An IT services contractor generally tries to appoint the project manager that is
ID: 3866381 • Letter: A
Question
An IT services contractor generally tries to appoint the project manager that is best suited to the customer and the project. In the case described below, the contractor appointed one of its best project managers to manage a project under contract with an important client. Here is the problem that the project manager encountered:
The Case. An organization awarded a time and materials contract to a qualified IT services contractor to develop software for analyzing large amounts of customer data and establishing tailored reporting of the results for managers of lines of business. The project required 40 full-time analysts, designers, and programmers. Because of the importance of the project to both the customer and the contractor, the contractor assigned a senior project manager who was known for having excellent technical skills and excellent soft skills. After the project was under way for several months, the project manager discovered that two team members had charged time to the project for several three-to five day periods in which they did not work on the project. The customer had no knowledge of this and counted the time in calculating the payments to the contractor.
Explanation / Answer
Here are rules, processes and tools for project planning and project management.
Large or complex projects in big organizations often require some sort of executive 'sponsorship' or leadership. This is commonly termed 'project sponsorship' (see the separate section about project sponsorship).
While project management skills are obviously important for project managers, interestingly the methods and tools that project managers use can be helpful for everyone.
A 'task' does not necessarily have to be called a 'project' in order for project management methods to be very useful in its planning and implementation. Even the smallest task can benefit from the use of a well-chosen project management technique or tool, especially in the planning stage.
Any task that requires some preparation to achieve a successful outcome, will probably be done better by using a few project management methods somewhere in the process. Project management methods can help in the planning and managing of all sorts of tasks, especially complex activities.
Project management is chiefly associated with planning and managing change in an organization, but a project can also be something unrelated to business - even a domestic situation, such as moving house, or planning a wedding.
Project management methods and tools can therefore be useful far more widely than people assume.
Project management techniques and project planning tools are useful for any tasks in which different outcomes are possible - where risks of problems and failures exist - and so require planning and assessing options, and organizing activities and resources to deliver a successful result.
Projects can be various shapes and sizes, from the small and straightforward to extremely large and highly complex.
In organizations and businesses, project management can be concerned with anything, particularly introducing or changing things, in any area or function, for example:
1.people, staffing and management
2.products and services
3.materials, manufacturing and production
4.IT and communications
5.plant, vehicles, equipment
6.storage, distribution, logistics
7.buildings and premises
8.finance, administration, acquisition and divestment
9.purchasing
10.sales, selling, marketing
11.human resources development and training
12.customer service and relations
13.quality, health and safety,
14.legal and professional
15.technical, scientific, research and development
The same principles, used selectively and appropriately, also apply to smaller tasks.
Project management techniques are not just for project managers - they are available for anyone to use.
Hope This Helps