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June 2002

E-projects Present Unique Challenges to Project Managers

By Kerry Campbell Hamilton, PMP

E-projects are cutting edge and exciting. But, what is an e-project and what makes it different from a traditional project?

E-projects involve the creation of a Web-enabled end product. The use of technology-based solutions and applications is the key differentiator between traditional projects and e-projects. Examples of e-projects include building a Web site, creating Web-based courses or developing a billing management system that operates on the Internet.

Often, managers of e-projects have difficulty visualizing the end result. The manager or stakeholders may know how they want the product to function, but they don’t exactly know how the user interface or back- end programming will accomplish this. In addition, end users of Web-based products use various browsers and configurations to access these products and these different ways of accessing also affect the way they use and see the end product.

Often e-projects start with a vague idea of what the stakeholders want to accomplish because e-projects are often more visionary than traditional projects. The end product is not something you can necessarily touch, taste or smell because it resides on the ethereal internet.

Building mock-ups, designing storyboards, considering site architecture, asking questions about security issues and developing a usability test are some aspects involved in e-projects that don’t even enter the realm of a traditional project. E-projects require creative vision, basic understanding of technology building blocks and core project management skills.

Creative Vision

Creative vision doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be an artist or graphic designer. Although, having a few artistic skills doesn’t hurt, such as knowing the basics of color schemes and compositional design.

Creative vision can mean having the ability to think outside the box. E-projects often require innovative and futuristic thinking. Traditional thinking will not provide the visionary approach needed to make many e-projects successful.

Microsoft’s .NET initiative, for example, represents the next wave of Internet functionality. The .NET initiative is looking ahead, requiring creative and visionary skills from the project managers involved. To be a successful e-project manager, you need to embrace cutting-edge ideas, thrive on excitement and put on your creative thinking hat.

Basic Understanding of Technology Building Blocks

An e-project manager doesn’t need to be an IT expert or a software application whiz kid but he or she needs to understand the basics of all components that contribute to the successful completion of the project.

She or he should understand the basics of how programming languages work to understand the complexities involved in building a specific application. Also, having a fundamental understanding of how people use the Internet and what makes a Web site user-friendly is critical. He or she should also be familiar with the Web development tools currently available.

Core Project Management Skills

The end-users of e-projects are operating in a fast-paced world. They needed the product yesterday. E-projects are often reactionary responses to immediate and urgent needs.

A company suddenly realizes that if it doesn’t provide its customers the ability to pay via the Web, customers will choose another vendor that does. To keep up with competition, this company embarks on an e-project to create a Web-based billing and payment tracking system. Other companies see a business opportunity in initiating a particular e-project to stay ahead of the competition.

Whether a company is playing catch up or trying to stay ahead, fast time to market is critical for success.

This need for accelerated schedules adds pressure to an e-project manager’s job. If he or she doesn’t use a solid project management approach, an e-project will most likely fail.

To manage projects within such a demanding atmosphere, the e-project manager must be able to successfully carry the project through all five phases of the project life cycle. Quality, time, communication and procurement are key PMBOK® areas that have a large impact on the success of an e-project.

Since these projects originate from the needs of a fast-paced and competitive marketplace, an e-project manager must be flexible, quick to respond and aggressive in schedule development. If she or he does not have control of the project by following a project management methodology, things will quickly spin out of control. The manager will not be able to respond to client demands for speed, agility and change management. Practicing core project management fundamentals provides a mechanism for controlling the project processes and managing deliverables.

Managing e-projects requires the same proven tools, techniques and methods standard to any project management methodology. However, these projects offer unique challenges that must be addressed in the project plan and carefully monitored throughout the life cycle of the project. Although challenging, e-projects represent some of the most exciting and rewarding projects to manage.

Kerry Campbell Hamilton, PMP, has been involved in managing a variety of training-related projects, including building a reseller training program and developing Web-based courses. She recently finished managing the development of a Web-enabled sales toolkit at Microsoft, where she is currently working. Kerry also performs independent consultant work in training development and project management.

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