Scct2013 topic 8

SCCT2013Integrative Media

Integrative Media Project Management

Topics:

8.1 What is project management?8.2 Project Management issues8.3 Project Management process

8.1 What is project management? The PMI A Guide to the Project Management

Body of Knowledge, Third Edition defines project management as:

“Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements. Project management is accomplished through the application and integration of the project management processes of initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing. The project manager is the person responsible for accomplishing the project objectives.

8.1 What is project management?

Managing a project includes: Identifying

requirements Establishing clear and

achievable objectives Balancing the

competing demands for quality, scope, time and cost

8.1 What is project management?

Features of projects: Start and finish Life cycle Budget Non-repetitive (unique tasks) Resources from various

allocations Single point of responsibility Team roles & relationships

8.2 Project Management Issues

Common project management issues:

Client Gives You Vague, Ever-changing Requirements Sometimes, a client doesn’t know

what they want until a certain stage is complete, then schedule those decision points into the project as milestones.

8.2 Project Management Issues Must have a clear path mapped out from

start to finish because it forces the client to be specific with their requirements, as well as keeping the project on track.

8.2 Project Management Issues Client is Slow with

communication People are busy, but

it’s tough for you to move forward on a project if you can never get answers from the person you’re working with.


The Project Doesn’t Start On Time The hold can either be from

your side or the client side. If it is on yours: then it’s

important that you do something to jump-start the project

Client: you need to communicate very clearly how that alters things moving forward.


You Try to Manage Every Project the Same Way There has never been a

project that has the same circumstance, requirements, and needs as another project. Situations, people, and goals change over time.

8.2 Project Management Issues The Client Doesn’t Like

What You Created If this happens often, then

there is a communication issue that needs to be addressed.

Make sure you understand not just the technical requirements of a project, but also the underlying rationale of your clients.

8.2 Project Management Issues Your Point of Contact Doesn’t Seem

to Care About Your Project In some cases, the person responsible

for communicating with you has little to no interest in your project.

If the completed product will have no direct effect on their job, they are hard to ask questions to, even harder to get answers from, and they provide minimal guidance.

When screening potential clients, do your best to find out if the contact person has a vested interest in the project.

8.2 Project Management Issues Too Much Time is Spent Solving

Problems After Projects Are "Live" There will be bugs here and there, but this is a classic

problem caused by focusing too much on production, and not enough on testing.

schedule in more time to test your projects from the start. Double your typical testing time if needed.

if the issues are a result of clients constantly wanting you to tweak something here and there, then you need to be clearer about what you do and don’t provide with your services.

Further reading:http://sixrevisions.com/project-management/7-common-project-management-problems-and-how-to-solve-them/

8.2 Project Management Issues Costing and

Budget

Project costs and project budgets are two different things. Always start by identifying project costs.

Project costs are not defined solely in monetary amounts.

Once you’ve laid out your costs, identify your risks and assign a percentage reflecting how much each risk factor may affect the project as a whole, or a portion of the project.

Budget, then, is the total of the costs, as transcribed into a monetary figure, plus the total risk percentage of that cost.

A budget should always be labeled as an estimate, until it is finalized and approved. This helps to manage expectations and prevent miscommunications from being written in stone.

Further reading: http://www.tenstep.com/open/3.0ManageSchedandBudget.htmlhttp://www.techrepublic.com/article/creating-your-project-budget-where-to-begin/1045600

8.3 Project Management Process

The project management process involves the following phases: conceptualization and planning design and prototyping production testing distribution and follow-up and (of course) management


Conceptualization and planning

Every multimedia project begins with an idea or concept

The concept and the plan define a project Planning should make the realization of the concept

as straightforward as possible Scope Type of project Target audience Market research Costing/budgeting


Design Technology helps and

often is indispensable – but technology alone without the proper design creativity cannot do the trick

Design goals design process

Prototyping Emphasizes

exploration and experimentation

Prototyping helps simplify and improve production process

Often used as proof-of-concept and/or testing purposes

Design and Prototyping


Production Organizing people and

resources Providing and producing

content – text, graphics, videos, sound, animation, VR

Integrating all of the above into a meaningful, coherent product


Testing Walking in user's

shoes – before the user does so

Main questions : when, what, how?

But the crucial question is: can testing give us complete confidence in the product?

Different types of testing: functional, content testing, collateral materials testing, user testing

Different timing: alpha, beta, user testing

Test plan with relevant information on schedule resources testing environment deliverables


Distribution Activities related to:

Preparation and duplication of physical media

Choosing distribution options and channels

Marketing Sales


Follow-up Activities includes:

Development wrap-up Maintenance Training Documentation Customer relations/support Pursuing additional

opportunities

Scct2013 topic 8

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