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How to PlanHow to PlanDon’t laugh. Many IT project managers, executives, and professionals don’t know how to plan. Oh sure, they think they do, but the reality is they don’t. When these folks begin planning, their efforts consist of searching the Web randomly, leafing through vendor brochures, and chatting with other professionals about similar problems they’ve encountered and how those problems were resolved. On the surface, this looks like a great effort. The Web, vendor brochures, and interviews are all essential elements to IT research. The trouble, however, is there’s little rhyme or reason, little approach, and, most important, few results to show for the effort. The goal of research is to come to a conclusion, a discovery, and hard-hitting facts, upon which a decision, a plan, or an implementation can be based. Now here is the key: good research stems from an organized, concentrated effort. In order for projects to be successful, the project manager and the key stakeholders must know what it is the project will create. Often, especially in information technology, the customers of the project don’t know what exactly your project will create. They may have a general idea of a scenario they’d like for you to create for them. Through interviews, quantitative analysis, and in-depth research, you’ll propose solutions to them. When creating a solution for a customer, the project manager must have the same vision the customer has for the final product. While there will, no doubt, be iterations and revisions as the project progresses, it’s better to understand upfront what the project deliverables consist of. Root cause analysis allows the project manager and the customer to work together to find the solution for the problem, opportunity, or other condition the project is to resolve. When you go about researching anything, from real-time transaction servers to RJ45 connectors, you must possess a plan of attack, maintain laser-like focus, and document your efforts. How do you plan? Here is a sure-fire, six-step method that works:
This method of research is simple and direct, but will produce results. One key element is time; don’t get bogged down in the research process. Of course, quality takes time, but set a deadline to reach step 5. As you can see in Figure 2-1, the steps to successful research also follow a projected timeline. Creating a Feasibility PlanA feasibility plan is a documented expression of what your research has told you. It helps you determine the validity or scope of a proposed project or a section of a project. Feasibility plans are often written with upper management in mind, so they’re direct, organized, and generally factual rather than opinionated. As you approach your project, keep in mind that the goal of any IT project is not technology for technology’s sake, but to add value to the company. The feasibility plan determines if the proposed project can feasibly be accomplished. As you draft the feasibility plan, think like an executive and write with the business in mind and how the proposed technology will benefit the company. If you approach any project as if it is a business venture and you are the proprietor of the business, you’ll be much more successful in your work. As the “project proprietor,” you assume ownership and responsibility of the project and its success or failure. Begin WritingTo begin writing the plan, refer to the Concept Definition Statement you used in the research phase. The Concept Definition Statement defines why you initiated the planning process and should reflect the proposed project. As Figure 2-2 demonstrates, the statement is the foundation of the feasibility structure. For example, suppose an international company is investigating implementing a new, to-be-determined application that will need to manage multiple calendars, resources, and e-mail. The company’s Concept Definition Statement at the start of the research reads as follows: “To determine the selection of a calendaring system that can provide resource management, e-mail, and workgroup collaboration, the application must be proven, able to integrate with our current network operating system, and address international time zones.” This purpose statement would introduce the feasibility plan. The feasibility plan is broken into five sections:
Each section is vital to the study and should be direct, full of facts, and provide references to the historical information and supporting evidence you’ve used to create the plan. Executive SummaryAt the start of the feasibility plan should be an executive summary, the purpose of which is twofold: to draw the reader into your findings and to define the key points of your plan. As its name implies, it provides a summary of your findings so the entire document doesn’t have to be read. It should include a summation of each of the remaining sections in your plan. ProductThe product section describes the benefits of the technology you’ve investigated and are recommending. For example, the international company seeking the calendaring system may include in this section “ABC Server and the ABC Calendaring client software work together to provide a calendaring system that can be shared among all users. This client-server package allows for public and private calendars, free time lookups, room and resource reservations, e-mail, and international time zone calculations. In addition, the software allows application developers to create workflow applications, collaboration, and Web integration. Our current network operating system can be integrated with this solution.” For this company, the ABC Server and client software is a logical solution as it meets every requirement of the Concept Definition Statement. You should write the product section to pinpoint the audiences impacted by the proposed technology. The product section may also include
Audience ImpactedThe feasibility plan should address issues concerning the users who will be affected by the implementation:
Also in this section of the plan, you need to mention how the technology will be implemented. Consider if a portion of the company switches to the new technology before other parts of the organization. Will the technology have an impact on work and communication between the two parts of the company? How long will the technology implementation take? Financial ObligationsThis section of the feasibility plan provides an overview of the cost of the technology rather than a full-blown budget (Chapter 4 will detail budgets). Consider these factors:
The financial obligation section can also include return on investment (ROI) analysis. You should demonstrate how the technology will increase productivity, be easier to use, increase sales, or other relevant information. Of course, back your facts with references from your research. Recommended ActionWithin this section of the feasibility plan, you’re ready to make your pitch for, or against, a technology to solve the problem. You should present a general overview of how the technology works, how it will be implemented, and what types of resources are required to make it work in your environment. You can also make a recommendation to investigate other options or newer technologies at this time— just be certain to explain why. The solution and actions you recommend must be in alignment with the project purpose. A recommended action must address and satisfactorily answer the purpose of the project. Consider the reasons why the project may be initiated, including
Now that you know the different parts of the plan, take a look at the executive summary of a sample feasibility plan in the sidebar, “Executive Summary for Murray Enterprises.” This company is considering replacing all of the current CAT5 cabling and upgrading its networks to something more current, faster, and reliable. Executive Summary for Murray EnterprisesWritten by Justin Case, IT Manager Executive Summary The purpose of this feasibility study is to determine the type of cabling and related network devices required to improve the speed and reliability of our current LAN. As we’ve all experienced, our current network is dated, sluggish, and unstable. A change of technology is required to increase the speed and reliability of our network.
Impact:The change would affect all users. The new network cabling would be created and installed, while the existing network remains as is. The switch of the PCs to CAT5E-compatible NICs will happen by December 15. Users logon processes and usual workflow will remain constant, only the speed will be faster and more reliable. Recommended Action:Upon final approval, a project charter will be drafted and the team assembled. A plan of action will be created for the implementation. Upon arrival, the patch panels and switches will be installed and tested. Cabling will begin at the top of the project. Next our team will complete the testing of the switches and network cards, and then connectivity will begin. No PCs in production will be connected to the new infrastructure until the new technology has been proven reliable and passed a quality audit. The workstations in production will cut over to the new infrastructure in waves. Upon successful cutover of all workstations to the new infrastructure, the original CAT5 cable will be removed. The entire feasibility plan should detail each component and why the recommendations are being made. In addition, the financial obligation section should name the specific parts recommended. 1519
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