How to deal with project problems
13-January-2025
How to hand over the project output successfully
13-January-2025
22 – PROJECT SERVICES AND I.T. SYSTEMS
What services and IT systems are needed to support a project? It depends. Many small projects rely on minimal administrative support, and familiar office applications to manage their work. But the largest projects need consideration administrative and technical support to keep control of their myriad activities.
The project manager is unlikely to be alone as a project expert. Organisations can often have a unit which provides project management support, and also plays a big part in how projects get set up, approved and managed.
A project is likely to be dependent on a number of other parts of an organisation in order to function. These will be specialist units, providing expertise and practical help in areas like personnel, finance and purchasing.
Projects also tend to be highly dependent on information technology. This may extend from complex hardware and software that might be unique to the project, through to social media, IT interconnects the people involved with data and communication platforms.
Protection against cyber crime is one area of concern. Hopefully you would not need protection as extreme as the Faraday cage at the Museum of Science in Boston, USA, seen in the video titles.
Project specialists helping the project
22.1 – Essential support
Learn about the roles of the project manager’s assistant and the project office, providing day to day support. Also find out about the project management office, and pan-organisational group that oversees the project portfolio and how projects are run.
You will learn:
- What is a project manager’s assistant.
- What is the role of the project manager’s assistant.
- What does a project manager’s assistant do.
- What is a project office.
- What is the role of a project office.
- What does a project office do.
- What is the project management office.
- What is the role of project management office.
- What the project management office does.
- What is the suite of project documentation.
- Why project documentation is necessary.
- What project documentation proves.
- How to store and manage project documentation.
- What are project coding and numbering systems.
The other departments the project depends on
22.2 – Key departments to deal with
The project will generally need support from other parts of the organisation to complete its job. See the roles of departments like human resources, finance, legal and commercial in providing key expertise and services to the project.
The project manager on the GM Hummer H2 project relied a lot on HR experts to help identify people with the right fit for his team.
You will learn:
- How the project works with the finance department.
- How the project works with the personnel department.
- How the project works with the HR department.
- How the project works with the commercial department.
- How the project works with the legal department.
- How the project works with the purchasing department.
- How to control the money within a project.
- How to find the best people for a project.
- How to deal with sensitive people issues in a project.
- How to carry out purchasing for a project.
- What is the project supply chain.
- How to decide whether to make or buy material for a project.
- How to select suppliers for a project.
- How to set up supplier relations in a project.
Information technology and the project
22.3 – Project IT
Understand how IT is applied in a project. Find out about specialist software that projects may use, and the part that can be played by social media.
You will learn:
- What are the applications of IT in a project.
- What are the issues with using IT in a project.
- What office software can be used in a project.
- What is project management software.
- What specialist software can be used in a project.
- Whether project software should be bespoke or off the shelf.
- How to use social media in a project.