Information Technology Project Management

Project Management is simply described as the organisation of the resources necessary to achieve an objective within a specified time-frame and budget. Simply said but not so easily done. It has been reported that around half of IT projects fall short of expectations, while the outcomes of many projects are not measured in an objective way.

There are many factors at play here; in my personal experience it is often that the responsibility for project management is in the hands of someone too close to the project. This could either be on the business side where a vested interest in a "pet" project invites an "at all costs" approach, or on the technology side where techy passion loses sight of business reality.

Another factor is understanding what is involved in project management. Being able to produce a Gantt chart in Microsoft Project (other project management software is available) does not make you a project manager.

The recipe for IT Project Management success is to have the right culture in your organisation. Make sure you have established a sound business case for your project with clearly defined and measurable goals. Pushing ahead with a project without consulting everyone else involved is not going to carry them with you so if success of your project expects happy smiley end users then best to get them on board at the start. Ensure that your project has an internal sponsor and / or a steering committee with the authority and willingness to allocate resources, make decisions and communicate them. Make a clear distinction between the resource required for project implementation and those required for day to day operation of your business. Have clearly defined responsibilities and objectives. Understand the risks. Accept from the start that things will sometimes go wrong and plan accordingly. Learn from experience, it's ok to make a mistake, but not ok to make the same mistake twice..

IT Project Management from estm uses the PRINCE2 project management method combined with practical experience, sometimes gained the hard way. We understand the business, human and technical imperatives at play and bring an independent dedicated resource to your project.

Phone 01746 708114 or e-mail now to discuss how we can help with your next project.

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