SAP Project Management - Do'es and Do'nts.

The learning’s – Do’s and Don’ts
Do’s - Management
Over-communicate to management, regarding the happenings in the project. Keep all higher-ups updated
Document all the discussions and decisions taken in the meetings as MOM and archive all the MOMs
Sense the risks of the project and frequently update the risk chart, highlight to the senior management frequently. Make sure they did understand the risk other wise they may blame you later.
Be handy with the status for higher management. They don’t like too much details, be creative summary presentation like PPT or else one page stuff. Should be not more then 1 Page.
Insist for documentation and details – Both internal and with customer
Be under control. Be on top of your status/ Issues/ People/ Work
Be self confident in what you believe and what you are doing. Be strong.
Always be sure of agreement. Never deviate from that
Be passionate about the work you do. Love what you do !

Do’s – People and the Team
Have one-one meetings with team member at least once a month/week. It is good even if it is informal.
Pick and choose your resources during initial stages, try to remove the non-performers. If you do not remove non-performers will create recklessness on other consultants .
It is better to over-book the resources, compared to under-booking. When dead lines reach you may end up in having more resources needed rather less.
Coach and build the leaders from the team.
Have frequent team meeting to get the pulse/ morale of the team.
Be pro-active in initiating team activities
Pass the credits and appreciations to the team
Handle complaints and –ve feedback in one-one basis
Follow ABC rule – for Delegation
Assess/ Assign
Back them up
Correct when they do mistakes
Empower /Energize team to own the responsibilities

Do’s – Delivery
Request for the details during estimation and always add buffer for the schedule.
Insist for documentation and details – Both internal and with customer
Do not deliver objects without getting detailed (Signed off) test scenarios from customer
Document all the discussions and decisions taken in the meetings as MOM and archive all the MOMs
Ask as many questions as possible to your delivery team to get more control over the situations.
Think laterally for the solutions. Networking would be best solutions sometimes. Use your contacts
Control scope completely. Freeze the requirement before development and detect any changes later and determine it as change and handle it
Keep looking back and see whether you are
Following all the processes
Tracking your delivery
Collecting metrics
Sense the delay in the delivery schedule and announce to the customer regarding the delay in delivery and reasons for the same

Don’ts - Management
Never commit if you are not sure. Buy time if needed
Never be nervous and never over react for a situation
Never be carried away by emotions
Never be controlled by anger and frustration
Don’ts – People and the Team
Never let your team down in front of your customers. Never expose them
Never shout/let them down in front of their co-workers
Never under/ overestimate your team. Be sure of what are their abilities and inabilities
Never miss/be late for any scheduled meetings, if unavoidable, inform the meeting chair

Don’ts – Delivery
Never compromise on quality, don’t ignore it while scheduling and estimating as well
Never immerse into one particular issue. Be over it
Never commit/ promise without consulting your immediate juniors. After all they are the once who execute Never ignore any mail from customer/ senior management