Are IT deployments giving you headaches? Consider them multi-site projects.
What is the best way to roll out this technology? Fact is most organizations are very immature in how these IT investments get deployed. People can be very naïve when considering how difficult the deployment can be – especially for multi-site organizations. And if the deployment fails, well, it’s just another IT investment wasted.
If you consider IT deployments are really multi-site projects then you will realize IT deployments have the special needs all multi-site projects require. These are effective and efficient communication, collaboration, and data collection/organization/dissemination.
I challenge any project manager to resort to only their formal PM training and traditional PM tools to deploy completed IT projects to the field.
My belief is that you won’t be very successful.
The requirements of the project will undoubtedly require you to open Excel to track various pieces of information for each site, cobble together a network file share to store documentation and pictures, and organize your emails as best you can. Undoubtedly a lot of information will be stored in handwritten notes or your head. You will have lots and lots of meetings and phone calls to constantly ensure everyone is on the same page.
There is actually a better way. A neat little company called BigWave is solving the problems associated with multi-site rollouts and deployments of IT. At its core, BigWave software inherently recognizes the needs of multi-site projects and provides any company with a proven methodology for getting these rollouts done.
Check them out at http://www.bigwavesoftware.com.
Written by John Livermore - Multi-site Project Management
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