Project Management


Acclaim’s model for Project Management relies on established control procedures to provide management, customers and project teams with a transparent system of information, issues and risks. This results in effective Project Management and projects that are delivered on time and within budget. Acclaim’s Project Managers have extensive real-world experience in a variety of projects spanning different domains, technology, team sizes and budgets.

Objectives

Establish effective project management methods and techniques Provide a vehicle for disseminating project management guidelines and processes

Stages

Acclaim Systems' Project Management is divided into three stages:

  • Initiation and Planning
  • Execution
  • Wind-up

INITIATION and PLANNING

is when the Project Manager prepares estimates, defines deliverables, creates the project plans, organizes project resources and obtains approval for formally initiating the project.

EXECUTION

is when the project team produces the system deliverables. During this stage, controlling and monitoring maintain primary importance. However, planning and scheduling is carried out prior to each phase of the project. Also during the execution phase, plans are updated to accommodate delays and contingencies.

WIND-UP

is when the project is wrapped up, determined by when the client signs off the final set of deliverables and the software, documentation and quality records of the project archived.

Key Elements

Forming the cornerstones of Acclaim Systems’ Project Management Model are four key elements:

  • Phased Approach
  • Cooperative Development
  • Detailed Planning
  • Management by Activity

Phased Approach

The development cycle is divided into phases and each phase by itself is considered to be a complete unit of work. Since project management spans the entire project life cycle, the Project Management Model uses the phased approach for software development. This approach offers several advantages:

  • Increased control
  • Intermediate control points
  • Limited risk
  • Iterative two-level planning
  • Detailed planning for the current phases
  • High level planning for the overall project

Cooperative Development

Commitment and involvement from all personnel associated with project development are essential for success. The Project Management Model promotes cooperation by emphasizing the importance of:

  • Keeping all concerned personnel abreast of the project's progress, shortcomings, successes, and any changes in direction
  • Requiring reviews and sign-off before deliverables are released/li>
  • Requiring authorization before further project development is initiated
  • Involving project personnel as integral players in the team
  • Defining responsibilities of project team

Detailed Planning

Project success is rooted in a well thought out and detailed plan. The Project Management Model aids in this regard by:

  • Emphasizing the need for a two-level iterative approach to planning (i.e., an overall Project Management Plan, that is refined as the project progresses)
  • Requiring each phase to be planned in detail before the project can proceed to that phase
  • Encouraging the establishment of intermediate checkpoints and deliverables for all phases
  • Reiterating the need for management concurrence on changes made to existing plans, particularly those related to the project resource allocation.

Management by Activity

Acclaim Systems’ methodology for managing software development is activity-based rather than deliverable-based. The completion of an activity is marked with the production of one or more deliverables. The methodology’s success lies in the fact that when an activity is performed effectively, then the associated deliverable results, and at the same time, the importance of the final deliverable is not undermined. This approach not only ensures the repeatability of the process but also establishes intermediate control points.
The importance of intermediate control points is especially critical for deliverables requiring considerably longer time to achieve. Control points in this activity-based model help to perform corrective action during the process rather than at the end when the deliverable is ready. Conversely, if the deliverable is produced, the effort required to perform corrective action to remove non-conformities could turn out to be enormous.
The strengths of an activity-based methodology for project management not only stresses the reviewing of deliverables, but also emphasizes the importance of reviewing the process and helps in process improvement.

Consultants - The Strength of Acclaim Systems

At Acclaims Systems, we know that it takes effort and experience to develop expertise. Hence, we carefully screen our consultants to find those with real-world technology experience which they can innovatively apply to clients’ project requirements.
Acclaim Systems provides project expertise at all levels and in a wide variety of technologies.

  • Project Managers
  • Mentors
  • Analysts
  • Architects
  • Designers
  • Developers
  • QA Engineers
  • Configuration Managers

Experties