Soft Skills

Travails of a new project manager

S Raghupathy continues his analysis of the challenges that come up when a new manager takes over a project midway.

Entry at building the analysis model

This phase deals with describing what the client requires and also to create a basis for the development work. This is a very critical phase of the project and it would be prudent not to plan for any change after this phase and the design phase, at the managerial level. The way one sees the requirement may be completely different from another in building the model. How the forms are going to be built at the abstract level of the highest order is what is envisaged.

Writing of the use cases much depends on the creativity of the techno-functional professional who will determine the design phase and the course of the project. The objects which are structured or modified, how each of the objects are related and are expected to be processed and other related functions are performed by the project manager and the functional head.

Much depends on the techno-functional consultant whose position is not expected to be disturbed. The smooth transition of the project depends on whether there is a clear cut responsibility assigned to the domain specialist, techno-functional consultant or the project manager and whether the continuity is maintained by everybody in the loop.

Entry at design engineering

In terms of entry of a new project manager at this stage, there is something that he can do about with the solutions, lest it would impact the efforts and costs. Even if the solution is a great one, if it impacts the architecture of the product extensively it would not be prudent for the manager to do this. Experiments like these must be reserved to be delivered during the support phase or as phase II functionalities.

The development team would have by this time understood the business processes and the functionalities and are in the process of brainstorming the design, along with other stakeholders like clients, costing officers, the finance division, quality assurance and others. If there is a major deviation in the design, it would require time for the team to understand such changes. But if there are staffing changes, that the top management contemplates, the entry must be frozen beyond this point.

Having designed a solution for the IPO feature which does not take into consideration the book building process, it would take greater amount of work in terms of redefining the unit specification plan or design. The stakeholders like quality assurance and development team’s plan would have to be shifted in their understanding of the functionality, development of the unit test plan and integration testing. The project manager may have to retrain the team on the inclusion of the book building process.

Entry at building the solution

The project manager or the functional consultant joining at this stage at best must be able to transform him or herself to adapt to the design that is already in place. If any, innovation or improvisation is attempted, effect is multidimensional and there is high probability the project delivery would be delayed unless more resources are employed and can be developed parallel.

Assuming that the model that was envisaged was well documented, even then there would be some challenges in terms of interpretation of the functionalities, gap analysis and the process flow. The best strategy would be to be in touch with the client clarifying the issues/doubts, presenting Webex demos or giving VPN access and communicating the components and process flows that are built. It would be even better if the client visits the development office and sees the development process, go through a demo and suggest changes. This is to enhance the comfort level of the client and make the process more transparent, more so, in case of the changes in the senior positions.

The senior management when recruiting a new head, has to orient the newcomer to adapt to the solution that is already in place, unless the solution has any serious flaw. If the functionality is like the one on book building, one will face relatively less difficulty. But if this is a functionality on the commodity derivatives and valuation tools in the Middle East markets, where the trading of these instruments have not taken off yet, the process of educating the client and developing the solution would be a great challenge as the exchange practices on derivatives are in the nascent stage. The integration in terms of including the derivatives in the valuation reports, hedge reporting would be a challenge. The clients’ will have to be educated on the nature, use of the derivatives instruments in addition to their valuation techniques and accounting as per the Financial Accounting Standards 133.

Entry during the testing phase

When there is a change in the project manager at this stage, though there is not much of a problem in the transition, as the project manager has to merely adhere to the quality assurance process, he or she face huge challenges in getting himself or herself accepted by the client IT manager or his peers. This is not an enviable task, and it calls for tremendous amount of patience and being transparent with the client.

The project manager has to work his way hard, without trying to prove his or her mettle and handle the client with great tact. It is at this stage, the new project manager has to use a good blend of adaptability and assertiveness. Quite frequently, the project manager may be at the mercy of the client necessitating intervention of the senior management professionals.

Entry during the project delivery

New entrant at the onsite implementation phase might prove to be a nightmare in managing the projects. This is the most challenging scenario that could happen to anybody and it will be more, if the vendor is not particularly well-known. The project manager must have several rounds of discussions with the exiting project manager or the delivery head and understand the true spirit of the software requirements specifications. He must operate on the bespoke or off-the-shelf application. To buy the client for change in the headship he or she should have a strong profile and a flamboyant personality and communicates with the client so that he or she will not land in trouble.

There is every possibility during the development and delivery phases that the client would claim that the features or logic not specifically mentioned in the document were in fact discussed with the predecessor resource and he promised to deliver the project or product in that understanding spirit. The contract entered must be addressing how to handle these situations, at least in terms specific enough to reach a mutually accepted workaround or a solution. The client would quite likely claim that design and development of a solution is more of an art than a science. Though this is true, this is employed as a strategy.

Entry during the support phase

At this phase his role will be limited to handshakes and attending to the issues which have spilt over or in planning for any phase II deliverables. There are bound to be spill-over issues and phase II of the implementation, which need to be managed. The project would be on live and the client would be more or less happy by this time. The responsibilities would be to build a good rapport for further projects with the same client and in getting good references for business expansion.

S Raghupathy is Practice Head-Funds and Portfolio Management System, Bahwan Cyber Tek