What is IT Project Management ?
IT project management is the controlling of processes and activities that are related to IT projects. An IT project is any that deals with IT infrastructure, information systems or computers. That is a large swath of work that can include the following (and more):
- Web development
- Database management
- Mobile app development
- Data mining
- Cloud computing
- Network configuration
- Software implementation
- Hardware installation
- Network and computer security
- It emergency recovery
But at it’s core, IT project management is the planning, scheduling, execution, tracking and monitoring, and reporting for any IT project. That, you may notice, is basically the template for any project. But IT is unique in that it bleeds across many if not all industries. For example, a manufacturing, healthcare or educational organization will all have an IT component.
Unique Challenges of IT Project Management
IT project management deals with a variety of issues. It ends up interfacing with many other aspects of an organization, such as business administration, human resources, finance and other departments within the organization and entities that are outside of the business. This presents a number of pressing problems with high stakes, for if the technology goes down, then an entire business can become paralyzed.
Changing Technology
There’s the challenge that IT is a volatile industry, with a rate of change that can be dizzying. Technology is notorious for becoming obsolete once it rolls off the assembly line, so IT project management must be prepared for this inevitable change.
Communication
Another hurdle that IT project management has to clear is communication between teams. This is a problem with all projects, frankly, but with IT there are often distributed teams who work remotely, often in different time zones, which only aggravates the situation. Having clear and effective communication channels is key for success on any IT project.
Transparency
Transparency is important, too, as the focus in IT is sharp. Having transparency across the project, with clear deadlines, helps teams better incorporate new technology or respond to change quickly and effectively.
Lack of Agreement on Methodology
But one of the biggest issues is that many organizations aren’t applying IT project management to their projects, which is like sailing a ship without a rudder. Without a process or methodology, whatever that might be, projects go off-track and over budget. Having an IT project manager who defines process, roles and tools is the first step to the success of an IT project.
