Dear CIO/IT managers,

This CPTTM CIO newsletter is to bring useful news to you, CIO/IT managers in Macau, for references without obligations, so that you can do your jobs easier and better! Hope you like it. if you'd like to unsubscribe or recommend your friends to subscribe, just email me at kent@cpttm.org.mo. Old issues are available here.

Topics in this issue:

• How to avoid IT project failures: Earned value management
  
• How to let your staff ask for more work to do
  
• MS Office to support ODF as default format
• Upcoming courses for CIO/IT managers

How to avoid IT project failures: Earned value management

We all know that IT projects carry a lot of risks in terms of time (overdue), cost (over budget), scope (wrong or missing features) and quality (unreliable systems). Fortunately, there are a few things that we can do to significantly reduce these risks. One of such methods is called "earned value management" that can manage both the time (schedule) and the cost.

How to do it? First, in the project plan, we assign a budgetted cost to each task. As the project is implemented, the actual cost of each task performed is also recorded. Then at any particular time, we can calculate the sum of the budgetted costs of the tasks planned and the sum of the budgetted costs of the tasks actually performed. If the latter is less than the former, you're behind schedule and you'd better take action immediately. This helps us manage the schedule at early stages.

To manage the cost, we calculate the budgetted costs of all tasks actually performed and their actual costs. If the former is greater than the former, you're over budget and you'd better take action immediately. This helps us manage the cost at early stages.

Of course, there are a lot more than what's explained here in managing IT projects. Therefore, we've invited a senior IT project  manager from mainland China to come to Macau to conduct a course on managing IT projects. Don't miss out!

How to let your staff ask for more work to do

Do you want your staff to ask for more work to do instead of being assigned by you to do things that they don't want? Recently I found a magic solution that seems to work pretty well. It is so simple in principle but it can hugely benefit you, your staff and your organizations and their relationships. How? Award their contributions to your organizations.

To do it, follow these simple steps:

1. Device an objective way to measure & reward their contributions. I set a baseline using 95% of their past contributions. Then add 20% to get the good level. Add 40% to get the excellent level.
2. Discuss with them to get their consent;
3. Measure their contributions regularly (e.g., monthly) and forecast if they can meet the baseline. Congratulate those who are doing well. Help the others, by your hearts, to achieve better results.
4. Give rewards to those achieving the good or excellent levels.

Although it sounds simple, it can be a minefield if you're not careful. In particular, note the following (I found some of them the hard way):

• Must make sure everyone can pass the baseline without added effort. For example, I used their past contributions and multiplied it by 95% to get the baseline. Yes, I mean everyone, including the ones who are perceived as lazy or undisciplined by others. Always be positive about people. They may just need a reward system to unleash their potentials!
• Never compare or try to compare the contributions of two staff members, even if they have the same job title. Always compare the person to his past to encourage growth.
• Must always use this system as a reward system to encourage those who make extra contributions. Never try to use it as a punishment system. Even for those who somehow fail to meet the baseline, our task is help them do better the next time (e.g., provide training to them). All people want to win and do better. They may just need some help.

MS Office to support ODF as default format

In a surprise move, Microsoft announced that MS Office 2007 SP2 (scheduled for the first half of 2009) will have built-in support for the OpenDocument Format (ODF), i.e., it will be able to use ODF as the default file format. In contrast, it will NOT support its OOXML format until Office 14, the next major release of MS Office (unknown schedule).

It is high time that we considered moving to ODF: We can continue using the familiar MS Office while keeping our documents in an open format that can be read by multiple programs.

Upcoming courses for CIO/IT managers

Feedbacks

Any questions, ideas or experiences to share? Contact me at 28781313 or kent@cpttm.org.mo. We also have two other newsletters: Network administrator newsletter and Software developer newsletter, your staff may like to subscribe.

Until next time, 

Kent Tong