2010 December | Vertabase Blog

Dec 20, 2010
4 comments

Where the PMI and PMBOK Guide Fail Creative Firms

I’m a big fan of project management methodology. However, applying formal project management to marketing companies can be difficult. One of the challenges marketing firms have in adopting project management methodologies as described in the PMBOK Guide (The Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, 4th Edition) is that they aren’t often described in terms of the types of projects marketing companies or art departments do every day. Nor is the order of events generally the way marketing companies work.

One example of this is the classic approach to time and schedule development. In the PMBOK Guide, a project’s schedule is determined by the number of resources applied to the project and the types of resources applied to a project. This seems to be a hold-over from manufacturing or engineering (or other projects where the degree of uncertainty is much higher). But it doesn’t apply to a marketing department. For most marketing companies, a project’s schedule is determined by the client. The client has a specific due date where things have to be ready by to coincide with a holiday season or product launch, event, sales presentation or trade show.

The due date is the same, regardless of the number of resources applied to the project or task. It needs to be done by the due date.

This gap often drives creative groups to look at Agile project management processes since it sounds faster and looser. The problem with Agile for marketing companies is that the work doesn’t easily fit into the length of a sprint. The deadlines for a marketing company need to remain determined by a client’s needs or a strategic decision on timing.

For most marketing departments or agencies, neither process nor resourcing decisions drive deadlines. Clients drive deadlines.

That being said, not even the PMI would argue that every step of every project management knowledge area needs to be used on every project. The PMBOK Guide is a collection of different best practices held together by one model, one conceptual set of guidelines, rope on how they can all fit together. But there are many ways of applying the techniques and ideas to different practice areas. And specific practice areas, like marketing, should piece together what works best for them, balancing the benefits of proven and tested processes with the need to meet clients’ needs and to operate as efficiently as possible.

Dec 8, 2010
2 comments

Understanding the PMBOK Guide on Time Periods

There’s an interesting phrase in the PMBOK Guide (Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, 4th Edition) when it comes to the amount of time activities take to get done. It uses the term “work periods” instead of hours, days, weeks or months. This intentionally broad term is there for a reason. (Though the PMBOK Guide does seem intentionally obtuse sometime.)

The reason it’s so broad is that every project and every general type of activity has its own time period that makes sense for it. Some activities get done in hours, some in days, some in weeks.

By keeping the term broad, the PMBOK Guide gives us discretion in choosing the time period that makes the most sense for our project. It recognizes the difference between the units of effort required for different activities, and in doing so, emphasizes that no matter what type of activity, project management processes can help. That is, the body of knowledge of project management has something to say about every type of activity, regardless of the length of time it takes to do it.

This is also a heads up that picking the right unit for the time periods on our projects is an important part of the planning and scheduling process.

Dec 1, 2010
2 comments

Project Management and Economic Growth Podcast

I was recently interviewed by Cornelius Fichtner’s Project Management Podcast on the topic of how Project Managers are Agents for Economic Growth.

From Cornelius’ blurb:

Mark claims that all project managers are agents for Economic Growth. Really? Cause I’ve managed mostly small and medium sized project throughout my career and I didn’t see myself as an economic growth agent. And most of the companies I’ve worked for also didn’t have the appropriate corporate culture to make me one.

So you can guess that I was a bit skeptical, when Mark first suggested this topic. Let’s hear what he has to say about these arguments and what skills and mindset such a Project Management Agent of Economic Growth needs.

This is a premium podcast but here is the transcript in PDF.

If you have never listened to it, the PM Podcast is an outstanding source for project management information. I highly recommend subscribing to the podcast so you can catch all the great content they produce.

My previous interview on the PM Podcast on Customizing and Contextualizing Your Project Communications is now available to non-subscribers. (The interview starts at around 9 minutes into the program.)