IT Project Management

Most of us think that project management is easy.  We have all managed a project at one time during our lives or careers.  However, we probably did it our way and not according to PMI's methodology listed in the PMBOK.  Don't misunderstand me, the PMBOK is not the bible, it is a tool to use.  So with that tool and our methodology we manage projects.

Over the many years of being in business, I have had numerous customers tell me, "If it isn't broke don't fix it.  We can deal with small cost overruns.  We can push out the schedule if need be."  Sounds logical to them, but it isn't.

Project management today is an art form, and with millions of dollars on the line, human lives affected and project overruns common, all projects must be managed correctly to a specific set of standards, methodologies, that are universally accepted.  Keep in mind what some people call a project isn't a project at all.  According to PMI, a project is defined as having the following traits:  It must be UNIQUE,  It must have a beginning and an end,  It relies on a technique called Progress Elaboration.

IT Project Management today is one of the most difficult projects to properly manage, especially if you are not technical yourself.  To be a project manager you don't have to be a subject matter expert, but you should have some knowledge about the project that you are managing.  So what is the big deal with IT Project Management?  According to a study done by a consulting firm, 88% of IT projects failed for one reason or another.  That means that they were OVER schedule, OVER cost or DID NOT conform to the scope of the project.  From past experience with clients who call me because their project is in trouble, scope is the number one killer.

Technology changes on a daily basis, and what was current technology at the beginning of a project, is old towards the end.  Someone, therefore, makes the decision to change something along the way and change is not controlled or approved results in costs increasing or schedules being extended.  Either of these result in failure.  Successful projects are defined as a project that meets the triple constraints (Scope, Time and Cost).

At J.A.S. Technologies,Inc. we have managed numerous IT projects ranging in size from installing a server room for a medium size company to extremely large and complex projects of removing circuit switched telephone equipment and replacing it with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephones while maintaining productivity for the business.  Simply stated, the telephone system could not be disrupted at all.