimum standards of quality
- Prescribed benefits for which investment was intended
If our project management services and expertise interests you, we encourage you to contact Elegant MicroWeb immediately to discuss your project or your ongoing IT Staff Augmentation and support needs. Contact Us Now
