02
Sat, Nov
2 New Articles

Tech Project Management - Project Definition, An Introduction

Career
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

The Project Proposal has been approved. What next? The project must now be defined in greater detail.

Editor's Note: This article is excerpted from chapter 4 of Fundamentals of Technology Project Management, by Colleen Garton and Erika McCulloch.

The project definition includes the creation of:

  • The Project Charter
  • The Marketing Requirements Document (MRD)
  • The Budget
  • The Statement of Work (SOW)

The flowchart in Figure 4.1 shows the project definition workflow process from the proposal being approved through to project approval.

If the project is for an external client, a contractual agreement is usually drawn up between the two parties. The reason for this agreement is that in the event that the project is cancelled after the definition documents are complete, the vendor can charge the client for the time spent working on them. This can amount to a substantial amount of work for quite a few members of the proposed project team. The contractual agreement offers a level of protection to the development company by ensuring monetary compensation for time spent as well as dissuading the client from working with multiple vendors on the definition of the project at the same time. If they are not charged for the time, then they have nothing to lose by wasting the vendors’ time on projects that they have little, or no, intention of awarding them.

Tech Project Management - Project Definition, An Introduction - Figure 1 

Figure 4.1: Project Definition Flowchart

Project Charter

Subsequent to the approval of a Project Proposal, a client meeting will be held to create a Project Charter Document. A Project Charter is also referred to as a Project Brief. A client may be an external client, where your company is being contracted to develop the product or service for them. Alternatively, the client may be an internal customer, for instance where a technology company is developing a new product for its own product line. The key people involved in the project are defined in the Project Charter. The Project Charter is a “must have” for all projects no matter how large or small. This document is the basis on which successful project plans are built. It provides specific agreements, including budgets and schedules, to which all team members will commit. It is used as a major input to the detailed resource and development plans that are created as each phase of the lifecycle is planned (planning, design, development, integration, deployment, and post-deployment).

The Project Charter Document will be used in conjunction with the Marketing Requirements Document as the foundation for creating the initial technical requirements documents for the product. The lack of a Project Charter Document can lead to poor communication, misunderstanding, and potential confusion. The failure to have a formalized plan can put the project at high risk. Everyone involved in the project needs to have clear and specific goals outlined before the project is kicked off. The whole team needs to understand the “big picture” as well as the specifics for their individual contributions.

The clear and accurate definition of a project and its objectives is extremely important to a project’s success. Defining the project, specifying the scope, and developing a common vision of the project objectives and deliverables are synonymous with effective planning.

Producing a quality Project Charter Document requires following specific steps and a lot of attention to detail. The amount of detail necessary for the Project Charter

Document will depend on the size and complexity of the project. The document must include specifically what will and will not be delivered. Before starting work on the Project Charter, it is imperative that you have written approval from the client (who can be an external company or an internal department or group). After all, they will be billed for the time, so they need to agree to pay for it!

The Project Charter comprises the following sections:

  • Project Name
  • Client Name
  • Decision Makers
  • Project Description and Goals
  • Business Case
  • Key Business Requirements
  • Project Objectives
  • Benefits
  • Target Audience
  • The Problem
  • The Solution
  • Project Scope
  • Prerequisites
  • Assumptions
  • Project Constraints
  • Project Risks
  • Time and Costs
  • Project Organization
  • Project Charter Approval

It is the project manager’s responsibility to create the Project Charter Document. In this chapter, I will lead you through each section of the Project Charter Document and give you the information and the tools you need to both understand and create it!

Next time we will discuss: Creating the Project Charter Documents.

Want to learn more about project management best practices now?  Pick up your own copy of Fundamentals of Technology Project Management, by Colleen Garton and Erika McCulloch - available and on sale at the MC Press Bookstore today!

Colleen Garton

Colleen Garton is a highly respected and experienced writer, consultant, and speaker. She is the author of two management books: Fundamentals of Technology Project Management and Managing Without Walls. Recognized internationally as an expert on virtual and global management, Colleen is an experienced and in-demand public speaker for numerous events and conferences around the world. She is also author of the blog Working With or Without Walls.

 Colleen has extensive management and training experience in the United States and internationally, with more than two decades of practical experience in traditional and virtual management spanning multiple industries. She is the owner of the Garton Consulting Group. Before founding the Garton Consulting Group, Ms. Garton held senior management positions at some major U.S. corporations.

You can follow Colleen on Twitter at @ColleenGarton and on Facebook.


MC Press books written by Colleen Garton available now on the MC Press Bookstore.

Fundamentals of Technology Project Management Fundamentals of Technology Project Management
Master the specific project management issues that technology professionals must face.
List Price $69.95

Now On Sale

Managing Without Walls Managing Without Walls
Optimize the effectiveness of your teams...no matter where they are.
List Price $37.95

Now On Sale

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS

LATEST COMMENTS

Support MC Press Online

$

Book Reviews

Resource Center

  • SB Profound WC 5536 Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application. You can find Part 1 here. In Part 2 of our free Node.js Webinar Series, Brian May teaches you the different tooling options available for writing code, debugging, and using Git for version control. Brian will briefly discuss the different tools available, and demonstrate his preferred setup for Node development on IBM i or any platform. Attend this webinar to learn:

  • SB Profound WP 5539More than ever, there is a demand for IT to deliver innovation. Your IBM i has been an essential part of your business operations for years. However, your organization may struggle to maintain the current system and implement new projects. The thousands of customers we've worked with and surveyed state that expectations regarding the digital footprint and vision of the company are not aligned with the current IT environment.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT Generic IBM announced the E1080 servers using the latest Power10 processor in September 2021. The most powerful processor from IBM to date, Power10 is designed to handle the demands of doing business in today’s high-tech atmosphere, including running cloud applications, supporting big data, and managing AI workloads. But what does Power10 mean for your data center? In this recorded webinar, IBMers Dan Sundt and Dylan Boday join IBM Power Champion Tom Huntington for a discussion on why Power10 technology is the right strategic investment if you run IBM i, AIX, or Linux. In this action-packed hour, Tom will share trends from the IBM i and AIX user communities while Dan and Dylan dive into the tech specs for key hardware, including:

  • Magic MarkTRY the one package that solves all your document design and printing challenges on all your platforms. Produce bar code labels, electronic forms, ad hoc reports, and RFID tags – without programming! MarkMagic is the only document design and print solution that combines report writing, WYSIWYG label and forms design, and conditional printing in one integrated product. Make sure your data survives when catastrophe hits. Request your trial now!  Request Now.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericForms of ransomware has been around for over 30 years, and with more and more organizations suffering attacks each year, it continues to endure. What has made ransomware such a durable threat and what is the best way to combat it? In order to prevent ransomware, organizations must first understand how it works.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericIT security is a top priority for businesses around the world, but most IBM i pros don’t know where to begin—and most cybersecurity experts don’t know IBM i. In this session, Robin Tatam explores the business impact of lax IBM i security, the top vulnerabilities putting IBM i at risk, and the steps you can take to protect your organization. If you’re looking to avoid unexpected downtime or corrupted data, you don’t want to miss this session.

  • SB HelpSystems ROBOT GenericCan you trust all of your users all of the time? A typical end user receives 16 malicious emails each month, but only 17 percent of these phishing campaigns are reported to IT. Once an attack is underway, most organizations won’t discover the breach until six months later. A staggering amount of damage can occur in that time. Despite these risks, 93 percent of organizations are leaving their IBM i systems vulnerable to cybercrime. In this on-demand webinar, IBM i security experts Robin Tatam and Sandi Moore will reveal:

  • FORTRA Disaster protection is vital to every business. Yet, it often consists of patched together procedures that are prone to error. From automatic backups to data encryption to media management, Robot automates the routine (yet often complex) tasks of iSeries backup and recovery, saving you time and money and making the process safer and more reliable. Automate your backups with the Robot Backup and Recovery Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAManaging messages on your IBM i can be more than a full-time job if you have to do it manually. Messages need a response and resources must be monitored—often over multiple systems and across platforms. How can you be sure you won’t miss important system events? Automate your message center with the Robot Message Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAThe thought of printing, distributing, and storing iSeries reports manually may reduce you to tears. Paper and labor costs associated with report generation can spiral out of control. Mountains of paper threaten to swamp your files. Robot automates report bursting, distribution, bundling, and archiving, and offers secure, selective online report viewing. Manage your reports with the Robot Report Management Solution. Key features include:

  • FORTRAFor over 30 years, Robot has been a leader in systems management for IBM i. With batch job creation and scheduling at its core, the Robot Job Scheduling Solution reduces the opportunity for human error and helps you maintain service levels, automating even the biggest, most complex runbooks. Manage your job schedule with the Robot Job Scheduling Solution. Key features include:

  • LANSA Business users want new applications now. Market and regulatory pressures require faster application updates and delivery into production. Your IBM i developers may be approaching retirement, and you see no sure way to fill their positions with experienced developers. In addition, you may be caught between maintaining your existing applications and the uncertainty of moving to something new.

  • LANSAWhen it comes to creating your business applications, there are hundreds of coding platforms and programming languages to choose from. These options range from very complex traditional programming languages to Low-Code platforms where sometimes no traditional coding experience is needed. Download our whitepaper, The Power of Writing Code in a Low-Code Solution, and:

  • LANSASupply Chain is becoming increasingly complex and unpredictable. From raw materials for manufacturing to food supply chains, the journey from source to production to delivery to consumers is marred with inefficiencies, manual processes, shortages, recalls, counterfeits, and scandals. In this webinar, we discuss how:

  • The MC Resource Centers bring you the widest selection of white papers, trial software, and on-demand webcasts for you to choose from. >> Review the list of White Papers, Trial Software or On-Demand Webcast at the MC Press Resource Center. >> Add the items to yru Cart and complet he checkout process and submit

  • Profound Logic Have you been wondering about Node.js? Our free Node.js Webinar Series takes you from total beginner to creating a fully-functional IBM i Node.js business application.

  • SB Profound WC 5536Join us for this hour-long webcast that will explore:

  • Fortra IT managers hoping to find new IBM i talent are discovering that the pool of experienced RPG programmers and operators or administrators with intimate knowledge of the operating system and the applications that run on it is small. This begs the question: How will you manage the platform that supports such a big part of your business? This guide offers strategies and software suggestions to help you plan IT staffing and resources and smooth the transition after your AS/400 talent retires. Read on to learn: