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Managing an ITIL SaaS Implementation IT program: A Case Study

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Written by Gottfried Rudorfer

Category: Project Management

Published: 11 August 2012

The following paper written by Gottfried Rudorfer
was presented at the PMI Global Congress North America 2012,
October 20-23, Vancouver, Canada:

Managing an ITIL SaaS Implementation IT program: A Case Study

Abstract

Dynamic complexity is seen by researches in the project management field as one of the primary
cause for project failure. This is especially true for large IT programs with durations of several years.
This case study shows how system dynamics of large-scale programs can be managed by setting up
feedback-loops to preserve program benefits. We investigate in detail processes, tools and
techniques used in a complex multi-year ITIL SaaS implementation IT program. Interested program
managers may adopt these techniques into their own engagements.

During the program lifecycle constantly new projects will start within the program. Many projects will
also run in parallel with other projects sharing the majority of the project team and using the same
shared infrastructure resources. We will look at used techniques to repeatedly generate projects out
of the program and how this can be done in an efficient and simplified way based on scope
statement and project plan templates. Shared human and infrastructure resources are managed in
weekly plans which impose visible resource constraints on parallel running projects. Project
managers of the program monitor progress and budget of their projects with pre-defined feedbackloops
by using on one hand the percent complete figure inserted into the project plan and on the
other hand the actual hours submitted on timesheets from each assigned resource of tasks. With this
information an estimate to complete is calculated on a weekly basis to give an early warning about a
deviation from the plan with regard to schedule, efforts or budget. The presentation concludes with
a monthly bird’s eye look at the whole program using accumulated KPIs over all projects compared to
initial plans and budget of the program.

The demo handbook for Program feedback loops can be found here as PDF-File.

Find here the Macro-Enabled Excel-File DEMO-version of the "Handbook for program management".
For further questions please contact me.

The presentation including notes and the paper can be found here.

Please visit the homepage of the PMI Global Congress for more information.