July 23rd, 2010
denniskwan
In an end-user environment, it is sometimes difficult for me to scope up a project. Sometimes the request description in the form is quite general and vague. Multiple meetings needs to be conducted with project sponsor to discuss the project requirements. This is to ensure the project scope is clear and precise so that the team is aware of the actual deliverables. Ultimately, be clear and specific with the project requirement of what the requester really want to achieve.
Unclear scope is always one of the project problems. Scope not clear will lead to delivering wrong end product / services. Thus a clear scope is needed right from the start of the project engagement. Project cost comes directly from the project scope. It will affect the project triple constraints upon an unclear scope.
If one of the deliverables is to purchase equipment, then the project scope needs to be clear. Wrong equipment / model purchased will cause the project cost to have large investment.
Once the scope is clear, I then start to seek quotations from the vendor. Ensure the vendor is aware of the project scope thus providing the necessary quotation.
On the other hand, if you are a project manager in a vendor environment, it will be easier. The scope had normally been taken cared by the pre-sales team. Thus any experienced project manager can just took up the assignment and managed the project delivery. The scoping process is a quite clear and straight forward.
Lesson Learn: Be clear and specific on the project scope before delivery, implementation. If there is any change, ensure it does not impact the entire project.
As for SI project manager, the more change it has, the more project charges it will incurred as the request adds on the additional pre-defined scope arrangement.
July 13th, 2010
denniskwan
Communication is the life blood of human interactions in any situation.
However, poor communication wastes time, money and effort in correcting misunderstandings, resolving conflicts and repairing damaged relationships. The ability to communicate effectively as a Project Manager is an essential life skill and a critical core competency to achieve your goals in today’s challenging project environment.
November 13th, 2009
denniskwan
What is a Communication?
Communication is a message transmits from Point A to Point B in a medium (environment). The cycle is only complete when Point B responds to Point A that he/she receives the signal.
Many people nowadays are very well informed of the current affairs because of the advanced technologies. They just switch on their computer and head to the popular search engines. Click on the topic and tons of information will fly in. Thus people are knowledgeable. They are willing to voice out their opinion.
More and more people are willing to speak up. Thus if there is any information they find that is debatable. They will start to speak up. Thus one way of communication is no longer the mode. The communication cycle have not even finish, the response already kicks in.
Thus a complete communication cycle always take plenty of planning and execution.
In a classroom environment, the teacher will transmit the knowledge from his/her perspective down to the students. Teachers will ensure the students understanding the topics by asking the students to perform some exercise so as to ensure they understand. The act of exercise could be a form of responding to the communication cycle.
In an office environment, taking email for this scenario, communication cycle begins when sender mails out information to the other party. If the recipient did not respond, sender will get worried and excited. Communication cycle has suddenly paused.
Remember communication is not complete until the recipient responds.
Thus the sender will tick the delivery receipt option; read receipt option and whatever means to ensure the recipient get to open up the sender’s mail. Alternatively, sender will picks up the phone and contact the recipient to reinforce the sending signal had been received.
If you are the sender, please do some actions to ensure the recipient responds to the message. If you are the message recipient, please help the other party to complete the communication cycle. In a mail, just respond to the sender that the message was received and actions will be followed shortly kind of similar message back to sender.
