On Gathering the Right Project Requirements

By: pmhut.com

In order to gather good project requirements, it is important to separate out the “what” question from the “how” question. Confused? Here’s an example:  Bad requirement: Provide a drop-down list of choices. Good requirement: Provide the user the ability to select from pre-determined options.

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MicroHoo’s PM Mess: Two Years in the Making

Microsoft

By Niki Hammond

According to the press release, the Microsoft/Yahoo! search deal is expected to take approximately 24 months to implement following regulatory approval. This estimate has some people wondering why it should take so long and others doubting it will happen that quickly.

To get a sense of what’s likely to be happening during those 24 months, note that this is not just one big technology integration project. The deal is comprised of multiple points, each of which will be tackled by different (though probably overlapping) teams as distinct projects within Microsoft or Yahoo. Among the major projects that were initiated with this deal:

Integrate Yahoo’s Core Search Technologies Into Bing
A major opportunity for Microsoft to refine and improve its search platform, this aspect of the deal will not likely be fully implemented in just two years. Microsoft will have a 10-year exclusive license of Yahoo’s search technology, during which time Microsoft will need its best engineers to fully understand the nuts and bolts of the search technology, analyze the aspects that are compatible with Bing, discard or ignore the components that are redundant, and integrate any features or processes that could potentially improve Bing’s value and performance. Search engines are complex, ever-evolving beasts, and it’s unlikely that Microsoft’s project team will be able to accurately predict a completion date until its been given full access to all documentation and code and a few months to review it. One thing is certain: it will not happen overnight. Microsoft has been clear in its intent to make incremental improvements to Bing via increased query volume and improved relevancy. There are no plans to blanket-integrate Yahoo’s technology, and in fact Microsoft has been clear that the 24-month timeline relates to other aspects of the deal such as Bing powering Yahoo search and Yahoo’s salesforce taking over ad sales.

Replace Yahoo’s Panama System With Microsoft’s AdCenter Platform
Both companies’ self-service advertising will now be managed via AdCenter. While by no means a small project, this migration should be among the more straightforward steps toward fully implementing the deal. It will involve a data conversion/migration of all the data in Yahoo’s Panama system to Microsoft’s AdCenter platform. Data migrations can be tedious, but they’re done all the time and are usually pretty low-risk projects when experienced data experts are involved. Both Microsoft and Yahoo have data experts in spades.

Beyond the technical integration, it’s assumed that some level of data sharing for targeted ads and content in general will need to take place. The feasibility of doing this, however, is still a little bit fuzzy and may yield little strategic benefit to either party. Much of the data used for targeted advertising is protected by each company’s respective privacy policies and may not be shared.

Shift Microsoft Premium Ad Sales to Yahoo Sales Team
This project is less technical in nature but a major component of the deal and a critical success factor. Major personnel changes are usually accompanied by a dip in customer satisfaction. Anything less than a smooth, seamless transition to Yahoo’s sales team could turn off advertisers and open up opportunities for Google. To lessen the risk in such a transition, it may be wise for Yahoo to arrange to hire the key players at Microsoft who are involved in premium ad sales. We know that Microsoft is hiring somewhere between 400 and 550 Yahoo employees in exchange for $150 million over three years, but we haven’t yet heard of any plans for personnel changes in the opposite direction.

Replace Yahoo Search Engine With Bing on All Yahoo Properties and Services
This step, the core and focal point of the entire deal, is likely what most people are thinking of when they wonder about that two-year timeline. The deal thus far allows for some flexibility in exactly how Bing will replace Yahoo’s core search technology. It may be as simple as changing a form to execute a search via Bing and return a Bing search results page, or a seamless integration that would result in barely a noticeable difference for the end user. Since the deal stipulates that Yahoo will continue to own the user experience of its properties and Yahoo executives insist that the major benefit of this deal is that it enables them to focus more on their brand and other initiatives, it would be foolish of them to do anything less than a seamless integration with zero Bing branding on any Yahoo properties. Since the indexing of each is based on separate and distinct algorithms, Yahoo will have to make some decisions on whether to completely discard their current rankings and cease all efforts on their own search technology, or do some level of integration for a slower transition to Bing while Microsoft catches up on its integration of Yahoo’s search technologies.

Instructional Design: A Key to Software Success

By Niki Hammond

The success of a new system, device or technology can be measured in many different ways, but ultimately the true measures of success are adoption rate and user satisfaction. Better GUI, faster functions, crisper screens, cleaner layouts, bigger buttons, no buttons —these efforts are made with the goal of making a product or system more appealing and more valuable to the end user.

For all the effort we put into preparing a product for the users, oftentimes too little is spent preparing the users for the product. Training materials, demos, user guides — by whatever name you call them, well-designed, appropriate learning resources are critical to the success of any technology project. They can make the introduction of complex systems less intimidating, such as SAP’s overview videos. Even software companies that pride themselves on simplicity and ease of use offer prepared learning resources to illustrate possibilities, such as 37 Signals’ Basecamp video tours.

I recently managed an e-commerce project and had the good fortune of working with a talented instructional designer. After witnessing first-hand the difference that can be made with a structured, thoughtful approach to software training, I sat down with Dorene Zjawinski Lofgren, owner of Lofgren Educational Design, to glean some insights into her methodology.

Can you briefly describe your profession and the role you play on a software project?
I’m an instructional designer, although the current trend is to label it educational designer or educational technologist as we move from an instructor-led model of education to learner-centered online tools. Organizations approach me with an educational problem or knowledge deficit of some kind and ask me to develop learning resources that address their needs. For instance, maybe an organization has implemented a new e-commerce platform that is not being utilized optimally, or is deploying a brand new content management system. The design of these learning tools is informed by a needs assessment that includes an analysis of the users, the tasks the users must perform and the learning context. The resultant design might take the form of a Flash-based learning tool, a user guide, a webinar, a face-to-face class, a wiki, or a combination of things.

If a software product is everything software should be — intuitive, user-friendly — is formal training really necessary?
Yes and no. While formal training (e.g. a face-to-face or online class) may not be necessary, you will want to provide learning tools that users can tap into as needed. When adopting a new system, users will want resources that describe the scope of functionality available, and, as novices, they will seek confirmation that they are using it correctly. A well-designed “just-in-time” resource can serve these needs whether it be a knowledge base, online help or user guide.

Also, good instruction isn’t always just about the software. Sometimes a new software application can be used as a catalyst to change inefficient or out-dated business processes. I recently worked with a company that funneled all website content through a single webmaster who was responsible for updating the site. While preparing training materials for the new CMS, it became apparent that they intended to keep this business process even though it led to unnecessary delays and stale content. Instead, we worked out a new process where each department owner created their own content and freed up the webmaster to focus on more important things like strategic direction.

How do you deal with training a group of people who have a wide range of skill or previous knowledge?
Adults are the most difficult learners to address because they bring such a varied degree of experience to a learning context. The literature on learning irrevocably underscores the importance of activating prior knowledge when learning new information. To tap into prior knowledge you need to know who your learners are and what experience they bring. Conducting a learner analysis before designing resources can help significantly. Often times, learners may not have experience with similar software applications but have substantial experience with a business function or personal need, which will help inform them on how to use the system. Creating separate resources geared for these various use cases will not only alleviate cognitive load, but will motivate users to adopt new software as they see what’s in it for them.

How to Use Twitter as a Project Management Tool

By Alan Smodic

Since its inception, Twitter has been pegged as the latest, and sometimes greatest (depending on who you ask), form of communication in the new social world. Non believers have always shared the same distaste, though; constantly asking “what purpose” Twitter actually serves.

In an art that requires constant communication, both in-house and out, Twitter should (and could) be the best web tool for any top businessman, more specifically project managers.

Project managers are responsible for overseeing every aspect of a certain goal within a company. In that role, the manager runs an open stream of conversation between the project’s employees, the men/women upstairs and the potential audience.

In the past, for everything behind-the-scenes, email was the No. 1 source of communication, according to Read Write Web, which starts the debate as to whether or not Twitter can replace email in the future.

The question is posed after introducing Joint Contact, an online project management tool that integrates Twitter. Joint Contact aims to take the idea of using Twitter for managing projects one step further, offering a full service beyond tweets to manage “tasks, documents, images, contact lists, online discussions and team events.”

The company’s premise seems clear enough, but for those not needing all the bells and whistles of a full-service web application, breaking down Twitter to a single group use isn’t hard.

With Twitter, a project manager could be connected with all its needed parties, including the outside world, which would provide an even larger base of operations. The possibilities for improvement on the project is just one instance where the tweeting could come in handy.

For example, if a manager had all of his or her employees tweeting status updates on their work, all of their followers could gain the insight into their work. Because of Twitter’s 140-character limit, the updates would be straightforward and to the point, cutting out any loose jargon that a normal reader might not understand. An interested reader could then chime in with thoughts on the progress and possibly provide some meaningful discussion.

Bruce Henry, at the LiquidPlanner blog, believes thoughts along those lines can completely change the way project managers do business. And that the biggest key benefit in utilizing the micro-blogging platform is “connecting people in a way that improves the value of the organization.”

Another route, for those unwilling or unable to post company info publicly on Twitter, would be to sign up for your own network on Yammer – “a tool for making companies and organizations more productive through the exchange of short frequent answers to one simple question: ‘What are you working on?’”

Yammer allows any employee to create their own company network and begin to invite colleagues. And unlike Twitter, all conversations are held in private.

With those three options, the thought of using Twitter as project management tool is nothing new. It’s obviously been taken to each level of integration. It now just relies on what type of purpose you feel you can get out of it.

And if you’re still unsure of the whole process, give Dave Garrett’s notion a try and search project management on Twitter. As he writes, “it’s hard not to spend 10 minutes running through a twitter search of something you are interested in and not find something that interests you or sparks your imagination.”

So if you’re reluctant to start your own conversation, join in on the one currently being held and don’t be surprised at what you might learn.

IM on Steroids: Companies Who Yammer Together, Stay Together

By Ned Smith

Yammer is still one month shy of its first birthday, but it’s already becoming corporate America’s top go-to tool for communication, collaboration and that indefinable something called team building.  This microblogging service ― think enterprise-grade version of Twitter limited to users with a valid company email address ― began life as a homegrown internal application at David Sacks’ genealogy site, Geni.

Sacks liked what the new app did internally so much that he decided to spin it off and launched it as a new company at the TechCrunch50 conference on Sept. 8, 2008. Yammer ran away with best-of-show honors as the best Web 2.0 startup: 10,000 people and 2,000 companies signed up for the service the first day.

Social media such as Yammer and its civilian cousin Twitter are playing an increasingly important role in corporations for communicating with employees and keeping them engaged, say the International Association of Business Communicators. In an IABC survey released this June, 29 percent of companies responding said that they intended to use Yammer in the future, up from its current penetration of 20 percent. Today Yammer is used by more than 40,000 companies worldwide, including corporate heavyweights such as the BBC, Cap Gemini, AMD, Adobe and Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG).

SMG is a global media buying and planning agency with 5,800 employees at 110 offices in 67 countries. They introduced Yammer four months ago with the encouragement and endorsement of Andrew Swinand, president of global operations. “Yammer provides SMG with a borderless community of media experts right on our desktops,” he says. “It has provided our multinational client teams with a forum to share regional best practices, toss around new ideas and learn from each other, which ultimately delivers better, more efficient work for our clients.”

They looked into other platforms such as Facebook, says Stephanie Sipe, an SMG digital communications specialist, but picked Yammer because it was a closed network and had more of the features that they wanted, such as the ability to create client-specific groups within the application. That’s particularly important for SMG because of competing clients within the agency. ”Client confidentiality is a high priority at SMG, so the security of proprietary information between our client-specific groups is another reason Yammer made the ideal partner,” Sipe says. “It provides us with a great combination of necessary protection and open-source collaboration,” Sipe says. Since its introduction, 4,000 of SMG of employees have signed on as members of SMG Yammer. “We dabbled with creating our own platform, but didn’t find the usability we wanted,” she says, “so Yammer became the best option.”

There’s no question that top-down endorsement helps speed adoption of services such as Yammer. ClickEquations (CQ), a developer of paid search management software headquartered in Conshohocken, Pa., introduced Yammer almost a year ago. CEO Linda Holt was Yammer’s champion. In her blog, Cereal CEO, Holt wrote shortly after the service was introduced: “I love Yammer. Yammer fills a void in the social media mix to date. I introduced Yammer a month ago and find it invaluable already. People post really interesting things (to me anyway) like what they’re working on, competitor announcements, industry news, client feedback, there are cookies in the kitchen, or that they’re going to lunch. Our dev team updates Yammer automatically so we can all see hour by hour what’s happening. My hope is that this helps everyone stay excited about what we’re doing.”

Real-time information sharing and teambuilding were the driving forces behind the introduction of Yammer at Slide, a 4-year-old, San Francisco-based startup that creates applications like SuperPoke! for social networking platforms such as Facebook and MySpace. As with SMG and ClickEquations, Yammer started at the top at Slide with an email to the troops from Max Levchin, Slide’s founder, CEO and chairman, asking them to give Yammer a try and let him know if they thought it had value. Levchin, a co-founder of PayPal, was also an early investor in Yammer, but this wasn’t a factor in Slide picking Yammer, says Lily Lin, Slide’s director of communications.  The organization soon realized that Levchin’s entrepreneurial radar had picked up a winner.

“It’s been a really good tool for real-time sharing,” she says. “We’re primarily an engineering shop. One of the things I’ve seen is a lot of knowledge sharing taking place among engineers. What originally would have been siloed efforts are now being shared across teams. People are able to build bridges that originally they didn’t have an opportunity to because it’s broadcast throughout the entire company.”

Business Analyst: Jack of All Trades?

By Niki Hammond

The title of “Business Analyst” is one of the fastest growing in the IT industry. In fact, the United States Department of Labor projected a 29-percent increase in computer systems analyst employment by 2016. There are many resources available that explain what a business analyst is, often in terms of comparing the responsibilities of an analyst to those of other team members we’re more familiar with, like project managers, software testers and systems architects. It’s now generally understood, via the IIBA, that a business analyst “works as a liaison among stakeholders in order to elicit, analyze, communicate and validate requirements for changes to business processes, policies and information systems.”
Just as important to understand, however, is what a business analyst is NOT. As organizations create positions labeled “business analyst” while struggling to keep costs down, it’s tempting to use the role as a catch-all for tasks that an overextended project team just doesn’t have time for. This may save time and money in the short term, but in the long term, it will only hurt your projects.

Business Analysts are not QA Engineers
Part of a BA’s job is to develop clear business requirements and functional specifications. Critical parts of a good functional specification are the use cases and test scripts by which success of the end product will be measured. However, there is much more to quality assurance than test cases and use scripts. On medium to large software systems, these two elements make up only part of a complete test plan. Other elements include a documented testing methodology, equipment & resource scheduling, and configuration of any automation software. These things are best left to a qualified, dedicated QA engineer. While the QA engineer manages the testing process, the BA should be focused on addressing process issues that are discovered during testing.

Business Analysts are not Customer Service Reps
Whether you’re a technology vendor or an internal IT department, your BA will be the most customer-facing team member, especially early on in a project. She will also become one of the most knowledgeable on the system itself, so it’s easy to get caught up answering end-user questions. Comfort and familiarity with your BA during requirements elicitation is great, but it is critical (albeit difficult) to wean your customers onto the proper customer support personnel once the software is in production. If you don’t, your BA won’t be free to move on to the next project, and your customer service department won’t be able to fully take ownership of ongoing support.

Business Analysts are not Developers
BA’s must possess a fairly deep understanding of technical concepts, such as good data architecture, network design, and programming methodologies. Many even have a programming background and could be capable of doing development for the system they are designing. But unless your project is extremely small (four total team members or less) this is a recipe for disaster. Developers must be driven by factors like system speed, efficiency and extendibility, while BAs must be driven by factors like organizational goals, market conditions and usability. These two areas require very different types of thinking. A person capable of doing both is rare; one capable of doing both simultaneously is near nonexistent.

Business Analysts are not Project Managers
This one may sound odd, especially coming from someone who happens to be both a project manager and a business analyst. Many of us work at organizations that use the same pool of resources to assign project managers and business analysts to various projects, because many of the skills required to do each job are the same. But to have a well-balanced project team, it’s best that one person not wear both hats at the same time on the same project. The technical and business teams each are driven by different sets of often conflicting priorities. Each side needs an advocate, and when a situation arises that calls for one side to make a sacrifice, that decision falls to the project manager. The project manager is also responsible for keeping everyone else on task, tracking the budget, updating the schedule, managing risk and so on. The BA and the PM should certainly work very closely together, but success is much more likely when there is a division of responsibilities.

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