PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS MANAGERS CHAPTER 13 pdf

PART III ROLES OF TEAM MEMBERS This page intentionally left blank Chapter 13 SALES & MARKETING Many projects start with activities that originate in the sales and/or marketing groups. These groups identify an opportunity, and work with customers to create a customer request for a product or service. Sales may even drive the project definition to a very detailed level by submitting a bid requiring new product development. In the early stages we need to build as clear as possible a description of the purpose and scope of the project, so that all stakeholders will understand what is to be done, and to ensure that the aspects of cost, time, and quality can be clearly planned. If the project is a sales or marketing-driven project, or one that involves these job functions, the departments will be integrally involved throughout, although the most obvious contribution of these groups is during the definition phase. But even in the case of projects for customers, which are sold by sales and marketing but implemented by others, it is wise for sales and marketing to remain involved from time to time – especially sales – to maintain the desired relationship with the customer. In this chapter we will discuss the project definition and scope, from the early stages of the interaction with a customer through to the development of a detailed scope statement. We will also explain the technique of developing a work breakdown structure. The need to have strong sales/marketing involvement in the scope development will be evident as the discussion enfolds. It is important to distinguish between the sales and marketing functions. Sales is a line function which deals directly with customers. Sales people often have quotas they must meet, selling services or products. While the main job of the sales group is obviously to bring in the sales revenue, this is primarily an ongoing operational function; the prime project responsibility of 228 Sales & Marketing a sales department is to own and manage the project team’s relationship with the customer. Sales people usually handle all or at least multiple products. Marketing is a staff function that uses customer input re: needs and requirements to develop and manage product lines. The prime project responsibility of this group is determine which potential projects are desirable and to justify the use of the company’s resources to undertake them. A subset of the marketing organization has a line function in producing marketing communications, and running advertising campaigns. This group is often treated as a separate team member with contributions later in the project. Hence sales involvement in projects differs from marketing involvement. In Chapter 17 we discuss the project lifecycle, and the phases into which a project can be dissected. Here we will briefly introduce the concept of dividing a project into phases. As a project progresses the nature of the work evolves through different stages, and it is these stages of the work that are discussed in Chapter 17. Each phase of a project exists to meet certain objectives. For example, the first stage, Project Initiation and Definition, is the point at which the overall goals and objectives are defined, and the reasons for the project are clarified. In this phase of the project, the marketing group often takes a leadership role in prioritizing and justifying the project. At this stage there are often not many people involved, because organizations generally evaluate more than ten times as many potential projects as they activate, so teams are kept small until a decision is made to move forward. In this initial phase we want to determine whether or not this specific project is worth doing. In order to determine the goals, objectives and general deliverables, the initial project team will ask, and hopefully answer, many questions. The answers to these questions will allow decisions to be made on whether further resources should be allocated to the project. Questions for this initial phase will certainly include: What is this project? What are we doing? What are we producing? Why are we doing this? What would happen if we didn’t do it? Is this the right thing to do? Is there something better we could do to meet the same goals? And if we do decide that this is something we really do want to do, then we need to ask questions such as: 229 Sales & Marketing How would we do it? When? If I can figure out all the things I need to do, when will I do each one in order to be done in time to meet the required finish date? Who do I need? What technologies might be used to produce the end result? What’s the best way to do it? Those questions we have to ask at the beginning of every project, no matter who initiated it, or who will do the majority of the work, no matter whether the project is in place to solve a problem or to take advantage of an opportunity. And while the marketing group may find that the answers to these questions might be very evident to them, others who will be involved in the project will still need to ask these questions, and to understand and accept the answers before they will be able to produce the required results. No matter what the nature or importance of the project, and no matter how far sales and marketing have taken the project initiative before bringing others into the loop, the team and the stakeholders will have to ask and understand these questions before they become fully engaged. Therefore, from the beginning the project, originators need to ensure that they allow time to have these questions answered and to have the answers digested by the appropriate parties. Given that this must occur, it is generally recommended that those who will need to be involved in the later stages of the project be involved as much as possible in the first stages of the development. This not only reduces the learning and acceptance time later, but it will also allow the project definition and design to incorporate answers to the needs and concerns of the team. In many cases the sales or marketing groups may attempt to take the project as far as possible without involving others, in hopes of ensuring that the design will be dictated strictly by the needs of the market. This might be a good way to meet the customer needs, but if, in doing this, the needs of other parts of the project team or the company as a whole are not met, serious problems will eventually occur. The result of this could well be delays, and possibly design changes, later in the project. Even when dissention is expected when certain departments or team members come on board, it is better to have this resolved at the early stages, before much of the cost has been incurred. Therefore it is best to bring together as many people from the team as possible at an early stage, and to jointly address the initial questions: What’s to be done, why are we doing it, what are the risks in doing it? Not doing it? 230 Sales & Marketing Using new technology? Old technology? Etc. There are many such questions that should be asked. When should we expect the major deliverables? When do we need the product marketing material to be printed? If I am going to do a web page, when should I expect that I would have something to test? Who is responsible? At some point the PM needs to know, who is responsible for every single activity. In the early stages, it will probably not be possible to go beyond who is responsible for the major milestones or deliverables. Who is responsible for Project Management? Is it a sales or marketing responsibility to find a PM, or to do the Project Management? Or can they approach a specific department such as engineering, or the Project Management Office, to request a PM. If marketing passes a project to a specific PM, what is included in the responsibility of the PM, and what remains with Marketing? It doesn’t really matter what is assigned to each of the parties, as long as they both know and accept their own portions, and all the work that needs to be done finds someone accountable for getting it done. How will the work be done and how much will it cost? Those are the kinds of things the team determines at the front end of the project. In the initiation phase, this is done at a high level then in the definition stage, we need to detail all the specifics, down to the activity. Once the initial scope is defined, the project team will continue through the remaining planning process and into implementations. If the project is a marketing project or is related to a new product line, the marketing contact(s) will probably remain actively involved. If the project is an implementation for a customer, sales may not be actively involved except as a conduit to the customer, but will continue to monitor the progress of the project in order to tell his key customer contacts what they need to know. . contributions later in the project. Hence sales involvement in projects differs from marketing involvement. In Chapter 17 we discuss the project lifecycle, and the phases into which a project can be dissected responsible for every single activity. In the early stages, it will probably not be possible to go beyond who is responsible for the major milestones or deliverables. Who is responsible for Project Management? . PM, or to do the Project Management? Or can they approach a specific department such as engineering, or the Project Management Office, to request a PM. If marketing passes a project to a specific