Success can be measured in a number of ways and I’m not going to get into that here, but let’s simply call success better than expected outcomes of any activity. It is often difficult to determine what factors contribute to success. Some say luck plays a part and that may be true, but intelligence, knowledge, [...]

I recently hired a company to build a fence. Now, building a fence isn’t terribly complex, or expensive, but the way contractors conduct their business dealings with customers is interesting when compared to how agencies develop relationships with their clients. I signed a contract with a fixed price and other specific project specifications. This is [...]

Spend more time on learning what users really need, not what they say they want Put more emphasis on your people and less on your tools Think of all solutions as temporary Stop trying to predict the future Build less complex apps Shorten timelines Spend less time on figuring out how to get three more [...]

 The question, “What’s the best way to document a project?” often comes up at PMI meetings I attend and in conversations with clients. Every project is different in one way or another: methodology, technology, size, features, requirements, stakeholder needs, to name a few. The answer isn’t so simple, but here are a few ideas that [...]

There a lot of reasons why clients’ needs aren’t met in interactive projects and most of these reasons are not unique to interactive, but can be found in any project. Here are four essential activities, if done well, that make meeting client needs not so difficult: Accurately Defining Needs No good solutions come from properly [...]

I’ve worked with companies where the web department is managed under marketing and where it’s managed under IT. Where to place the web group seems to be a puzzling decision for most organizations. My experience has been neither marketing nor IT works well. There always seems to be tension between the two departments. “Marketing has [...]

Fact: It is almost certain, if you are half done with work activities at the half-way point of the schedule the project will be late or un-estimated man hours will be needed at the end to make the deadline. Most people think if half the work is finished and half the scheduled has elapsed, the [...]

I recently had an encounter with another IT person that ended badly. My company built a web site for a new client that was his client. Let’s call him Ted. While working with this new client, we had been informed they wanted to switch hosting companies because they were unsatisfied with the service they had [...]

There’s a leader and in the beginning, there’s excitement about the possibilities ahead. Each member has his/ her own role, but all invest in the whole. Individual proficiency carries the group as chemistry grows and takes the capabilities to the next level. Members are inspired by each other’s work. Collaboration applies the best thinking. Practice [...]

Creating a web site is a series of decisions and compromises and perfection is often beyond the limits of the project. The law of diminishing returns is against achieving perfection. However, there’s no excuse for mediocrity either. No one wins if average is the objective. The client doesn’t get a product with an edge in [...]

Effective communication is vital to the success of any project. Effective communication makes your, and the others around you, job easier. Here are a few tips I’d like to share with you to help improve communication in your organization and improve the outcomes of your projects. Small Teams Rock Companies often mitigate risk by getting [...]

1. Not Understanding Client Needs a. You have listened, but have you heard? b. Have you asked the right questions? c. Are you merely doing what the client asks, or are you truly addressing their needs? 2. Over Promising a. Are the client’s requests reasonable? b. Does your new business guy know your capabilities? c. Is it worth it? 3. Bad Process a. Poor planning [...]

Almost every client I talk to wants the ability to make edits to their site without having to pay a developer. This sounds great and with all the content management products, blog software, portal frameworks advertised the technology is cheaper, more available and simpler to use than ever before. Just like building a house, creating a [...]