acl 2013 presentation projects kick ass

New Project Module Kicks ASS(Ass isn’t even profanity. It’s in the bible.)

THOMAS CLANCY, JRVice President

Valiant Technology, Inc.

tom@valiant-ny.com

15+ years pretending to know how to fix stuff 10+ years as founder of Valiant, now managing a team of 17 Father of three (for sale, $500 ea, $1200 all three, OBO) Author of Mac OS X Bible (Panther, Tiger, Leopard Editions) Speaks at Google HQ in NYC Continuing education speaker at AIA

AGENDA

WHAT IS A PROJECT? COMMON CHALLENGES BEST PRACTICES Q and A

What is a Project?

Temporary Defined Beginning and End Group Activity Complex/Non Routine

Project True Confession“Sometimes in the middle of the night, I think of something that's funny, then I go get a pen and I write it down. Or if the pen's too far away, I have to convince myself that what I thought of ain't funny”

–Mitch Hedberg

New UI is EZ

CONTEXTUAL MENU IN-LINE EDITING DRAG + DROP = WHEW MULTI-SELECT=MULTI-AWESOME BULK CHANGES ARE BAD ASS

COMMON CHALLENGES

SCHEDULING TECHNICAL CLIENT (AKA the enemy) BUDGET CHANGE ORDERS

Scheduling: Our Worst Enemy

Scheduling: Capacity Planning

Avoid Overload

Scheduling: SLIDE and Auto Adjust! Yay!!!!

Scheduling: Use Predecessors!

Make Visible

Scheduling: Gantt Chart

Technical Challenges

Technical Challenges = ISSUES

Technical Challenges = ISSUES

Client Challenge: Participation (Lack thereof)

Client Challenge: GET ‘EM INVOLVED!!!

Admin Client Access Portal Security Level

PER TASK!

Challenge: Budget!

During Startup: Use Budget Shortcut

During Project: Use Costs and Expenses

No Budget: Use Proposal Projects

Make a Proposal Project Possible for non-customers Easy to convert to Client Project

NOTE: NOT FOR PRO-BONO WORK

PERSONAL CHALLENGES

Weak Change Order Approach Chronic Ninety-osis (Acute Incomplete-itus) Non-Repeatable Results No Post Mortem

Change Orders: A Familiar Tale?

Change Orders: Add Milestones

Change Orders: Milestone Phase

Don’t Be “Afraid to get Paid”

“Yes of course we can do that!” (big smile!) “You of course understand this is a change order?” (quizzical, dismissive) <show original scope of work> (wink) “I will write up the change order with the price and timing for your approval.” “Please sign here.” (big smile!) <Add Milestone to Contract, New Phase to Project, Associate>

SOMETIMES THE PRICE IS ZERO. THAT’S OKAY TOO!

Change Orders Can Pay In MANY Ways

Chronic 90-osis

No Post Mortem? Non-Repeatable?

No Post Mortem? Non-Repeatable?

BEST PRACTICES RECAP

OpportunityFixed Price ContractProject Milestones Associated with Phases Import Canned Projects Use Predecessor Tasks Insert Issues (don’t ignore them!) Involve Client Persistently Change Order = New Milestone = $$$ (or not) Update templates every time!

CONCLUSION

The new project module helps solve many of the challenges of managing projects

New Projects + Attitude Adjustment = Unstoppable! GO FORTH AND WIN!