Page 355 - Global Project Management Handbook

17-12 MANAGEMENT OF GLOBAL PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS

and (4) managing risks. During project execution, the progress tracker first will detect the
creation of work results such as software code, design documents, reports, and records
through the approval of work requests. Most of the repository and workbench tools pro-
vide notification capability after each creation of work results in the workflow process.
According to the project management process, all work results generated from the
collaboration environment should go through the workflow process for approval. Any
changes, problems, or risks found during execution also should go through the
progress tracker to evaluate the impact and obtain approval for further actions. All the
approved actions will be stored in the repository in the project workplace and updated
into the project space. During the scheduled review meetings, the project manager will
generate progress reports for review with the project team members.

Optimizing and Integrating Processes. The project life cycle from initiation, plan-
ning, execution, and control to closure involves many processes. In addition to the
life-cycle processes, there are workflow control process to determine the procedure for
reviewing and approving actions and results. Most organizations have their own con-
trol, audit, and quality assurance processes to cater to their specific needs.
Under global competition, many projects adapt agile or extreme project manage-
ment methods. In order to be responsive to the market and business challenges, the
process integrator plays an important role in safeguarding the project, as well as in
providing efficient ways to improve output quality and productivity. Without the
process integrator guiding the project with precision, the project may lose its focus.
The proposed project center is just an example of how to integrate project space,
schedule works, track progress, and improve processes through the project life cycle.
There are different types of projects for different business initiatives. There are also
different tools and environments available commercially to support different industry
segments and organizations. Decisions concerning the project center should be part of
organization’s transformation and strategic planning according to its global position-
ing and future growth.

Project Workplace Module
Based on the organization’s structure, the project manager creates project-specific

information repositories and workbenches for the project team. All the individual
information repositories and workbenches should be integrated under the collaboration
platform and managed by the project center. It can use the knowledge portal as an
entrance to access the project center and project workplace.
The information repository is an IT tool that provides remote and mobile team
members with a shared space in which they can work together—where they can write
proposals, develop strategies, store project plans, and make decisions. Team members
can navigate inside the information repository, share information, collaborate on
work, create personal profiles, and set customized options. It also helps in organizing
information to improve team effectiveness. In addition, the repository can be used for
sharing premeeting materials, planning collaborative agendas, creating discussion
threads, and tracking meeting outcomes to make the meetings more productive,
focused, and shorter.
The workbench is a computer-based tool that provides an application/domain-
specific facility for online design and development collaboration. There are many
application-specific workbenches that can be configured to streamline the work
process. The knowledge portal also can use its client management utility to support
rich client functions to make the online collaboration even more effective.