Angotti Product Deveopment
Newsletter
Volume 1, No. 1 (Click Here for Text
Version)
"Helping
You Accelerate Your High-Tech Development Projects"
Welcome
to the first ANGOTTI PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT email newsletter!
The
newsletter's goal is to help you accelerate your development projects
by sharing some of the many tips, techniques and strategies we've honed
during our two decades of providing high-tech consulting services.
This
issue discusses a simple, commonly overlooked way, to shorten a project
schedule by many days or even weeks.
WHEN IS A DAY WORTH MORE THAN A DAY?
Ever
notice how a day at the end of a project seems more valuable than a day
at the beginning? We hardly notice a slip of a day (or even a week) at
the beginning of a year-long project, but as the ship date nears, every
day seems precious and any slip sounds off warning bells. It's often
said that we slip projects a day at a time. If this is the case -- and
let me assure you from long experience that it is -- then a day at the
beginning of a project should be viewed just as valuable as a day near
the end.
Actually,
these early days are often more valuable than any later period since it
is during this time that the project is planned. Numerous studies have
shown that a good project plan is the single most significant factor in
determining a positive outcome for a project.
Momentum
often gathers slowly during the early phases. This can lead to what I
call "Early Project Drift". The team wonders: Is the project underway?
How would anyone know it? Is there management focus? If so, where?
Worse yet, the team isn't even aware the project is actually started,
so team members work on other, pressing, tasks.
AVOID EARLY PROJECT DRIFT BY STARTING OFF
WITH A BANG - AND A GOAL
What
can be done to improve the "slow startup" situation? One factor is
certain, there is very little focus on the project at this time, so
there must be some method introduced to get focus on the project. Some
practical ideas are:
1. Get Early Management "Sponsorship"
-
Make sure you get a solid commitment from management. Probably the most
important management commitment is a clear business objective that can
be turned into clear development goals for the project. Another key
commitment is resources -- people, space, money and equipment --to make
the project successful. Don't kick off a project (and start the clock
running) until you have negotiated these commitments.
2. Have an Explicit, Written, "Project
Team Process" - This written process should especially include
what is appropriate early in a project, including the formal definition
of the roles of the project leader during this time.
3. Rev Up Yourself and "Core" Team Early -
This requires the use of self-motivational and public relations skills.
Many
technically-oriented project managers don't use these approaches
because they consider them disingenuous. But, without some formal
acknowledgement, the project can wander about and not get started
properly. This is especially true for development projects that are not
as glamorous - such as derivative designs. New platform designs often
get more management attention automatically.
This
is where such items as a good, viable, focused initial plan and
business case can be combined with project "T" shirts, mugs, pens, etc.
These are presented to core team members to help them to identify with
the overall project name and business goals. It could also include a
special kick off lunch, beer bust, or other approach. The goal is to
create a memorable situation, that is different from the normal
everyday experience for the "core" team that is needed to move the
project forward.
4. Hold a Team Kickoff Meeting - Nothing beats a
good, formal, kickoff meeting to get the entire team to focus on a
project. Often, this can be combined with the previous suggestion in #2
above, but the meeting now involves the wider team. It usually can
include a formal portion where planning and initial design can begin.
It is often valuable to hold these meetings offsite, to really create a
focus on the project, free of distractions.
5. Set an
"Early - On", Very Visible, Project Milestone - A good one would be
the completion of such items as the specification, system block
diagram, major code flow charts, user interface document, the formal
plan, etc. This is a good place to schedule the earliest design and
management reviews.
These
management reviews might be broken down into two parts, one involving
the work up to the planning stage, then a second one after planning is
complete. Be sure all of the critical team members, the critical
functional groups outside engineering and the project sponsor attend
these meetings. It can be very ineffective if these meetings are not
attended by all of the parties. This will pick up "holes" in the
design, plan or testing.
This
article was an expansion of the first of our "12 Best Strategies for
Keeping Engineering Projects on Track". For more information on the "12
Best Strategies", visit www.angotti.com/12strat.html.
THE NEXT NEWSLETTER
The
next newsletter in this series will cover the topic "Generate a
Detailed Specification and System Block Diagram". This is the second of
the "12 Best Strategies" article available at www.angotti.com/12strat.html.
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MORE FREE MATERIAL ON PROJECT MANAGEMENT
For more FREE Project Management tips, techniques
and strategies, and to learn more about the services available to my
clients, be sure to visit the ANGOTTI PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT website at www.angotti.com.
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