How to Cheat at IT Project Management

592 Pages·2005·3.434 MB·English

by  Susan Snedaker, Nels Hoenig

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How to Cheat at
IT Project
Management
Susan Snedaker
Nels Hoenig
Technical Editor
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How to Cheat at IT Project Management
Copyright © 2005 by Syngress Publishing,Inc.All rights reserved.Printed in the United States of
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Printed in the United States of America
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ISBN:1-59749-037-7
Publisher:Andrew Williams Page Layout and Art:Patricia Lupien
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Technical Editor:Nels Hoenig Indexer:J.Edmund Rush
Cover Designer:Michael Kavish
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Acknowledgments
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siasm with which they receive our books.
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Author
Susan Snedaker (MBA,BA,MCSE,MCT,CPM) is Principal
Consultant and founder of VirtualTeam Consulting,LLC
(www.virtualteam.com),a consulting firm specializing in busi-
ness and technology consulting.The company works with
companies of all sizes to develop and implement strategic plans,
operational improvements and technology platforms that drive
profitability and growth.Prior to founding VirtualTeam in
2000,Susan held various executive and technical positions with
companies including Microsoft,Honeywell,Keane,and Apta
Software.As Director of Service Delivery for Keane,she managed
1200+ technical support staff delivering phone and email support for
various Microsoft products including Windows Server operating sys-
tems.She is author of The Best Damn Windows Server 2003 Book
Period (Syngress Publishing,ISBN:1-931836-12-4) and How to Cheat
at Managing Windows Small Business Server 2003 (Syngress,ISBN:
1-932266-80-1).She has also written numerous technical chapters
for a variety of Syngress Publishing books on Microsoft Windows
and security technologies and has written and edited technical con-
tent for various other publications.Susan has developed and delivered
technical content from security to telephony,TCP/IP to WiFi,CIW
to IT project management and just about everything in between (she
admits a particular fondness for anything related to TCP/IP).
Susan holds a master’s degree in business administration and a
bachelor’s degree in management from the University of Phoenix.
She also holds a certificate in advanced project management from
Stanford University.She holds Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer
(MSCE) and Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) certifications.Susan
is a member of the Information Technology Association of Southern
Arizona (ITASA) and the Project Management Institute (PMI).
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Technical Editor
Nels Hoenig (CSQE,MCP,CPIM,Project+,
Network+,MS-Project Expert) is a QA Project Leader
and Senior Application Analyst with TDCI,Inc.where
he provides expertise in the verification of correct
functionality of their software products and supports
external users across the US and international loca-
tions.TDCI develops e-commerce solutions to support
the “engineer to order”business model.He is an expert
in web product usability issues.His background includes implemen-
tations in the US and abroad of ERP solutions,developing and
managing e-commerce sites,and implementing QA processes to
improve user experience and reduce costs and development time.
His past positions include Senior Application Specialist with Avalon
Software and E-Commerce Project Leader with The Stanley Works.
He holds bachelor’s degrees in operations management and
management information systems from the University of Arizona
and is a member of the American Society for Quality and the
Project Management Institute.He lives in Ohio with his wife,Patty,
and their three great children,Phoebe,Noelle and Maisie.
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Author Acknowledgments
Writing a book is a rewarding experience,but it’s certainly not a solo venture.
Thanks first to my immediate friends and family—Lisa,Amy,Dee Ann,Rosie,
Jackie Brown,and Bailee.Thanks for putting up with me,book writing and
all.Thanks to my mother,Anne,for early instruction in English grammar (it
started at birth and continues to this day…) and for ongoing support of my
writing efforts.Thanks to my father,Richard,for instilling in me a love for all
things technical.Special thanks to my dear friend Shirley for a lifetime of
encouragement.
I’d also like to thank my MBA friend Patty Hoenig for introducing me to
Nels,the talented technical editor for this tome.Sincere gratitude and thanks to
Nels—you did a great job on the technical editing.I enjoyed our virtual conver-
sations and the book benefited from those shared insights.You contributed to
the depth and breadth of this book and the content is that much stronger for it.
It was an insightful collaborative experience and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
Thanks also to the friends and colleagues who agreed to supply real world
examples for the book including Amy Buttery,Chris Compton,Gary Frost,
David Getman,Lorraine Gutsche,Nels Hoenig,Chris Landi,Lisa Mainz,Kim
Nagle,Sonal Rana and Ralph Spitzen.
I’d also like to thank Nick Mammana for demanding excellence earlier in
my life and Sensei Ken Carson for teaching me the real meaning of kaizen
(continuous improvement).Both were instrumental in helping me develop the
professional and personal skills I have today.
Finally,I’d like to thank the brilliant folks at Syngress who do what they do
to bring these books to fruition.Andrew,thanks for making this book possible
and Jaime,thanks for making this process as enjoyable as you do and for your
diligent efforts on all fronts.I think I’ll take a couple days off now;I encourage
you to do the same.
—Susan Snedaker
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