TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGES
1.0 Introduction 2

2.0 Lack Of Visibility Of Projects 3

2.1 Reasons you are Lacking Project Visibility 3
2.2 The Role of Project Team 4
2.3 Solution - Publish Projects to a Visible Location 5

3.0 Unclear Projects Objectives 6

3.1 The Role of Project Team 7
3.2 Solution - Rank Project Initiatives 7

4.0 No Visibility Into Resources Work Load 8

4.1 The Role of Project Team 9
4.2 Solution - Create a Resource Management Grid 9

5.0 Gaps In Communication 10

5.1 The Role of Project Team 11
5.2 Solution - Provide a Centralized Location for Communication 12

6.0 Conclusion 13
Resources

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1.0 INTRODUCTION

Projects are always tricky to organise. They’re even worse if you want to have a
successful outcome. But why accept as given the startling typical figure of 70 per cent failure
rate? A large number of projects today have a considerable IT content and many believe that
usually spells failure before they ever get started. The vast majority of so-called IT projects
are business projects that happen to have a large IT component. Certainly one reason so many
fail is that managements tend to walk away from these projects just because they are usually
just too complicated to manage. Indeed, it seems that as projects become more complex, so
the reasons for their failure become ever more sophisticated.

Many so-called ‘project managers’ have little understanding of the basics of Project
Management: over the last decade or so it seems that everyone calls themselves a Project
Manager if their work has any form of objective.  Yet a quick look through either the Bodies
of Knowledge of the Association of Project Management or Project Management Institute
will clearly show what a complicated and complex matter Project Management really is.

In the life cycle of any project, there will almost always be unexpected problems and
questions that crop up. When these issues arise, you have to be ready to deal with them – or
they can potentially affect the project's outcome.

Since most issues are, by their nature, unexpected, how do you as a Project Manager
make sure you'll be able to deal with them quickly and effectively? Ideally, you need an issue
resolution process in place before you start your project – to make sure that you stay on
schedule, and meet your objectives.

When recruiting and building an effective team, the manager must consider not only
the technical skills of each person, but also the critical roles and chemistry between workers.
A project team has mainly three separate components: Project Manager, Executive
Management and team members

Issue management is the process of identifying and resolving issues. Here we will
focus on four basic reasons why projects fail. The issue are lack of visibility of projects,
unclear projects objectives, no visibility into resources work load and gaps in communication.

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If the issue goes unresolved, you risk creating unnecessary conflicts, delays, or even failure to
produce your deliverable.

Most organizations have experienced projects that did not end on time, were over
budget, or changed in scope over time. There are many pitfalls that can sink projects. Because
most project teams are comprised of at least three sets of players including executive
management, project managers, and team members or resources, we will take a look at each
issue from all three vantage points, and then provide suggested solutions.

2.0 LACK OF VISIBILITY OF PROJECTS

Lack of visibility into project status is one of the most common complaints we hear
from our customers, many times in the context of: “senior management needs more accurate
reporting into project information.” And yes, that is absolutely true and necessary for
executives to make sound business decisions. But senior executives are not the only ones
who suffer from poor visibility… everyone does! With poor project visibility, team members
don’t know what their tasks are; project managers don’t know the status of those tasks; and
communicating the project status to stakeholders?

2.1 Reasons you are Lacking Project Visibility

There are a number of factors that can contribute to the lack of visibility on a project, but I’m
going to call out three of the over-arching causes as I see them:

1.  Lack of Project Management Process

The first obstacle to project visibility is a lack of organizational PM processes.  When you
have a situation where every Project Manager is using a different method and tools, it’s
virtually impossible to roll-up project information in any meaningful way.

2.  No Central Project Management Site

When there is no central repository for project information and documentation, you get into
the problems like: “Which document is the real one?” or “Where is that document again?” 
You know what I mean – without the one central document library, you’ll find every team

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member has a different version of a document or better they’ve saved it to some obscure
location that is only accessible by them.

3.  Poor Communication

Poor communication is a major problem for every level of the project team.  For example,
there should always be open lines of communication between the PM and project sponsor, so
the PM can develop rapport and trust with the sponsor.  Without it, the sponsor will not know
when they need to step in and handle an issue.  Likewise, individual team members’
responsibilities must be communicated accurately so nothing gets lost.  As I’ve heard my
boss says before: “If it’s anyone’s job, then no one will do it.”  And when there is poor
communication, that’s exactly what will happen.

2.2 The Role Of Project Team

A common reason why projects fail is related to visibility. All three tiers of the project
team, executive management, project managers, and team members, need access to the right
level of information at the right time.

Executive Management

Executives often complain that they do not have visibility into all current enterprise
projects. They often do not have access to the project schedules in real-time. Sometimes
project managers present the plan at the outset of the project, then become gatekeepers of the
schedule, claiming to executives that the schedule has not been updated recently and is not
ready to be shared. The sponsors of a project and the executives do not have access to a
schedule or reports until it is too late to either re-direct the effort or to cancel the project. The
net result that management cares about is the cost of the schedule overruns to the company.

Project Managers

Project managers often put together a schedule and plan at the outset of a project. The
schedule does not always get updated for a variety of reasons. The project managers are so

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preoccupied with managing issues and re-organizing resources that they do not have time to
update the tasks on the schedule and review their impacts.

In fast paced environments, project managers are asked to work on several projects at
one time. Many project managers attempt to keep pace with the task updates on their project
schedules. Those that do, end up acting as 'glorified administrators,' spending a lot of time
asking resources about task progress.

Project managers often lack visibility into all of the projects their resources are
working on. Many times they share team members with other project managers, so they may
not know exactly what tasks the resource is working on that day.

Team Members

The most frequently heard complaint from team members is that they lack visibility
on a day to day basis about the tasks that they are supposed to work on. If they are working
on multiple projects at one time, they are often confused about task priority.

2.3 Solution - Publish Projects to a Visible Location

best solutions are a combination of tools, process, and people-based changes. The
tool portion of this solution is to provide the team with a centralized location for publishing
all project schedules. The simplest way to share project schedules is to post project files in a
network folder, setting permissions on the folders using Windows folder and group
permissions for access rights.

A better solution is to push projects and corresponding documents to Share Point, or

other intranet or extranet solution, again setting access rights. The best tool for the job is to
provide a complete enterprise project management solution where all projects are centralized
in one database. If the team uses a web based system, then project information may be
accessed from remote if team members travel, work from remotely, or need to update
information from client offices.

The process part of the solution is to empower team members to update their own
tasks in the centralized system. Obviously there are some serious limitations to this if the

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team is simply posting information on the network, versioning being the biggest issue.
However, if an enterprise, web-based project management solution is used, then team
members may update their own tasks and the information is presented in real-time. This
relieves the project manager from the administrative aspect of getting task updates from team
members. It also has the effect of pushing the work to the appropriate level, that is, to the
person actually performing the work. In addition, the executive management team has real-
time visibility into all projects, their percentage complete, actual hours spent and the financial
impact.

The success of the implementation involves executive management. Executives must

communicate to all team members the importance of updating tasks and projects on a daily
basis. The leadership of top management cannot be minimized. With Project Insight
implementations, we have found through experience that the most successful teams are those
whose leadership team has reinforced the request for team member and project manager
updates through incorporating the behavior change in performance evaluations, MBOs, and
other measurement drivers. If the executive leadership is lacking, then any attempt to change
behavior through implementing process changes and software solutions will ultimately fail.

3.0 UNCLEAR PROJECTS OBJECTIVES

Projects can be done successfully when they meet criteria such as delivering it on
time, be on a budget and if the system works as required. It is not always easy to meet all
these criteria. Many projects fail on one more criteria and they cannot be delivered
successful.

Without clear goal and objectives it is almost sure that the projects will fail as the
result user requirements will not be clear. Sometimes the goal of the project may not be clear
and this is because the requirements gathering was not enough, sometimes goals and
objectives might be unclear because project stockholders lack the experience to describe what
they really require. Defining clear requirements for a project can take time and lots of
communication.

3.1 The Role of Project Team

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Most organizations have more opportunities and project initiatives than they can ever hope to
fulfill. Many companies embark upon more initiatives than they probably should, causing
over worked and often unhappy team members.

Executive Management

Executives play a key role in this issue. Some organizations have not adequately
defined their goals and strategies. If top management is not clear on project priorities, then it
follows that the entire organization is also unclear about which projects are the most
important. Many organizations get so busy that they forget a key component of success is
taking the time out to meet and discuss goals and strategies to reach those goals. Once these
elements are outlined, many projects are eliminated for not matching up to those goals.

Project Managers

Many times, project managers are given so many projects that they cannot
realistically achieve them on time and on budget. Some of the more experienced project
managers may push back, telling management that all efforts cannot be achieved. However,
many project managers do not, either in fear of losing their jobs, or not wanting to 'rock the
boat.' The lack of vision and leadership at the top of the organization flows downward so that
project managers are managing more projects than they should.

Team Members

The natural result of this lack of prioritization is that team members are often over
worked. Eventually, some may leave the organization seeking a less hectic environment.

3.2 Solution - Rank Project Initiatives

It is the role of executive management to determine the organization's long term goals
and the strategies for attaining those goals. Once these goals are clearly defined, then project
initiatives may be weighed against these goals. So if a project initiative does not fit the long
or short terms goals of an organization, it should not be embarked upon. Then, the remaining
projects may be ranked in order of priority.

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 Some of the largest and most sophisticated corporations have risk assessment
departments whose sole role is to evaluate all the possible opportunities of the organization
and determine which initiatives have the most revenue potential. However, not all companies
have risk assessment departments. In fact, mid-market players do not have these separate risk
organizations. Therefore, it is even more important that executives step up to evaluate and
rank project priorities. Then management must clearly communicate these priorities to project
managers and team members. A simple numeric ordering system may be used.

Project managers should be consulted when weighing these initiatives, as project

managers have insight into the risks involved with different projects. This is particularly
important for mid-market companies which do not have separate risk assessment managers.
They must use the resources at hand. Project managers must then embark upon the projects
with the highest priority levels.

At a minimum, the project priorities must be communicated in status meetings and

reiterated frequently. If a project management solution is utilized, then the project priority
should also be designated in that solution as a visible reminder all team members.

4.0 NO VISIBILITY INTO RESOURCES WORK LOAD

Knowing what your people are spending their time on is key to informed decision
making and reprioritization. With the workload management tool in project place you
continually get updated information without having to wait for people to report or email the
latest information.

Workload management in project place enables managers and other key staff to gain
visibility into the commitments across projects for all project members over time. It provides
information about all overdue, on-going and planned cards and activities for each project
member within your account. When needed you can also get additional details when viewing
a specific project member. With workload management you can easily determine:

 Who is working on what?

 What is the current or planned workload of a resource?
 Who might be available for additional work?

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4.1 The Role of Project Team

Following the lack of project prioritization are usually overloaded resources. It is a

circular problem as well. That is, because executive management has no visibility into all of
the projects and tasks the team is performing, they are often laboring under the belief that the
organization can achieve more than it is capable of in terms of sheer workload.

Executive Management

Executive managers often delegate the assignment or allocation of resources to

resource managers and project managers. If project priorities are not clearly established, then
it is highly likely that the organization will embark upon too many projects at one time. The
result is that the average team member will have more work than time in the work day to
complete that work.

Project Managers

Project managers often state that executive management has no idea how much work
their resources actually have assigned to them. Unless the project managers are willing to
stand up to executive management, or have a way to show that their resources are overloaded.
They are in trouble.

Team Members

The average team member is the most impacted by the lack of visibility into the
workload, as he or she is asked to work extended hours in order to attempt to fulfill the many
projects, tasks, and objectives. However, the result is an over worked, burned out employee
that may ultimately look for work elsewhere.

4.2 Solution – Create a Resource Management Grid

If an employee works an eight hour work day, then the resource should not be
assigned more than six hours of work. This allows the employee two hours for the
administrative aspects of his or her position. So, the first part of the solution has to be
executive management understanding this concept and committing to invoke a corporate

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culture of planning and managing resources effectively. If the organization is simply
committed to 'working on whatever is on fire,' then nothing will change.

There are many ways to uncover what resources are working on and when. The
simplest tool is to use a white board with a daily grid displaying the task being performed and
the team member that is working on that task. For some fast paced environments, this
solution may work well. Of course, there has to be a point person to manage the white board.

Many project teams use Excel spread sheets to outline the tasks and the team
members working on those tasks. Again, usually there is one point person, as Excel is not a
collaborative solution and should have an owner. This can be cumbersome for organizations
with multiple projects.

More sophisticated teams benefit from using a centralized resource management and
allocation software solution. These solutions allow projects, tasks, and resources to be input
while in planning stage. Then the workload of each resource may be viewed in a graphical
report, giving resource managers, project managers, and executives the ability to see the total
workload. Once the total workload is assessed, choices may be made about which projects to
delay, or which projects to assign additional resources to, and the like. Without insight into
the actual workload of the entire team, chaos is likely to reign, rather than a thoughtful,
planning culture.

5.0 GAPS IN COMMUNICATION

The term of “communication gap” is to refer broadly to a situation in which
miscommunication, or the complete lack of communication, adversely affects the work as
well as the relationships among the people carrying out the work.

Communication gaps can occur between individuals and groups at all organizational
levels, regardless of whether the message is communicated face-to-face, by phone, fax, letter,
e-mail, or carrier pigeon. Gaps can occur whenever people offer ideas, present information,
introduce change, propose policies, gain input, make recommendations, implement standards,
give or receive feedback, or simply converse—whether with customers, suppliers, friends,
relatives, co-workers’, or teammates.

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 Communication gaps are pervasive. The vast majority of customer complaints revolve
around communication glitches, omissions, and snafus. And few complaints detailed in
employee-satisfaction surveys are as prominent as those that involve communication,
particularly as it concerns information withheld and distorted. In one large company reeling
both from financial difficulties and from the reorganization wrought by a new CEO, e-mail
messages to the CEO were top-heavy with complaints, and a survey of more than 7,500
employees revealed widespread anger over poor communication. Such dissatisfaction is not
limited to large companies; in fact, the business press regularly reports similar examples from
companies of all sizes.

A common misconception is that communication gaps are caused by too little

communication. Some are, certainly. Often, however, the problem is the reverse: too much
communication. Often, too, the problem isn’t simply the quantity of communication but the
kind: Gaps are frequently caused by misdirected, one-way, poorly timed, or badly worded
communications. In addition, some gaps result from misunderstandings, misinterpretations,
and miscommunications. And sometimes, even if you feel you’ve done everything just right,
people will respond in unexpected or puzzling ways.

5.1 The Role Of Project Team

Once a project is in full swing, a common issue is communication. Most project teams
use email to communicate about their projects and tasks. The biggest complaint here is that
project communication resides in each individual's email box. So, if a new resource joins the
project, there is no centralized view of the project history.

Executive Management

Executive managers usually rely on weekly or monthly status reports from project
managers for project status. This leaves the information about the projects in the hands of the
project manager. Some executives have complained that project managers hold the
communication 'hostage.' As project sponsors, there is no reason why executives should not
have access to the project dialogue.

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Project Managers

The use of groups in email is very common. Project managers may email an entire
group a communication about a project. The issue comes up with the responses when some
team members forget to click on 'reply to all' and some team members do not receive the
email or communication, yet the assumption is that all team members have been looped in.

Team Members

Team members complain about the volume of emails they receive and the burden of
sorting through the emails, finding those that are most relevant to them. This practice wastes
a lot of valuable time that they could be working on tasks, instead they are sifting through
emails.

5.2 Solution – Provide a Centralized Location for Communication

At a bare minimum, communication should be posted in a centralized location. The

lowest common denominator seems to be the organization's network. The purpose of
centralizing the project communication is so that if new resources join the effort mid stream,
they can get up to speed rapidly by reviewing the entire project history.

The better solutions are the web based collaborative and project systems that provide
a centralized location for project and task communication. This software solves the issue by
posting all relevant project information in one place.

For project teams with client facing projects, centralized communication helps to
resolve questions and issues that arise on projects and tasks. The communication may be
referred to for clarification of scope, goals, and other key decisions made during the project.
For teams that must comply with FDA or other regulatory bodies, maintaining all of the
project communication in one place is imperative. Project teams might as well get serious
about providing a solution to this issue.

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6.0 CONCLUSION

An issues management process gives you a robust way of identifying and

documenting issues and problems that occur during a project. The process also makes it
easier to evaluate these issues, assess their impact, and decide on a plan for resolution. An
issues log helps you capture the details of each issue, so that the project team can quickly see
the status, and who is responsible for resolving it. When you add an issues management
framework, you have a comprehensive plan to deal with issues quickly and effectively. This
organized approach to managing issues provides many valuable insights that can be used to
refine and improve future project results.

Solutions to these common issues are a combination of people, processes and tools.
There is no 'magic button.' Good processes should be implemented that are customized for
the business. If outside consultants need to be hired to help define these processes, then they
should be brought on board. Software solutions that support these processes need to be
utilized or invested in. Once invested in, the solutions need to be supported by top
management.

Executive management must show leadership by spending the time it takes to plan, set
goals and strategies, prior to embarking on projects. Project managers must be bold enough to
contribute and give feedback when executives' expectations are unrealistic. Team members
must get on board once projects have begun and task assignments have been communicated

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RESOURCES

Abdul Rashid Abdul Aziz dan Abdul Aziz Hussin. (1999). Pengurus Projek: Perspektif
Industri Pembinaan. Universiti Sains Malaysia: Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia.

Andrew, A. L.Tan. (1998).Project Management in Malaysia: Comprehensive Approach for

Success. Universiti Sains Malaysia: Nota Pengajaran.

Barnes, N. M. L dan Wearne, S. H. (1993). The Future for Major Project

Management.International Journal of Project Management. Britain: Elsevier Science
Ltd. 11(3).

Belout, A. dan Gauvreau, C. (2004). Factors Influencing Project Success: The Impact of
Human Resource Management.International Journal of Project Management.22:1-11

Black, C., Akintoye, A. dan Fitzgerald, E. (2000). An Analysis of Factors and Benefits of
Partnering in Construction.International Journal of Project Management.18: 423-43

Kartam, N. A. dan Al-Daihani, T. G. (1998). Professional Project Management Practices in

Kuwait: Issues, Difficulties and Recommendations. International Journal of Project
Management

Silverman, M. (1988).Project Management: A Short Course for Professionals. 2nd Ed. New
York: John Wiley and Sons. Inc.

http://www.mpug.com/articles/the-best-resource-workload-views-in-microsoft-project-2010/

http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=2122831

http://www.projectinsight.net/white-papers/four-common-reasons-why-projects-fail

https://www.projectsmart.co.uk/why-does-project-management-fail.php

http://www.manageprojectsonsharepoint.com/blog/2012/12/10/improve-visibility-with-
sharepoint-project-management/

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