International Avaya User Conference 2010 Project Management for telecommunications projects. Using the PMI PMBok framework to manage telecom projects.

1. Session Code 907T
Project Management for the Telecom Professional
Rory McKenna
Telecommunications Manager
American HomePatient

2. My Experience
• Currently manage telecom systems for
American HomePatient, Inc.
• Over 200 branch offices
• 6 call center sites, 13 billing centers
• Corporate offices
• 13 years of Telecom experience with Avaya
and Avaya Business Partner, 8 years Project
Management

3. Presentation Goal - Making the Project
Management Process work for you
• Problem
• The Project Management process described by the PMI,
taught in PM classes and presented in PM books can seem
• Complicated
• Overkill for the normal Telecom Project
• Too general for many Telecom Projects .
• Solution
• Adopt a simplified project management process more
tailored to the needs of the average Telecom Manager.
• Use the PMI model as a framework
• Incorporate PM best practices with reduced complexity
• Tailor the process for the normal Telecom project

4. Presentation Overview
• What is a Project and what does a Project
Manager do?
• Why is Project Management Important?
• The PMI Model
• Adapting the PMI Project Model for the
Telecom Project
• Tools and Resources for the Telecom Project
Manager

5. Defining a Project and Project Management
• A Project is a temporary endeavor, having a
defined beginning and end, undertaken to
meet unique goals and objectives, usually to
bring about beneficial change or added
value.
• Project management is the discipline of
planning, organizing, and managing
resources to bring about the successful
completion of specific project goals and
objectives

6. Experience Vs. Project Process Vs. Skill
• Is Telecom Project Management a skill, a
process or experience.
• It is all of the above
• Knowledge of project process gives structure
which can increase the chance of success.
• Project Management skill and methodology helps
drive a project to successful completion.
• Telecom experience provides context and an
better understanding of the risks which also
contributes to success.

7. Why are Projects Different
• Project
• Temporary endeavor
• Defined start and end
dates w specific goals
• No defined process
• Work may cross many
business units
• Divided management
responsibility
• Temporary or ad hoc
workforce
• Normal Operations
• Repetitive
• Permanent or semi-
permanent functional
work to produce
products or services
• Well defined processes
• Defined management
• Defined workforce
In practice, the management of these two systems is often
found to be quite different, and as such requires the
development of distinct technical skills and the adoption of
separate management techniques.

8. Why is Project Management Needed
• Research shows 24% of projects fail, 44% fail
to fulfill all expectations
• Enterprises are seeking staff with Project
Management skills to improve success rates
and believe enhanced Project Management
skills an essential part of project success

9. Top 5 Reasons Projects Fail
• 1. Incomplete Requirements
• 2. Lack of User/Management Involvement
• 3. Unrealistic Expectations
• 4. Changing Requirements & Specifications
• 5. Lack of Planning
Top 5 Factors in Challenged Projects
• 1. Lack of User Involvement
• 2. Incomplete Requirements & Specifications
• 3. Changing Requirements & Specifications
• 4. Lack of Executive Support
• 5. Technical Incompetence
Projects that do not fail often fall within the category of challenged,
not quite a failure but not quite a success.

10. Top 5 Factors For Success
• 1. User Involvement
• 2. Executive Management Support
• 3. Clear Statement of Requirements
• 4. Proper Planning
• 5. Realistic Expectations

11. Exploring the PMI Model
• Formalized Project Management process
• Specialized body of knowledge codified in “A
Guide to the Project Management Body of
Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide)—Fourth
Edition”
• Model uses a number of tools and resources
for planning, risk assessment, resource
allocation and more

12. Formalized Project Management Process
4. Project Closure
1. Definition/Initiation
2. Planning
3. Execution and Controlling

13. PMI Family of Credentials

14. Benefits of the Formalized Project Management
Process
• Provides a common framework to think
about projects and how we accomplish them
• Even if you do not follow every formal process,
thinking about your project in the context of the
process is helpful
• Provides tools and resources to assist the
project management process
• Elevated the role of Project Management in
the management planning

15. PMI Model Weakness for Telecom Projects
• Model more suited to larger, complex
projects
• Assumes long lead time for planning
• Assumes a full time project manager
• vs. a manager working a project
• Assumes PM skilled in project process
• Down plays the role of experience in the
technical field
• PMI does not require specific Telecom (Industry)
knowledge

16. Modifying the Model for Telecom Projects
• The reality is most Telecom Projects can be
considered small or medium sized projects
• Duration is less than 6 months
• 10 or fewer team members and a small number of skill areas
• Has a narrowly defined scope of work
• Uses a Manager as the primary source of leadership
• Produces straight forward deliverables with no/few political
implications
• What does this mean for the average Telecom
Project
• Process and planning complexity can be reduced to suit the
project
• Simpler tools and processes can be used to execute the
project and deliver the correct level of documentation

17. Model for the Small to Medium Project
• Initiate Phase
• Reduced complexity and processes as there are few significant
political issues to overcome, financial models to build or a
Project Management office to establish
• Planning Phase
• Use of appropriate and simpler forms and tools to build project
plans. (Playbooks, Action Plans, Task Plans)
• Execute and Control phase
• Small team reduces need for lots of meetings and extensive
communication tools.
• Lack of political requirements may reduce the need for
extensive management communications (One Page Project
Management)
• Closure Phase
• Depending on your companies requirements you may bypass a
complex final documentation processes.

18. Initiate Phase for the Small Project
This phase is the conceptualization of the project. The
purpose of this phase is to specify what the project
should accomplish.
• Conduct research and brainstorming sessions for
generating necessary information for management team.
Vendors should be included if possible to provide their
input
• (watch for vendor design lock in)
• ROI models or needs requirements will often drive the
requirements.
• Often the project description does not need to be complex
• This work should lead to a well defined scope of work

19. Planning Phase – Major Items
• Scope of Work
• Define the project and insure management, users and vendor expectations
are in tune with your plan
• Resource Plan
• With a small team people and resources are limited and more easily
controlled
• Prepare the Work Breakdown Structure/Task List
• Define the right level of detail, does each task need to be general or
specific, find the correct level of detail
• Project Schedule Development.
• What’s the right level of detail, can you use a tool to combine with a task
list
• Risk Plan
• Use your telecom experience to evaluate the major risks
• Budget Plan
• What financial information does your organization need
• Think about the closure process and how to record plan to actual expenses

20. Common Planning Weaknesses in Telecom
Projects
• Initiation planning comes before vendor engagement
and input
• The bogus RFP
• Vendor sales cycle provides a solution before
project planning starts
• The insulated vendor design engineer
• Vendor Project Manager assigned after the sales
team has sold the product
• Telecom Manager may not have formal training in
Project Management
• Planning time is too short (see reasons for failure)

21. Planning -Time and Cost Estimates, a Caution
• Avoid the over ambitious plan
• Plan for Slippage (and then add 20%)
• Plan an early delivery for a fixed deadline
• Understand most Projects come in late
• Resist the demand for faster, cheaper
• If your time line is based on unrealistic goals you
have probably already failed
• Management may not question an ambitious
plan at the start
• But they will at the end

22. Planning - Risk Mitigation Plan
• Find the risks and work a mitigation plan at
the start of the project
• Plan to reduce risk as much as possible,
more moving parts mean more risk
• Examples
• Network vendors can be a significant risk. Think about
adding a new circuit rather then cutting an in place
circuit to allow you to move back to the old system
• If moving to IP Phones plan to leave digital sets in place
until after a successful cutover
• Familiarity breeds complacency

23. Control and Execute
• Refer to the task list and schedule often to
keep track of your project
• Consider an easy to understand tracking
systems (Red/Yellow/Green status)
• Address issues immediately to resolve
problems before they impact the schedule
• Communicate often and effectively with your
team to insure the project is on track
• Get rid of the project scheduled project meeting if it
serves no purpose
• Watch for meetings where the experts talk past each
other

24. Execute – Kickoff Meetings and Change
Management
• Have all the players on hand for the first meeting,
including vendors
• Prepare a project plan for the meeting and review
with all players so everyone starts with the same
message
• How you will handle changes
• The Little Change vs. the Big Change
• Watching for scope creep
• No change is too small to not document
• Have a formal process
• Document and approve changes
• Do changes get added to the invoice, are they invoiced
separately. How does your company manage these payments.

25. Closure
• When is it done
• Define when the project ends
• What to do when you are the project manager and
the Telecom Manager
• How do you tell yourself its done
• Is it really done when the vendor techs leave
• What? The Death March isn’t over till it’s
documented

26. Closure -
• Complete a Cost Analysis
• Compare budget to actual
• Where did you go over/under budget and why
• The importance of the change management process
• Laying the ground work for the next project
• Is this something you will do again
• Are there elements or knowledge you should preserve
• Saving information for future reference
• System diagrams and configuration information
• How many people have an IP Network Region
Configuration Map, COR information for their PBX
• Saving information for ongoing maintenance
• Logins and passwords

27. Final Point – “Process vs. Delivery”
• Focus on project delivery rather than project
documentation
• The critical choice project managers need to
make is how much documentation is necessary?
A small project can be done without creating an
avalanche of paperwork
• Apply Project Management best practices
• The Telecom Manager can increase their project
success rate by learning the basics of these best
practices and applying them even with reduced
complexity.

28. Finding the Right Tools
• Dedicated Project Management Software
• Can be complex but adheres to the PMI model for project
management
• Microsoft Project
• Fairly complex software that provides many features a
full time PM would consider standard
• Web Based Tools
• Range of complexity available from many vendors
• www.5pm.com
• Action Plans and Play Books
• A simple solution for small projects

29. Resources - Web Based & Books
• PMI Web site www.pmi.org
• Project Management knowledge base for those involved in
managing projects of all kinds
• http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/docs/pmprocess.pdf
• Easy to Use Basic Templates
• http://www.businessballs.com/project.htm
• The PM Hut
• http://www.pmhut.com/
• Free Excel Templates
• http://www.vertex42.com/ExcelTemplates/excel-project-management.html
• “The Art of Project Management”
• by Scott Berkun
• “Project Management for Small Projects”
• by Sandra Rowe

30. Presented by Rory McKenna
Connect with me on LinkedIn:
www.linkedin.com/in/rorymck