Project Management Methodology

Though it seems like you've won the war when you've won a new client, getting a client to sign on for your business' services is only a first step. An important one, true, but only the first. Now that your client has signed on the bottomline, it's your responsibility to turn in satisfactory work, and on time, too.

That's the job of a project manager - making sure all the pieces of a project fit together smoothly and work seamlessly. And it's not an easy job. In fact, making a project flow is so difficult some managers aren't even sure where to start.

That's why this week we've tapped the advice of Dan Klein, CEO of e- learning technology company Convene.com. His company has made a business out of helping other businesses bring instructor-based training online. Convene.com takes on each project with a methodology they call the "Convene Technique." We found it interesting and useful - and we think you will, too.

Phase One: Alignment and Analysis

The first piece of the project management puzzle involves defining the scope of a project.

"When we work with a client, the most important thing is for us all to identify the requirements, both on the client side and on the Convene side, before we put together a custom solution," says Klein. "Alignment meetings and the alignment process are a way to ensure that Convene's service staff and the client's needs are aligned before we start down a path."

Define the problems the client wants to solve. Then define the solution your business will require. Put it in writing, with scoping and requirements documents.

"The scoping document identifies the project at a high level with relative timelines and the distinct deliverables that are required. Then from a requirements standpoint, you start breaking it into the details of the project where we explain what we're going to do in each of these steps," says Klein. Define milestones - what must be done by this date? What must the client do to help the process along?

Phase Two: Design and Prototype

Next, your business must design a prototype. Give the client something to look at.

"With these software-oriented projects, there's nothing like being able to see it flash in front of you on a screen to validate the vision that the customer has in mind as to what it will look like when it gets done," he says. "Of course, as we work through the project, what we're trying to do with both the prototypes and laying out the storyboards is make sure we're all heading down the right track so we don't do a lot of work that has to be re-worked before the eventual product is finalized."

Phase Three: Development and Pilot

The next phase involves rolling out a pilot program. You have to have something for clients to look at so they can provide feedback to further refine your efforts.

"Some customers have chosen to run the pilot with our tools for assessing progress. We've had others where we've flown our personnel out to sit side by side with people who were going through the training program to make sure we got feedback directly from them as they were going through it. The key with that is that with the web, there are a lot of conveniences available. We are able to put a pilot training program in front of a lot of people," says Klein. "As you come to the pilot, you're about ready to launch in our minds. It's pretty well done at that point."

Don't try to test features during the pilot phase - this should have been done in the design phase. The pilot phase is meant to assess the client's feelings and learn what changes are needed for the final delivery.

"Have a well thought out plan for distilling all the feedback into steps of action or inaction, depending on what you hear. That should happen relatively quickly. In our process, by the time we get to the pilot the course is ready to go. If we've done the project right and the feedback that we got from the customer was positive all the way along the project, including for the prototype, we ought to be able to just rubber stamp and move it into production," he says.

Phase Four: Delivery and Evaluation

The last step is one many companies forget. Save time for the final evaluation. Make sure your client is getting exactly what is expected. Be ready with last minute tweaks and fixes for any problems.

"Time is critical to customers and I think in the evaluation phase you definitely want to make sure that it all comes down to the result that the outcomes you were expecting to achieve are the ones that are being achieved. Are the people learning what they need to learn? Are they able to perform the tasks that they need to perform to do their jobs? Is their productivity increasing because of what you've delivered?" Klein asks.

These are hard, scary questions to ask, but it's critical that your client leave happy or they won't be back. And they certainly won't recommend you to others if they're not happy with your work. A good project manager keeps a project on track - but a good project management methodology does more than just guide one project. Instead, incorporate a methodology that will encompass all your projects, making sure that you deliver what you promise and leave a string of very happy customers behind.