I. Project Component Ownership
Ownership is a broad term that can describe responsibility to construct or work as a contributor. In the end all parties share in the presentation and content of the artifact. This chapter provides a base for understanding what needs to be done, by who and under what level of oversight.
- Client Side Components
- Outsourcer Provide Components
- Joint Components (Collaboratively Constructed & Owned)
II. Project Synchronization - Establishing Balance
Projects are a dance, and while there is the potential for it to reflect an art form, they often are clumsy episodes. Early decisive actions can significantly reduce wasted effort and the resulting effects of the lack of coordination. This section explores the need for having a stable project management model and how this will be melded with the framework of the outsource service provider.
- Client Project Management
- Merging Your PM with Outsourced PM
- Synchronization of Time & Delivery
- Defining Delivery
Metrics run the gambit from a simple question/response to elaborate long term accumulations of trend related data. Neither end of this spectrum fits well with the new method of delivering projects. Why is it that a project isn't a project, regardless of where or how it's built? Outsource projects introduce the concept of one framework with duality (or more) participation. Thus the metric's purpose shifts importance from outcome to quality/status measurement. In this chapter you will be introduced to establishing personal and joint goals and how these measures can be applied in a responsible, expeditious fashion.
- Establishing Goals
- Agreeing Upon Measurement Sources
- Measurement Reconciliation and Reporting
- Using Metrics to Support PM
- IV. Project Communications - Construction/V&V/Delivery Periods**
Successful Communications is the key to project life. You may have already experienced communications disconnects that have lead to misunderstanding, confusion, and conflict. Now add to this the dynamics of culture, distance and operational variations and we now have a significant challenge to overcome. In this section we will discuss how to overcome these difficulties, how not to rely solely on technology vehicles to mediate these issues, and why solid outsourcer communications can lead to rich long term rewards beyond the project engagement.
- Understanding the Client Role
- Define & Convey Expectations (w/Detail)
- Ask for What You Want
- Focus on "What" not "How" (but be inquisitive)
- Jointly Engineered Communication Model
- Mistakes in Communications
- V. Pre- and Post-Delivery Outsourcer Tasks**
We have expectations about delivery components and timeframes that the outsourcer is expected to comply with. Often issues arise in content, form, quality, and timing that results in excessive attention cycles. Each time more time is consumed that has not been planned for. In this chapter we will examine how process, timing, style and understanding play a major role in successful project delivery.
- Project Management
- Artifact & Component Construction/Qualification/Delivery
- Application of Professional Expertise
- Insure Client Input Adequacy
- VI. Pre- and Post-Delivery Client Tasks**
It isn't just about the outsourcer, it's also about us and how well we live up to delivery obligations. What didn't work at home, is amplified once we go outside the walls of our company and rely on a servicer to pick up where we left off. In this section we will look at the things that are expected to do, how they need to be done, and how this changes when others outside our company are involved.
- Qualified Specifications
- Inquiry & Dialog Availability
- Qualification of Received Artifacts & Components
- Timely and Complete Feedback
- VII. Harmony through Touchbacks**
How long do you allow someone to do work without checking-in? Are you the type that checks in too often? Striking a balance will encourage harmony and provide ample opportunities for both the outsourcer and company to be successful. In this chapter we will examine how a mutual balance of progress checking is important. Much the same as in Agile/Scrum, the concept of Sprint period delivery is a model worth examining.
- Communication Framework Value
- Healthy Boundaries
- Coordination of Effort
- Real-time Visibility vs. Status Reporting
- Asking the Question?
- VIII. Recognizing Cultural & Work Differences**
What makes the world a fascinating place is diversity. In the context of a project the concept of diversity is met with resistance because project models demand everyone to be in synchronization. How can we take this known condition (cultural diversity) and employ it without creating the potential for project chaos? In this section we will look at how differences require understanding and how to bond processes in such a way as to become one (while still retaining our heritage).
- Paradigm Variances
- How Much Do You Mandate
- Impact on End Results
- Utilizing Differences to Enjoy the Project Experience
- IX. Managing for Success**
Taking an active stand will increase the potential for project success. Leaving things to their own is apt to result in the demise of the initiative. Successful management involves compassion, understanding, and sensitivity to a fluid project culture. Everyone needs to feel a sense of purpose and accomplishment. In this final chapter we examine how to make a cohesive process that allows everyone to share in the result of solid engineering, pragmatic behavior and responsible decision making.
- Meeting Client (your) Obligations
- Measuring Progress
- Maintaining Healthy Communications
- Managing Delivery & Implementation