Effective Project Management for the Web
presented by: Stephen Lovell PM is NOT babysitting.
It’s a skill foremost, and a singular role in specific situations of need. If the person doing PM doesn’t know the build skills, then it’s time to learn.
Contextual understanding is vital in adequate PM.
You can’t stand on the periphery or the outside looking in.
The best PMs are the ones DOING the work. In order to do PM, you’ll need a System.
There’s a lot of different methodologies and philosophies out there.
At their most basic level they boil down to a few foundational elements. Elements of a PM System
Projects
Tasks
Events What constitutes a Project?
Client
Adequate Information
Defined Scope
Timeline Projects are the Hub.
Docs Event
Task Event
Project
Scope Notes
Task What constitutes a Task?
Focused
Individually assignable
Segment in a chain What constitutes an Event?
Meeting
Milestone Milestones are not merely markers in the road.
They are a signifier to communicate a status update to the Client or Stakeholders. PM is not just about tracking.
It is also dependent on process. In simplest terms the procession of a project is as follows…
Research -> Build -> Test -> QA -> Support
Your mileage may vary. Contact Initial Client Contact via Wordpress email/phone/in-person Project
Initiation Workflow & Life Cycle Project New Project is auto- generated in Podio
Ticket Project Initiation Ticket Created New List is auto- List generated in Trello
Queued Space
Cards generated for Card Work Begins. Cards Cards Assigned. Moved Work ready for review. Necessary Revisions Cards Task Work on Project in Moved to In Progress / Cards to Assigned List Moved to Ready Check Made. Moved to Done Associated List Blocked !
Content Content Discovery Design Build QA Training Staging Migration Revision
• Individual site • Generate • Setup • Cross-Browser • Training • Migration by • Setup Beta • Site is moved audit • Discussions • Seed Testing Booked CIT of content Location for into a Staging • Initial Site • Revisions • Mods • Cross-Device • Credentials into site, site State where it • Sitemap • Mockup sign- • Overall Testing Generated marked • Site Training will remain • Discussions i off Construction • Error checks • Training "unchanging" (client and CIT until ready to • Sitemap Reorg • Rotating • Render checks Participated by client trainer) GO LIVE • Discussions Testing • Security • Audit for • Creation of • Content checks errors, or new content in Strategy grain) • Permissions issues appropriate • Develop checks areas by client Layout • Initial Approval • Content Audit • Discussions • Revisions (Organization, • Revisions • Final Approval Accessibility, etc.) In ProgressIn (orBlockedapplicable) if !
Project Enters Frozen Project is now LIVE & Cards Cards Generated. State. No Changes Cards Project In Support. PM GO LIVE Cards Assigned. Worked. Allowed. Systems Updated
Associated Matching Cards Tickets Updated Clients contact with Associated Support Cards Support Contact Cards generated. Assigned. to match work problems or wishes Tickets Tickets Created Cards Tickets Worked. completed on
In SupportIn Cards
EOL is generated Change Request Ticket Matching Cards Project removed from Cards EOL because of request or Ticket Generated to Track CardsCards generated. Assigned. Project Production & Closed in replacement EOL Worked. PM Systems Closed Research is the key step
It enables you to build Scope, gather key Project Details, build out Tasks, build out Events, and create a manageable Timeline. Funny Dilbert Comic Here Use your imagination. It could be about anything! You do adequate Research by asking questions.
Lots and lots of questions. You should kill all future surprises possible in this stage.
Research is the lifeblood of Planning.
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Without adequate Planning you can’t do adequate Projection.
Planning starts with Scope. You use Scope to build Tasks
You break the Scope into chunks and sub-chunks of work and generate Tasks.
Tasks should be grouped based on sections of work instead of a long list.
You define the time on Tasks based on modeling and intuition. PM is not strictly logic and data.
It’s an exercise in intuition and rhythm. https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=kbxtYqA6ypM https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=eDdI7GhZSQA Events are then a result of those Tasks.
When sections of work have been completed there is a Milestone Event which might be followed by a Meeting Event to report the update.
Deadlines associated with things are also Events. Add it all together and you get a Timeline.
You can now see if the desired completion date can be met reasonably or not.
BUT, we forgot something. PM involves human beings.
Therefore, a system built on order and perfection in order to succeed will fail. Buffer Time
Life will happen.
Someone will get sick.
Someone will break something.
It happens. Be prepared. Buffer Time is not deception, it’s responsible.
Without it you are assuming everything will be perfect and nothing bad will happen.
That’s a very irresponsible mindset to have. A few ways you can factor in Buffer Time.
Bake it into tasks by making all tasks planned for 2 hour blocks of time minimum. Vary increment, but keep consistent.
At the end of your Timeline creation you add in 25% - 50% of your overall time back in. You can only manage what you can track.
Passive methodologies are always best, as they are least intrusive. You can only communicate what you can track.
Information without data to back it up is just speculation or at worst fabrication. Project Management Systems as Software
Generally enable passive tracking, auto-reporting, data storage and organization, and communication channels. Software Possibilities
Podio Slack
Trello Hipchat
Asana Github
Jira Bitbucket
Basecamp Gmail
Blossom Clear
Google Cal Excel
Wunderlist
Todoist For Teams
Podio Slack
Trello Hipchat
Asana Github
Jira Bitbucket
Basecamp Gmail
Blossom Excel
Google Cal For Individuals
Trello Github Asana Bitbucket Basecamp Gmail Google Cal Clear Wunderlist Excel Todoist The unfortunate reality is that there is no silver bullet in what’s available.
You will have to chain together multiple Apps in order to accomplish effective Project-level Information, Tasks, and Events, along with all the ancillary data associated with PM. Example Setup 1
Project-level Task Management Event Management
Podio Trello Podio + Exchange + Excel
Team Code Tracking Communication Bitbucket Hipchat Example Setup 2
Project-level Task Management Event Management
Basecamp Basecamp Google Cal
Team Code Tracking Communication Github Slack Example Setup 3
Project-level Task Management Event Management
Trello Trello Google Cal
Team Code Tracking Communication Github N/A In all of the above what is most important is clear channels of communication.
Passive communication wherever possible is always best.
However, it will never be perfect and so there must be a schedule or routine built into your process to account for manual communication of items: daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly.
Note hourly is avoided because it is a time sink. It will vary based on whether you are an individual vs. a team.
This may be you communicating to your system alone, or your team communicating through the system with each other. The Project Manager is no longer the keeper of the keys.
Everyone has access to the Project Management Software.
Everyone can see where things are and where they need to be.
Everyone can report their progress and obstacles as they go along.
This means that individuals can self-correct behavior that threatens timelines. This is why PM built into a team as a skill is such a gain.
There isn’t a need for one person to hold the plan and direct traffic all the time.
A trusted team with adequate communication has a clear plan from the outset to follow. Minor adjustments can be made along the way.
Individuals can self-correct mistakes.
Managers can more quickly notice and communicate alternatives to things “off the rails”.
There are not enormous “status” meetings required since accurate and current data is always available for the team or individual. Bringing it all together
Project System Project Process Project Planning Elements Research Scope Projects Build Timeline Tasks Testing Intuition Events QA Modelling Support Buffer Time
Project Tracking Communication Direction
Software Toolchain Channels Micro-level Routine Individual Team Thank you ;)