#Microsoft365 #Office365 As part of a mini series for #CitizenDevelopers I’ll be sharing tips and tricks around Business Analysis, Project and Change Management. Today we’ll take a look at the Project Management Process. There are so many methodologies out there, and it’s important to understand why they exist and what you as a starter can use from this.

For previous posts in my #Microsoft365Challenge go to the index page.

DISCLAIMER: I WRITE ARTICLES ABOUT OFFICE / MICROSOFT 365. CONTENT IS ACCURATE AT TIME OF PUBLICATION, HOWEVER UPDATES AND NEW ADDITIONS HAPPEN DAILY WHICH COULD CHANGE THE ACCURACY OR RELEVANCE. PLEASE KEEP THIS IN MIND WHEN USING MY BLOGS AS GUIDELINES.

Recap: The purpose of this blog is to help you become a better solution builder. As mentioned, you might have the technical skill – but I want you to rock at building great solutions. And to do so, there’s some other skills you require as well. Like Business Analysis, Project Management, Communication, Problem Solving & Creativity. I’ll be basing this on the 8 Digital Literacy Pillars that I support through training, and you’ll see that Business Analysis is supported by all 8 of the pillars, so you need to apply all those skills in your business analysis.

Project Management Methodologies

As mentioned, there are many. I found this great article that explained most of these and listed their Advantages, Disadvantages and Best For scenarios.

  • Waterfall
  • Agile
  • Hybrid
  • Scrum
  • Critical Path Method (CPM)
  • Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM)
  • Integrated Project Management (IPM)
  • PRiSM
  • PRINCE2
  • PMBOK

Understand that I am not saying these should be ignored. This article is to help you develop your own ‘methodology’ for the smaller projects you are tackling. Soon you will find yourself in environments where you might have to adhere to any of the above as part of a bigger project. It is important that you understand the basics and can apply it to what you are doing.

The methodology that stood out for me as most relevant to small projects, especially in the Microsoft / Office 365 environment is Agile.

“As the name implies, this method favors a fast and flexible approach. There is no top-heavy requirements-gathering. Rather, it is iterative with small incremental changes that respond to changing requirements.” Read more…

In Office 365 we’re building solutions ‘straight’ on production. No longer building in DEV first and then staging it. Yes, I’m talking about those quick wins / everyday solutions. Using Flow to automate, Forms for Surveys and Quizzes, Document Library or Lists on SharePoint, Microsoft Teams and PowerApps etc.

What’s interesting is that this Agile approach is exactly the same as what I use for Change Management and Continuous Improvement – the PDCA Cycle. On the left you’ll see the Agile illustration, on the right is PDCA – see the similarities? For me this sums up the foundation for all ‘methodologies’.

  • Plan – This includes discussions, documentation etc.
  • Do – Try it out, build the prototype, test it
  • Check – Ask feedback, UAT with users
  • Act – Make adjustments based on feedback and testing

The bigger the projects, the higher the risk, the more actions / activities you’ll have in each of those steps. You might have physical documents as deliverables as well, like the Test Case or Functional Specification etc. Refer to the previous blog in this series where I shared tips on the documentation part. Start small and build it up. Understand the basis of Project Management. This provides your checklist to help you reach the desired end state, which is a successful solution and happy users (effective and efficient).

See, it’s not as scary as you thought….. 🙂

Purpose of this blog challenge: I will write 365 blogs in 365 days around Microsoft 365. I did a similar challenge with Office 365, blogs can be found here. I won’t just be talking about the new Microsoft 365 subscription model. I will be sharing any news, tips and tricks around Office / Office 365 / Windows / Mobility and Security. And let’s not forget all the great new Apps & services available. A lot of what I’ll share on Office and SharePoint will also be applicable to none “Office 365” versions.

You can also find me contributing to REgarding 365. I’m a member of a group of enthusiasts, sharing their stories, thoughts and opinions about Microsoft 365. Catch us at https://regarding365.com | @regarding365 on Twitter and regarding365 on YouTube

Want to work with me? You’re welcome to CONTACT ME:

(If it’s related to a specific blog, rather comment on the actual blog please – do not send an email)