Customer Reviews

Real Web Project Management: Case Studies and Best Practices from the Trenches

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've read a couple of other books on the subject, and though they were all excellent judged on their own merits, Shelford and Remillard's book stands out in at least three ways:

First, the emphasis placed on the practical aspects of web project management is invaluable. They just don't talk about what should be done, but also show how to do it. For instance, one knows that in order to be an effective project manager, s/he has to get along with all the players on the team. That's common sense, but what really helps is tips on how it should be done, as the authors do. In the quality assurance section, the importance of bug tracking is mentioned. Then they go on to talk about how to track the different bugs, the tools to use, information to keep etc.

Second, as someone before me has already mentioned, the case-studies in the book are really helpful. They give insight into how web projects are handled in the real world, ie corporations and smaller companies. If you're going to be working as a web PM, it certainly helps to know about the experiences others have had. In one example, the situation of an indepedent consultant is described - he has to deal with three or four different, non-complying, business units within the same company to simply obtain a copy of the the marketing email distribution list needed for the project. If you find yourself having to deal with problematic clients, you'll have a head start on how to handle the situation. We as readers can benefit from years of acumen developed and distilled by other project managers by simply reading the case-studies.

Thirdly, the templates and other documents provided in the CD are a good starting point for your own projects. You can put them to use immediately with minor modifications. Samples for various mock projects are provided, so you know what kind of information to collect.

All in all, a good book.

This book is excellent!

I run a web site design, hosting, and web application development company and use this book as a reference tool when questions or situations pop up. It packs great information into each chapter and has real-world case studies at the end of each chapter (that most project managers can relate to).

I'm working with a design studio that is now offering web services to its clients. This book has been very helpful, giving us a look at web projects and procedures.

It is skewed to larger projects than we will likely be involved in.

The best parts of the book are the descriptions of real projects and real problems.

Humor helps the message get through: that these kinds of projects frequently change, new problems crop up, people don't always react the way you'd expect and that it's all part of the job.

I bought and read this book as I was trying to make a career move into Web Project Management. This book was very helpful to me in taking my PM skillset, and web-enabling it. I found the templates very useful as a starting point as well. When I eventually did land a job doing more web-based PM - I shared this books resources with my team to use on an intranet re-design project we're working on. I highly recommend this book.

Clearly, the web as we know it will only become more and more ingrained in our businesses and our society. As a relative neophyte to the Internet space I found this book to be invaluable in developing a better understanding of web development. Probably, the best thing about the book was its focus on practical applications and real world examples. The Internet of the 1990's was filled with industry jargon and pie in the sky ideas that have gone the way of the dodo (and Internet stocks sky high valuations). If someone is looking for how to develop a web site the right way, right away then this book is a great place to start.

I worked in the trenches of the 90s web boom at various locales, and i wish we'd had this book to help us deal with some of the chaos we encountered. But not only are the case studies and analyses extremely helpfull, the thing is actually readable! These guy write with freshness and wit. Highly recommended

Anyone working in Interactive Marketing, whether as a Project manager or Account Manager, should keep a copy of this book on their desk for everyday reference.

The authors provide a great information source for web projects, with chapters covering everything from the basic definition of the PM role within an interactive/web development project, to a detailed list of responsibilities for every team member. The chapters on team roles and Communication Cues are a must-read even for seasoned PMI certified PMs.

The rest of the chapters follow the standard PM process (Project definition, planning, managing the various stages of the project, QA etc), putting everything within the web development perspective. The real life case studies are a great learning tool, and anyone who has worked as a PM on a web/interactive project will undoubtedly must have already faced similar challenges.

Extensive chapters on Technical Build and QA are written without inundating the reader with tech acronyms and confusing jargon. On top of that, the book includes an appendix which addresses specific projects such as brochure ware, B2B portals, e-commerce web sites, intranets and e-marketing projects. Even better, a second appendix offers a great overview of what you really need to know regarding technology as it applies to the needs of a web development project manager.

Whether you are new to Project Management or a seasoned PM, this book is a must read and great reference for the next time you will find yourself managing a web project and a number of cross functional team members who all seem to have a different vision or agenda.

If nothing else, get this book for the CD. The content includes such useful sample forms like the creative brief, an issues log database, need assessment sample forms, and an excellent template for the dreaded technical specifications form among others. In fact, the CD content, along with the real life case studies, makes this a worthwhile purchase.

Before I read this book I took more of a waterfall approach to my design projects. My clients weren't really involved much after the discovery meeting, proposal, and payment date requirements. Pay half now, pay half when we're done. That was the model we used. This book has taught me to take a more iterative approach, which really gets the clients involved. Our team can more effectively manage change and adjust our projects to meet the ever evolving needs of today's web clients.

The authors did a great job presenting "not so fun" information in a very digestable manner. They did so without being foolish "dummies". They also responded to a few of my email queries on subjects that I didn't immediately comprehend. Nice work guys.

I liked this book, really I did. But half the reason I bought it was in hopes that I could find the stuff on the CD useful. Unfortunately, half the stuff on the CD was windows-only, which excludes UNIX and, more importantly, the majority of graphic designers who use Mac computers, such as myself. This flaw is also obvious in the book - anyone unwilling to purchase a windows system and Microsoft Project is SOL. Frustrating.

I should say that I also felt the book could be a little bit more specific about invoicing and billing clients. The interview on Extreme Programming (?) was more topical here! Overall, though, it's a pretty good book, but probably not warranting all the five stars!

The scenarios in this book seem to only address large firms, and this book is basically useless for the freelance or 1-man design firm. Aside from that, it may have some value to large firms.