Cam Findlay's Blog on Web & Technology

The Challenges of Project Management - Defining Success

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 19:52:38 +1300

The last key factor to be discussed in this series is whether or not well defined and measurable criteria of project success exist and have been agreed upon by both internal and external stakeholders at the beginning of the project (Jugdev & Müller, 2005). The different stakeholders involved in a project, such as project managers, project team, functional management and external clients may all have different perspectives as to the goals and requirements of the project being carried out (Jugdev & Müller, 2005). With this in mind there is a need to establish more objective measures of exactly when the project can be considered successful.

Atkinson (1999) details that the traditional ‘iron-triangle’ of cost, time and quality should not be used exclusively as criteria of success. Instead, Atkinson argues it should be augmented by client acceptation and other measures of success that extend beyond the handover of the project. For example, as research by DeLone and McLean (1992) points out, Information Technology (IT) projects are notoriously prone to failure because the measures of what is considered a success in IT projects are not well defined and often do not meet the expectations of clients. DeLone and McLean’s research recommends that IT projects need to meet at least six criteria before being considered successful.

DeLone and McLean’s criteria include system quality, information quality, use, user satisfaction, individual impact, and the organisational impact of the project delivered. A good alignment of supporting organisational structure, a well performing team, an effective project manager and realisation of the risks involved is needed in projects to build out a set of success criteria rather than using a single-point indicator of success (Jugdev & Müller, 2005).

Part 1 Project Management Challenges - Introduction

Part 2 Project Management Challenges - Organisational Structure

Part 3 Project Management Challenages - High Performing Teams

Part 4 Project Management Challenages - Skill Set Of Good Project Managers

Part 5 Project Management Challenges - Risk and Uncertainty

Part 6 Project Management Challenges - Defining Success

References:

Atkinson, R. (1999). Project management: cost, time and quality, two best guesses and a phenomenon, its time to accept other success criteria. International journal of project management. 17(6). 337-342.

DeLone, W., & McLean, E (1992). Information systems success: The quest for the dependent variable. Information Systems Research. 3(1). 60-95.

Jugdev, K. & Müller, R. (2005). A retrospective look at our evolving understanding of project success. Project management journal. 36(4). 19-31.

The Challenges of Project Management - Risk and Uncertainty

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:52:38 +1300

The majority of decisions made by project managers are conducted under conditions of uncertainty and risk. This is especially true during the initiation phase of the project life-cycle, where uncertainty is at its highest (Meredith & Mantel, 2006). All projects are predisposed to risk due to complexity and many factors that are outside the control of the project manager. However, a common factor of projects that are successful is that the project manager usually considered, and planned to some degree, the possible risks they were likely to face (Pinto, 2007).

The challenge for any effective project is how to plan for these risks at the beginning to achieve the objectives with minimal disruption. This can be achieved through a process of risk management which both Perry (1986) and later Pinto (2007) outline as a process of identifying risks, assessing the affects of the risks, developing responses to these risks should they occur and finally developing a strategy for risk management during the project life-cycle.

Identifying and assessing the risks can be facilitated through brainstorming sessions with the project team and stakeholders, seeking expert opinions, experience and lessons learned from previous projects (Pinto, 2007). Perry (1986), Isaac (1995) and Pinto (2007) then all agree on the responses to risks that are identified including avoidance, reduction, transferring, sharing, contingency buffers or accepting risk.

Risks must then be monitored and controlled during the life-cycle as they can change or new risks may emerge. Risk management should be considered as an integrated part of the project management life-cycle and not simply “as a bolt on extra” (Isaac, 1995, p. 228).

Part 1 Project Management Challenges - Introduction

Part 2 Project Management Challenges - Organisational Structure

Part 3 Project Management Challenages - High Performing Teams

Part 4 Project Management Challenages - Skill Set Of Good Project Managers

Part 5 Project Management Challenges - Risk and Uncertainty

Part 6 Project Management Challenges - Defining Success

References:

Isaac, I. (1995). Training in risk management. International journal of project management. 13(4). 225-229.

Meredith, J.R., & Mantel, S.J. (2006). Project management: A managerial approach (6th ed.). New York, NY: John Wiley.

Perry, J. (1986). Risk management - an approach for project managers. International journal of project management. 4(4). 211–216.

Pinto, J.K., (2007). Project management: Achieving competitive advantage. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

The Challenges of Project Management - Skill Set Of Good Project Managers

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:06:11 +1300

It is important that an appropriate project manager with the right balance of skills is put in place to ensure a successful project. It is said that a good project manager must act like a “mini-CEO” (Pinto, 2007, p. 119) and must be proficient in both the technical skills of a manager balanced with the people skills of a leader.

As mentioned previously, the project manager is faced with resolving team conflict but also has the challenges of negotiating with functional managers for resources, gaining support for projects by influencing upper management, effectively communicating with all the stakeholders involved all while also keeping control of the costs and schedules of the project. Research by El-Sabaa (2001), points out that people skills appear to be the most important that an incumbent project manager will require.

The project manager must be sensitive and responsive to the motivations of the others working within the project team and must be able to clearly communicate in a way that makes sense from a team member’s point of view. El-Sabaa’s research outlines that the next most important skill set of the project manager is the ability to conceptualise and organise. For example the project manager must be able to “see the forest for the trees” (Pinto, 2007, p. 121), that is, the project as a whole and also be able to understand the relationships of the individual parts, how they interrelate and affect each other to drive the project team with clear goals and direction (El-Sabaa, 2001).

Interestingly enough El-Sabaa’s research paints technical proficiency in the industry of the project as the least essential project management skill.
This points to the essential skills that a project manager requires being valid across different industries (not just IT!).

Part 1 Project Management Challenges - Introduction

Part 2 Project Management Challenges - Organisational Structure

Part 3 Project Management Challenages - High Performing Teams

Part 4 Project Management Challenages - Skill Set Of Good Project Managers

Part 5 Project Management Challenges - Risk and Uncertainty

Part 6 Project Management Challenges - Defining Success

References:

El-Sabaa, S. (2001). The skills and career path of an effective project manager. International journal of project management. 19(1). 1-7.

Pinto, J.K., (2007). Project management: Achieving competitive advantage. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

The Challenges of Project Management - High Performing Teams

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:42:02 +1300

Another challenging key factor for project management is the process of creating high performing project teams.
Due to projects being considered temporary organisations, that is, they exist for a finite time period; teams are often created from different functional departments to match the criteria of the project. This can create pressure and potential conflict (Huemanna et al., 2007).

In order for teams to achieve a high level of performance there are several stages of the team development process that must be progressed through in order to establish trust and build productive team norms (Pinto, 2007).

These stages consist of forming, storming, norming and performing.

McShane and Travaglione (2007) explain that during the forming stage, cross-functional team members come together under the premise of the project and ground rules are set.

The storming stage is more conducive to disruptive interpersonal conflict. As Pinto (2007) points out, teams test the rules and attempt to re-work them, authority is resisted and personal agendas emerge. This can impede the effectiveness of the project team and project work. It is here that the challenges of conflict management on behalf of the project manager are tested.Pinto (2007) then goes on to outline methods for resolving this conflict that includes mediation, arbitration, control, accepting or eliminating.

In the norming stage, positive team norms are solidified and accepted by the team, there is a sense of cohesion and mission. This allows the team to perform efficiently and at a high level of performance (McShane and Travaglione, 2007).

Progressing the selected team to this performing stage is part of the challenge involved in good project management and involves many people skills such as conflict management and leadership on the part of the project manager.

Part 1 Project Management Challenges - Introduction

Part 2 Project Management Challenges - Organisational Structure

Part 3 Project Management Challenages - High Performing Teams

Part 4 Project Management Challenages - Skill Set Of Good Project Managers

Part 5 Project Management Challenges - Risk and Uncertainty

Part 6 Project Management Challenges - Defining Success

References:

Huemanna, M., Keeganb, A., & Turnerc, J. (2007). Human resource management in the project-oriented company: A review. International journal of project management. 25(3). 315-323.

McShane, S., & Travaglione, T. (2007). Organisational behaviour on the pacific rim (2nd ed.). North Ryde, Australia: McGraw-Hill Australia.

Pinto, J.K., (2007). Project management: Achieving competitive advantage. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

The Challenges in Managing Projects - Organisational Structure

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:45:02 +1300

Carrying on looking at some of the challenging factors to effective project management today we look at the particular organisational structure that project style work is set in and how that impacts on the project.

The organisational structure the project is expected to operate in can adversely affect the outcome of a project. Traditional functional structured organisations attempting to respond to the increasingly complex business environment are introducing formal project methodologies and forming what is known as Matrix structures. Thirty & Deguire (2007, p. 655) supports this by suggesting that there is a tendency for organisations to try to “force-fit” the ideas of project management to existing structures in lieu of “looking for ways to adapt the organisation to the project-based approach”.

Matrix structures are classed on a sliding scale from weak through to strong. In a weak matrix the authority and decision making responsibility lies with the functional manager, and in a strong one with the project manager (Meredith & Mantel, 2006). In reality, the authority for the project may lie somewhere in between, which can cause problems for the cross-functional project team; that of having two bosses.

This can cause conflict, mistrust and confusion in decision making as the two points of authority struggle for control over the staff involved in the project (Pinto, 2007).

If the project is to be run effectively in the matrix structure, as opposed to a more project-based organisational structure, then a mature approach in assigning exactly where the authority lies and effective communication strategies should be set up and supported by top management prior to the commencement of the project (Payne, 1993).

Part 1 Project Management Challenges - Introduction

Part 2 Project Management Challenges - Organisational Structure

Part 3 Project Management Challenages - High Performing Teams

Part 4 Project Management Challenages - Skill Set Of Good Project Managers

Part 5 Project Management Challenges - Risk and Uncertainty

Part 6 Project Management Challenges - Defining Success

References:

Thirty, M., & Deguire, M. (2007). Recent developments in project-based organisations. International journal of project management. 25(7). 649–658.

Meredith, J.R., & Mantel, S.J. (2006). Project management: A managerial approach (6th ed.). New York, NY: John Wiley.

Payne, J., (1993). Introducing formal project management into a traditional, functionally structured organization. International journal of project management. 11(4). 239–243.

Pinto, J.K., (2007). Project management: Achieving competitive advantage. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

The Challenges in Managing Projects - Introduction

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:12:18 +1300

Over the next few weeks I thought I would discuss and post some blog post into some of the challenges in effectively managing projects. While in particular I myself work in managing IT and Web related projects but many of the ideas I would like to bring up I think apply across the board for project management in many sectors.

I am finding myself filling the role of project manager with my clients more and more, and the following blog posts come from a study of project management through Massey University I completed last year.

Each blog post (of which there will be 7 including this one) will outline, discuss and provide references to further reading.

The challenges facing project managers include:

Organisational Structure
Creation of high performance teams
Skill set of a good PM
Risk Management
Success Definition of Projects

I'm sure there are many more challenges faced by PM's so please fell free to comment and bring up specific areas of Project Management you find makes it a tough but rewarding role to fill.

Introduction to Project Management Challenges

Today’s organisations are faced with the challenges of short product life-cycles, timely product launches, highly complex technical products, globalisation and uncertain economic conditions (Pinto, 2007). In order to find a competitive advantage many organisations are beginning to consider the benefits that a formal project management methodology can offer.

There are however many constraints in implementing and executing project based work. The key factors involved in these challenges are: the organisational structure the project is set in, forming high-performance teams and resolving any conflict that may arise, the skill set required by effective project managers, the uncertainty and risks inherent in all projects, and a clear definition of how project success should be measured.

Over the next few weeks I intend to discuss these key factors that can render project management and project based work a highly challenging endeavour.

Part 1 Project Management Challenges - Introduction

Part 2 Project Management Challenges - Organisational Structure

Part 3 Project Management Challenages - High Performing Teams

Part 4 Project Management Challenages - Skill Set Of Good Project Managers

Part 5 Project Management Challenges - Risk and Uncertainty

Part 6 Project Management Challenges - Defining Success

References:

Pinto, J.K., (2007). Project management: Achieving competitive advantage. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

Do something creative everyday to improve your work enjoyment and engagement

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:29:17 +1300

The new year has kicked in with some vigor already.

I sat down to do a mind map of all the business opportunities coming up in the next few months and the result resembled some sort of spider web very quickly.
Surfice to say I need to sit down and look at all the pros and cons of each opportunity focusing on ones that are in-line with my core values and my approach to business.

With all this work going on I have decided to start each and everyday by doing something creative and give my brain that morning positive boost to keep me going through the day.

I have taken up.... Origami... the Japanese art of paper folding.

I will be doing some origami every morning for the next year. It involves patience, focus and an eye for detail but also is a lot of fun and an artistically creative activity.

This reminded me of a concept in positive psychology that I had studied a few years ago called the "Broaden and Build" technique developed by Barbara Fredrickson.

For a very quick overview of the idea, by "broadening" and exploring new, creative thoughts and actions over time you "build" a your repertoire of skills, resources and reactions to a situation in a positive manner (psychological resilience).

This concept is also great for building high performance teams, which might go someway to explaining why companies like Google have offices that resemble a kids playground and that you should take your team out for a game of laser tag before a big brainstorming session!

The positive emotions spill over into your next activites and provide a much more engaged and productive team.

So if you would like a slightly belated New Years resolution, take on this one...

Do something creative everyday.

Merry Xmas and New Year 2011 - The Year of Busy

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 11:45:37 +1300

Merry Xmas and Happy New Years to everyone I have worked with over the past year... I love my work and solving your business problems and applying great technlogy to do so!

It has been a year of achievement with lots of projects completed and on the study front lots of good grades and nuggets of valuable information that all drives back in my ability to serve and look after my customers needs.

Most notable achievements this year for me were:

Completed the large NZYP website system project for Canterbury, Auckland and Dunedin Young Professional Networks.
Built a Business Intelligence Dashboard to visualise sales data for one of my clients with a distributed sales team.
Implemented Google Apps infrastructure to The White Elephant Youth Trust Non-Profit to aid in online collaboration following the Christchurch earthquakes.
Guest keynote presentation at the SilverStripe CMS Community meetups... twice!
Secured some Cloud backup services from Rackspace to help businesses in Christchurch backup their data after the earthquake.
Lots of measurable marketing promotions deployed for my good friends at Rockstar Recipes.
Some A and A+ grades in Project Management, Marketing and Finance papers through Massey University.
Awarded a Merit Certificate of Scholarly Excellence from Massey University School of Communication, Journalism and Marketing.
Recognition of being in the top percentile of students from the Massey University School of Economics and Finance.
Running Iaido classes throughout the year and passing my Iaido Shodan Grading in Auckland (1st Dan Black Belt).
Plus so much more... it was one heck of a busy year!

Again, thank you everyone - I look forward to another great year in 2012!

All the best,

Cam

Introduction and Setting Up APES (Automated Provision for Email Services) on SilverStripe CMS

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 10:30:00 +1300

A video tutorial going through the basic setup and getting the APES (Automated Provision for Email Services) on SilverStripe CMS up and running.
APES is a module that sync's your SilverStripe Member information up to mail services ready to send out newsletters.

It will help you sync your Member information in SilverStripe CMS with your email newsletter lists (MailChimp only at present) for eMarketing and Membership newsletter needs.

*Available in HD if you view through the Vimeo site too!

All the code for APES is available on GitHub at: http://github.com/cam-findlay/apes/

Do you think the broadcast industry will listen to Rod Drury about digital content and UFB?

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 11:09:29 +1300

Just a little commentary on getting IP based content to New Zealand and our ultra-fast broadband uptake.

Firstly... go have a read of this article http://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-star-times/business/5954957/Call-to-unlock-broadband-content

I agree with what Rod Drury is saying... but this is stuff many savvy people have been saying for ages... perhaps they'll listen to him?

"The next big development could be television delivered as applications over the internet"

Maybe he hasn't heard of http://boxee.tv? I think that future is well on its way and people are indeed working on this very idea.

I love Boxee, it brings together all your media content, augments it with what is on the web and allows developers to write apps and deliver digital content. My biggest gripe is that most of the content available through the big players apps on boxee like NetFlix is geographically blocked.

I would be interested to see why NetFlix, Hulu et al. aren't over here in New Zealand yet (perhaps a cost thing? or not enough people on fast broadband to make it profitable?). My guess... a chicken-egg situation... people will adopt fast broadband when there is some decent amount of content to consume...(without being labelled a pirate!), businesses like NetFlix won't offer the content until there is a decent fast broadband network available in the country and the licensing is sorted out.

I look at what is available in the States with services like Hulu.com and wonder why we cannot have that here in New Zealand... somebody make this happen... please and then stop whining about Internet Movie and TV Piracy once it is done.

Hopefully a bit of research can find the block in the pipes... and pour some drain cleaner down it.

NZYP Project Casestudy Presentation at SilverStripe CMS Community Meetup

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 09:00:18 +1300

On the 27th Oct 2011 I presented my casestudy of a recent project that was built with SilverSripe CMS for the New Zealand Young Professionals Network.
The slides and keynote video are now available below and a video of the Q & A session will be coming next week. Thanks to the SilverStripe Meetup organisers.

NZYP Project Casestudy using SilverStripe CMS &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;div style="padding:5px 0 12px" mce_style="padding:5px 0 12px"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;View more &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.slideshare.net/" mce_href="http://www.slideshare.net/" target="_blank"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;presentations&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; from &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.slideshare.net/CamFindlay1" mce_href="http://www.slideshare.net/CamFindlay1" target="_blank"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

New SilverStripe CMS Module - APES

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:07:25 +1300

*UPDATE: APES now supports a new email service, GetResponse.com... more to add in the new year!

As part of my talk at the SilverStripe Community Meetup in Wellington today I released a small module called "APES" or the Automated Provision for Email Services.

This nifty wee module is still in it's early stages but essentually it adds the ability to sync your MailChimp email list up with the data held about your Members in SilverStripe. Whenever a Member is updated in the CMS (or by the Member themselves if you have built a front end form for them) it will (just before writing the Members data to the database) also update MailChimp. Very Handy.
The module came about as an off-shoot of another project that I had been working on which required a very similar piece of functionality. It was so useful I thought I would package it up into a module and give it back to the SilverStripe Community.

The plan moving forward with this module is to add all the major email list service providers and lots of useful email related widgets and page behaviours, if you're part of the SilverStripe Community and want to grab the code and add one of the 3rd party services yourself the code is available on GitHub at:

https://github.com/cam-findlay/apes

Digital video content... detach the rights from the medium

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:34:32 +1300

Just finished reading this article from stuff.co.nz: http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/5767608/Ready-for-movies-in-the-cloud

Seems the TV and Movie industry is finally recognising they actually need to do something along the line of providing a proper business model around the issues of digital content delivery. Especially after the controversial "sky-net" laws passed here in New Zealand recently.

"Facing the steady decline of physical disc sales, studios from Warner Bros to Sony will launch their UltraViolet cloud-based movie storage - or "digital locker" - service. [...]
With a "buy once, play anywhere" message, studios hope consumers see more benefits to owning movies. Backers are pitching flexibility for multiple devices, the promise of owning rights to a movie for a lifetime, and the advantage of a cloud-stored copy not hogging hard-drive space." - Stuff.co.nz

While this is a slight improvement over what we have now... which is a country at the end of the supply chain for new TV show and movies... I still think this is slightly off the mark.

I still think however the industry really just needs to detach the right to watch something from the media it comes on or device you watch it on.

What the industry fails to realise is the have one of the biggest crowd-source video encoding factories and one of the largest and most efficient distribution systems in modern history doing a lot of the hard work for them sitting on the per-to-peer networks!
I am not condoning piracy but the fact is that we cannot purchase content in the digital format via a reasonable business model here in New Zealand, I would happily pay for my content but right now, I cannot. This to me is a market failure pure and simple.

Let me pay $1 per TV episode and $5-10 dollars per movie, grant me the rights to watch and let me get the content from wherever is most convenient and cost effective for me... I'm already paying for the bandwidth, don;t force me to download a large movie file via your proprietary system that is 7Gb in size and chews up a large portion of my already pitiful data cap. Maybe NZ's ISPs could perhaps work in with the studios to provide a better alternative to this, but we are still in need of a good fibre cable across the Pacific before any of this will work out.

It will take the industry some time before this is a reality, they are also going to have to collaborate with many other industries to get it right, (still a foriegn idea for many large businesses)... still one can live and hope... (and get a VPN connection to the States).

A Busy Weekend - Launch of BBQ Hero Guitar and Breakthrough Bundle Products

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:01:58 +1300

Man, what a busy weekend when you need to be operating in US time zones and you live in New Zealand! Product launch ended up working out at about 3am NZ time on Saturday morning... needless to say my weekend was non-existent but I have time-shifted it to the start of this week.

I was busy working in with a joint venture between to companies here in New Zealand that managed to pull together an amazing bundle of the web's premium online guitar and singing lessons.

My role was to provide IT support, payment system integration and fulfillment services while working in with all the bundle partners to make sure we could deliver their products. If you want to check out the websites there are links below and product banners on my blog to click through to them.

Pretty much this bundle deal is an asspiring singer/songwriters dream set of products to help them on their way up and adds to the ever popular "bundle offering" that seem to be happening more and more at the moment as a way to offer excellent value to customers and get product creators working together.

The marketing companies launched a couple of different value propositions aimed at different audiences.

Included in the bundles are:

Jamplay HD Guitar Lessons
Singing Success Vocal Coaching
SongPond online song video lessons (this is a product I worked on with Rockstar Recipes when I was Head of Technology there).
Songsterr guitar tabs
Song Surgeon slows down the playback of songs to help you practice.

First up we have the "BBQ Hero Guitar and Vocal Bundle".
This is aimed as the more beginner to intermediate level of guitarist and the fun thing about it is that it wraps the whole learning to play guitar experience around something even more fun... a summer barbecue with friends and a sing-a-long!

The second bundle offering contains 3 extra singing products and is aimed at a guitarist or singer songwriter who wants to progress to a higher and more professional level of playing and singing.
This one is called the "Breakthrough Guitar and Vocal Bundle"... essentially a premium version of the BBQ Hero Bundle.

Anyway, if you are musically inclined click through and check out the websites...

Launch of the new NZYP website system project

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 12:33:59 +1300

I am pleased to announce that a major web project I have been working on over the past few months for the New Zealand Young Professionals Network (NZYP) has launched.

In reality it has been almost a year in the making if we factor in the initial consulting and business analysis the took place pre-project when Canterbury Young Professionals (CYP) approached me with their idea to revamp their website. Even though there is no formal NZYP organisation, the idea quickly turned into a joint venture between Auckland, Dunedin and Canterbury Young Professional Organisations (YPO's) as a collaborative project dubbed “NZYP” with the groups working together toward a common set of goals.

In my opinion exactly what should be happening more among non-profit organisations in New Zealand. More collaboration and working together as non-profit funding gets tight and many initiatives end up duplicating already existing projects out in the wild.

Seeing as all of these groups offer a very similar service delivery model it made sense to create a flexible, self-service website system that allows each region to maintain their own branding look & feel instead of redeveloping each website individually. There was also a big focus on having each region autonomously managing their own content but with the cost & time saving of common page layouts, membership/event management work-flow processes and shared server infrastructure.
We also took full advantage of connecting to social networking and membership email newsletter efforts through RSS feeds and social widgets such as Facebook’s "Like Box" in order to facilitate social sharing, engagement and member growth. This was one of the core objectives of the project from NZYP's point of view.

From the outset of the project we set out to build a website system that would scale and grow as the NZYP network did. When new regions come on-board and use the system for their regional website or if new related networking groups started up they can now take advantage of a turn-key set of web and communication technologies without the high development costs of doing it all themselves.

The website system was built on a New Zealand based Content Management System , SilverStripe CMS. SilverStripe was a natural fit for the project as while working with the YPO's during the project scoping they identified that they wanted to work with open source, support local technologies and 3rd party services wherever possible. Also with SilverStripe's ever growing and friendly developer community there was no shortage of modules, plugins and support which allowed us to complete the build of the project quickly and without re-inventing the wheel each time we needed to add a new piece of functionality to the website.

I have also been lucky enough to be invited back to present the case study and some more of the technical solutions we came up with during the project at the next SilverStripe Community Meetup happening in late October (I presented a talk on business intelligence and SilverStripe CMS earlier in the year). I am looking forward to showcasing what can be done with SilverStripe and hopefully everyone can learn a little something from our project either on the technical or project management side of things.

We started off the project with a team of 3 including myself as Project Manager and Lead Developer, Shea Dawson, an up and coming Freelance Developer (who has just recently picked up a job working at SilverStripe in Melbourne, Australia... well done Shea!) and a good friend, photographer and all-round design wizard, Simon Waterhouse. After a few earthquake related set backs (Shea and Simon are both based in Christchurch, New Zealand where earthquakes and aftershocks have been continuing for well over a year now) we flat out maintained the project schedule and delivered on budget, on time and to specification a project which is meeting and exceeding expectations for the NZYP groups.

Currently we have Canterbury (CYP) and Auckland (AYP) websites live to the public with Dunedin (DYP) to follow soon. NZYP are looking at bringing on several new YPO regional groups in the future and we hope to continue to build value and insight for the Executive Committees but more importantly I think, building value and a community for the members that the YPO's serve as well as improving relationships and fostering collaboration between the regional YPO groups themselves has made this project a great success.

Getting to the core of the problem before applying technology

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 09:25:13 +1300

Blindly applying technology to business problems is sometimes the bane of my existance as a techology consultant.

I find a large portion of my time in working with clients is in the realm of educatating them about the best options and use of technology for their specific situation but also a good portion of business analysis.

Business Analysis (BA) involves spending that extra time with my clients business and getting to understand what makes them tick, how they are doing things and the formal workflow processes they follow.

All too often during a first meeting and brainstorm I may be asked to slap a technology related solution on to automate an existing process.
"Why do you do it that way? Do you understand the why of what is being done... have you mapped it out?" is often worth bringing up with them at this stage.

Looking to automate and improve effectiveness in your workflows should always go hand in hand with looking at the underlying business fundimentals first!

For a good explanation of this process and the things you should consider as a business owner looking to automate using technology, check out this article by Patrick Gray from Tech Republic.
Be sure to check out all the comments at the bottom of the article, there is some great discussion around these ideas.

I prefer to help my clients to first gain an insight into exactly what is going on in their business and the process they are trying to improve before suggesting a product or project, it may take a little longer but the benefits of getting a project right the first time are endless!

Business needs to give millenials a reason why.

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 10:22:42 +1200

I do think we need more meaning in the work we do today and will do in the future.

The millennials will be an interesting generation I think, they are brought up digital natives on the internet, gaming, mobile, instant feedback, less worry about privacy online and communicate via social media and with more frequency.

Are they the victor by having a much more open level of connection with their social graph or are they failing to realise what this all means in the long run? Perhaps older gernations are just being paraniod about online privacy having come through the transition to the technology driven world we live in now.

In the coming business future, millenials will want to know they are doing work for a greater good, and for people that care... big business with a shareholder value maximisation objective unfortunatly most likely doesn't know who their shareholders are.

So what are we saying to them... "Come work for us to make money for someone we don't know who will most likey sell their shares on and bail from our company on a whim... it'll still be fun though".

Really the question this video below brings up is... "why am I doing this?", please give them a real reason.

Who got game?

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 10:45:06 +1200

Just a quick blog post to congratulate Bunchball on winning the AppQuest 2011 Competition.
Bunchball are a company that help drive behaviour on the web through the use of game mechanics such as points, levels trophies and rewards - all increasing the engagement for the end user.

Gamification is fast moving from being mainstream in the form of social gaming to being introduced into the work environment to drive favourable behaviour and motivate in the workplace.
I suspect as our younger generations move into and through their careers they will demand more immediate feedback on how they are performing and will be hugely driven by these kinds of behavioural mechanics, these kids have grown up on games!

I was lucky enough to have met Bunchball's founder and Chief Product Officer, Rajat Paharia at the X:Media:Lab conference a couple of years back (2009) and have one-on-one workshop time with him, he is certainly a man who is on the (bunch)ball when it comes to understanding these new opportunities.

Check out his video interview below... well worth a watch.

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WDCNZ, Wellington - 14 July 2011

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 20:17:59 +1200

If you are in the Wellington region this week and are looking for some web geekery, networking and a dose of good music then check out the Web Dev Conference (WDCNZ) on this Thursday 14th July 2011

http://wdcnz.com/.

There will be several speakers on all range of web development related themes though it seems HTML5 will be a hot topic.

Also as an avid SilverStripe CMS user I will be looking forward to Sam Minnée from SilverStripe's talk on SilverStripe 3.0 which should be production ready by the end of the year (There is an Alpha version out to trail at the moment too)

It's a full day conference which wraps up with an Afterparty with one of my favourite home grown live acts... Minuit! Excite!

Good Communication: The method is part of your message

Wed, 01 Jun 2011 09:30:54 +1200

Often though we need to make sure we are choosing the right method of communication for the right situation.

For clear facts and tasks plus communication that doesn't require much emotive input; email,Instant Message(IM) or leaving a messageboard post on BaseCamp should be ok.
This is fine when what is needed to be done is very concise and is results based.
The more uncertain or ambiguous the message, brainstorm or conversation and the more you need to convey emotion, we need to start looking and making phone calls, video chatting right up to face to face meetings.

Choosing the right method is almost as important as the message.
For Example… delivering really bad news via a txt message or email… the message is not as important as the method here as it shows a lack of respect or tact.

as always… USE YOUR BEST JUDGMENT!

Today I was going through some wiki entries from my old job at Rockstar Recipes Ltd. and found some great information on good communication practices which I have been using for a while now.

This is an excert from this blog post about working remotely when I was doing some research before moving to full time telework... some great points to take onboard.

The Key: Say What You Mean

The reason most people want to meet in person is because they don’t communicate clearly or concisely (but in person one can stumble through things a bit more easily). So let’s start with a primer on communication:

Be damn specific. When you want someone to capitalize “capitalize the product name,” tell them “On S:\files\important report.doc, ensure that ABC Company has consistent capitalization (ABC and a capital C) throughout the report…right now about half the instances of Company have a lowercase c”
Don’t hit Send until you’ve read it through. I got an email yesterday from a software developer who said, “Alright… another round of tweaks in addition to some improvements to the behavior.” Um, WTF? Was that a statement or a question? Was he done or about to start the next round?
If you’re unsure what to report, try this formula:

What you did
What you have left to do, and then…
What you need the recipient to do

The email above should have said, “Jared, I’ve finished all the requirements from your email on Apr 27 (see it below), but I still have to tweak the graphics to match Keith’s images. I believe it’s ready for your testing.”

Keeping in the loop

Don't forget to say hello to people in the morning either in person or via IM or email if they are not in the office.
Make time to talk about things other than work too, it's a good time to build a tight team.

Keeping the culture alive when working with remote staff

Share
Make a personal connection. Focus on building this relationship. Just because you don't see each other everyday, don't lose contact. That old adage is true: out of sight, out of mind. Make sure to provide input and feedback about how things are going as well as your successes, failures, accomplishments, and concerns. Provide your boss with regular written updates about what you have done and what you are doing – goals you have met and projects you have completed.

Talk
Email and instant messaging have made business communication lightening fast, but they can never convey how you really feel the way a phone or face-to-face conversation can. Be sure to make time to attend meetings, go to lunch, and stay in the spotlight. Whether you are the boss or the subordinate, when your first thought is to send an email, consider calling instead. Plan your call according to when it will be easiest to reach the other person by phone – in the car on the way to work, for instance.

Anticipate
Take the initiative and do more than is asked. This doesn't mean you need to take on the workload of others; however, it is important that your boss knows you are pulling your weight. Anticipate what your employee might need and anticipate what your boss might want. Think ahead and plan. Make sure your employee has all the tools he needs to do the job right. Make sure your boss has all the information he needs to do the right job.

Recognize
Don't forget to say 'thank you.' Realize how hard your boss or employee works and recognize them for their effort. Also recognize that it's up to both of you to make this work and when there are problems or time to reassess the arrangement.

Remember just like any relationship, this one is a two-way street. The success or failure falls squarely on the shoulders of both parties.

Cam Findlay's Blog on Web & Technology

The Challenges of Project Management - Defining Success

The Challenges of Project Management - Risk and Uncertainty

The Challenges of Project Management - Skill Set Of Good Project Managers

The Challenges of Project Management - High Performing Teams

The Challenges in Managing Projects - Organisational Structure

The Challenges in Managing Projects - Introduction

Introduction to Project Management Challenges

Do something creative everyday to improve your work enjoyment and engagement

Do something creative everyday.

Merry Xmas and New Year 2011 - The Year of Busy

Most notable achievements this year for me were:

Introduction and Setting Up APES (Automated Provision for Email Services) on SilverStripe CMS

Want to get more SilverStripe Tips and Tutorials sent to you? Sign Up Here.

Do you think the broadcast industry will listen to Rod Drury about digital content and UFB?

NZYP Project Casestudy Presentation at SilverStripe CMS Community Meetup

New SilverStripe CMS Module - APES

Digital video content... detach the rights from the medium

A Busy Weekend - Launch of BBQ Hero Guitar and Breakthrough Bundle Products

Launch of the new NZYP website system project

Getting to the core of the problem before applying technology

Business needs to give millenials a reason why.

Who got game?

WDCNZ, Wellington - 14 July 2011

Good Communication: The method is part of your message

The Key: Say What You Mean

Keeping in the loop

Keeping the culture alive when working with remote staff