digital pm summit 2014: a date is a date
DESCRIPTION
For nearly every client, when asked if they have a launch date in mind the answer is always ASAP. What clients do not understand is the cause and effect of ASAP. During this session we will have an open discussion surrounding the following topics: - How to set client expectations around deadlines - The cause and effect of missed dates - The benefits of planning and working in a cushion - How to become focused on quality not on hours - Removing the term hours from your vocabulary - Lessons learned from past experiencesTRANSCRIPT
A Date is a Date
Managing Internal and External Expectations
Failure is common
Nearly 70% of projects are late, over budget, or don’t meet expectations.
Never trust a salesman
● Sales team job: Bring in new business. No matter what.
● DPM’s job: See past the story that sales has painted and determine from the very beginning a clearly defined scope and timeline.
● Without clearly defined goals, how do you know what to deliver and when?
Define expectations from the start
● Separate the wants vs the needs.
● Get the right info by asking the right questions.
● Build a [Realistic] Timeline.
Ask the right questions
Accepting a deadline is a Commitment
Plan with a cushion in mind
● Set an artificial soft deadline in advance of the stated deadline as a target date for completion.
● Allow more cushion for the higher the degree of uncertainty and complexity of the project.
THE 1.5 RULEClient Estimate = Your Estimate X 1.5
Divide and Conquer
● List out your features
● Break the whole project into smaller pieces
● Identify the problem child - handle it first
● Take control
Don’t ignore the warning signs
Over Communicate. Over Communicate. Over Communicate.
● Be a solid communicator.
● Call first, e-mail second.
● Raise risks and concerns to your client.
● Don’t run a project base on scope hope.
Protect your deadline
Focus on Quality
Don’t talk about the hours
Talk about the task at hand.
Cause and effect of missed dates
Where did it all go wrong?
❏ Poor Planning
❏ No time for design
❏ Unclear goals and objectives
❏ Lack of understanding
❏ Objectives changing during the project
❏ Unrealistic time or resource estimates
❏ Lack of executive support and user involvement
❏ Failure to communicate
❏ Failure to act as a team
❏ Inappropriate skills
❏ Lack of Quality management
Learn from mistakes
● Band-Aids or major surgery?
● How did “it” happen and how can we keep it from happening again?
● Poor planning or execution?
● Resist assigning blame.
Prevent future mishaps
Always remember ...
“There is a great difference between knowing and understanding: you can know a lot about something and not really understand it.”
Charles Kettering
