A sound business strategy is essential to success. Without disciplined execution, the same strategy renders little value. Our professional IT project management services help take the risk out of any IT initiative and ensure your IT project’s successful completion. Every IT Project Manager is highly experienced in delivering complex technology projects. Serving as a single point of contact throughout the project lifecycle, we advise on and execute your most complex initiatives so that you realize your desired results.
Every IT project should begin with the end goal in mind, and meeting deadlines and budget goals requires skillful management. Throughout the entire process, CCSP is here to help. Our PMP-certified IT Project Managers employ a proven methodology developed from the Project Management Institute (PMI) project management framework.
Every project has its own goal—the complete delivery of the project. No matter how different each project may be from each other, each one needs to carry out that purpose in the end. In order to get to the outcome, a project manager needs to handle the project from the beginning to the end.
The initiation phase is the beginning of the project. In this phase, the idea for the project is explored and elaborated. The goal of this phase is to examine the feasibility of the project. In addition, decisions are made concerning who is to carry out the project, which party (or parties) will be involved and whether the project has an adequate base of support among those who are involved.
In this phase, the current or prospective project leader writes a proposal, which contains a description of the above-mentioned matters. Examples of this type of project proposal include business plans and grant applications. The prospective sponsors of the project evaluate the proposal and, upon approval, provide the necessary financing. The project officially begins at the time of approval.
While every phase is important, the planning phase is usually the time when a project manager has the best opportunity to shape the future of the project. It’s also the phase in which the project manager does most of his or her hands-on work. A successful planning phase is almost invisible after the fact, as the project team proceeds to work according to the schedule, budget and other plans that the project manager has developed. Mistakes in the planning phase, on the other hand, tend to be highly visible.
Setting goals for your team is the essence of the planning phase. Our project managers use a formal framework for setting and evaluating project goals with the S.M.A.R.T. approach. This methodology helps our project managers ensure that each team goal meets five important criteria:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time Bound
The S.M.A.R.T. framework helps our team create goals that are more meaningful and more closely aligned with our client organization’s overall strategy.
At this stage in the project life cycle, our team will finalize and acquire all essential resources needed to accomplish the tasks laid out in the planning documentation. Our focus will change to performing and supervising all activities to create the tangible product or service outlined in the project plan.
This phase takes the longest amount of time to achieve. We anticipate using most of the resources and energy during the completion of this stage. The visibility our team becomes prominent during the execution phase, as stakeholders, clients, and executive management will expect progress updates. Our goal is to pay special attention and to make sure that all parties involved are kept abreast of any developments including routine status updates, resource usage, and other pertinent issues.
During execution, projected risks normally materialize. By consistently assessing risk, we develop contingencies and alter and update the plan as needed to move forward.
The primary purpose of the Monitor & Control Phase is to compare and verify deliverables against the project plan and the requirements. These activities are performed throughout the project; however, the majority of this work is done concurrently with the Execute Phase. Risk and Change Management Plans developed during the Plan Phase are put to use now to ensure the success of the project. At times, during this Phase, our Project Managers may find that a given risk or problem forces revisiting the Plan Phase because of unforeseen risks or issues that come up that may make the project, as planned, unable to reach completion.
If deviations from the project plan are detected, corrective and preventative actions are recommended by our team to bring the project back into alignment with the project plan. Any changes to the configuration of a deliverable or to the baseline elements of the project plan must be made with great deliberation to safeguard a successful project outcome.
The closure phase of a project entails handing off deliverables, archiving documents, closing out contracts and moving resources to new projects. The project management closure phase is a necessary part of the project life cycle, and failure to complete this phase could lead to issues down the road.
Transferring deliverables for a project includes handing off promised goods and associated documentation, as well as providing agreed upon services. Our team will make sure you are satisfied with all project management phases, including the final product, which we are required to deliver on everything promised as part of the contract. Transfer of deliverables also occurs throughout the project life cycle, depending on milestones and the terms of the contract. However, before final closure can take place, we deliver everything you need to move forward using the product or service we have promised.
Perhaps the most important part of the project management closure phase is getting everyone involved to sign off on completion of contracts. This signifies that everyone involved agrees that all work has been delivered, that all invoices have been paid, that all objectives have been met and that each party is satisfied that the contract has been fulfilled.
CCSP offers Project Management services in the following areas.
- Business Process Management: We utilize continuous improvement methodologies, such as Lean and Six Sigma, combined with change management approaches to achieve stakeholder buy-in. With engaged stakeholders, the new or refined business processes are clearly defined and sustainably applied throughout your organization.
- Business Technology: We provide consultative support to IT program management offices, prioritize the IT department’s portfolio of projects, and offer a project management approach to end-to-end system selection and implementation projects within IT and other business functions.
- Change Management: We blend professional project management with change management best practices to ensure projects are completed on time and on budget, and address the human factors and culture critical to adoption and sustainability.
- Product Development: We manage the critical interdependencies and communication among all of the departments involved in product development, from discovery through commercialization. Speed-to-market is critical in the ever-increasing competitive landscape, however quality must never be sacrificed.
- Project Portfolio Management: We assist organizations in doing the right projects right – those projects with strategic alignment that make the best use of your organization’s time, talent, effort, and budget.
- Regulatory & Quality: We utilize project management to translate, plan, and execute strategies to help you achieve successful submissions, adhere to agency compliance, and remediate identified issues.