On Requirements and Estimates

“What obstacles do project managers face to successful completion of an Information Technology project?”

Technology Management; Technology Infrastructure

I agree that most project has some unique obstabcles, all project that i have worked with or been aware of have had 3 common problems

1. Incomplete requirements or lack of visibility to full requirements
2. Poor estimation of effort
3. Scope creep

MüTō Observation:

These are three very common problems. I often find that a project manager's inability to communicate clearly, encourage proper motivation, and hold others accountable is at the core of all three of the problems you listed.

On Clients and Scope Creep

“What obstacles do project managers face to successful completion of an Information Technology project?”

Technology strategy leader: private equity fund

The biggest obstacles I encounter in implementing technology projects are

1) client commitment to participating in the project definition process and
2) change in scope along the way, which is always caused by #1.

These obstacles can be avoided through frank and up-front discussion with the client of worst case scenarios and establishment of firm milestones that track a project progress.

If the client isn't participating (skips or cancels meetings or progress reviews, refusals to make decisions to guide the project), it's time to let the client know that they are causing the project to slip and make it clear what they need to do to get it back on track.

None of this is easy -- it takes lots an lots of open, honest communication to make a project a success.

MüTō Observation:

The ability to Communicate clearly to everyone on a project, the ability to Motivate a proejct team to hold the project MOST important, and the ability of a project manager to hold all the parties of a project accountable, are tantamount to a project manager's successful completion of a project.