April 2002 Monthly Newsletter :: Anduro Marketing

The Los Angeles Times recently published basic trouble shooting guidelines for IT projects from several consultants in Silicon Valley: Click here for the story.

This article was summarized and brought to our attention by one of our customers, Kathleen Lynch, at www.sisystems.com. S.i. Systems is in the business of "Precision Placement of Contract IT Professionals". Give Kathleen a call, if you need a specific IT resource (403) 303-6294.

Here are some highlights:

Ask yourself these three questions at the outset of each IT project:

  1. Does this project have clearly defined goals?
  2. Are these goals clearly communicated to the team, including the vendors?
  3. Do the vendors have the proven experience and expertise to deliver the goods and achieve the project goals?

The correct answer must be "Yes" to all three in order for the project to have any chance of success.

Next, keep a lid on scope creep by asking the following 3 questions at each meeting:

  1. Do we have current timelines and deadlines to measure progress on each part of the project?
  2. Are we sticking with the original plan or constantly trying to add new bells and whistles?
  3. How many people have access to the software vendor or programmers and have permission to approve changes? (Nothing slows down an IT project like having half a dozen people running to the programmers with new changes and work orders every day.)

Lastly, get a strong Project Manager rather than a committee to run the project and follow these three guidelines:

  1. Make sure only one person, the project manager, has access to the vendor or developers. Too many cooks in the kitchen will ruin any chances for success.
  2. Have the project manager sign off on every phase.
  3. Ensure that the project manager has enough time to commit to the project and is not attempting to squeeze it onto an already full plate.

In summary, as we all know, managing a large IT project requires a major investment of time and energy. When nobody pays attention to the big picture, scope can easily get out of control. To avoid this scenario, put a lid on unnecessary requests, stay on track and focus on achieving the published project goals.

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