Thursday, January 17, 2013

Top Reasons for Project Delays: What has Rockton Recently Changed?

Written By Jenn Schoemer,
Project Manager at Rockton Software

What is the delay?  Maybe you’re a procrastinator–you work better under pressure. Are you a people-pleaser and say yes to everything? The boss keeps piling it on–you’re over committed.  Maybe the project is too broad and there is too much room for interpretation–not well defined.  Or maybe the boss has under estimated the time, tasks, and resources it will take to complete the project–lack of planning.

These are some of the major reasons I see delays in projects, but who has time for delays? Things change at the speed of light in the Microsoft Dynamics world. The language, tools, and planning techniques that we used yesterday to develop software are already out of date.  In our world, we need to be nimble, comfortable in change; constantly look for ways to improve and be more efficient; and most of all offer innovated software.

Here at Rockton Software, we have jumped on the “Agile- Scrum” rocket.  What better way to keep developing innovation than being agile?  The Agile, specifically the Scrum approach, helps us focus on the tasks that are the highest priority, which can be well-defined and scheduled to be completed by the end of a two week period, therefore, creating fewer delays and completing more projects!

Using the Scrum approach also gives us the tools to be nimble. We review, daily, what we have accomplished, as well as plan what we will be working on tomorrow. This gives Rockton the ability to make ‘real-time’ adjustments letting us focus on what makes the best business sense for us and our customers.  Being able to inspect and adapt as we go helps Rockton reduce delays in completing projects.

I think it is just a bonus that the Agile Principles align so well with Rockton’s Core Beliefs.

The Agile Manifesto  (http://agilemanifesto.org):

We are uncovering better ways of developing
software by doing it and helping others do it.
Through this work we have come to value:

Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan

That is, while there is value in the items on
the right, we value the items on the left more.

What are your tips, tricks, and techniques for keeping projects on track? 


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