Professional Challenge

Project Management Interview

Interviewee: Cristen Saline

Job Title: Software Engineer

1. Can you tell me about the last project you lead?

“The last project I lead was called ESP. ESP is and ‘environment Service Pack’ that includes many patches to the framework code that supports the Infor ERP. This code affects the communication to many modules, like external process flows. These patches are generally regulatory and need to be implemented to conform to regulations.”

2. What project management methodology did you use?

“Most projects here use a Waterfall like method.”

3. What skills did you acquired during the project?

“I learned to better anticipate potential issues. I also have learned to better anticipate my business user’s needs. Our business users do most of the testing, while I am here to support and provide assistance when needed.”

4. How will you implement these skills in future projects?

“As I learn to better foresee issues, I can mitigate risks and help the project to be completed within the time restraints given.”

5. How did you determine a realistic schedule for the project?

“Looking at past projects really helped. Some of the similar projects I found had estimated and actual times to them. Looking at these it was easy to estimate the time it should take to complete a task, as always I included a ‘buffer’ into the estimated time.”

6. Explain your methods for resource allocation.

“Resource allocation was built into the project, as we have business areas that test their app area. For instance I have an HR resource. This HR resource tests HR processes. Just like the schedule I used previous projects to determine this resource schedule and tasks, while incorporating new processes we have implemented after said previous projects.”

7. How do you inform all the stakeholders of the progress of the project on a regular basis?

“A weekly status update is sent by the project manager to upper management and the stakeholders. The project manager generally gets updates from me by attending the meetings I hold or reading the minutes from those meetings. I also send urgent updates to the project manager if needed throughout the duration of the project.”

8. How do you monitor risks to the project and mitigate them?

“Depends on the risk. If the users that are testing the system come across issues it is brought to the attention of the oversight committee. These risks are then analyzed and classified from 1 – 5 risk level, 1 having the most risk. Risks that are open on the Issues list are monitored to mitigate them and a solution is usually produced. Sometimes there are ‘Show-Stoppers’ which need to be resolved before the project can go live. Another risk is staying within the time constraints given to the project, this I directly affected by risks like the one above. The time risk is hard to manage sometimes as I have to keep my business users focused on the testing tasks and make sure tasks are not held until the last day of testing.”

9. What change management processes have you used to ensure that change is introduced properly?

“Phase 1 - Preparing for change (Preparation, assessment and strategy development)

It really depends on the change, in my current project there is a change to the employee portal. This has been assessed and a strategy is being developed. Preparation is generally figuring out the extent of the change. Assessment is where we would bring the change to business users and they would assess the effect this would have to their system. With our employee portal the business users have assessed and believe that the change is ok. Many of our users, Supply chain, AP, GL, Benefits were immediately ok with the change, However HR has the most interest in this change as it is their customers, the employees that are affected the most by this change.

Phase 2 - Managing change (Detailed planning and change management implementation)

For changes like this, where the change will affect the whole of the employee population, Communication is key. HR is beginning to develop a plan to communicate this change to employees. I assume Emails and memos will be sent to employees that do not have email. Onboarding and New Employee Orientation will also be changed. The front line for this change will probably be the support desk. Employees will call and ask for help when this is implemented, the support desk will be alerted and will develop procedures for helping the employees with this change.

Phase 3 - Reinforcing change (Data gathering, corrective action and recognition)

With this change there will be post implementation processes, the support desk will log how many calls they will get in regards to the change, if there were any outstanding (low risk) issues they will be assessed and resolved as needed. As well as time for any stabilization the system needs preformed.”

10. What are the practices you follow for closing a project and meeting the conditions required to establish closure?

“When a project is closing, we should already have signoff from the business users that tested the project/changes, the stake holders will sign off, assuming the requirements were met with satisfaction. The last thing that takes place after a project has gone live is the lessons learned meeting. I believe this is the best part of the project. This is where I learn the most, whether or not I met the business user’s expectations and how I can do better with the next project I lead.”

Project Management Interview

Interviewee: Carl Huskey

Job Title: Software Engineer

1. Can you tell me about the last project you lead?

"The last project I led was the rewriting of a web form utilized by the entire company, to keep track of the skills and qualifications of all employees."

2. What project management methodology did you use?

“I used the waterfall methodology, going through the phases the phases of: Conception: management was informed that the existing form needed to be fixed , Initiation: I looked at the current structure of the form and fixed what I could but informed management that it will need to be rewritten, Analysis: I then went out and spoke with different leaders to see exactly what they would like the form to do and broke up the requests into smaller parts, Design: after the requirements were all gathered I came up with a design and project plan; creating a project charter and having a kick off meeting, Construction: I then wrote the web form, Testing: I had three system tests where I had the users who presented requests for the form test it and give me feedback which I took and implemented before the next testing phase, Production/Implementation: the form was put up into production after system test three changes had been made, and Maintenance: I have not yet had to, but I am responsible should any need to be done. ”

3. What skills did you acquired during the project?

“I learned how to manage users during a system test, and how to entice them to sign up for system testing. The key to getting them to sign up is reminding them that they do care about the final product and if they would like to make sure their suggestions make it into and are properly represented in the final product they need to participate in the test phases. It is also important to leave the test phases open for a long enough time that everyone has a chance to get on and play with it; while at the same time not giving them too much time that they put off the testing.”

4. How will you implement these skills in future projects?

"I will know how to deal with the users and keep them organized and focused during a testing period"

5. How did you determine a realistic schedule for the project?

“I spoke with my mentor and other team members taking advice on their thoughts on how user testing would go, calculated the amount of time I thought it would take form me to write out the code, and utilized Microsoft project to develop my time line.”

6. Explain your methods for resource allocation.

“The only allocation of resources was which users I wanted to have test/users I had volunteer for testing. I wrote the web form myself with little help from anyone else. ”

7. How do you inform all the stakeholders of the progress of the project on a regular basis?

“I had a weekly update meeting with my director in which we would discuss the overall project completion and what part of the form I was currently working on. The other stakeholder/the users were informed with the progress of the project during each system test. They were able to actually see how the form was working and what areas still needed to be ironed out.”

8. How do you monitor risks to the project and mitigate them?

“There were no big risks in this project, other than having the existing web form threaten to fail as I worked on its replacement.”

9. What change management processes have you used to ensure that change is introduced properly?

“I met with the group of users to prepare them/inform them of the change that would be coming in the way of the new form. I managed the change by following my project plan, and I reinforced the change by gathering feedback from the users during the system tests so by the time the project was complete they were comfortable with the new form.”

10. What are the practices you follow for closing a project and meeting the conditions required to establish closure?

“I went back to my project charter and review what our definition of done was, made sure the project meet that definition, and the users were happy with the new form.”