How to Cheat at IT Project Management [Illustrated] [Paperback]

Susan Snedaker (Author), Nels Hoenig (Technical Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1597490377 | ISBN-13: 978-1597490375 | Publication Date: November 10, 2005 | Edition: 1

This book is written with the IT professional in mind. It provides a clear, concise system for managing IT projects, regardless of the size or complexity of the project. It avoids the jargon and complexity of traditional project management (PM) books. Instead, it provides a unique approach to IT project management, combining strategic business concepts (project ROI, strategic alignment, etc.) with the very practical, step-by-step instructions for developing and managing a successful IT project. It's short enough to be easily read and used but long enough to be comprehensive in the right places.

* Essential information on how to provide a clear, concise system for managing IT projects, regardless of the size or complexity of the project
* As IT jobs are outsourced, there is a growing demand for project managers to manage outsourced IT projects
* Companion Web site for the book provides dozens of working templates to help readers manage their own IT projects

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

This book is written with the IT professional in mind. It provides a clear, concise system for managing IT projects, regardless of the size or complexity of the project. It avoids the jargon and complexity of traditional project management (PM) books. Instead, it provides a unique approach to IT project management, combining strategic business concepts (project ROI, strategic alignment, etc.) with the very practical, step-by-step instructions for developing and managing a successful IT project. It's short enough to be easily read and used but long enough to be comprehensive in the right places.

There is no specific technology covered in this book and so applicable to all. Microsoft Project may be referenced. The IT project management topic is very timely and is gaining attention as companies (and employees) look for ways to do "more with less.

About the Author

Susan Snedaker, Principal Consultant and founder of Virtual Team Consulting, LLC has over 20 years' experience working in IT in both technical and executive positions including with Microsoft, Honeywell, and Logical Solutions. Her experience in executive roles at both Keane, Inc. and Apta Software, Inc. provided extensive strategic and operational experience in managing hardware, software and other IT projects involving both small and large teams. As a consultant, she and her team work with companies of all sizes to improve operations, which often entails auditing IT functions and building stronger project management skills, both in the IT department and company-wide. She has developed customized project management training for a number of clients and has taught project management in a variety of settings. Ms. Snedaker holds a Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA) and a Bachelor's degree in Management. She is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), and has a certificate in Advanced Project Management from Stanford University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Syngress; 1 edition (November 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1597490377
• ISBN-13: 978-1597490375
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 7 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #159,914 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #90 in Books > Computers & Technology > Business & Culture > Hacking

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent PM and business book, November 3, 2005

By 

Marcus Jones "Marcus" (US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How to Cheat at IT Project Management (Paperback)

I manage a lot of different kinds of projects, though none of them are strictly "IT" projects. I was looking for a resource to help me better manage projects and this book fills the bill. What I like about this particular resource is that it covers the basics and beyond but I don't have to wade through complex, DRY, boring PM processes. I'm not a real fan of hardcore, boot camp style PM, so I wanted something that was accurate, reliable AND user-friendly. This book is all of that.

Another bonus in this book is the inclusion of the material in the first four chapters - aligning IT projects with corporate strategy, managing IT projects in a political environment (and all environments are political...if you don't agree, read Chapter 3 again!), and the real ace-in-the-hole Chapter 4 on managing teams effectively. I've been managing people, teams and projects for 15 years and I picked up some great tips from these first four chapters. They are great resources for anyone in business today regardless of whether you manage projects or not (but more and more of us do these days). Snedaker's business background really comes through in these chapters and if you never get past the first four chapters, you'll have a resource you'll find yourself referring to time and again.

When you get to Chapter 5, the PM material begins in earnest. These chapters are well-written and user-friendly. I like the various sidebars, they provide interesting and useful information related to the material - from how to use the material just presented to pitfalls to avoid and best practices to adopt. It breaks up what could easily become boring material and it's not just filler - it's material that adds value to this book and makes it stand out as not "just another PM book."

Another useful tool in this book are the diagrams at the front of each chapter (starting at Chapter 5) showing the PM process and the steps discussed in the chapter. It gives me a great visual for my PM process and I've already found myself referring to these diagrams. In fact, I copied the front page of each chapter containing these diagrams and put them in sequence on my bulletin board in my office as a quick visual reminder. If I want to find something related to the PM process, I can quickly look at these diagrams then refer to the chapter to find the info I'm looking for.

Bottom line - this book is chock full of useful information that you can apply whether you manage IT projects or any other kind of project and I haven't seen another book on the market today that have both the depth and breadth that this one does. With an increasing focus on project based initiatives in the workplace, I highly recommend this book as a "must have" resource. The other books on PM are just gathering dust on my bookshelf but this one is already dog-earred.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars YOUR CHEATING PROJECT MANAGEMENT!, May 7, 2006

By 

John R. Vacca "Tech Write Independent Reviewer" (Pomeroy, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Cheat at IT Project Management (Paperback)

Are you an IT professional who's looking for a fast and easy way to do project management? If you are, you're in luck! Author Susan Snedaker, has done an outstanding job of writing a book that synthesizes project management fundamentals, IT processes and procedures, and business fundamentals.

Snedaker, begins by looking briefly at business process improvement and how project management fits into that world. Then, she explores corporate strategy issues so you can navigate through the sometimes confusing world of corporate IT funding. The author continues by showing you the why and how politics operate in organizations, and the insight and knowledge you'll gain that will help you navigate corporate policies more effectively. Next, she explores the skills that are required to manage the IT project team. Then, the author starts digging into IT project management itself. She continues by developing a bit more project detail including elements such as priorities, specifications, user requirements, and project infrastructure, to name just a few. Next, she looks at some of the ways you can build quality into your project without implementing an additional quality management program. The author continues by showing you how to put together a project team and how to assign roles and responsibilities to team members. Then, she shows you how to break the project down into manageable components so that you can not only plan the work, but you can develop a more realistic schedule and budget.
Next, she discusses strategies for managing your IT project. The author continues by reviewing a few more technical approaches to measuring project progress. Finally, she looks at the inputs, actions, and outputs from this final phase of IT project management.

This most excellent book shows you how to align your IT projects to the company's strategic objectives. It also shows you how to determine which project will solve the right problem at the right time while still delivering high-quality results.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Becoming A Better IT Project Manager, October 30, 2005

By 

Daniel McKinnon "Dan" (Tewksbury, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: How to Cheat at IT Project Management (Paperback)

In order to be successful in the IT business world you better have the right leadership and the right plan of attack. With Susan Snedaker's 'How to Cheat at IT Project Management' you get a great resource and a solid track record at how to succeed at both. From budgeting time to coming up with good estimates and timelines, this guide is an all-emcompassing look at the problems today of all IT professionals and how they can better manage their teams and themselves. If you work in the IT world or specifically are an IT team leader, this is a valuable resource to help come up with better projects and reap greater ROIs. Anyone in the IT leadership/management side would benefit from this book.

**** RECOMMENDED