Goals of Successful Project Management

Project management assures that Web projects stay profitable. One can bring the best graphic artists, savvy programmers, and/or cutting-edge marketing people to a project, but if communication isn't adequate between all of the constituencies, money can be lost on a perfectly good opportunity.

Team Dynamics for Web Project Management Include the Following:

• Client management
• Budgeting and scheduling
• Logical work flow

All of these factors contribute to a successful project life cycle.

In a perfect world, project managers can avoid pitfalls by adhering to a disciplined development process. Unfortunately, communication, technology, and people are not always perfect. On the client side, upper management is often multitasking profit-centered activities while gathering materials for the company's Web site, but if communication isn't adequate between all of the constituencies, money can be lost on a perfectly good opportunity. The Web firm itself can become overburdened with too many projects going live at the same time. Despite these obstacles, the project manager must keep everyone centered and on track. Therefore, the process used becomes even more important.

It is a long way from project proposal to implementation. The project is not successful unless all constituencies have been satisfied. Is the client looking for a way to communicate to a new audience or better facilitate communication with an existing customer base? The Web firm needs to know this among many other things. After all, vague requirements from the client will spell death for the Web project. Throughout this part of the book, we will be discussing techniques to pin down the client requirements so the firm has a chance of meeting expectations.

Clients can be driven by deadlines, increased profitability, market conditions, and/or customer expectations. All are relying on the Web firm to take their business to the Web in the most effective way. Unfortunately, the client's goals are not always apparent. Some clients are better at communicating their objectives than others. The burden falls upon the Web firm to help clients clarify their requirements. We will investigate how to do this in all areas of Web site production. However, first you may need to understand the process involved with building a site.

On the contractor side, the project team desires to produce a Web site that meets the client's expectations and generates capital for the firm. These are the goals that can drive the Web firm. After all, if the client's needs are not met, the firm will suffer financial and emotional losses. The client may never see how depressed a project team can become when it has not hit the mark. However, the project manager will. In order to attract and keep good staff, the firm needs to maintain a successful track record. Surely, there will be some disappointing engagements along the way, but the majority of the projects a Web firm attracts must have a positive outcome.

Along the way, there can be a host of other objectives that need to be met. However, the right questions need to be asked. A project manager must try to put himself or herself in the client's place, understanding the client's point of view and making suggestions. You will investigate the best techniques for handling this challenge as you complete the upcoming exercises.

Exercises

Identify Client Goals

a)	If you were contracting a Web firm to build a Web site based on your pet business idea, what would your general goals/concerns be? How would you measure success? Do not worry if you have never considered this possibility before. This exercise is meant to spur brainstorming on your part. After all, this is the same mind-set that your clients will have when they approach you. __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
b)	The local bookstore has contracted you to build a Web site. What can a bookstore with a limited budget reasonably expect to achieve with its Web site? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
c)	Interview a small business owner about how he or she would see his or her business on the Web. Based on your experience as a Web developer, do these goals seem reasonable? What suggestions would you make? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________

Identify Contractor Goals

a)	If you were to contract on the site mentioned in Exercise 1.1, what would your goals/concerns be? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
b)	How would you plan to facilitate these goals? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________

Exercise Answers

Answers

a)	If you were contracting a Web firm to build a Web site based on your pet business idea, what would your general goals/concerns be? How would you measure success? Do not worry if you have never considered this possibility before. This exercise is meant to spur brainstorming on your part. After all, this is the same mind-set that your clients will have when they approach you. __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
Answer:	Different types of Web sites can be built for different types of businesses. A commerce site that enables direct ordering of a product is quite different from an informational site that profiles a professional service (i.e., a law firm). I would want to contract a firm that had experience with all types of sites or specialized in sites for my type of business. I would also want to see a written estimate with an expected delivery date. I would want to clarify the approval process with the contracting company so that I don't get stuck paying for a site that I do not like. I would measure success by realizing increased sales equal to or exceeding the amount I paid for my Web site within a reasonable period of time.
b)	The local bookstore has contracted you to build a Web site. What can a bookstore with a limited budget reasonably expect to achieve with its Web site? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
Answer:	Any Web site that is built to generate commerce must have a solid marketing plan. Most small businesses do not have an advertising budget equal to that ofamazon.com. However, this does not mean the bookstore cannot have a profitable Web site and add to its bottom line. I would ask the bookstore for a listing of all marketing/advertising vehicles currently in use for the store. I would evaluate how much traffic to the Web site could be internally generated through adding the URL to newsletters, catalogs, business cards, yellow pages ads, newspaper advertising, and so forth. If there are enough cross-marketing avenues available, chances are that traffic can be generated without contracting $1500/month banner advertising on Yahoo (which is totally out of the question, in this case). Based on this foundation, I would suggest that the bookstore then build features into its Web site as profits are generated from it. The owner may want to grow traffic by putting revenues into additional Web advertising-banner advertising or optimized search-engine placement services. Depending on the amount of money the bookstore wishes to generate, the time involved with building the Web site and its traffic organically can vary.
c)	Interview a small business owner about how he or she would see his or her business on the Web. Based on your experience as a Web developer, do these goals seem reasonable? What suggestions would you make? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
Answer:	Obviously, this question has many answers. However, as a developer, I always beware of the client who has unrealistic expectations. Therefore, it's very important that anyone who is managing Web projects has a clear understanding of what a Web site will and will not do for a business. The Web attracts entrepreneurs and "Get Rich Quickers." Unfortunately, this leads to unrealistic business plans. As a developer, you can just work on the project without regard for its eventual success. However, when the client realizes a few weeks down the road that he or she has just spent money on an unprofitable venture and the developer facilitated it, the client may lose respect for the developer. This is not a good way to build a firm's reputation-better to turn down the project than to risk tarnishing your firm's reputation.

Answers

a)	If you were to contract on the site mentioned in Exercise 1.1, what would your goals/concerns be? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
Answer:	My concerns/goals would be the following (in order of priority): I would want to be completely confident that resources existed within my firm to complete the task at hand. If any outsourcing was required, I would only do so with proven firms with which I had worked closely in the past. I would not want to lose money for my firm. I would want to produce a Web site that creates word of mouth referrals and encourages the client to become a long-term customer of my firm. I would like to make money for my firm. I would like to see my team's skills expand and rapport build.
b)	How would you plan to facilitate these goals? __________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________
Answer:	I would facilitate these goals by doing the following: Assessing the customer requirements and meeting with my team and potential subcontractors to talk realistically about our ability to complete the project Making sure that the lines of communication are clear between the client and the project team Underpromising and overdelivering to the client Implementing budgeting and scheduling tools that track expenses Establishing an atmosphere where enthusiasm reigns

Self-Review Questions

In order to test your progress, you should be able to answer the following questions:

1)	Which of the following would be a goal of the client? _____ Getting the project completed for the least amount of money _____ Making the Web site launch date _____ Determining a schedule of payment _____ Incorporating existing company branding (i.e., logos)
2)	Which of the following would be a goal of the contractor? _____ Getting the project completed for the least amount of money _____ Making the Web site launch date _____ Determining a schedule of payment _____ Incorporating existing company branding (i.e., logos)