INTRODUCTION TO IT PROJECT MANAGEMENT

What Is a Project

A project is “a temporary endeavour undertaken to accomplish a unique product service or result”

Projects are temporary because they have a definite beginning and a definite end.

They are unique because the product or service they create is different in some distinguishing way
from similar products or services.

Project work
The following distinguishing characteristics of project work: Project is unique, temporary endeavour.
A project manager manages a specific project. People and other resources are not assigned to
project managers on an ongoing basis, except for project management support. A project manager is
responsible for the approved objectives of a project – such as budget, schedule, and specifications.

Functional works versus Project work

Project work and functional work differ in significant ways.

Functional work

1. Is routine, ongoing work.

2. The following are distinguishing characteristics of functional work:
3. Ongoing, routine work
4. Managers mange the specific function and provide technical direction
5. People and other resource are assigned to the functional department
6. Functional departments are responsible for the approved objectives of the function.

Project work

1. Project Work
2. Type of work
3. Focus
4. Management Responsibility
5. Budgets
6. Responsiveness to customers and changing environments
7. Consistency and standards
8. Cross cultural relevance
9. Risk
10. Visibility

Project Attributes
The following attributes help to define a project further:

1. unique purpose
2. Temporary
3. Require resources, often from various areas
4. Should have a primary sponsor and/or customer
5. Involve uncertainty
Examples
Building a road is an example of a project. The process of building a road takes a finite amount of
time, and produces a unique product.

Operations, on the other hand, are repetitive. Generating bills every month, and broadcasting news
everyday are examples of operations.

Subprojects are components of a project that often contracted out.

What is Project Management?

Project management is “the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project
activities in order to meet project requirements” (PMI*, Project Management Body of Knowledge
(PMBOK® Guide), 2000, p. 6) *The Project Management Institute (PMI) is an international
professional society

Project management processes

Project management is accomplished through the use of the processes such as:

 Project initiation
 Project planning
 Project execution
 Project monitoring and
 control
 Project closure

What Is an IT Project?
An information technology (IT) project is a type of project that deals with IT infrastructure,
information systems or computers. Examples of an IT project include web development, software
development, mobile app development, network configuration, software implementation, hardware
installation, database management, and IT emergency recovery.

What Is IT Project Management?

IT project management (ITPM) is the planning, scheduling, execution, monitoring and reporting of IT
projects. While many industries focus exclusively on IT projects, IT is unique in that most, if not all,
industries have some level of an IT component.

Since they are often very wide in scope, IT project managers must deal with risk, interdependent
integrations, software updates, scope creep and so on. Therefore, IT projects require more than the
typical project management tools and skills to complete.

Specialized IT project management software complete with online Gantt charts, kanban boards,
dashboards and reports provide the essential functions necessary for successful IT projects.

The are Six Phases of an IT Project.

The six phases of an IT project are based on the six phases of project management, which are used in
conjunction with the IT phases to manage the project. They are as follows:

Initiation - During the first phase of an IT project, one must ask “why is this project needed?”—in
other words, the objective of the project must be identified. Then, a project proposal, including a
business plan, that meets the needs of the project must be written. In addition, a feasibility study
might be conducted to ensure the proposal is airtight

Definition - After the project proposal has been approved, the project moves into the definition
phase. This is where the objectives of the project are finalized and the requirements for a successful
project are identified. The project scope can also be outlined, and a project plan may be created
during this phase. Budgets are also set, and resources are determined.

Design - The design phase of an IT project is when the project team sets out to find the best solution
for achieving their goal. This includes creating multiple designs and prototypes. Once a suitable
design has been chosen, specifications for the development team are created and shared.

Development - The development phase is when the development team is assigned tasks and project
management tools are selected. Additionally, technicalities are outlined, raw materials are requested
and so on. The main goal of this phase is to make the entire plan as crystal clear as possible to avoid
issues in the implementation phase.

Implementation - The implementation phase is where the final deliverable of the IT project is
developed; unsurprisingly, this is often the longest phase of the project. The project team sets out to
complete their tasks, while the manager monitors and controls the work, resources, cost, quality and
risk.

Follow Up - Finally, once the implementation phase is complete, the final project is delivered to the
customer/client/stakeholder. The follow up phase is all the work that comes after the project is
delivered, and includes setting up support teams, training the end-users, creating a postmortem and
ultimately ending the project.

Most IT projects and their phases are managed with a traditional, structured waterfall
methodology. An agile framework, though, can minimize risk when adding functionality. DevOps
deployment can be a good fit within an organizational culture. Rapid application development (RAD)
is a low-investment, high-quality process.

What Does an IT Project Manager Do?

An IT project manager is responsible for overseeing an organization’s IT department and managing

teams to execute IT projects on time and within budget. Some of the duties of an IT project manager
include:

• Setting project goals and creating plans to meet them

• Maintaining the project schedule and budget, creating status reports

• Managing resources, including the team, equipment, etc.

• Assigning tasks to team members

• Developing strategy to deliver projects on time and within budget

• Using IT project management tools to track progress and performance

 • Assessing project risks

• Developing IT risk management strategies

• Leading regular meetings with team and stakeholders

IT project managers are expected to have advanced knowledge of computers, operating systems,
network and service desk administration. They must also be good communicators and be able to
clearly explain complex technical issues. Other required skills include experience with scheduling,
budgeting and resource planning.

While the skill sets of project managers across different industries are generally the same, an IT
project manager is unique in that they’re focused solely on the IT needs of an organization. But like
all project managers, the way an IT project manager handles their varied duties and responsibilities is
with the help of robust IT project management software.

What Is IT Project Management Software?

IT project management software is used by managers to organize and control the processes of their
IT projects. Like any software tool, its main purpose is to increase efficiency.

IT project management software boosts efficiency by giving users the features they need to monitor
and track progress and performance. This keeps their IT projects on track to meet tight schedules
and budgets.

Some key features common among IT project management tools include

Task and time tracking, Real-time data, Unlimited file storage,

Multiple project views to support hybrid methodologies, Planning, scheduling and reporting.

Microsoft Project is one of the most commonly used project management software, but it has major
drawbacks that make Project Manager a better choice for IT projects.

Benefits of IT Project Management Software

Regardless of what IT project management software you choose, you want one that is going to make
your job easier. It should help you organize tasks and schedule their execution over a set schedule
budget. You also want a tool that connects your team and stakeholders to keep them all on the same
page.

There are many benefits to using IT project management software:

• Plan Waterfall Projects with Gantt charts

• Live Status with Real-Time Dashboards

• Manage Program or Portfolio of IT Projects

• Get Data Rich Reports with One Click

• Guide teams through digital transformation projects

• Track Time Spent on Tasks and Monitor Progress

• Customize Workflow on Kanban Boards

Must-Have Features for IT Project Management Software

The IT project management software that’s best for you will ideally have at least these six features.

GANTT CHARTS REPORTS DASHBOARDS WORKLOAD MANAGEMENT

TIMESHEETS ALERTS &NOTIFICATIONS

Know Immediately What’s Happening

IT systems are critical business processes. If they go down, money is lost.

To avoid any slowdown (or worse), managers need a feature in their IT project management tool that
alerts them in emergencies. It’s also helpful to get notified when anything is updated.

How to Manage an IT Project

Steps to manage an IT project,

While there are many ways to manage an IT project some aspects are universal. The steps might be
slightly different, but the general direction is the same. How a project management software can
help with IT projects.

1. Collect Requirements - Before a project can begin, paperwork is required. You need to define
scope, create a budget and determine the stakeholder requirements. All these documents can be
attached to the project on our software, which has unlimited file storage.

2. Select Team - Now that you’ve collected the project’s requirements, you can assemble a team with
the skills and experience that fit the task at hand. Be sure to onboard them into your project
management software, so communication happens in one place.

3. Use a Gantt Chart - Use a Gantt to add tasks to a timeline, link dependencies, set milestones and
view the critical path.

4. Use a Kanban Board - Use a kanban board to control workflow during project execution. With
Project Manager, you can create workflows, execute sprints and work in an agile framework without
disturbing the Gantt plan.

5. Monitor Progress - As the project moves forward, it’s important that the actual progress matches
what was planned. IT projects software has a real-time dashboard that collects data as it’s updated.
The project manager with his team automatically crunches the numbers and display them in charts
that show costs, tasks, health and more. Project tracking has never been easier.

6. Manage Workload - IT projects require smart workload management. Are team members
overtasked or have they too few assignments? To avoid slowing progress, workload page shows you
who’s on holiday and who has too much work: you can even reassign tasks right from the page.

7. Make Changes - Projects aren’t static. You have to pivot fast when there are change requests from
stakeholders. IT project software gives your plans and your team flexibility. For example, if a date
changes, simply drag and drop the task to the new deadline on the Gantt chart. This change is then
reflected throughout the software.

8. Get Reports - To track progress and keep stakeholders updated, the software has an in-depth
reporting feature. There are many reports, that can be generated to help with IT project
management. Make an in-depth status report with just a few clicks to get the information you need.
Unique Challenges of IT Project Management
IT project management deals with a variety of issues. It ends up interfacing with many other aspects
of an organization, such as business administration, human resources, finance and other
departments within the organization and entities that are outside of the business. This presents a
number of pressing problems with high stakes, for if the technology goes down, then an entire
business can become paralyzed.

1. Changing Technology - There’s the challenge that IT is a volatile industry, with a rate of
change that can be dizzying. Technology is notorious for becoming obsolete once it rolls off
the assembly line, so IT project management must be prepared for this inevitable change.

2. Communication - Another hurdle that IT project management has to clear is communication

between teams. This is a problem with all projects, frankly, but with IT there are often
distributed teams who work remotely, often in different time zones, which only aggravates
the situation. Having clear and effective communication channels is key for success on any IT
project.
3. Transparency - Transparency is important, too, as the focus in IT is sharp. Having
transparency across the project, with clear deadlines, helps teams better incorporate new
technology or respond to change quickly and effectively.

4. Lack of Agreement on Methodology - One of the biggest issues is that many organizations
aren’t applying IT project management to their projects, which is like sailing a ship without a
rudder. Without a process or methodology, whatever that might be, projects go off-track and
over budget. Having an IT project manager who defines process, roles and tools is the first
step to the success of an IT project.