CJ CummingsEPMO| BCBSLABaton Rouge, La, United States
Do you think that MS Project has replaced the Project Management Plan? Is a project unmanageable without MS Project?
A number of job discriptions include MS Project and PMP as a requirement for a project manager. Is that all there is? just developing and maintaining a WBS makes you a project manager? Is this the only tool that you use? Is a project unmanageable if you don't use MS Project?
Is the list of work packages within a time frame done by certain people the only things to managing projects? Why do we think PM's should earn more than Minimum wage if this is the case?
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Hans RobbersSenior Director| SalesforceVlissingen, Netherlands
Please take into consideration the saying:
A fool with a tool is still a fool.
So MSP is not the solution to everything and I am still able to manage my projects without MSP. However it will make life easier in terms of tracking progress and financials.
Managing is not done by MSP by communicating and relating to people: stakeholders, team members etc.
MSP in itself doesn't know the risk response strategies , or the difference between -ve & +ve sign in CV OR SV , and what the reasons behind this or that .
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You had raised a number of questions and I will attempt to answer most of them?
To the first question. MS project is just a tool and therefore it can not replace a project plan. MS project can only facilitate in certain areas of project planning e.g., scheduling, resource planning, resource leveling etc. However, you should appreciate that as a tool it will only process what you feed to it. Your project management plan should include risk management, communication plan and MS project as a tool cannot assist you in this regard.
Your second question. It depends on the size of the project. The larger the poject, the greater the need for a tool. There are different types of tools to be used depending on the project size and industry. For very small projects you may simply use simple spreadsheets.
Your third question: Job requirements may require you to be competent in a certain tool depending on how critical is the tool of the day to day operation of the position. For PMP it shows you have a good grasp of the art and science of project management. It is my opinion that employers should consider other qualifications in Project Management such as modules in MBA and management diplomas. Employers should also consider experience and success in projects in their line of business
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Elyse NielsenSenior Project Manager| Ascension Health Information ServicesHaines City, Fl, United States
Hi CJ,
In my opinion, MS Project is mainly the project scheduling tool of choice for organizations without a project management information system. Often in these organizations, the ms project schedule mimics the vendor’s schedule, and is created then filed to be never reviewed again.. This fact speaks to the level of project management maturity at the organization.
On your final question, the actual project management work is more than creating a schedule. Its about assuring the project delivers the benefits and facilitating the transformation of the project.
Perhaps, if you can expand a little upon the environment which has this perception, I can provide some helpful hints to market the value of project management.
Carmen DunbarProject Manager| World Health OrganizationGeneva, Switzerland
First of all, the previous comments are spot-on. Tools will not replace lack of skill or training.
In the case of MS Project, the exercise of planning project tasks, assigning responsibility and managing your team without over-allocating during any one time period is vastly improved through using a scheduling tool. Likewise, task duration and work will always change throughout a project -- especially if you are building custom product of some kind -- and a tool will help to determine quickly the end result of such changes so that you can communicate with your team and stakeholders as a result. MS Project is just one of many tools -- I use it because it is less expensive that some of the other enterprise-wide tools out there and, despite some of the bugs, it is easy to use.
As to your other question -- PMs should do more than schedule and manage tasks. They are, more than not, the largest conduit of information between the stakeholders, subject matter experts, and the team accomplishing the work. They are often the managers of change on the project (both from the business and technical side) and they have the thankless job of keeping track of everything. They help to identify and deal with risks. If they are good, they help keep an entire team full of different personalities and talents working enthusiastically in the same direction toward project success. Saving Changes...
Anonymous
My question to you without offence, are you a Project Manager? I ask as questions raised any experienced Project Manager would tell you that Projects delivered successfully to the business it is not about MS Project or producing the documents - Administrators can do that and they are not Project Managers! My recommendation is to study a methodology of your choice and to at least learn the fundamentals of project management.
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CJ CummingsEPMO| BCBSLABaton Rouge, La, United States
Thanks, the reason behind the questions is because all too often I hear PM's refer to MS Project as the "Project Plan", as in I need to update the project plan. Asking about RACI, communication plans, requirements management, risks, QA and you get a blank stare. Saving Changes...
Elyse NielsenSenior Project Manager| Ascension Health Information ServicesHaines City, Fl, United States
Hi CJ,
Thanks for elaborating on your post. Based on your discussions, the issue is that project management maturity at your organization is chaotic. Everyone is doing the best they can, but no one is doing it the same way. The tools you discuss can be used if your organization has a certain level of sophistication to understand them.
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