2. Agenda
• Introduction
• What is Global Project Management (GPM)?
• Pros / Cons
• Case Study
• Challenges
• GPM Framework
• Solutions
• Questions
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3. Introduction
• Marcus Corkins
• ASU BS, Thunderbird MIM
• 17+ yrs. Professional experience in Consulting,
Program and Project management (Accenture, Amex,
SSP, Sogeti (Cap Gemini)
• PMP cert 2010
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4. What is Global Project Management (GPM)?
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Global Project Management (GPM) leverages a distributed team to effectively
deliver work where aspects are carried out in multiple global locations to
capture additional value. The distributed delivery model leverages capacity,
capabilities, cost reduction and competencies across geographies.
The law of comparative
advantage formulated by
economist David Ricardo in
his 1817 book On the
Principles of Political
Economy and Taxation
stated that each country
can gain by specializing in
the good (or service)
where it has comparative
advantage, and trading
that good with the other.
5. Pros / Cons of GPM
Pros
• Cost Containment (25% +
savings)
• Capacity – Usually can get a
2:1 capacity lift
• “Follow the Sun” – Can literally
work 24/7
• Pool of Talent bigger
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Cons
• Ramp Up time
• Quality sometimes a challenge
• Working Time overlap
• Increased complexity
The pros are outweighing the cons which is driving the increased use
of offshore project teams. The pressure to mitigate the challenges
falls to the PM traditionally.
6. Case Study
Global IT Project:
• You are a PM tasked with ramping up a Global Delivery Team to develop a
web portal for a client.
• Team (12):
– Onshore: You, Software Architect, Development Lead, QA Lead, BA
– Offshore (India Team): Dev lead + 4 developers, QA lead + 1 Tester
• Schedule: 5 months then enter client UAT for 4 weeks, prior to
deployment (Agile format – requirements, design, build, test, deploy in 4
week sprints)
• Situation: Due to accelerated schedule and offshore resource availability,
you could not hand pick the offshore team (all unknown to you). During
the first Iteration delivery was good, but on the second iteration the
delivery quality began to erode threatening the schedule. There was
some finger pointing and inflammatory emails between offshore and
onshore teams. Your boss asks you to call together a meeting with the
team to discuss . . . What would you do next?
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7. Challenges
Adapt the organizational culture to home working/offshore
Adapt the organizational structure to virtual teams
Adapt the working hours to different time zones
Build trust
Cope with language differences
Deploy collaborative software and license costs
Establish a team identity
Handle divergent cultural values
Manage conflicts over distance
Provide communication and cultural training
Provide communication technology
Other: Scheduling, Estimation, Requirements Understanding
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* Source: “Global Project Management: Communication, Collaboration and Management Across Borders” – Jean Binder
8. GPM Framework
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Communication
Collaboration
Control
We can bucket the challenges and solutions into a simple framework to allow for
diagnosis and mitigation. Enablers are People, Process and Technology.
Communication – Setting up the proper
governance and communications processes
and channels to effectively mitigate any
globally dispersed team communications
challenges.
Collaboration – Providing the proper tools,
processes, resources and environment to
ensure seamless and effective information
distribution and handoffs of work.
Control – Build and Monitor with the
proper tools, dashboards, governance and
expectations to set and achieve the project
goals and objectives (Budget, schedule,
business value, etc.).
Step
1
Step
2
Step
3
9. Solutions
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Communication
• Setup an overlapping schedule for
team meetings
• Use multiple channels (email, calls,
IM, Virtual Meetings, etc.)
• Centralized Project Calendar
• Develop a Governance Model,
communications strategy
• RACI model (establish rules)
• Escalation processes
Communication
Collaboration
Control
Collaboration
• Tools – (Live Meeting, Sharepoint)
• Relationship Development / Cultural Training
• Common Estimation Process
• Task Control/Assignment tools (TFS, MS
Project, Project Server, Quality Center, etc.)
Control
• Status Reports
• Project Dashboards / SLA’s / Metrics
• Centralized Issue/Risk Log
• Standard Project Processes
• Develop Goals and Interim milestones, build
into daily conversations to set expectations
and build accountability
• Information Security
GPM Framework
