Back in 1991, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) spent $8 Billion IT modernization project . By 1996, IRS couldn't collect revenue, conduct audits, and go after tax evaders. It became the most expensive development fiasco in history . It was supposed to be a fool-proof project. The best programmers and engineers were hired and IRS was fully cooperating.
One critical step IRS missed is developing a project management system where:
• requirements are clearly established
• problems and bottlenecks are spotted real time
• solutions are developed through collaboration
Having the best talents and best pieces of equipment do not guarantee efficiency. Success of a projector operation depends on how all these different elements will work together.
sem.BIG PICTURE is a Tool and Methodology
Since the IRS fiasco, many project or process management methodologies have been developed or articulated. One of the most sought after methodology is Six Sigma, a data-driven methodology that aims to eliminate end product waste and process waste (time, talent, etc.). Agile Methodology, on the other hand, has been touted as an elevated Six Sigma with emphasis on process evolution through collaboration.
It would be ideal to come up with one methodology to rule them all but it does not work that way. The best methodology depends on the requirement, company culture and a bunch of other factors. What sem.BIG PICTURE offers is an adaptive planning and management tool designed to:
• give business owners or managers complete control and comprehensive report over each project, department, personnel and deliverables without micro-managing each aspect
• initiate a culture of collaboration between cross-functioning personnel towards immediate implementation of steps and continuous enhancement of processes
• clear tasks identification, progress tracking and transparent log of details that lead to agile and quick response to change
How sem.BIG PICTURE Allows Control and Independence
It is believed that managers or business owners who like knowing and tracking every detail of the operation or project cannot allow team members or employees to function independently or freedom for continuous and quick evolution. sem.BIG PICTURE has disproven this.
Departments or Tasks in a Single Screen
sem.BIG PICTURE provides you a dashboard where you can create different departments, projects, or other requirements. Under each major category, you can create sub categories and identify each task needed with as much detail as you see fit.
Let us say you remodel properties for a living. You can make each property a separate category. Under each property, you can then create subcategories based on deliverables such as kitchen, living room, playground, pool, master’s bedroom and others. Under each deliverable, you can identify each task and put a corresponding point person, task details, start and end date, requirements, status and others.
You may also be offering services instead of products. Let us say you are a marketing or advertising company. You can list each client or each project as a major category. Under each client, there may be a major pitch to be prepared, a new campaign, a short promo or annual planning. Under a new campaign you need to prepare the story boards, audition models, request for bids from production companies, prepare the budget and prepare the media plan. Under the media plan, you may put in details such as the budget for each media (TV, Newspaper, Radio and Digital).
Visibility
Collaboration is nurtured because tasks or projects and its details may be visible to multiple people. Instead of putting the burden of a task to just one or two people, others will be allowed to see the progress or problems each task is experiencing. Each one may then contribute to the solution.
As progress or reports are made, updates are dispatched to the manager and to everyone included in a task. This allows for immediate recognition of challenges and immediate collaboration towards a solution.
Big Picture
True to its essence, sem.BIG PICTURE’s goal is to see a project or operation in a single screen. The highly structured visual representation of each element will allow the manager to see possible bottle necks that could hinder smooth operation or time delivery of projects at any point of the operation or project. You can identify what aspect of the project or operation requires more tasks and may require more people. You can spot what tasks cannot be performed unless another is completed.
sem.BIG PICTURE TOOLS
Work Area
In a single screen, you will be able to see the following:
• All tasks and details of each task
• Persons responsible or involved
• Status
• Remarks or comments
• Start or end date
Groups and Subjects
You can make a more visual project sheet without making it look cluttered. You can identify each group of task or sub category through naming conventions or colors. You can color code your sales team, creative team, accounts team and admin team. Then you can further color code to indicate the status of each project for faster recognition of daily project status.
User Defined Columns
You can add as many columns as you can to help you in better organizing everything. You can add a column for people who are involved in the project, start and end dates, status, requirements, comments and others. You can also just as easily delete them.
Email Notification
When you include someone in a task, they will get notification. Progress reports, comments made and changes or updates may also be sent to everyone via email in the frequency desired by the user.
Private or Public Work Area
Aside from the public work area where everyone may be allowed access, the private work area is specifically designed for owners or CEOs. No one else will be able to access it. Here, you can create your own tasks or keep some notes which you can later translate to the public work area.
News
You may get a push feed so you can see comments made by other people or changes in the status of each task.
How sem.BIG PICTURE Drives You Forward
We have continuously emphasized how sem.BIG PICTURE is responsive enough to the needs of your operations that it is not just a tool but also a methodology. Not only that, it is a collaborative methodology which, in a sense, juices out the skills that each team member has and spots every potential your business has.
Through high visual and user-friendly functions, you can will see how each project is progressing and easily adjust your process in order to avoid challenges or solve current problems.
sem.BIG PICTURE:
• values each talent and how collaboration between talents can maximize tools and methods
• is working platform and not just a documentation tool
• Customer collaboration over Contract negotiation
• Lays out a clear action plan while allowing for productive evolution
