I have been tasked to take a look at improving upon or simply adding non existent process to a solutions delivery IT shop. I have been exposed to numerous types of process maturity models and frameworks including ITIL ,Kerzner PMM, SDLC, Macroscope , CMM / CMMI etc but this is the first time I have been asked to implement process.
I am proposing starting with a gap analysis of what process currently exists but the objectives of what processes will gives us the biggest improvement is still up in the air. It may be difficult to measure and the senior managment support is to a point where they know they need to add best practices but do not know where to start. They will not support a CMM appraisal at this time so how we develop our process recommendations must come from in house.
Just throwing this one out for discussion as it hits the heart of Process Improvement right from the ground up with the question of "Where do I begin to improve upon process"? Saving Changes...
Hi, I am currently managing applications for super specialty hospitals, with various modules integrated. I need to have help from you on how do we give estimations based on some methodology. Saving Changes...
Mark Price PerryBusiness Driven PMO Evangelist| BOT InternationalOrlando, Fl, United States
Dear Stan, in your post you mentioned that management doesn't pay a dime to anyone unless they are forced and that you have not been tasked to improve our internal processes, but it is badly needed. I agree with Mr. Wood in that it is not so much the template rather the getting dialog going. Toward that aim, one approach is to show a Project Management Process ROI analysis comparing the "do nothing" state with the "do something" state with respect to implementing or not implementing processes for project management. We have developed an excel based ROI tool just for this that enables you to enter organizational and project related information, compare and constrast the "do nothing" state to the "do something" state, and then engage in a non-threatening dialog. I would be happy to send the ROI Model to you and talk you through the inputs, calculations, and outputs. Feel free to contact me or let me know your email. Best regards. -- Mark Perry, VP of Customer Care, BOT International Saving Changes...
Mark Price PerryBusiness Driven PMO Evangelist| BOT InternationalOrlando, Fl, United States
Dear Subashree, for most project organizations, activity duration estimating is part of the planning process. Have you looked at JPACE Project Management - Justify, Plan, Activate, Control, End - here on Gantthead? From the Gantthead homepage, under processes, click on JPACE Project Management, or copy and paste the following link into your browser: http://www.gantthead.com/process/processMain.cfm?ID=2-21343-2 Familiarity with implementing the application modules also helps in the estimation process, a great deal. Are you the hospital IT department, the systems integrator, or the application vendor? As part of your planning, ensure you have the best possible resources, knowledgeable in implementing the application modules, to provide you with or at least confirm your estimates. If you are the systems integrator, you might consider maintaining an estimating database for the application modules. Continually compare your estimates to your actuals to arrive at more precise estimates as well as to identify those factors that typically cause differences in project estimates from one implementation to another. Again, activity duration estimating and maintaining and updating your estimating database is part of just about any project management process. In addition to JPACE, you might want to also have a look at some other project management process solutions such as Processes On Demand, by BOT International, PMCoP by PM Solutions, and Tensteps. Other solutions can be found on the web as well. You might try a search on estimating process or project management process software. Good luck. -- Mark Perry, VP of Customer Care, BOT International Saving Changes...
Michael WoodProject Manager / Business Analyst / Business Process Improvement Guru| Independent ContractorGig Harbor, Wa, United States
Dear Subashree
Estimating is often as much an art form as it is a science. I find that the more granular the estimate the more accurate it becomes. Ideally you can provide estimates on a phase by phase basis. At the beginning of a project, the requirements discovery phase, it is very difficult to estimate the development effort. After all, until you discover what the requirements are, how can you know how much effort it will take to fulfill them? Common sense I know but all too often management wants a total project budget before approving the initiative.
I have always tried to separate the discovery process from the SDLC with the justification that some research needs to be done to understand the overall cost and benefits of the initiative. Sometimes that option is not available. When faced with that option estimating becomes an art form born from experience.
Developing MACRO estimates can be done with relative accuracy by placing boundaries on the components to be delivered. For example you could provide an estimate based on a set of finite assumptions such as number of reports, screens, periodic processes, interfaces, etc. or pending the outcome of certain events.
I have often been successful providing estimates based on NOT TO EXCEED deliverables and then use basic formulas for estimating phases. I have found that in most cases requirements definition takes 15% to 20% of the effort, design 30% to 40%, construction 35% to 45% and deployment 10% to 15% in terms of labor. Obviously neither the low nor high ranges equal 100%. This is why I always provide estimates in terms of ranges and never as a single number. In my project plans I always have tasks identified to recalibrate the remaining phase estimates at the end of each phase. In essence I design my project plan to reflect the realities of situation. This approach has served me well over the years.
There are volumes upon volumes of books, whitepapers and templates on estimating the size of projects as you can see from this link http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Project+Estimating. The key is to understand what you know and don’t know about the project and building the framework around that model. The variables to consider include time constraints (the faster the costlier), talent pool, shared vs. dedicated resources, culture, track record, complexity of deliverables, etc.
I hope this provides some perspective
Good Luck
Saving Changes...
Peter GoldsburyManaging Director| Strategic Expertise LtdAuckland, New Zealand
I notice a lot of people on this thread asking "where do I begin", a very lonely question. Perhaps if we re-phase it to "where do we begin", we would begin to gather together the immense collective wisdom that is inherent with organisations, and the answers to that question may be "Now, anywhere and everywhere".
What seems like chaos is a natural phenomenum in nature and the breeding ground of innovation. Some may like to back up and look at the new thread in the top process improvement discussion group that aims to help us try to grow living organisations that mimic nature. Saving Changes...
Sean, I suggest you to go for Six Sigma DMAIC approach for process improvement. Try to define what you want to improve and do your analysis.
Define what to improve?
Measure how the process performing from last few months?
Analyze the data gathered and come up with solution?
Implement the solution?
Check check periodically the progress of the process and see if it is working or not.. Saving Changes...
