Internal Audit

Once the project is finished and delivered, it's easy to look forward to the next exciting project in the pipeline. After all, by the time a project reaches launch, everyone on the project team has hopefully given it their all and is looking forward to taking on something new. A project team can be ready to move on. However, unless it looks backward, the team does not grow.

Identifying the steps that went well and the steps that did not go as smoothly is important. Has someone on the team been dealing with a subcontractor who did not deliver as agreed? Unless this is talked about with the project team, a decision may be made to hire that subcontractor. Could better communication between the project manager and the creative team have circumvented several composite stages? It's time to brainstorm how that process can be streamlined. Maybe it's time to bring several members of the creative team along on project meetings. How does everyone see the Web site evolving? Creative team members may see a Shockwave application. The technical team may see e-commerce. Making these suggestions to the client can help define the direction he or she will eventually go with the site and secure new business for the Web firm.

The team may want to send a questionnaire to the client asking how he or she felt the process went. A report card helps anyone to improve their performance.

Conducting an internal audit of the project does not mean that the team should walk away feeling badly about the negative points of the project process. Rather, the tone of these internal audits should be very positive. Maybe the audit should be conducted during a company-sponsored lunch at which the team does not take on other business. Successful completion of the project should be cause for celebration, not anxiety.

A positive approach to this internal audit is good for project team morale. Rather than singling out nonperformers, the project manager can make a point of singling out performers. This can spur others to wish to be recognized next time. The project manager can show specific pieces of the Web site that were outstanding and design quality or functionality to be emulated next time.

Call it a dead dog party, Monday morning quarterbacking, or a company field trip to the local laser tag establishment, an internal audit done well can help to identify aggravating stumbling blocks, throw a spotlight on most valuable players, and enhance the client relationship.

Let's see how you would conduct this process.

Exercises

Assess Team Performance

a)What is the best setting in which to conduct a postproject meeting?

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b)Develop a sample agenda for a postproject meeting.

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Evaluate Client Questionnaires

a)What sort of questions would you ask a client on a postproject questionnaire?

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b)How much emphasis should the project team place on this sort of feedback?

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Make Phase II Recommendations

a)How would a project team best identify any Phase II recommendations for the client?

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b)How should these recommendations be best presented to the client?

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Exercise Answers

This section gives you some suggested answers to the questions in Lab 13.3 with discussion related to those answers. Please post any alternative answers to these questions at the companion Web site for this book, located at http://www.phptr.com/phptrinteractive.

Answers

a)What is the best setting in which to conduct a postproject meeting?

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Answer:Hopefully, you have mature, talented people on your project team who truly care about the quality of the work they produce. However, this is not always the case. Some team members may feel insecure about their contributions to the team. Or some members may bog down under the weight of their own attitude. Unfortunately, this is not a perfect world.

Thus, when planning a postproject meeting, the setting should be informal and relaxed, perhaps an impetus to allow those people who don't usually have a lot to say in project meetings the atmosphere in which to contribute their ideas. Some uncomfortable topics may be identified at this meeting. Perhaps the amount of time Bill took off as a result of his girlfriend being in town hindered the creative process. While these issues don't have to be exposed specifically for all to scrutinize, they can be identified in a more generalized fashion so that the person involved gets the point. A relaxed atmosphere, preferably away from the office, can do a lot to facilitate open communication.

b)Develop a sample agenda for a postproject meeting.

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Answer:

I. Introductions

II. Scope of Work

III. Review of Final Product

IV. Feedback from Client Questionnaires

BREAK FOR LASERTAG, FOOD, BASEBALL, WHAT HAVE YOU

V. Project Stumbling Blocks

VI. Project Successes

VII. Experience We Bring from This Project to the Next

VIII. Recognition of Individuals for Outstanding Performance

IX. Close

BREAK FOR MORE LASERTAG, FOOD, BASEBALL, WHAT HAVE YOU

Answers

a)What sort of questions would you ask a client on a postproject questionnaire?

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Answer:A very short questionnaire could resemble the following. However, you might like to find out more specifics.

Rate from 0 to 10 (10 being excellent) your satisfaction level with the following project areas:

  • Responsiveness of the project manager
  • How closely the final product resembled expectations
  • Adherence to project schedule
  • Graphic design of Web site
  • Functional design of Web site
  • How your company's Web site compares against competition
b)How much emphasis should the project team place on this sort of feedback?

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Answer:Client dispositions vary. Some clients are very reasonable to walk through a Web site build. Others can be extremely difficult. Based on the attitude of the client during the Web site build, a project team can probably judge how much importance the client questionnaire will have to them. I'll be honest: I have had a few clients that I would not bother sending a client questionnaire to. The client's behavior during the Web build made things difficult. Rather, I would want to discuss with my project team how we might have made things easier for this difficult client to understand. Or I would want to discuss whether we should have taken on the project at all.

With a reasonable client who has been participatory in all phases, I would place a great deal of emphasis on the client questionnaire. This client will tell you where you can improve, and the project team members can find out more about the client, so that they can better service his or her needs in the future.

Answers

a)How would a project team best identify any Phase II recommendations for the client?

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Answer:As the project is progressing, various technical and creative team members will have ideas for the Web site, and while they may not be covered under the budget or schedule guidelines for the present phase, these enhancements could be accommodated in a Phase II implementation. Ideas for Phase II should be brought to and documented by the project manager.

During the internal audit, the last step may be to come up with Phase II recommendations for the client. Once everyone has had a little distance from the project, but not too much, it is a good time to look at it with a fresh perspective and perhaps brainstorm its next incarnation.

b)How should these recommendations be best presented to the client?

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Answer:Often these recommendations generate organically during project status meetings with the client. However, the project manager should schedule a wrap-up meeting where site administration and any Phase Ii recommendations can be discussed in depth. Presenting the client with examples of working prototypes for these sort of enhancements is always helpful.

Self-Review Questions

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

1)(True/False) An internal audit should identify

  1. _____ Nonperformers
  2. _____ Functionality that the firm is particularly proud of
  3. _____ Phase II recommendations
2)(True/False) Using postproject client questionnaires can help the Web firm to identify

  1. _____ Nonperformers
  2. _____ Snags in team communication
  3. _____ Which project team members deserve raises


Exploring Web Marketing and Project Management
Exploring Web Marketing and Project Management
ISBN: 0130163961
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2000
Pages: 87

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