Project Management

The Versatile, Integrated, and Professional Management Approach

Equity Engineering’s Versatile, Integrated, and Professional Management (VIPM) approach to project management is based on flexibility and working closely with our clients throughout all stages of the project’s life-cycle. The goal is to structure the project management process to the client’s needs based on the operating environment and salient business issues.

VIPM is a hybrid of several leading project management methodologies, drawing on the PMBOK and related project approaches. Depending on the scope of a project, we scale our project management services to the needs of that effort and organizational context. In addition, we have developed numerous project templates that we use to help our clients easily move through project goals.

There are all kinds of typical problems that can provide barriers to a successful project such as scheduling delays, priorities shift, spending overruns, resourcing, scope changes, and requirements updates. Any one of these may sink an entire project, and many projects often see more than one of these items arise during the execution.

Successful projects and initiatives result from quality stakeholder engagement, careful planning, execution, and constant adjustments based on feedback. We approach all projects from a project life-cycle perspective, with most projects following a series of interdependent stages. Typically, these stages include initiating, planning, executing, and closeout.

There is a time and place for each product and service. Within each stage, projects may require any combination of consulting, development, project management, training, and other technical services. When we approach each project, we assess what project life-cycle stages will be required, and then interleave the best combination of services, products, and people for that stage.

Recognizing there are no “one size fits all” solutions, we tailor each project to suit our clients’ individual needs and unique operating environments. Since all of our products and services are aligned with the life-cycle stages, we offer the right support, at the right time, focused on the right goals.

Project life-cycle stages:

1. Initiation

Solid projects and initiatives begin with quality planning. The insights gleaned at this stage are used for the planning and execution stages. Moreover, any baseline data may be used for pre/post comparisons within the final evaluation during the closeout phase.

2. Planning

The best strategic plans take place after planning sessions and before execution of projects. Innovative strategic plans are best informed in collaboration with the all the stakeholders with a key emphasis on the client as the top stakeholder. The strategic vision set during the planning stage will guide successive work during the execution stage. During the planning stage, project research, where we seek to understand the projects’ target audiences and operating environment, is key. Project plans, research, and stakeholder preferences are woven together into a plan that describes how the project will operate.

3. Execution

During this phase, project teams, workflows, and key people are engaged. When this stage starts, the project enters the execution phase, where product specifications are converted into tangible products. This stage draws on a range of talent, such as managers and marketers, as well as creative, technical, and subject matter experts. Deployment may occur through a gradual or a rapid implementation as needed by the goals of the project. Soon after, daily management and operations set in. Monitoring and evaluations help the team understand how their various activities are working out, and use this feedback to better optimize their efforts. During the execution stage, monitoring progress and providing rapid feedback to aid decision-making while constructing the project deliverables is a key factor.

4. Closeout

When a project or initiative ends, there are many opportunities to build on the impact and to learn from the experience. Final evaluations along with baseline data, monitoring, or interim findings can make a significant contribution to the final evaluation. Then, when a project has concluded, it is about evaluating the impact of a project and learning from the experience.