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project management in it context

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Globalization is extending business operations to new international markets. Project managers must address key issues when working on global projects like communications, trust-building, and establishing common work practices. Information technology tools help facilitate global collaboration through features like project planning, issue tracking, continuous integration, and video conferencing. Outsourcing work to external or offshore sources is a natural outcome of globalization, requiring project managers to skillfully manage virtual and geographically distributed teams.

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Week # 03 Project Management in IT Context Globalization Globalization is the tendency of firms to extend their sales or manufacturing to new markets abroad. It is important for project managers to address several issues when working on global projects. Several key issues include the following: Communications: Since people will be working in different time zones, speak different languages, have different cultural backgrounds, celebrate different holidays, etc., it is important to address how people will communicate in an efficient and timely manner. A communications management plan is vital. Trust: Trust is an important issue for all teams, especially when they are global teams. It is important to start building trust immediately by recognizing and respecting others differences and the value they add to the project. Common work practices: It is important to align work processes to come up with an agreed-upon modus operandi with which everyone is comfortable. Project managers must allow time for the team to develop these common work practices. Using special tools that can facilitate this process. Tools: Information technology plays a vital role in globalization, especially in enhancing communications and work practices. For example, Timothy Porter, a project manager for Hundsun Technologies, a Chinese domestic software company building a global services business, describes severaltools they use as follows: XPlanner is used for project planning and project monitoring. This tool is suitable for agile software development and is Web-based for ease of distributed geographic access. TRAC is an enhanced issue-tracking systemfor software development projects. TRAC includes features such as defect management, source code control, project roadmap management, and an integrated wiki a collaborative, Web-based feedback systemfor project documentation that is very easy for stakeholders to review. CruiseControl is a framework for a continuous build process. It includes plug-ins for e-mail notification, source control tools, and so on. A Web interface is provided to view the details of the current and previous builds. WebEx, a Web-based conferencing tool, is used to record each development cycle s demo. These demos provide stakeholders visibility into our progress and can also be used as training materials for new staff members or the test team. E-mail, telephone, SKYPE (software that allows users to make telephone calls over the Internet), and instant messaging (IM) are used for routine daily communication among team members. Outsourcing outsourcing is when an organization acquires goods and/or sources from an outside source. The term offshoring is sometimes used to describe outsourcing from another country. Offshoring is a natural outgrowth of globalization. IT projects continue to rely more and more on outsourcing, both within and outside of their country boundaries. Because of the increased use of outsourcing for IT projects, project managers should become more familiar with negotiating contracts and many other issues, including working on and managing virtual teams. Virtual Teams A virtual teamisa group of individualswhoworkacrosstime andspace usingcommunicationtechnologies.Team membersmightall workforthe same companyin the same country,or theymightinclude employeesaswell as independentconsultants,suppliers,orevenvolunteersprovidingtheirexpertisefromaroundthe globe.
The main advantages of virtual teams include:  Increasing competiveness and responsiveness by having a team of workers available 24/7.  Lowering costs because many virtual workers do not require office space or support beyond their home offices.  Providing more expertise and flexibility by having team members from across the globe working any time of day or night.  Increasing the work/life balance for team members by eliminating fixed office hours and the need to travel to work. Disadvantages of virtual teams include:  Isolating team members who may not adjust well to working in a virtual environment.  Increasing the potential for communications problems since team members cannot use body language or other communications to understand each other and build relationships and trust.  Reducing the ability for team members to network and transfer information informally.  Increasing the dependence on technology to accomplish work

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project management in it context

  • 1. Week # 03 Project Management in IT Context Globalization Globalization is the tendency of firms to extend their sales or manufacturing to new markets abroad. It is important for project managers to address several issues when working on global projects. Several key issues include the following: Communications: Since people will be working in different time zones, speak different languages, have different cultural backgrounds, celebrate different holidays, etc., it is important to address how people will communicate in an efficient and timely manner. A communications management plan is vital. Trust: Trust is an important issue for all teams, especially when they are global teams. It is important to start building trust immediately by recognizing and respecting others differences and the value they add to the project. Common work practices: It is important to align work processes to come up with an agreed-upon modus operandi with which everyone is comfortable. Project managers must allow time for the team to develop these common work practices. Using special tools that can facilitate this process. Tools: Information technology plays a vital role in globalization, especially in enhancing communications and work practices. For example, Timothy Porter, a project manager for Hundsun Technologies, a Chinese domestic software company building a global services business, describes severaltools they use as follows: XPlanner is used for project planning and project monitoring. This tool is suitable for agile software development and is Web-based for ease of distributed geographic access. TRAC is an enhanced issue-tracking systemfor software development projects. TRAC includes features such as defect management, source code control, project roadmap management, and an integrated wiki a collaborative, Web-based feedback systemfor project documentation that is very easy for stakeholders to review. CruiseControl is a framework for a continuous build process. It includes plug-ins for e-mail notification, source control tools, and so on. A Web interface is provided to view the details of the current and previous builds. WebEx, a Web-based conferencing tool, is used to record each development cycle s demo. These demos provide stakeholders visibility into our progress and can also be used as training materials for new staff members or the test team. E-mail, telephone, SKYPE (software that allows users to make telephone calls over the Internet), and instant messaging (IM) are used for routine daily communication among team members. Outsourcing outsourcing is when an organization acquires goods and/or sources from an outside source. The term offshoring is sometimes used to describe outsourcing from another country. Offshoring is a natural outgrowth of globalization. IT projects continue to rely more and more on outsourcing, both within and outside of their country boundaries. Because of the increased use of outsourcing for IT projects, project managers should become more familiar with negotiating contracts and many other issues, including working on and managing virtual teams. Virtual Teams A virtual teamisa group of individualswhoworkacrosstime andspace usingcommunicationtechnologies.Team membersmightall workforthe same companyin the same country,or theymightinclude employeesaswell as independentconsultants,suppliers,orevenvolunteersprovidingtheirexpertisefromaroundthe globe.
  • 2. The main advantages of virtual teams include:  Increasing competiveness and responsiveness by having a team of workers available 24/7.  Lowering costs because many virtual workers do not require office space or support beyond their home offices.  Providing more expertise and flexibility by having team members from across the globe working any time of day or night.  Increasing the work/life balance for team members by eliminating fixed office hours and the need to travel to work. Disadvantages of virtual teams include:  Isolating team members who may not adjust well to working in a virtual environment.  Increasing the potential for communications problems since team members cannot use body language or other communications to understand each other and build relationships and trust.  Reducing the ability for team members to network and transfer information informally.  Increasing the dependence on technology to accomplish work