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IT | John Tate | 1 Mar 2008

John Tate addresses the issues you should consider to ensure a successful IT project.

While I signed up to Facebook some months ago my presence has been distinctly low key. With only a handful of friends and one photo I have clearly not engaged fully in the activities of the site. So it was with some interest that I received an invitation from a fellow Facebook user to test what sort of Barbie I am. This type of quiz might explain why I have such limited engagement with the site but nevertheless I thought I would give it a try. Ten carefully crafted questions later and up came the result – I am a Trendy and Bendy Barbie.

As a father with two daughters I thought I knew most of the Barbie dolls. However, I have never heard of this one. So for those readers who lack the knowledge of the latest Barbie range you might like to know that Trendy and Bendy Barbie is “the trendsetter of fashion. Anything and everything is fun, because you are the MAN (figuratively speaking).” I will leave it up to the readers who know me to decide whether this accurately reflects my personality.

Turning to a closely related issue, last month’s Charity Finance accounting software survey revealed that around 30 per cent of respondents are considering replacing their accounting systems in the next year. So what skills/characteristics (or Barbieisms) are required of a finance professional to make such a project successful? What questions might Facebook present to determine whether you are going to be a Successful Project on Time and to Budget Barbie? Are you a team player? Can you form the right project team covering each of the key skills below? Can you motivate people?

Do you have adequate resource to make a success of the project? Can you personally free up the time you need to lead the team and carry out the work?

Are your timescales realistic? Have you given yourself long enough to select and then implement the system? Do you have strong project management skills in the team? Do you have a well thought out and communicated project plan? Are you willing to flexible in your approach?

Do you or a member of your team have a high level of attention to detail, for example when checking if a particular product meets your functional requirements?

Can you think outside the box? Will you fully explore the opportunities new technology offers to improve the way you work? Have you fully considered the opportunities to improve efficiency, enhance reporting and find new ways of working with your stakeholders to improve what your organisation delivers? Are you sufficiently aware of current technology developments so that you understand the art of the possible?

Do you have the skills to develop a genuine partnership with your suppliers? Will you take the time to understand their objectives and encourage an open and trusting relationship?Are you willing to take tough decisions? For example, if one of your employees if out of their depth on the project will you resolve this quickly so that it has minimum impact on the implementation? Are you pragmatic about adopting new technology? On the one extreme are you too cautious to embrace new technology that might be of real benefit? Or on the other might you fall into the trap of taking exces-sive risk on a new idea where the risk/reward profile does not justify this? Do your colleagues listen to you and act on your advice? Can you really drive change through your organisation if you have the business case to support this?

If you are unsure of the completeness your skill profile for a new IT project you could consider conducting psychometric testing of the group. A wide range of tools are available, such as Belbin.

Or you could profile your colleagues on Facebook. You don’t need to stick to Barbie as there are over a million generic quizzes. Some are quite highbrow, such as “What character from the Aeneid are you?” The quizzes section also allows you to set up your own bespoke questionnaire. Who said Facebook was just for kids?

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Who's Who: John Tate