The Magic of IS Project Management:
Revealing the Masters’ Secrets
Kathy Schwalbe, Ph.D., PMP May 2, 2000
PDS 2000
Expert Revelation #1: Alignment
• Projects are much more likely to
succeed if they align to organizational needs and goals
• “Aligning information systems to
corporate goals has emerged as the number one concern over the last five years in surveys of information systems executives”*
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Why Firms Invest in IT Projects*
Reason for Investing in IT Projects Rank Based on Overall Value of Projects
Supports explicit business objectives 1 Has good Internal Rate of Return (IRR) 2 Supports implicit business objectives 3 Has good Net Present Value (NPV) 4 Has reasonable payback period 5 Used in response to competitive systems 6 Supports management decision making 7 Meets budgetary constraints 8 High probability of achieving benefits 9 Good accounting rate of return 10 High probability of completing project 11 Meets technical/system requirements 12 Supports legal/government requirement 13 Good profitability index 14 Introduces new technology 15
Trick to Avoid #1:
Expert Revelation #2: Leadership
• The majority of characteristics of effective project managers are managerial in nature
• Project managers must be able to lead and manage and have necessary
The Most Significant Characteristics of
an Effective Project Manager*
*Zimmerman and Yasin, “A Leadership Profile of American Project Managers,” Project Management Journal, March 1998
• Leadership by example
• Visionary
• Technically competent
• Decisive
• Good communicator
• Good motivator
• Stands up to upper
management when necessary
• Supports team
members
Trick to Avoid #2
Making your best
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Expert Revelation #3:
User Involvement
• The number one reason why IT projects fail is a lack of user input (CHAOS, 1995)
• There are several ways to increase user involvement
– Have users lead or co-lead IT projects
– Have a senior manager outside of IT sponsor and champion IT projects
– Put star users on the project team and co-locate users and developers
Checklist for User Involvement*
• Do I have the right user(s)?
• Did I involve the users(s) early and often?
• Do I have a quality user(s) relationship?
• Do I make involvement easy?
• Did I find out what the user(s) need?
Trick to Avoid #3:
Expert Revelation #4: Senior
Management Support
• Experts agree that you need senior
management support for projects to be successful
• Senor management can (or cannot) provide: – Adequate resources
– Quick approval for unique project needs
– Cooperation from people in various parts of the organization
What Helps Projects Succeed?
• Clear project mission
• Top management support
• Good project schedule/plan
• Good client consultation
• User involvement
• Executive
management support
• Clear statement of requirements
• Proper planning
Pinto and Slevin* Standish Group**
*Pinto and Slevin, “Critical Factors in Successful Project Implementation,” IEEE, February 1987
Trick to Avoid #4:
Assuming it’s okay
if senior managers
Expert Revelation #5:
Clear Project Purpose
• Having a clear mission or purpose and a clear statement of requirements are
crucial to project success
• It’s much easier to get project approval and lead a project if you understand the underlying reason for it, even if it the
Defining and Selling “Way Cool Projects”*
• Challenge 1: Futzing with the structure and specifics of a given task…until it
becomes a “way cool project”
• Challenge 2: Selling that “way cool
project.” Great project management—in the real world!—turns out to be mostly a sales game. I.e., getting all sorts of folks to support you, help you, give you their very best!
Trick to Avoid #5
Expert Revelation #6:
Communications
• Being a good communicator is an essential project management skill
• Master project managers are great at listening, persuading, explaining, and discerning the best way to
communicate with different stakeholders
80% of Problems…
• “Eighty percent of the ‘problems’ in
workplace or personal relationships are really not problems—they are
misunderstanding”*
• “I’ll pay more for a man’s ability to express himself than for any other quality he might possess.” Charles Schwab
Trick to Avoid #6
Over-relying on reports,
web sites, or other
Expert Revelation #7:
Plan and Replan
• Proper planning is key to project
success; remember that the purpose of project plans is to guide execution
• Project plans must be tailored to the needs of each particular project
Planning is a “Quadrant II” Activity*
• Using Stephen Covey’s time
management matrix, quadrant II
activities are important but not urgent
• Quadrant II activities include planning, prevention, relationship building, and recognizing new opportunities
• Highly effective people, including
project managers, focus on Quadrant II activities
Trick to Avoid #7
Expert Revelation #8:
Execute, execute, execute
• The most important job of a project manager is to get the job done
• Project managers must balance scope, time, and cost goals
• If you can’t deliver results, you can’t
Why CEOs (and Project Managers) Fail
• Bad execution is the main reason why CEO’s are “booted”*
• Bad execution means not getting things done, being indecisive, and not
delivering on commitments
• A good plan, strong leadership, good communications skills, team building, etc. all help with execution
Trick to Avoid #8
Expert Revelation #9:
Team Building
• Project managers must foster an environment for teams to thrive
• Some experts suggest
– Hand picking your project team
– Focusing on goals and outcomes to promote teamwork
– Establishing team-based rewards
– Creating a fun work environment
Trick to Avoid #9:
Assuming smart people
work well in any
Expert Revelations #10:
Structure
• Most people like and need structure to guide projects
Project Management Maturity Model*
1. Ad-Hoc: Disorganized, chaotic project management (PM) processes; low success rate
2. Abbreviated: Some processes in place, but project success is largely unpredictable
3. Organized: Standardized, documented process and systems; more predictable success rate
4. Managed: Management collects and uses measures of effectiveness of PM; more uniform success
5. Adaptive: Feedback from the PM process and from piloting innovative ideas and technologies enables continuous improvement; success is the norm
Trick to Avoid #10
Example from the Field: Northwest
Airlines’ ResNet*
ResNet Background
• ResNet is the main reservation system used today by Northwest Airlines
• From 1993-1997, Northwest Airlines worked on three distinct projects to
develop and install ResNet on over 3,000 workstations in nine different cities
The Master’s Secrets on ResNet
1. Alignment: The main reason for funding ResNet was to stop losing money on the call centers
2. Leadership: Peeter Kivestu, then a marketing director, led all three ResNet projects
3. User Involvement: Sales agents did a lot of the coding for the ResNet interface
4. Senior Management Support: The VP of Reservations provided the vision for ResNet
The Master’s Secrets on ResNet
6. Communications: Peeter and his team used varied, innovative ways to communicate
7. Plan and Replan: The project team created and followed realistic plans
8. Execute: The entire ResNet team focused on meeting project goals
9. Team building: Peeter hand picked key team members and provided a fun work environment
Peeter’s Expert Advice
• Have clear project goals. It is human nature to want to achieve goals
• Create a fun working environment to promotes buy-in, creativity, and
teamwork. Use themes and special events to make projects fun and
memorable
Kathy’s Personal Secrets
• Have passion for your projects
• Provide challenge, creativity, and fun on IT projects along with structure
• Clearly define what the main
stakeholders really mean; be astute
