The following insight was excerpted from a feature story about Best Practices in SCN’s October 2016 print edition.
The advantages of a video collaboration solution are well known, but fully realizing the benefits of a system requires a well-executed implementation, which must be managed by an experienced project manager. In an installation, the project manager needs to track equipment arrival, coordinate technicians to handle the install, and keep all key stakeholders from both the customer and the vendor updated as the project progresses. The larger and more complex the implementation, the higher the likelihood that great project management will make a significant impact on the effectiveness and timeliness of the install.
Here are five components of the project management process to successfully manage video system implementation:
Centralized Database: The project manager needs a tool that records all communications, specifications, and technical information captured throughout the entire project in one central application.
Information Flow: Everyone working on the project should have access to all of the detailed material contained in the database. This ensures that discussions that take place in the pre-sales stage, for example, flow to all team members as the implementation proceeds. This eliminates the problem of crucial information falling through the cracks.
Ease of Use: For project management software to be effective, everyone involved has to use it. Establishing one central point for all information and developing a process that makes it easy for everyone to use it to perform their everyday jobs is critical. Ongoing technical information and task progress information should all be collected within the one database.
Full Integration: The project management application must be completely integrated with all aspects of the project, including purchasing, scheduling, and installation operations, ensuring all aspects of the project are aligned.
Certification: Industry certification ensures the individuals guiding the deployment have been trained in the most up-to-date techniques for successful implementations.
