Are we there yet? Rev up your productivity with project management tools

Are we there yet? Rev up your productivity with project

management tools!Margot Hanson, California Maritime Academy

Andrew Tweet,William Jessup UniversityKevin Pischke, William Jessup UniversityAnnis Lee Adams, Golden Gate University

CARL ConferencePre-Conference Workshop

April 4, 2014

Schedule of Events

1:00-1:20: Introduction & Project Management case studies1:20-1:50: Project Management theory and best practices 1:50-2:00: Break2:00-3:00: Workshop with pencils and paper: plan your own project3:00-3:10: Break3:10-3:55: Project Management Software Survey3:55-4:05: Break4:05-5:00: Software Showroom & Test Drive

What project(s) did you have in mind to

work on today?

Why did you decide to attend this

session?

What’s Your Name & Institution?

Project Management Road Rally

Case Study

“No one should ever have a question about where a project stands”

--Kevin Pischke

Accelerate cautiously

● Our Evergreen consultant introduced us to Trello during an ILS upgrade for testing and bug tracking

● Started to use for idea gathering in planning events● Not committed and little buy-in from stakeholders

Put the pedal down!

● We started to use Trello as a PM tool when we had 7 different technology projects to implement at the same time. (EBSCO Discovery Service, Camino, Libguides, EBSCO Academic Ebooks, EBSCO LinkSource, EBL patron driven loans/acquisitions, GetItNow)

● Developed workflow on projects & operations● Assigned Directly Responsible Individual (DRI) to

tasks

Case Study

Test drive a variety -- you probably won’t drive the first one off the lot. So, jump in and get going!

--Margot & Lee

Test drives

Our first road trip

● BaseCamp - Website redesign project● Trello, Asana, Podio: - e-resource troubleshooting; presentation

coordination

...

What’s Your Project Management

Experience?

Project Management Principles & Best Practices

● A project is work that has a defined beginning, end, and goals.

● Project management is a set of tools to help allocate and track resources so that a project can be completed successfully, on time, and on budget.

● Project management is in contrast to operations management which has defined goals, but does not have a defined term.

Clarifying the Project

● Define the project scope in a written charter○ Define success with goals & stakeholders ○ Define deadline in relative or calendar terms○ Define resources (budget, personnel, equipment)○ Define what happens to the resources and deliverables

when the project is over● If any one of these parameters changes, then the others

must adjust to compensate.● Defining the scope will help prevent misunderstandings

between stakeholders and scope creep.

Look at your Project Charter Worksheet

Sample Project Charter

Mission• To improve the user experience of the GGU University Library website

Goals• Make it easier for patrons to find content with fewer clicks• Clarify headings/tabs• Add content that is missing, and that patrons ask for in our patron survey• Remove content that is unnecessary and too wordy, that’s not valued by our patron survey feedback

Sample Project Charter cont’d

Scope• Content that is located on the ggu.edu server• Edit content under each heading/tabMethods• Regular meetings of the team to provide progress updates• Create timeline for project sections using project management software• Prioritize sections to edit using data from IM stats, Google analytics pageviews, and patron survey responses• Check in with patrons on each section using brief usability questionnaires: what would they expect/want to see in each content area, and do our wireframes or suggested edits make sense?

Fill out your Project Charter Worksheet

Pit Stop!

Allocating the Resources

A. Three types of resources, many techniquesa. Time (storyboards, weekly meetings, cascade chart)b. Personnel (kickoff/closing meetings, debriefs, monitoring

reports, task allocation, flow charts)c. Money (budget, release points, or other accountability

measures)

Project management phases

1. Planninga. Project scope defined and written up as charter

2. Build-upa. Allocation of needed resources, training, team building, etc

3. Implementationa. Carrying out the planb. Modifying scope and resources as neededc. Regular progress updates

4. Closeouta. Handing over deliverables, making the site live, debriefing and

reporting to stakeholders

Fill out your Task Breakdown Worksheet

Variations by industry

Each industry typically has its own tools and charts that are their standard, but there is a lot of spillover between industries.

● Gantt Chart ● Sequence chart (flow, PERT, CPM)● Punchlist (construction, Real Estate)● Storyboards (video, events)

Sample Gantt Chart

Sample PERT Chart

Pit Stop!

How well did it work for your project?

If so, which software?

Have you used any project management software for library

projects?

Project Management Software Adoption Survey

● Survey ran from Aug 23 - Sept 13, 2013

● Distributed on CALIX, CALIBACA, ERIL, BayNet, New-Lib, Web4LIB, CODE4LIB, ILI, SCELC, CCCU

● 205 Respondents

Respondents’ Library Type

Academic Public Special

Staffing Levels at Respondents’ Libraries

1-9 FTE 10-24 FTE 25-49 FTE 50-99 FTE 100+ FTE

69% have not used software

Has your library used software that is designed specifically for project management?

No Yes Don’t Know

Dominant Themes

● Librarians (survey respondents) see a need for project management, but not sure where to go

● Missing base knowledge on project management● Not sure which program will work best with their

library workflow (or won’t get adopted)

Top 4 Responses

What project management software has your library used?

MS Project Basecamp Jira Trello

How well did the software work for your library’s project(s)?

MS Project Basecamp Jira Trello

Survey Follow-up: 10,000 Feet/Fabulously

Q: Why did you choose this particular software?

A: My boss (the Director of Instructional Design) chose this software, [because] it is cloud-based, simple to use, and not

overly-granular (like Basecamp). [We] use Google Drive in conjunction with this software for sharing documents

and folders, etc.

Survey Follow-up: 10,000 Feet/Fabulously

Q: Can you tell us about one excellent experience you have had using this software to manage a project?

A: [I] have an excellent experience tracking my time spent on different projects with this

software. [It] increases the transparency of where we are as a department in terms of planning for the future by estimating the time it will take for different projects vs. the hours in a day or week. This forces us to be realistic about completion

times and workload.

Survey Follow-up: 10,000 Feet/Fabulously

Q: . Can you tell us about one poor experience you have had using this software to manage a project?

A: Initially the software can be a bit confusing when estimating time tables with various team members being added, and adding sub-categories to projects (phases). There is a learning curve, but it's not necessarily a poor experience, it just requires a bit of training and/or leg work. It's worth it in the end.

Survey Follow-up: Asana/Fabulously

Q: Why did you choose this particular software?

A: Intuitive and user friendly; web-based; free for small

groups.

Survey Follow-up: Asana/Fabulously

Q: Can you tell us about one excellent experience you have had using this software to manage a project?

A: This works really well for our small projects: ● New patron workflow. It worked like clockwork! ● Events. We were able to break out a workflow

and assign portions of the process to the appropriate person. We created a template for future events.

Survey Follow-up: Asana/FabulouslyQ: . Can you tell us about one poor experience you have had using this software to manage a project?

A: You only get out of it what you put into it. ...It was easy to get sidetracked & not update the

project. Some staff were not using the features as intended. It was more of a training issue than a

software issue. We will continue to use it, but will explore ways to

make the software easier for staff to access by creating a dashboard page… & offer refreshers on

using the software.

Dominant Themes

● Libraries are currently successful with a wide variety of project management software

● Adoption and buy-in is critical for continued success● Incorporating project management software into

daily workflow increases likelihood of adoption

Any questions about the survey?

Pit Stop!

Let’s shift gears & talk about the software!

Vehicle #1:Limousine

Pricing: $33-58 Per user/month or institutional purchaseFree trial: NoMax projects: ∞Max users: ∞Max file storage: ∞Cloud based & LocalCalendar integration: Yes*App: SharePoint Apps

*With 365 subscription or local install of SharePoint

● Already in use with your organization● PMP on staff● You need a high level, complex tool ● Required to manage time, money, and personnel

Limousine: requires a chauffeur

Try Lyft or Uber?

● Steep learning curve ● Too feature rich● Difficult to share progress and updates● “all noise no light”

Vehicle #2:Family Minivan

Pricing: $20, $50, $100/moFree trial: 60 daysMax projects: 10, 40, 100Max users: ∞Max file storage: 3, 15, 40 GBCloud based: YesCalendar integration: iCalApp: iOS & Android

Family Minivan: Keeps everyone together

● You’re looking for something to manage your task-intensive, short-term projects (IT projects, event planning)

● You need a low barrier for adoption● You have a little money to spend● You want to keep everyone in the loop, share files,

and track timelines

Family Minivan: Loud & Crowded

● “Basecamp timelines are not tied to resource allocations.”

● “Basecamp is a messy interface. Doesn't facilitate visually the organization of multiple projects very well.”

Vehicle #3:Minimalist Sports Car

Pricing: $10, $50, $100/mo Free trial: YesMax projects: N/AMax users: 10, 15, 50Max file storage: N/ACloud based: or local hostCalendar integration: YesApp: iOS & Android

Minimalist Sports Car: Technical and Focused

● You want to track issues/bugs● You have an IT/tech/digitization/web design project● You want to set up multiple workflows● You want a very flexible/customizable program● You have a little money to spend

Minimalist Sports Car: Doesn’t fit your lifestyle?

JIRA has a high learning curve for changes, i.e. it is very flexible, but therefore has many configuration options

Vehicle #4:Econobox

Pricing: Free, $5, $50/moFree trial: YesMax projects: ∞Max users: ∞Max file storage: 10MB, 10MB, 250MBCloud based: YesCalendar integration: iCalApp: iOS & Android

Econobox: Cheap and simple● You have a team of 5 or fewer individuals● You primarily need task management not time or

budget management● You need an easy, shared tool in the cloud● You have $0 budget, and don’t need frills● You need easy file attachments, checklists,

assignment of DRI’s, mobile app

Baby makes three?

● It doesn’t scale up for big projects● You have to make it fit into your workflow or get a

3rd party app to integrate it into email and calendar● You don’t have to assign DRI’s or due dates so

things can slip through the cracks if you don’t monitor your boards

Software selection worksheet

Delete? improve? this slide

Fill out your Software Selection Worksheet

Project Management Software Showroom

● Trello● Podio● Asana● Basecamp

*Professional Driver on a closed course

Hop in… And away we go!

Finish Line!

What was useful today?

Recommended reading on project management

HBR's 10 must reads on collaboration. (2013). Boston, Mass: Harvard Business Review Press.

HBR's guide to project management. (2013). Boston: Harvard Business Review Press.

Managing projects: Expert solutions to everyday challenges. (2006). Boston, Mass: Harvard Business School Press.

PMP (Project Management Professional) study guides (via Ebrary and Ebsco).

Photo creditsSpeedomoter: https://www.flickr.com/photos/thatguyfromcchs08/2300190277

License plate: Courtesy of Rick Burke, SCELC Executive Director

VW Vanagon: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:VW_Bus_T1_in_Hippie_Colors_2.jpg

VW Beetle: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:MikaelNordstr%C3%B6m4WDBeetle1985.jpg

Road Trip: Clipart

Pit Stop: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Alonso_Renault_Pitstop_Chinese_GP_2008.jpg

Pit Stop: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Junior_at_Darlington_edit.jpg

Limousine: http://images.cdn.fotopedia.com/flickr-3751503722-hd.jpg

Minivan: https://www.flickr.com/photos/81325557@N00/9036500482

Minimalist Sports Car: http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plik:GoodwoodArielAtom.jpg

Econobox: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tata_Nano_im_Verkehrszentrum_des_Deutschen_Museums.JPG

Pit Stop: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Closeup_of_a_rear_tire_changer_in_2008.jpg

Showroom: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mrflip/8917619

Race Track: http://pixabay.com/en/racing-speed-race-track-sports-260950

Duck Tours: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gocardusa/3855599683

Checkered Flag: https://www.flickr.com/photos/differentview/3732017901

Thank You!

Handouts & Slides: http://bit.ly/carl2014pm