Project Management Implementation
Walter Taylor
Former Senior Project Management Consultant at Electronic Data Systems (EDS)
Fred Englert hired Walter Taylor to implement project management in the EDS department creating and implementing gas management software. Together they were able to capture information necessary to satisfy immediate customer needs, schedule changes to the product, plan interim releases with bug fixes, enhance customer support operations, and schedule employee activities. With project management implemented, they had the information they needed to make sound management decisions.
"Fred understands project management and the trade-offs between scope, money, quality, and time. He knows the value of upfront analysis so stakeholders go into the project understanding what will be delivered at what cost and not holding on to personal wish lists. Project management gives stakeholders a vision of the project up front and the discipline to reach that vision. Without project management, stakeholders keep going back to their individual wish lists, and a $3 million project can become a $7 million project. In that case, spending $100,000 on Fred and project management is the cheaper option. In the end, project management saves you money and time and gets you what you want.
Project managers have to be tough, unwavering, firm, and disciplined, and Fred recognizes and appreciates that. He is a delight to work with. Fred's strengths are his very cool head and his predictable nature. He is also disciplined and won't compromise the scope, budget, and time frame set for your project. You'll get straight answers, no matter how painful they are for Fred to give. And because he is humble, he'll take input. When you buy Fred, you're buying a partner.
Fred brought me in and implemented project management because he recognized he couldn't operate his department ad hoc. He knows you can only manage what you can measure, and project management gives you project data; at all times you know your status on quality, cost, and time. It gives you a stable environment. When you buy project management, you're also buying risk management. Projects by definition are high risk; you have a finite amount of resources, a finite time frame, certain objectives, and a dynamic environment. Project management gives you structure and allows you to operate from a position of knowledge and strength."
