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Hear Susan
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(.MP3 format, 14.5 MB)
Susan Junda
Dynamic Solutions
P.O. Box 3874
Albuquerque, NM 87190
(505) 888-4786
the Dynamic Solutions Electronic Newsletter
February 2009
- What's going on out there? - a message from Susan
- Project Management World
- Where is Susan?
- Ask/Tell Susan
What's
Going On Out There - a message from Susan
Well, we are into 2009. How is your business, department or organization doing?
The economy is going to do what it is going to do. It will go up and it will go down. Are you going to let these external circumstances create extreme fear throughout your organization (department, project, team…)? Or are you going to capitalize on them and use this as an opportunity to do what you do in an even bigger, better, more creative way?
In the mid ‘90s, the theme was to “do more with less.” Downsizing kept happening year after year, to the extent that I realized there comes a point when “you can’t get blood out of a stone!” This happens when there are too few people left to do “more” with.
Now here’s my current take – we can no longer push people to do more with less. Instead we have to figure out how to do less with less. AND the “less” that we choose to do or focus on had darned well better be done exceptionally well! So well, in fact, that your clients and customers can’t resist being impressed (and buying, signing up, hiring you, whatever the case).
How to do this? In starting at the top, figure out what your business is, who your market is and what they need from you. Then set up the project(s) to accomplish this by doing the detailed planning necessary to create a REALISTIC plan to be able to implement the work as efficiently and effectively as possible – which can save an incredible amount of time and money in the long run. How long does this take? As little as 2-4 days in a room with the right people working out the strategy and then creating the projects to make it all happen.
In my own version of an “economic stimulus” plan, I am offering strategic and project planning sessions at a reduced rate for a limited amount of time. If it’s time for you to “kick-start” get your business, department or project(s), click here for more information!
The topic for this newsletter has to do with how Project Management fits in with Product Development.
Happy February – remember to tell those you love that you do!
Susan
Project Management World
The Problem...
How to Make Project Management Work
Within
the Product Development Process
After my December newsletter, I got a question from a reader that read (paraphrased) as follows:
“Could you send some tips on how to use Project Management to improve the product development process? ... Our sales force wants more products, faster, and have a hard time understanding why they just can't implement new programs.”
The reader knows that his group has to improve their time-to-market and the success of the programs (products) once they are launched. He also asked for suggestions on how to improve the product development process and how to measure success of the projects.
That’s a lot to cover. I’ll save the “how to measure the success of a project” for a future issue. This month, let’s discuss Product Development.
Scroll down to see the solution from all three perspectives or jump to the Senior Management, Project Manager, or Team Member perspective.
The Solution...
From the Senior Management (or boss/stakeholder) Perspective...
First of all, is there a valid, documented product development process in place?
If there is, congratulations! It’s a great thing to have in place for “work” that your project teams do over and over again. To paraphrase Deming, “If you can’t define the work you are doing as a process, you don’t know what you are doing!” – which is NO WAY to run a business!
So let’s assume you have a product development process (PDP) in place. Most product development processes are divided into 4-9 “stages” or “phases” in which things get done. A generic example of these phases is:
- Develop the Concept
- Determine Feasibility
- Design Product
- Test and Qualify Product
- Manufacture Product
- Ship Product
Each phase has within it either major tasks that have to be done during that phase – or it might be based on deliverables due in each phase (instead of tasks). So basically, each phase has a task list of sorts.
This is all great but where I see many organizations falter is by NOT putting a project plan together every time they develop a new product using their PDP.
Some things to note:
- The “project” of bringing something new to market is BIGGER than the PDP. The tasks in the PDP are part of the project but NOT all of it!
- Most PDPs I have been privileged to see do NOT have the interdependencies of the tasks laid out OR any timeframes put on the tasks.
- One idea is to lay out all the tasks that have to happen in each phase by using the Detailed Project Planning process (WBS, Logic Network, Resource Matrix, Estimating, PERT diagram). This will create the interdependencies and a timeline in which all the tasks within that phase need to get done.
- Another idea is to lay the entire PDP out as logic network, to see how all the tasks interconnect (and add other tasks contained in the project that might not be identified in the PDP) – and then put (generic) time estimates on it. (For example, assume team members are 50% available to the project).
Once this more detailed and accurate generic project to use the PDP is laid out, teams can adjust it based on the uniqueness of the current product they are developing. (See below for more info on that!) Bottom line, you want to create a REPEATABLE process. Isn’t that what made McDonald’s famous? It will save you SO much time and money in the long run when your teams use it over and over again!
From the Project Manager Perspective...
To continue from above, let’s assume there is a PDP that you use.
Remember, many senior managers think that because they have a Product Development Process identified, all should go smoothly. Again, what is missing is more detailed tasks, their interdependencies, the assumptions behind them, the people responsible for doing them, the quality level needed and an estimate of how long it will take to do! This cannot be determined without doing a Project Plan!!!
If you really want to make sure you miss nothing, you will need to create a project plan either for the ENTIRE project (using the tasks or deliverables in the PDP as part of it – OR do this phase-by-phase if it is a HUGE project. (See items C and D above in the Senior Management section).
If you are using a “generic” project plan as a baseline (i.e., it’s already been developed for the repeatable work you do), then you and your team will have to tweak it based on the uniqueness of what you are working on now AND the availability and skill level of the team members on the project.
If the plan comes out too long for your stakeholders liking, you and your team can then replan it – WHAT WOULD IT TAKE to cut the time (and thus the time-to-market) in half? More people? Subcontracting some of it out? Full-time team members? Cutting out some bureaucracy? Remember, it’s YOUR job to develop and present the realistic options to your stakeholders. It is THEIR job to figure out which one to pick and what they might have to give up or delay in order to make it happen!
In order to decrease time to market, what you are basically doing here is process improvement of the Product Development Process. This starts with laying out what you are currently doing, and then looking for places to “optimize” – and note that, every time you document a process or improve it, it’s a PROJECT!!! (with an endpoint!).
From the Team Member Perspective...
If your company had a PDP in place, most likely you have either some tasks and/or deliverables that fall into your area of responsibility.
Most of the work to development or improve the PDP that you support will eventually need your input as a subject matter expert in some area, especially when the Project Manager is laying each phase out as a project where more details are needed.
So, know your stuff!! Know your area, what it takes to deliver what is asked from you with realistic time estimates on it! Remember, a plan is only as good as its estimates, and each team member is responsible for theirs!!
Where is Susan?
Want to meet?
February 17-20 - San Francisco, CA
February 25-March 2 - Fort Lauderdale/West Palm Beach, FLMarch 8-12 - Tucson, AZ
April 12-15 - San Francisco, CA
May 17-20 - Las Vegas, NV
Ask/Tell Susan
If you want more information on what we can do to help your organization, projects and teams be more successful, please click here.
Do you have any questions, comments, suggestions for improvement? If you do, I'd love to hear them. Your feedback will help make this e-newsletter better. To send me your feedback, .