Plumbing to Paint: Managing a Technology Project

1. Plumbing to Paint:Managing a Technology Project Myra Hope Eskridge, Web & DB Consultant MIT Information Services & Technology Departmental Consulting and Application Development

2. What is a Project? • A process of discovery, design, and build that results in a new or improved system. • …and typically involves coordinating more than one person or process.

3. Plumbing to Paint • Running a technology project is like renovating your kitchen.

4. My best advice • A project is an investment. You and your stakeholders will invest time and money in planning, design, build, testing, approving -- and eventually maintaining -- the evolving site. • Time up front will save time and money later. Invest in Discovery.

5. What does a project look like? discover design build Myra Hope Eskridge, 2003 Page 5

6. What does a project look like? Yale Web Strategy & Utilization Web Style Guide 3rd Edition Acionix Consulting IKM Network Communications, Ltd.

7. What does a project look like? MIT IS&T DCAD

8. What does a project look like? discover design build MIT IS&T DCAD Myra Hope Eskridge, 2010 Page 8

9. Project Phases • Define clear project goals, objectives, and scope. • Discover project requirements by defining how users will interact with the site. • Partner with professional talent who match the project's needs. • Design the user experience through an iterative design exploration. • Develop the design into a into a fully functioning web site. • Deliver a final web site that meets all of the project's goals. ~from the DCAD consulting site: http://ist.mit.edu/services/consulting/web Myra Hope Eskridge, 2010 Page 9

10. Current State

11. Why Invest in Definition and Discovery? Build a business case for the project. Myra Hope Eskridge, 2010 Page 11

12. Project drivers • The users don’t like how it looks • It’s a deprecated model, no longer supported • It takes too long to use • It’s difficult to use • The users need more features

13. Target State This!

14. Target State?

15. Why Invest in Definition and Discovery? 1. Build a business case for the project. 2. Identify users and learn what they need. Myra Hope Eskridge, 2010 Page 15

16. How do I know I have a project? Top five project drivers: • It’s out of date • It’s broken • It’s not supported • I need better data • Management wants improvement

17. Define Scope • Where am I? • What do I need? • For whom? • When do I need it?

18. Define • Current State, Project Drivers • Where am I?

19. Project drivers • The users don’t like how it looks • It’s a deprecated model, no longer supported • It takes too long to use: 8 secs to complete task • It’s difficult to use • The users need more features

20. Define • Current State, Project Drivers • Goals, Objectives, Target State • Where am I? • What do I need? Myra Hope Eskridge, 2010 Page 20

21. Metrics Make your case with numbers • on the web: page hits; usability study scores; number of completed applications in a given time period; number of help calls; time to load; etc. cf: Web Site Analytics • in a database: time needed to complete a task; number of separate processes needed to perform a task; time to load; etc. cf: Usability Review

22. Drivers / Goals Project Driver Project Goal • The users don’t like how it looks • It’s no longer supported • It takes too long to use : 8 secs to complete task • It’s difficult to use • The users need more features • More interesting design • An upgrade • Reduced task completion time: from 8sec to 3sec • Easier to use • The users need more features

23. Define • Current State, Project Drivers • Goals, Objectives, Target State • Stakeholders, Users, and Audience • Where am I? • What do I need? • For whom? Myra Hope Eskridge, 2010 Page 23

24. Stakeholders Students Faculty Developers Sponsor Regulators Board Manager Persons or organizations that are actively involved in the project, or whose interests may be positively or negatively affected by the execution of the project. Persons or organizations who exercise influence over the project and its results.

25. Users/Audience Stakeholders system Internal Users External Users • Internal Users • creators and maintainers of the system • External Users • consumers of the system’s data or content

26. Define: • Current State, Project Drivers • Goals, Objectives, Target State • Stakeholders and Users • Target Launch,Time Constraints and Dependencies • Where am I? • What do I need? • For whom? • When do I need it?

27. When do I need it? Target Date, Time Constraints, and Dependencies • now • we must launch in time for x (constraint) • we can not launch until X (dependency) • as soon as possible

28. Complexity

29. Review: • Current State, Project Drivers • Goals, Objectives, Target State • Stakeholders and Users • Target Launch,Time Constraints and Dependencies • Where am I? • What do I need? • For whom? • When do I need it?

30. Timeline and Deliverables

31. The Projects • Kitchen • Web Site

32. Define Deliverable: Tasks: (team/project manager) Define the project scope (stakeholders) Approve the scope Project Scope

33. Building a Team Stakeholders

34. Building a Team Stakeholders Project Manager Business Analyst

35. Current State • What’s wrong? • What’s wrong? old windows outdated design difficult to find things bad lighting content needs work difficult to find things broken widgets broken appliances users need more features users need more features broken infrastructure exposed code

36. Project Drivers Kitchen • Color looks old • Plumbing is rickety, faucets don’t work any more • Cabinets are too high and shallow • The space is laid out badly, difficult to actually cook • The users need more features Web Site • The design is outdated • It breaks or looks bad in current browsers • Search is unreliable and delivers bad results • Users have trouble doing what we want them to do • The users need more features

37. Define • Internal Users / Audience • people who cook • people who build and maintain the equipment • other people who live in the house • External Users / Audience • people who eat • other visitors to the house • Target Date • June 1, 2011 • Graduation weekend

38. Building a Team Users Stakeholders Project Manager Business Analyst

39. Discover Deliverables: Tasks: (business analyst) Interview users, write requirements and RFP (stakeholders) Approve requirements and RFP Request for Proposal (RFP) Business Requirements Site Map

40. External Users Stakeholders web site External Users External Users/Audience • Job-seekers • Prospective or Current Students • Faculty • Partner Universities • Prospective or Current Donors Myra Hope Eskridge, 2010 Page 40

41. Internal Users Internal Users • Content editors • Reviewers / Testers • Module programmers • Systems administrators • Database administrators • Data analysts Stakeholders web site Internal Users External Users

42. Systems Stakeholders web site Internal Users External Users systems Systems interfaces • Hosting service • Database(s) • Authentication • Payment processing • Other web sites Myra Hope Eskridge, 2010 Page 42

43. Users Drop-in guests Shoppers Dinner guests Grandparents Coffee guests Caterer Landlord Plumber Faculty Developers Content editors Prospective students Donors Hosting service Prospective donors Stakeholders

44. Discover Features • Total Redesign • Refrigerator • New Sink Plumbing • Paint • Name Sign • Features • Information Architecture • Search • Hosting • Redesign • Identity/Logo

45. Discover Feature 5.0 • Refrigerator • Feature 5.0 • Search box

46. Discover Feature 5.0 • Refrigerator • The user must be able to open the door without hitting the counter. • The refrigerator door must hold at least 4 gallons of milk. • The refrigerator must produce copious amounts of ice. • Feature 5.0 • Search • The user must be able to find the search box easily. • The system must automatically fill in the search term as the user types. • The system will present search results ranked according to defined priorities.

47. Target State Kitchen Floor Plan Site Map

48. Discover+ Deliverables: • Tasks: (team/business analyst) Interview users, write requirements and RFP (stakeholders) Approve requirements and RFP Request for Proposal (RFP) Risks: a. Not capturing all of the requirements. Secret allies: your stakeholders and end-users. Plan to interview every type of user, and to go through at least two revisions of your requirements, with full participation and review from stakeholders. b. Not achieving stakeholder approval. Secret ally: your project sponsor Business Requirements Site Map Myra Hope Eskridge, 2010 Page 48

49. Partner Deliverable: • Tasks: (PM) Send out the RFP for bids (prospective designers) Submit proposals (team) Review proposals; hold interviews; select vendor (team) Begin writing content Proposal

50. Partner + Deliverable: Tasks: (PM) Send out RFPs for bids (prospective designers) Submit proposals (team) Review proposals; hold interviews; select vendor (team) Begin writing content Proposal Risk: a. Vague language, for example: “etc.”, “as needed”, “TBD” may open the project up for unending costs later. Secret ally: clarity, and a thorough review. b. Finding the right mix of vendors for the project. Secret ally: stakeholder experience, and DCAD Myra Hope Eskridge, 2010 Page 50