Is a web project really any different from any other project?

I would agree with Ashley's analysis here. 2 points of note...

I would absolutely concur with the view that a good web project manager is that 'glue' that binds the whole process together. This web 'lark' remains a relatively new science, experience levels are still invariably thin and there are few teams that have had the opportunity to work & bind together consistently over a period of years. There is still a notion of 'we're all in at the deep end, learning this stuff together'. That makes the need for good, old-fashioned rigour in management even greater.

I've worked on projects in a content capacity where I've been relieved and grateful that there's been a good sensible head on a project manager's shoulders, keeping us all in check and on track. For me, that sums up what the proj mgr should bring to the table: he/she should be one of these incredibly well-organised beasts (often that does mean a 'she' rather than a 'he'). They should be prepared to kick us all around a bit - whether content, graphics, tech OR client - and quite possibly not win any popularity awards.

This leads into my second point, which expands on Ashley's comment re how web projects are different. He talks about a web project as "the ultimate synergy of marketing, commercial and IT skills", "parallel development streams and iterative development" and "Greater cross-discipline communication skills are required - more interpretation and 'translation'".

I'd reinforce this completely.

The thing that strikes me about any web project or company is how much more a particular team member is expected to know about other elements of the process that do not necessarily constitute his/her main role. Taking my own area (content), an online editor or copywriter is required to understand far more than just creating words alone. He/she should understand how the words interact with the graphic design, what is possible using the clever technology that should underpin any content creation effort, how that content might be resellable to 3rd parties - and much else. No disrespect, but this is considerably more wide-ranging than what is expected from a traditional newspaper journalist, writing 300 words for the front page.

The output of this is a requirement for much greater collaboration and co-operation between the constituent elements of a project team. The technologist will need to help that editor understand the content management system better, the editor will need to help the sales/biz dev people understand the content better so they can structure the most attractive sales/ad packages to 3rd parties - and so on.

With this greater degree of interaction between constituent parts of the team, I think there's an onus on the proj mgr to facilitate this exchange as effectively as possible. So, yes, a good web project manager is worth his/her weight in gold.

Sam
On 18:29:33 21 May 2001 ashley wrote:
>What is a web project all about? Is it art? Is it
>television? Is it a business process? Is it a piece of
>software? No. It’s much more than that. It’s a
>web project.
>
>One of the most challenging aspects of developing a web
>site is combining a diverse set of disciplines to create a
>single, cohesive experience that represents the best of
>each, but is itself a distinct proposition.
>
>The project team needs to combine skills and techniques
>drawn from:
>
>- Software development: requirements analysis,
>documentation, quality control, testing etc.
>- Publishing: content, copy writing, workflow, content
>management, editorial skills etc.
>- Art: the creative concepts and processes, brand
>development
>- Television: producing a live TV show, going live, being
>live 24hrs a day
>- Business: creating value, managing change, culture,
>people, legal, contracts, processes
>
>…and the project manager must bring it all together.
>
>A great web site requires the ultimate synergy of
>marketing, commercial and IT skills. You have to
>understand the market and your customers, you have to
>understand the business model and how you aim to create
>value and you have to understand the digital channels.
>Good project management is the glue that bonds the
>disciplines together to make this happen.
>
>Is there really any difference between a
>“traditional” project manager and a
>“web” project manager? Not especially if you
>want to do a mediocre job. But absolutely yes if you want
>to do a great job. The industry is still immature enough
>and the skills not widely enough spread that there is a
>big difference in end quality between using an experienced
>web project manager versus using someone who has not
>“been there and done that.”
>
>How are web projects different?
>
>- Project timelines are typically very aggressive
>- The development style tends more towards parallel
>development streams and iterative development
>- Greater cross-discipline communication skills are
>required - more interpretation and
>“translation”
>- Knowledge levels can be low so education and knowledge
>transfer needs to be part of the process
>- Rapid change is endemic to e-projects. Accommodating and
>managing such change is a vital skill
>- There are fewer industry standards and benchmarks; the
>team is working with less proven technologies
>
>I believe that if you want to maximise speed to market,
>quality and return on investment, you should invest in
>project managers who have a depth of experience in
>delivering web projects. They will help you avoid the
>terrible pitfalls that you might otherwise walk blindly
>into.
>
>What do others think? Are there 'traditional' project
>managers out there that have found the move to web project
>management a seamless and relatively straight forward one?