Comments on: From the Yellow Notepad: Project Management http://jeffmatherphotography.com/dispatches/2008/06/from-the-yellow-notepad-project-management/ The 9 to 5 Life of an International Playboy Sat, 22 Nov 2008 06:11:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.2 By: PM Hut http://jeffmatherphotography.com/dispatches/2008/06/from-the-yellow-notepad-project-management/#comment-3987 PM Hut Sat, 28 Jun 2008 12:29:56 +0000 http://jeffmatherphotography.com/dispatches/2008/06/from-the-yellow-notepad-project-management/#comment-3987 Hi Jeff, I would like to republish the above post on PM Hut (with slight edits). Please use the "contact us" form on the PM Hut site if you're interested. Thanks! Hi Jeff,

I would like to republish the above post on PM Hut (with slight edits). Please use the “contact us” form on the PM Hut site if you’re interested. Thanks!

]]> By: Jeff Mather http://jeffmatherphotography.com/dispatches/2008/06/from-the-yellow-notepad-project-management/#comment-3984 Jeff Mather Sat, 28 Jun 2008 03:26:28 +0000 http://jeffmatherphotography.com/dispatches/2008/06/from-the-yellow-notepad-project-management/#comment-3984 Bob: I agree that you're going to need more than one WBS, whether it's going to be a master WBS with multiple sub-WBS or a WBS that evolves through time. I'm more inclined to believe that the latter is more realistic unless you're working on a project with very few unknown aspects, well understood goals and technology and little risk. I'll have to check out the article about Wrike. I'll reserve all judgement until later. Though I didn't mention it in the article, I'm leaning in the direction of not actually requiring any work breakdown structures for a project. Don't get me wrong, I'm in favor of requirements analysis, functional design, and architectural design. But I'm gradually becoming a convert of agile and lean methods involving iterative project analysis, just-in-time design, work queues (<i>e.g.</i>, <a href="http://www.ddj.com/architect/201807863" rel="nofollow">kanban</a>), and structuring projects around iterations where you're always close to shipping. I haven't used many projects with "true" agile management, but I've had better success than when I tried to use a WBS. Bob: I agree that you’re going to need more than one WBS, whether it’s going to be a master WBS with multiple sub-WBS or a WBS that evolves through time. I’m more inclined to believe that the latter is more realistic unless you’re working on a project with very few unknown aspects, well understood goals and technology and little risk.

I’ll have to check out the article about Wrike. I’ll reserve all judgement until later.

Though I didn’t mention it in the article, I’m leaning in the direction of not actually requiring any work breakdown structures for a project. Don’t get me wrong, I’m in favor of requirements analysis, functional design, and architectural design. But I’m gradually becoming a convert of agile and lean methods involving iterative project analysis, just-in-time design, work queues (e.g., kanban), and structuring projects around iterations where you’re always close to shipping.

I haven’t used many projects with “true” agile management, but I’ve had better success than when I tried to use a WBS.

]]> By: Bob Migrow http://jeffmatherphotography.com/dispatches/2008/06/from-the-yellow-notepad-project-management/#comment-3976 Bob Migrow Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:18:27 +0000 http://jeffmatherphotography.com/dispatches/2008/06/from-the-yellow-notepad-project-management/#comment-3976 Your point about the WBS is correct. The only thing is that sometimes there needs to be more than one WBS for one and the same project. Different team members need to slice projects in different ways. Unfortunately this will hardly be possible with old-school tools, like MS Project. Do you agree? I recently found a <a href="http://www.wrike.com/projectmanagement/03/25/2008/Bridging-the-Three-Gaps-in-Project-Management" rel="nofollow">blog post</a> about this fact. The author proposes an interesting solution - his own pm tool. I'm in the ptesting process right now and what I see is really impressive. Your point about the WBS is correct. The only thing is that sometimes there needs to be more than one WBS for one and the same project. Different team members need to slice projects in different ways. Unfortunately this will hardly be possible with old-school tools, like MS Project. Do you agree? I recently found a blog post about this fact. The author proposes an interesting solution - his own pm tool. I’m in the ptesting process right now and what I see is really impressive.

]]> By: Lisa http://jeffmatherphotography.com/dispatches/2008/06/from-the-yellow-notepad-project-management/#comment-3956 Lisa Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:11:11 +0000 http://jeffmatherphotography.com/dispatches/2008/06/from-the-yellow-notepad-project-management/#comment-3956 lucky + smug = drama llama lucky + smug = drama llama

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