Today I finished the Cost, Communications and Procurement Module.
December 12, 2008
Last two classes were very interesting also!
In “Project Management Communications” we had an overview on how information has to flow back and forth between the Project Manager and the stakeholders, namely engineers, managers, etc. Also it was emphasized that a report at the end of project has to be generated to close activities and it should include a “Lessons Learned” section or better if special session is allocated to review the outcome of the project. Documentation is vital to know exactly where you are and where are you going, also to help you plan future projects.
In “Project Management Procurement” we covered what is commonly know as outsourcing:
- How to determine if outsourcing is the solution.
- How to start the process for companies to offer their services.
- How to determine which contract is the best in terms of risk and benefits.
- How to monitor the outsourcing company progress.
In general, I have seen a lot of similarities to what I was doing in my last position as the Analog IP Verification lead and all the concepts covered in this module, specially since I was working with contractors. I think with the experience that I am obtaining with this series of courses, next time I deal with either a personal project or a project that requires interfacing with a big team, I will have a much better set of skills to look ahead and plan the project.
Next week I start the first MBA program at University of Phoenix. I will let you know how it goes, being an engineer sometimes we are too squared for things that require less structure and are more subjective. Lets see!
