Project services

Once your business case is prepared, or the gap analysis has been finalized, the project can be started to move towards the required situation. Rominco advises to make the move based on an action or project plan.

An action plan suits small changes; a project plan suits large changes. As a rule of thumb: a change requiring more than 3 people or departments and a duration of more than 3 months requires to be managed as a project. The difference between small and large projects indicates if one of the senior project members can act as the project leader or that a dedicated project leader is required. The basic idea of a project is that a project is performed separate from the standing organization, where the project is the means to come from the stable As-is situation to the To-be (desired) stable situation. Execution separate from the standing organization does not mean without cooperation or involvement of the standing organization. It means: executed apart from the daily operations.

A small change managed via an action plan can generally be executed within and by the standing organization, under the responsibility of a line manager. In the figure the role of projects (changes) in organizations:

Project methodologies

Many project methodologies exist, from well-known, worldwide methodologies like Prince2 to proprietary methodologies that consultancy firms and large enterprises own. In its essence all projects follow the same steps or phases, as stated below for small projects. In large projects these steps are recognized too, be it that large projects will have solutions for managing subprojects or work packages and additional quality control measures.

Small projects

1. Envision the project (define goal, scope and timeframe)
2. Create the project plan (defines e.g. project members and planning/schedule)
3. Execute the plan
   1. Design the product(s)
   2. Create the product(s)
   3. Test the product(s)
   4. Deliver the product(s)
   5. Implement the product(s)
4. Close and evaluate the project

Large projects
In large projects the steps above are performed, supported by procedures and templates plus more or less strict formal decision making, reporting and quality control.
The leading project approach is Prince2. The key features of PRINCE2 are:

1. focus on business justification;
2. defined organization structure for the project management team;
3. product-based planning approach;
4. emphasis on dividing the project into manageable and controllable stages;
5. flexibility that can be applied at a level appropriate to the project.

Earlier projects
The number of project Rominco was allowed to participate or manage is numerous since Rominco prefers to work project-wise. Sample projects where Rominco drafted and executed a (sub)project plan:

• Build and deploy a part of the enterprise-wide planning system for a railways engineering office;
• Process design for a large health research institute and for a large utilities supplier;
• Selection and deployment of a student registration and tracking system;
• Manage the deployment of a series of base registries for a small country.