2007 Diary - week 12

This week I have been on a course for 3 days and also managed to get to an industry meeting one evening, which included an interesting talk and a chance for some networking. These can be useful if you find somebody who is ahead in a particular field and is prepared to share some of the experiences as I did that night, so need to follow that up.
The downside of being away a few days is that you have a backlog of issues to deal with on your return but these are minimised these days thanks to the mobile email device which allows a level of 'finger on the pulse' when out of the office. I have learnt that you do need discipline to know when to use it or you can be 'fiddling' all night!
'Volunteered' to do a CIO pick of the week on silicon.com where I had to pick 5 stories from a massive list of stories that had been reported during the week and comment on them from a business or personal point of view. Took the list home to work on over the weekend and final results is now published here
Had a little bit of fun with it in the end. One of our large rollouts is continuing next week with the next group of users so here's hoping!

Troubled Projects

Just completed a training course on rapid assessment and recovery of troubled projects. Even though I am a seasoned project manager and have dealt with a few problem projects, the course was excellent and provided me with a structured methodology and tools for dealing with such types of projects. The main theme wasn't rocket science and covered the usual key steps of agreeing the scope (The Charter), planning the assessment phase, carrying out an assessment, planning the recovery, and carrying out the recovery. Inside these phases were plenty of tools, methods and suggestions for the detail work required.
Of course one theme was not getting into trouble in the first place and the usual suspects were all there. I have listed some of them: -
· Lack of job/role/responsibility definitions
· Lack of correct skills
· Lack of sponsor or stakeholder buy in
· Lack of user involvement
· Optimistic schedules
· No or poor risk management
· Poor planning
· Bad design
· Poor or no controls
· Missing tasks
· Scope creep or unrealistic requirements (Gold plating)
· Switching sub contractors or key products during project
Obvious really but human nature being what it is problem projects will stir occur, therefore the more pre-planning you can do coupled with key reviews during the project are sure to help.
You do still see very high statistics quoted, particularly in IT, on how many projects fail although you wonder on the criteria. I could sometimes argue that a project being re base-lined due to a reassessment of completion times is not necessarily a failure but statistically may be counted as such.
The bottom line is use a methodology, train your people, get a sponsor and ensure frequent reviews. Well that’s my view.

2007 Diary - week 11

End of another busy and varied week. That is one of the great things about this job. Each day brings new (and sometimes, unfortunately, old) challenges.
One of the downsides is meetings. (remember the old cliché - was it John Cleese who coined the phrase 'meetings, bl**dy meetings') and I get a lot of those, some interesting and some like watching paint dry but all part of the job. This week was no exception with a number of management meetings; individual meets with people and some project set up/ reviews. Another downside is cold calls and trying to screen these is very difficult but getting caught with some persistent salesman and not being rude is a challenge at times.
Managed a day out and went to join some of my peers at a Gartner event which gave the opportunity to realise we are not as bad as sometimes I think we are. In fact listening to others I think we are going in the right direction and are a nice way down that path.
Worked on some directional stuff around business intelligence and finished the week with a major planning session on the rebuild of a major system that will improve our efficiencies and put us in a strong market position (he says positively!)
Thank goodness for weekends

My Head hurts with SOA

I don’t know why but SOA gives me a headache.
What is it and what is new about it.?
It seems to be a number of things. Maybe it includes API's, maybe some middleware, maybe the API's are based on web services, maybe the infrastructure has some Quality of Service (QOS) for delivery, XML is surely involved. It certainly seems to indicate that it connects applications and provides standards but are these ones we already have and are we just embracing them under a new name. Is it the new EDI standard that was once based on things like ‘EDIFACT’ but for internal and external application integration?
I have done a little bit of research and don’t think I am the only one confused? If I say to a vendor are you SOA compliant he will probably say yes. Because he has XML/API/Web services or whatever else he can use to back up his statement.
I am a practical guy working at the coal face so I need a practical explanation that I can relate to the real world and not some ‘consultancy-speak’.
Anybody out there who is not confused and can explain it in practical terms?
Should I worry about it?

Conferences and Seminars - To go or not to go

I was at a conference last week having been invited to run a workshop on mobile working but also to go as a delegate which meant once my bit was over I could relax and listen to others. Most of the speakers were practitioners who like me had been 'persuaded' to participate plus there were the usual circuit speakers, either consultants or practitioners that seem to be always at these events. I am not sure how they get the time. In my case it seemed like a good idea when I was asked but as it got closer I was struggling to find the time to put it together with the amount of research, structuring and rehearsing that was required. In the end all went well and the feed back was good.
The event was generally good and there were some informative sessions.
Generally I am disappointed with conferences. I used to go to the ones with subjects that I am interested in, full of hope that I will learn something but so often they fall short of my expectations.
I am now very very selective and maybe only do one or two a year.
In my opinion organisers apart from choosing the right subjects need to ensure tat the speakers give something back rather than just telling us what we already know.
Am I alone in this?