Project Management Best Practices for IT product services

While there are a multiple resources for PM methodologies (Agile, Waterfall etc), in this blog post, I talk about the best practices of project management for professional services in software products company.

This kind of professional services is about supporting implementation of software product by a company and ensuring that customers derive maximum value from the software product.

There are two characteristics that I have found unique in a software products company:

1. Providing Assurance Services
2. Engagement of partners for service delivery

I am a practitionar of what I like to call “humane” project management and it starts with the belief that every person has a skill that has a specific use and it is the job of the project management to find the right niche for the right person.

I present below the five best practices of “Humane” Project Management that I have learnt:

1. Human-Centric Communication and Partnership

• Open Channels: Communication is the lifeblood of any project. Regular stand-ups, sprint meetings, and open forums ensure everyone-from developers to testers, product managers to clients-is on the same page.

The frequency of these communications should be varied as per the phase of the project. I set up “war rooms” to address pressing issues that may require urgent action.

• Empathy in Action: Understand the personal and professional contexts of your team members. Take time to know their backgrounds, strengths, and aspirations. This builds trust and fosters a sense of belonging.
• Active Listening: Encourage team members to voice concerns and suggestions. Sometimes, the best ideas come from the most unexpected quarters that may be in conflict with your views.
• Influence without control: Practice influence without having a control. This allows you to provide an environment that is not threatening but collaborative.

For product companies, there is a strong internal stakeholder group. This will include the sales and product teams. In addition to managing the customer an equal stress needs to happen on internal stakeholders.

2. Thorough Planning with Realistic Estimation

• Accurate Estimation: Use historical data, experiences and estimation tools to forecast timelines and resources. Set achievable goals, keeping in mind the festivals, public holidays, and local work patterns.

Estimates are like moving targets. Based on the progress made so far or external situations, adjustments need to be made. Keep your project plan updated and reviewed frequently.

• Define Clear Scope and Objectives: Avoid ambiguity by documenting what the project will and won’t deliver. Clearly document the success criteria. I have realised that sometimes customers need a little help in defining success criteria. This helps manage stakeholder expectations and prevents scope creep.
• Milestone Mapping: Break the project into manageable phases with clear milestones. Celebrate small wins to keep morale high and progress visible.
• Risk Management: Identify potential risks early-be it technical debt, resource constraints, or changing requirements. Prepare contingency plans and revisit them regularly.
• Quality Assurance: Integrate regular code reviews, automated testing, and quality checks into the workflow. Quality is everyone’s responsibility, not just the QA team’s.

Working with partner’s opens a new frontier in product companies, where partners may come in with a different methodology or mindset. It is crucial that alignment is achieved at a rapid pace at the start of the project.

The point of alignment with the partner shouldn’t be SoW but customers success criteria. Ideally each success criteria should map back to SoW.

3. Embracing Agile and Adaptive Methodologies

• Agile Mindset: Agile isn’t just a methodology; it’s a mindset. In fast-paced markets, Agile allows for flexibility, continuous feedback, and rapid iteration.
• Co-Creation and Iteration: Involve clients and stakeholders in every sprint. Regular demos and feedback sessions ensure the product evolves in line with real needs.
• Hybrid Approaches: Sometimes, a blend of Agile and traditional Waterfall works best, especially for projects with fixed regulatory or compliance requirements.
• Continuous Improvement: Adopt Kaizen-continuous improvement-by reflecting on each sprint and making incremental changes to processes and practices.

In software product companies, you will have assurance services (no code delivered). Adapting agile to delivering consulting type engagements becomes quite crucial. Understanding and delivering Business Value for customer is quite crucial in such scenarios.

4. Fostering Collaboration and Team Spirit

• Flat Team Structures: Encourage a culture where every voice is heard, regardless of hierarchy. This is especially effective in teams, where traditional hierarchies can sometimes stifle innovation.

The partners need to be incorporated in the teams seamlessly (sometimes more informally rather than formally). Don’t treat them as external parties but co-partners in shared success.

• Knowledge Sharing: Promote open dialogue and learning. Regular knowledge-sharing sessions, brown-bag lunches, and peer reviews can work wonders.
• Celebrate Successes: Recognize individual and team achievements, both big and small early on. Public appreciation boosts morale and motivates teams to go the extra mile.
• Conflict Resolution: Address conflicts openly and constructively. Promote a culture where disagreements are seen as opportunities for growth, not personal attacks.
• Human Mission Statements: Have a human mission statement that people can rally behind. It shouldn’t be just a statement but something that a project manager continuously practices.

Partner’s are your extended team and you got to treat them as your own team. If you have meeting of mind with your partner, the project is going to go smoothly and meet its success criteria.

5. Leveraging Tools and Technology, but Keeping People First

• Project Management Tools: Use platforms like Jira, Trello, or Asana to streamline task management and transparency. But remember, tools are enablers, not replacements for real conversations.

You can get started with Excel as the PM tool.

• Documentation: Maintain clear, concise documentation-not just for compliance, but to preserve collective knowledge and onboard new team members smoothly.
• Transparent Status Reporting: Proactively share project updates, challenges, and wins. Transparency not only builds credibility but also helps in early identification of roadblocks.

Maintaing list of action items that is tracked on importance and date of completion is essential. The grooming of this list needs to happen as often as possible. Not only should we be capturing risks but also capture decisions that are important enough. Have a “RAID” log.

What are your thoughts on these suggestions? What practices have you found work for you?