Definitive Logic

CASE STUDY:

Abstract:
A Federal CIO organization with many IT project managers (PMs) needed a consistent project management approach that incorporated Earned Value Management (EVM) techniques that these PMs could follow.

Business Challenge:
When faced with unknown and seemingly laborious tools and techniques such as the PM Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) and EVM, a new PM is likely to have concerns about meeting their day-to-day responsibilities while doing so in a manner consistent with industry best practices and organizational requirements.

Definitive Logic teamed with our client to understand the concerns from the organization’s perspective, as well as from the PMs’ perspective. We conducted a series of Voice of the Customer interviews with key stakeholders, PMs, and EVM system SMEs to determine how we could help. We then identified a series of core knowledge nuggets from the PMBOK and EVM worlds, developed sample reports along with tips for interpreting the reports and taking action, and worked with the EVM system SMEs to implement changes that would facilitate producing these reports.

How We Helped:
Definitive Logic helped accomplish the following tasks:

• Identified key gaps between the current and desired future states of IT project management and reporting
• Documented an easy-to-understand PM & EVM best practices guide, complete with sample charts and tips for interpreting the charts and taking action
• Documented policies to initiate use of the OM & EVM best practices
• Facilitated the transition by working the EVM system SMEs to identify software changes that would support required reporting, and meeting with users to describe the project results