The rapid rate of change in the information technology industry and the marketplace has created enormous strains upon existing organisational resources, be it time, money, staff or materials.
Project management has been identified as one of the several workable solutions to making better use of existing resources, by getting work to flow horizontally as well as vertically within a company. This is according to UMT SA CEO Pieter Meyer.
Successful project management goes beyond maintaining realistic expectation levels and completing projects within budget, scope, time and resource constraints. Today, more than ever before, the need to train, facilitate and participate in high performing project teams requires a new application of team collaboration. A clear and elevating project goals-setting, high performance and quality standards and a culture of cross-function and self-direction is required if companies of the future would like to survive in a world of management and success by projects.
A project management process created by the subject matter experts in the project and programme management space brings a structured approach to the use of project management skills, tools, software and techniques in an organisation. This is especially important in today's business environment, where most project managers and project leaders need to deliver higher quality output faster, with fewer resources, and very often with newly formed cross-functional teams.
The challenge of today's project management stakeholders is to weave a Web of new and improved project management practices. A Web that is simple enough that we can all understand it and use it to the benefit of planning, organising and controlling all projects that will meet the objectives of business within the constraints of time, costs and performance.
As most projects use staff members from both technology and the respective business divisions, it is also of critical importance that cross-utilisation of resources from the business environments and other support functions be managed effectively. Project management therefore requires synergy between business units, and the ideal is a Matrix Management environment where technical and business participants develop common project and business goals.
In order to facilitate the introduction, implementation and development of a uniform, dynamic, culture and people-oriented project management discipline within an organisation, it is essential to ensure that the benefits of a professional project management (PPM) web is spun within the organisation.
Without a proper project management strategy, those who commission a project, those who manage it and those who work on it, will have different ideas about how things should be organised and when the different aspects of the project will be completed.
Those involved will not know how much responsibility, authority and accountability they have and, as a result, there will often be confusion surrounding the project. Without a project management methodology, projects are rarely completed on time and within acceptable cost - this is especially true of large projects.
A good project management methodology will guide the project through a controlled, well-managed, visible set of activities to achieve the desired results. Worthwhile project management methodologies implement “best practice” principles of project management to deliver successful projects.
Some of these principles are:
* A project is a definite process with a definite start and end.
* Projects always need to be managed in order to be successful.
* For genuine commitment to the project, all parties must be clear about why the project is needed, what it is intended to achieve, how the outcome is to be achieved, and what their responsibilities are in that achievement.
A project management methodology provides consistency and capitalisation benefits to the managers and directors of a project and to an organisation, through the controllable use of resources and the ability to manage business and project risk more effectively. It embodies established and proven best practice in project management and is widely recognised and understood, providing a common language for all participants in a project. In addition, it encourages formal recognition of responsibilities within a project and focuses on what a project is to deliver, why, when and for whom.
Different approaches are being followed to introduce and implement project management methodologies in organisations to provide consistency and to ensure capitalisation in their project environment. The following aspects need to be taken into consideration:
* Why did projects fail in the past in the organisation?
* What is the maturity level of the organisation?
* What is the existing discipline regarding project management in the organisation?
Why do projects not reach completion and what is the cost to organisations?
According to a Gartner report, 30% of IT projects, once started, never come to a fruitful conclusion. It also found that on average, a whopping 51% exceed budget by 189%, while delivering only 74% of the originally stated functionality.
Project sponsors are often not committed to the objective, lack understanding of the project and are not actively involved in the project strategy and direction. Some projects do not meet the strategic vision of the company. If business needs are not clearly defined, it will result in a project that does not add value to the bottom-line or enhance business processes.
Furthermore, projects are started for the wrong reasons. Some are initiated purely to implement new technology without regard for whether the technology is supportive of the business needs. The converse of this is a project that does not support existing technology, resulting in major scope creep and resultant expenditure.
Staffing is also a reason for failure, there is often insufficient dedicated staff (project managers and project team members) allocated to projects. In addition, project team members lack experience and do not have the required qualifications, while line staff believe that they will be able to manage projects but are only 40% available to do so. The focus is not on the delivery of the project, but on the comfort zone of the project manger and his own time management.
Incomplete project scope means there is no clear definition of the project's benefits and deliverables or a project plan that is non-existent, out of date, incomplete or poorly constructed. Insufficient funding and incorrect budgeting are still major reasons for projects not delivering their goals and objectives within the quality framework.
The way in which we do business has changed drastically over the last five years and now requires distinct project management competencies. Project management has become a specialised competency, requiring the ability to understand business, IT architecture and processes properly.
Soft skills in project management have become more important and specialised as a result of the change in culture in South Africa and elsewhere in the industry. To this end, people management and facilitation skills are a crucial competency required during the storming and forming phases of any project.
A large number of companies get involved in the project inception phase; this commitment, however, is seldom continued throughout the project execution phase and often non-existent at project closure. Management commitment and support for a project should begin in the boardroom to ensure the business value of the project. This commitment should be kept intact throughout the project life cycle, to project closure.
The first vital mistake companies make is to ignore the importance of people and staffing of projects. Interpersonal relationships are one of the most important aspects of project management. Culture, know-how, common understanding, willingness, participation all play a major political role during the project life cycle. The complexities of personality, culture, personal style, ability, experience and approach are all factors that can influence a project, and need to be managed. It is imperative that the project manager has the skill to manage these complexities in order to facilitate bonding and team building. The project manager leads the team that builds the solution.
Resource availability and allocation to specific tasks is still a problem. The lack of budget to pay for the best resource or the inability to find a resource with the relevant skill is a major factor contributing to risk. The allocation of resources on a “when available” basis by project managers has a negative impact on project delivery. The failure to appoint a dedicated, experienced project manager is one of the greatest contributories to project failure. Many companies believe that they can appoint a line-manager as project manager, thereby increasing the risk of failure.
As a specialist EPM implementation company, UMT SA has assisted organisations with enterprise project management for the past nine years, having implemented more EPM solutions than any other Microsoft partner in South Africa.
For more information, contact UMT SA on (012) 345 3518 or visit www.umtsa.co.za.
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