Recent projects include

The launch of a new BI/Mgt Information software package, including mailshots, emails, print and electronic media (see www.miview.com )

The implementation of Enterpise CMS based websites (see www.lightmaker.com)

The implementation and upgrade of several Navision sites for a Microsoft partner

Implementation of multiple websites in a vriety of sectors and with widely different budgets 

Project Management - a summary of problems and solutions

Project management, tools, process, plans and project planning tips
Here are the rules of project management. Project management skills are essential for project managers, and any other managers who manage complex activities and tasks, because complex tasks are projects. Project management skills are essential for any complex task, where different outcomes are possible, requiring planning and assessing options, and organizing activities and resources to deliver a result. Projects come in all shapes and sizes, from the small and straight-forward to extremely large and highly complex. Project management can be concerned with anything: people, products, services, materials, production, IT and communications, plant and equipment, storage, distribution, logistics, buildings and premises, staffing and management, finance, administration, acquisition, divestment, purchasing, sales, selling, marketing, human resources, training, culture, customer service and relations, quality, health and safety, legal, technical and scientific, new product development, new business development; and in any combination.

Project management, for projects large or small, should follow this simple process:
1 Agree precise specification for the project.
2 Plan the project - time, team, activities, resources, financials.
3 Communicate the project plan to your project team.
4 Agree and delegate project actions.
5 Manage, motivate, inform, encourage, enable the project team.
6 Check, measure, review project progress; adjust project plans, and inform the project team and others.
7 Complete project; review and report on project performance; give praise and thanks to the project team.

Project Management Software
Project management software is a term covering many types of software, including scheduling, cost control and budget management, resource allocation, collaboration software, communication, quality management and documentation or administration systems, which are used to deal with the complexity of large projects.

Tasks or activities of project management software
Scheduling
One of the most common tasks is to schedule a series of events, and the complexity of this task can vary considerably depending on how the tool is used. Some common challenges include:

Events which depend on one another in different ways or dependencies
Scheduling people to work on, and resources required by, the various tasks commonly termed resource scheduling
Dealing with uncertainties in the estimates of the duration of each task
Arranging tasks to meet various deadlines
Juggling multiple projects simultaneously to meet a variety of requirements

Calculating critical path
In many complex schedules, there will be a critical path, or series of events that depend on each other, and whose durations directly determine the length of the whole project (see also critical chain). Some software applications (for example, Dependency Structure Matrix solutions) can highlight these tasks, which are often a good candidate for any optimization effort.


Providing information
Project planning software needs to provide a lot of information to various people, to justify the time spent using it. Typical requirements might include:

Tasks lists for people, and allocation schedules for resources
Overview information on how long tasks will take to complete
Early warning of any risks to the project
Information on workload, for planning holidays
Evidence
Historical information on how projects have progressed, and in particular, how actual and planned performance are related
Optimum utilization of available resource

Approaches to project management software
Desktop
Project management software can be implemented as a program that runs on the desktop of each user. This typically gives the most responsive and graphically-intense style of interface.
Desktop applications typically store their data in a file, although some have the ability to collaborate with other users (see below), or to store their data in a central database. Even a file-based project plan can be shared between users if it's on a networked drive and only one user accesses it at a time.
Desktop applications can be written to run in a heterogeneous environment of multiple operating systems, although it's unusual.

Web-based
Project management software can be implemented as a Web application, accessed through an intranet or extranet using a web browser.
This has all the usual advantages and disadvantages of web applications:
Can be accessed from any type of computer without installing software
Ease of access-control
Naturally multi-user
Only one software version and installation to maintain
Typically slower to respond than desktop applications
Project information not available when the user (or server) is offline.
Some packages do allow the user to "go-offline"

Personal
A personal project management application is one used at home, typically to manage lifestyle or home projects. There is considerable overlap with single user systems, although personal project management software typically involves simpler interfaces. See also non-specialised tools below.

Single user
A single-user system is programmed with the assumption that only one person will ever need to edit the project plan at once. This may be used in small companies, or ones where only a few people are involved in top-down project planning. Desktop applications generally fall into this category.

Collaborative
A collaborative system is designed to support multiple users modifying different sections of the plan at once, for example, updating the areas they personally are responsible for such that those estimates get integrated into the overall plan. Web-based tools, including extranets, generally fall into this category, but have the limitation that they can only be used when the user has live Internet access. To address this limitation, client-server-based software tools exist that provide a Rich Client that runs on users' desktop computer and replicate project and task information to other project team members through a central server when users connect periodically to the network and other tasks. Some tools allow team members to check out their schedules (and others' as read only) to work on them while not on the network. When reconnecting to the database, any changes are synchronized with the other schedules.

Integrated
An integrated system combines project management or project planning, with many other aspects of company life. For example, projects can have bug tracking issues assigned to each project, the list of project customers becomes a customer relationship management module, and each person on the project plan has their own task lists, calendars, and messaging functionality associated with their projects.

Similarly, specialised tools like SourceForge integrate project management software with source control (CVS) software and bug-tracking software, so that each piece of information can be integrated into the same system.

Common practises
Dependent on your environment you may use yur own procedures, or adopt "standards" such as PRINCE, ITIL, SCRUM or AGILE. These have all evolved over time to suit different types of project, and different types of customer and technical environment. 

We use the most appropriate techniques and software for your project. We have found that different procedures can all deliver success. What is more significant is that project participants adhere to procedures rather than which they use. Our highly experienced team have managed many projects of all types, and you can be assured we will help you to deliver your project - on time, on budget and with the appropriate resources