The statistics about project management in general are (or should be) terrifying —

97% of organizations believe project management is critical to success, but:

80% of PM executives don’t know how their projects align with the company strategy.

44% of PMs are not certified.

Less than 33% of all projects are completed on time and on budget.

Any business that wants custom software must choose a partner that has a track record of delivering as promised.

Why So Much Failure?

In the simplest form, any project comprises four parts: Concept, goal, process and validation.

Concept is the Vision: What, exactly, do you want this software to do? Who will use it? What resources can you expend to get what you want? Lots of questions need to be asked, very specific information needs answered and put in an organized format.

Goal is the Map: This is the delivery date. These are the skill sets we need. These are the benchmarks. These are the alternatives we may need. These are the obstacles we may face. This is required, that is desired, the other thing would be really nice to have. And, most important: This is the budget. (It’s the reality check, it drives everything else.)

Process is the Work: Here’s where project management makes it or breaks it. A good project manager is on top of things: Knowing the people and how to blend their skill sets and their personalities. Foreseeing problems and proactively dealing with them. Being involved — hands on — with what’s happening on a daily basis. Keeping every stakeholder informed and getting feed back.

Validation is the Endgame: Riddle me this, Batman, “Does my software do what I paid you to make it do?” If you can prove that it does, and you made that happen on time and under budget, you deserve a bonus. (And Bruce Wayne could certainly afford a generous one.)

The Bottom Line

Tired clichés and bad jokes aside, it’s about people — always. Facet Web Tech is a non-corporate, family-oriented culture. We focus on accuracy, capability and customer service. We support our client’s tech needs for the long term. We value their dollars. We employ IT real professionals — experts in technology who understand our client’s business needs. Contact Facet about your custom software development, let us make it work for you.