Project Management Thoughts

Set Realistic Goals (don't do unnecessary tasks - it must meet one of the following requirements).

• Does it meet a business need? (cost savings, new business, needed enhancement)
• Does it provide a necessary function for IT infrastructure?
• Do we need it for protection: data, security, legal?

If it does not meet these, then it may be nice, but not necessary. And if there are more important items to tackle, we cannot get to it.

Set realistic timeline for project.

• Plan for interruptions.
• Plan for research (first phase of project).
• Plan for bugs/issues, ordering/purchase delay, unforseen (need a license).

Test it before you turn if over.

• You may have overlooked/missed an important step.
• You may have overlooked/missed a design flaw.
• You may have overlooked/missed a implementation flaw.
• You may have overlooked/missed a operational flaw.

Document to the needed level.

• Make sure a knowledgeable person like you can perform/repeat/troubleshoot what have completed.
• Think of someone else working on your project at 3 a.m., is it understandable?
• You may be supporting your own product six months from now. How was it that you set it up?

Do a proper and final handoff to the user.

Things to avoid.

• Scope/Feature Creep. A delivered product that had 50% of the features does more than a product that will do 100% of the feature but is never delivered (because it is still getting new features added daily).
• Do not overcommit - either resources or time (time is a resource too).
• Do not use aggressive timeframes. Better to deliever early than late.
• Do not use unique techniques nor one-time solutions: they are not reproduceable, understandable, migrateable, nor reuseable. They also age quickly and die with a bang.