August 28th, 2009
Still on the old chestnut of project management and the abuse of the title. Our views on effective project management are clear and highlight the one element that most people seem to forget:
A project is a success – if your client gets what they need, not what the project manager or the supplier thinks that they need.
If you are suffering from a lack of information from your project manager, or find that the deliverables have changed or disappeared into a sea of paper without you knowing, ask yourself – who is your project manager delivering for?
Ian
Posted in Development | No Comments »
August 26th, 2009
Today we’ve been thinking about how the customer wants to use the solutions that we develop, and we are looking at ways to break away from the tradition of making the customer search for what they want and providing it up front and immediately.
We are now working at completely revamping www.largeandtall.co.uk to deliver this kind of functionality and make the customer experience personal, efficient and comfortable. Keep your eyes out for the new site coming soon,
Ian
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August 25th, 2009
Does a Prince2 certificate a Project Manager make?
I’m hoping that most of us know the answer to this one, but it never ceases to amaze me how many people get their Prince2 certificate and immediately change their job title. The reality is that there is a real shortage of project managers in the UK who will:
- Control a project on behalf of the sponsor
- Manage timescales, budgets and risks effectively
- Plan more than a couple of hours into the future
- Solve problems using initiative and intelligence
- Communicate effectively and appropriately
This has become a bit of a soap box issue but I would welcome your feedback on this. Do you have trouble finding project managers? Have you lost faith because the project managers that you have hired promise big, but don’t deliver?
I look forward to hearing from you,
Ian
Ian Slesser
RareMagic
Tags: deliver, issue, manager, project management, risk
Posted in General Ramblings | No Comments »
July 26th, 2009
This week we’ve been focussing on how we can use alternative devices to enhance productivity.
We are implementing a major roll out of handheld devices with a local authority to deliver gps and data capture in the field. So what happens when we think outside the box (apologies for the business buzzwords) and look at other devices?
In line with this we’ve now started trialling the use of the iPod Touch yes I thought they were just an overrated MP3 player too. The device has so many applications that it can really boost efficiency wherever you have a wireless connection. (including writing this blog!)
It’s opened my eyes to a world of possibilities, why not give it a go,
Ian
Tags: ipod, touch
Posted in General Ramblings | No Comments »
July 19th, 2009
In these difficult times we are all looking to maximise the effectiveness of our marketing budget, which is probably the first load of money to have been cut when the purse strings were tightened. If you think like me, you are looking for a guaranteed return on your investment, where can I spend my money that will prove profitable and hit my clients and the answer is the advertising that you are in direct control of.
Many websites out there have been built, looked shiny and then fallen fast asleep. This leads to the owners to lose faith in them and so be very reluctant to invest any further money in them, as they don’t bring in any trade.
The great thing about investing in your website is that you can invest time, rather than money and get spectacular results. With just the right advice, anybody in your organisation can put the necessary time in to attract the right customers that will spend money with your organisation. Interested? Give us a call!
Ian
Ian Slesser
RareMagic
Posted in General Ramblings | No Comments »
July 11th, 2009
A true rambling about the nature of business. It is interesting how our customers dictate how we work and when we need to be available and thinking about technology. We are fortunate to work with local authority clients so those customers are strictly 9 to 5 Monday to Friday – unless a project deadline approaches and it is really important. This is mixed within our business with web design and search engine optimisation clients within the retail sector, which extends hours to include Saturdays and even Sundays at peak times. Finally our technical support clients expect their website to work 24 x 7 irrespective of whether they are at work and available or not, this means having someone checking systems and contactable at all times.
The question then becomes, when do you switch off from work and dedicate the time to your friends and family. The answer is simple … but I’ll save it for later.
Have a great weekend and take some time to enjoy yourself,
Ian
Posted in General Ramblings | No Comments »
July 9th, 2009
We’re back with a new style site and a new style blog.
Posted in General Ramblings | No Comments »