SharePoint 2010 for Project Management, 2nd Edition

Chapter 1. Project Kickoff

It must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to carry out nor more doubtful of success nor more dangerous to handle than to initiate a new order of things.

—Niccolò Machiavelli, Italian philosopher

As most of you would agree, the definition of a project varies greatly—it can be building the next space shuttle, upgrading the production line of your manufacturing facility, or just creating a new website for a customer. One common factor that holds true across these varying project types is that all of them involve multiple people interacting with a wide array of project information.

This information can include templates, emails, schedules, proposals, forms, budgets, contact information, status reports, regulatory compliance, and even ad hoc documents. In spite of our best attempts to effectively manage project information, we all seem to fall short at times. We rely on inconsistent and inefficient tools that are typically a combination of three things:

Local/personal storage

If project information is stored in an individual’s personal computer, email, or portable storage device, can important information—such as a project schedule—be made available to relevant stakeholders in a timely manner? If the computer or portable storage device breaks down, how is the information restored?

Network-based storage

If you are using central storage through a file-sharing network or web-based environment, how do you prevent files from being overwritten? What are the standards for maintaining versions? Can you easily define who can access what information?

Mixed bag of project management tools

Some common tools used in project environments are Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and possibly Microsoft Project. In certain cases, complex enterprise tools such as Microsoft Project Server and Primavera are also made available.

Checklist: Essential Project Management Activities

When I formally started managing projects more than 15 years ago, I had the wrong impression that the very first step to take was to fire up a scheduling tool (such as Microsoft Project) and start cranking out the project tasks, defining the task duration, and establishing the task dependencies. It never really worked out well for me. Only later did I realize that there are other crucial steps I failed to do.

Here’s my essential list of project management activities that every project manager should be doing throughout the life of a project:

• Create guidelines for how your projects will be initiated

• Run a kickoff meeting to define project objectives

• Identify your stakeholders

• Identify project information taxonomy

• Plan your projects with your team, including creating the work breakdown structure (WBS), creating the network diagram, identifying the critical path, and optimizing the project schedule

• Define the probability and impact of project risks

• Create a change control process for scope changes

• Define quantifiable project-tracking processes

• Facilitate a lessons-learned meeting

To improve these inefficiencies, three things are necessary:

Apply a standard set of project management processes from the start of the project until the end

While I won’t go into detailed discussions on project management concepts and theories, I will say that to make SharePoint work to your advantage, you have to employ sound project management techniques and practices.

If you don’t have one, the best way to develop a project management methodology is to review best practices from the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide and the Projects in Controlled Environments (PRINCE2) road map.

Consider this example: I have no cooking experience, so if I were to compete in a cooking contest against the best chef in the world (à la Iron Chef), I would definitely lose. This is because even if, by chance, I cooked really well, there’s no method to my madness—I dislike reading recipe books, so it’s hit or miss. I am certain that a veteran chef would have proven processes in place, from how to chop the vegetables to how long okra should simmer. Not only do veteran chefs document these steps, they also constantly tweak their processes for improvement. Guess what? The same thing applies to project management.

Use a Project Management Information System (PMIS) to support your project management processes

As any experienced project manager would validate, having an easy-to-use, accessible, reliable, and scalable collaborative platform can contribute greatly to a project’s success. That’s the crux of what you will learn in this book: using SharePoint as your PMIS.

Educate and update your project team with project management best practices

Having an incremental approach to continuous process improvement will enable the project team to make better use of the PMIS.

Dux Quax: Is It Changeworthy?

Listen, before you go gung-ho and start implementing formalized project management processes in your organization, slow down, my good friend. I guarantee that it won’t work if you change the rules overnight. People, by nature, are averse to change (as you might already know). As the old adage goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

So, what should you do? How can you convince your team that it’s necessary to implement project management processes? Taking baby steps is key:

Make the case that having sound project management processes will greatly improve how projects are run in the organization

A good exercise is to examine a previous project that didn’t turn out too well—it might have been delayed or gone over budget. Assess whether you had sound planning processes. Could you have done a better job defining the work and drawing up a more realistic schedule and budget?

Implement new processes one at a time

Initially, focus on the planning aspects of project management. Perhaps come up with a standard on defining project goals, identifying stakeholders, prioritizing requirements, generating work breakdown, assigning work, developing a project schedule, and documenting a risk management plan.

Involve the team

Allow the team to provide feedback on the processes that will be implemented. Ask if they’re relevant. If not, how can they be improved? Is there anything missing? What kind of support is necessary to ensure that these processes are adopted?

Remember, people can change as long as they perceive it as worthwhile. They are more likely to make changes that will bring about benefits at a personal level than at the organizational level.

To get you started in developing your project management process, go to http://www.spforpm.com for a step-by-step guide, complete with supporting templates, documents, and references.

What Is a PMIS?

As defined by the Project Management Institute (PMI; see http://www.pmi.org), a Project Management Information System (PMIS) is a standardized set of automated project management tools available within an organization and integrated into a system. Although the PMI does not specify which tools or technologies to use as a PMIS, SharePoint can be customized as one.

Checklist: Essential PMIS Capabilities

A reliable PMIS should support most, if not all, of the communication and collaboration needs of a project environment. Here is a list of essential PMIS capabilities:

• Supports the generation of a project charter, schedule, and budget

• Facilitates communication and feedback

• Monitors project activities

• Controls project changes

• Analyzes and forecasts project performance

• Disseminates project status to relevant stakeholders

• Provides real-time information essential for initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing a project