Now a day we have many new technology tools that use for the project to help us to be more comfortable than the past. If your project are located in low technology area where lacking of computer or mobile phone, as a project manager how are you going to work on this project without those tools and any other optional tools that would be pick during the project and why? Saving Changes...
Eric SimmsSenior Program ManagerBaltimore, Maryland, United States
For a low tech project I would use several pads of paper, pencils and pens to create all the project documentation. Keeping track of the schedule using pen and paper would be challenging, but it's not impossible. Communication would become even riskier, for without electronics I would need to communicate with people in person. I would also need to make sure team leaders passing messages to other team members truly understood the message I meant to convey, or major miscommunications could occur.
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1 reply by Chawapol Kangwanpoom
Apr 24, 2017 12:04 AM
Chawapol Kangwanpoom
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Eric, Thank for your sharing. I feel amazing and wonder about project manager from the past how they success in their project with lacking of tools. and now i can answered myself they have skills ,vision and experience.
Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
Technology has become today the new "Silver Bullet" for some people around the world. We need to understand that technology is a layer inside the enterprise architecture that supports the other layer (layers: buisness, application, technology, security, information) and no more than that. Each project manager must take it into account at the very begining of each initiative. Layers must have high cohesion and low coupling to allow each people use of it. Saving Changes...
I can understand that some area don't have full access to the latest technologies, like high speed Internet. What can prevent you from bringing required technologies on site?
I once did install satellite communication for network communication with external points. Doing so did give the project a full access to everything needed at a limited network speed.
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1 reply by Chawapol Kangwanpoom
Apr 24, 2017 12:17 AM
Chawapol Kangwanpoom
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Vincent, Thank you for your experience. In this case I must travel to country's boundary to monitoring little projects,I must be collect data and report. I also have limit of budget then I prepare pen,paper, SLR camera and more confident for this project.
Chawapol, Technology is a great technical tool; however, PMBOK looks at administrative tools which most time can not be replaced by machines.Just like Eric said, documentation could be on paper , Of course, there will be a lot of communication bottlenecks :sharing information especially reports like: (Status,Milestones etc) to all stakeholders.
The project team could always hold their pen and writing materials during meetings. But there will be a lot of correspondence issues peculiar in a functional organization which include:
1: Confidentiality 2.Integrity . 3. Availability. Confidentiality: In this type of system, information are no longer confidential strictly between the encoder(s )and the decoder(s). Hence resulting to bureaucracy, delay and could lead to the failure of the project.
2.Integrity : The content on the paper on transit may be tempered with ,leaving the content in complete or gold plated , of course as we know this may result to a different message entirely or may hold the sender and receiver incommunicado, lack of trust , quarrels etc.
3. Availability: The data or information could be lost in transit; thus , may not be available to stakeholders .
Since our slogan says "90 percent of PM's time is on communication" Chawapol, your number one risk in this kind of scenario is communication management.
Although , in a functional setting , PMs do not have the power to effect a solid communication management plan.So, managers conduct meetings before meetings,junior staff do not appreciate the value of such meetings since they are aware.
Technology is good especially with robust reporting and collaboration solutions nowadays. Yet there are still a lot of functional organizations that have not embraced this. Saving Changes...
For a low tech project I would use several pads of paper, pencils and pens to create all the project documentation. Keeping track of the schedule using pen and paper would be challenging, but it's not impossible. Communication would become even riskier, for without electronics I would need to communicate with people in person. I would also need to make sure team leaders passing messages to other team members truly understood the message I meant to convey, or major miscommunications could occur.
Eric, Thank for your sharing. I feel amazing and wonder about project manager from the past how they success in their project with lacking of tools. and now i can answered myself they have skills ,vision and experience. Saving Changes...
I can understand that some area don't have full access to the latest technologies, like high speed Internet. What can prevent you from bringing required technologies on site?
I once did install satellite communication for network communication with external points. Doing so did give the project a full access to everything needed at a limited network speed.
Vincent, Thank you for your experience. In this case I must travel to country's boundary to monitoring little projects,I must be collect data and report. I also have limit of budget then I prepare pen,paper, SLR camera and more confident for this project. Saving Changes...
Drew CraigSr. Agile & Product Coach| VanguardPhiladelphia, Pa, United States
You have to wonder how much was simply 'in their head' as opposed to documented. Do you think b/c we have so much at our disposal nowadays (really thinking in the technology age in general) we have more documentation?
Communication would surely be a challenge, but there were probably less dispersed teams back then. Technology has led to the ability to be more widely dispersed than ever before.
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1 reply by Wade Harshman
Apr 24, 2017 8:27 AM
Wade Harshman
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Andrew,
I recall a study some years ago that essentially proved this point. It showed that as technology has made documentation and communication easier, we have raised our expectations of documentation. I think what this shows is that organizations that tolerate waste are unchanged by technology. It's like the IT version of Parkinson's Law, or maybe the Snackwell Effect.
In my view keeping up new modern technological tools is best for any business because it is not the question of either your work would get done without using technology or not but its about the long term goals, as if you do not implement technology practices in organization now then after some time your employees would not be able to cope up with the new technological advancements which would be the dire need of organization in future and they would not be having basic knowledge to meet the challenges arising in the fast paced competitive environment. Saving Changes...
Wade HarshmanScrum Master| GDITIndianapolis, In, United States
I still see this from time to time. Our team arrives at a location only to find that there's no internet or cell phone service. Many people seem to think that the internet is a universal force that can be accessed from anywhere, but I can assure you that this is not true.
Eric nailed it, bring pencils and paper. You don't need a huge MS Project file to manage a project, you just need to plan. Setup some central storage location for your project files, such as a bulletin board or a physical file folder that you can carry.
Communication is the tricky part. Secure radios are great when cell service is unavailable. If your team is dispersed, you will need to establish a routine that includes an appropriate frequency of meetings so all relevant information can be distributed. You, as the PM, will assume a very big responsibility in keeping everyone informed, so you might be the one walking or driving from point to point. Don't forget to manage stakeholder expectations, too; you'll need to find a way to keep them updated, or at least let them know when you'll be able to give them updates. Saving Changes...
Wade HarshmanScrum Master| GDITIndianapolis, In, United States
Apr 24, 2017 6:41 AM
Replying to Drew Craig
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You have to wonder how much was simply 'in their head' as opposed to documented. Do you think b/c we have so much at our disposal nowadays (really thinking in the technology age in general) we have more documentation?
Communication would surely be a challenge, but there were probably less dispersed teams back then. Technology has led to the ability to be more widely dispersed than ever before.
Andrew,
I recall a study some years ago that essentially proved this point. It showed that as technology has made documentation and communication easier, we have raised our expectations of documentation. I think what this shows is that organizations that tolerate waste are unchanged by technology. It's like the IT version of Parkinson's Law, or maybe the Snackwell Effect. Saving Changes...
