How to Cheat at IT Project Management

592 Pages·2005·3.434 MB·English

by  Susan Snedaker, Nels Hoenig

339_HTC_IT_PM_FM.qxd 8/19/05 11:37 AM Page i
Register for Free Membership to
s o l u t i o n s @ s y n g r e s s . c o m
Over the last few years, Syngress has published many best-selling and
critically acclaimed books, including Tom Shinder’s Configuring ISA
Server 2000, Brian Caswell and Jay Beale’s Snort 2.1 Intrusion
Detection, and Angela Orebaugh and Gilbert Ramirez’s Ethereal
Packet Sniffing. One of the reasons for the success of these books has
been our unique [e-mail] program. Through this
site, we’ve been able to provide readers a real time extension to the
printed book.
As a registered owner of this book, you will qualify for free access to
our members-only [e-mail] program. Once you have
registered, you will enjoy several benefits, including:
■ Four downloadable e-booklets on topics related to the book.
Each booklet is approximately 20-30 pages in Adobe PDF
format. They have been selected by our editors from other
best-selling Syngress books as providing topic coverage that
is directly related to the coverage in this book.
■ A comprehensive FAQ page that consolidates all of the key
points of this book into an easy-to-search web page, pro-
viding you with the concise, easy-to-access data you need to
perform your job.
■ A “From the Author” Forum that allows the authors of this
book to post timely updates links to related sites, or addi-
tional topic coverage that may have been requested by
readers.
Just visit us at www.syngress.com/solutions and follow the simple
registration process. You will need to have this book with you when
you register.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve your needs. And be
sure to let us know if there is anything else we can do to make your
job easier.
339_HTC_IT_PM_FM.qxd 8/19/05 11:37 AM Page iii
How to Cheat at
IT Project
Management
Susan Snedaker
Nels Hoenig
Technical Editor
339_HTC_IT_PM_FM.qxd 8/19/05 11:37 AM Page iv
Syngress Publishing,Inc.,the author(s),and any person or firm involved in the writing,editing,or produc-
tion (collectively “Makers”) of this book (“the Work”) do not guarantee or warrant the results to be
obtained from the Work.
There is no guarantee of any kind,expressed or implied,regarding the Work or its contents.The Work is
sold AS IS and WITHOUT WARRANTY.You may have other legal rights,which vary from state to
state.
In no event will Makers be liable to you for damages,including any loss of profits,lost savings,or other
incidental or consequential damages arising out from the Work or its contents.Because some states do not
allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages,the above limitation
may not apply to you.
You should always use reasonable care,including backup and other appropriate precautions,when working
with computers,networks,data,and files.
Syngress Media®,Syngress®,“Career Advancement Through Skill Enhancement®,”“Ask the Author
UPDATE®,”and “Hack Proofing®,”are registered trademarks of Syngress Publishing,Inc.“Syngress:The
Definition of a Serious Security Library”™,“Mission Critical™,”and “The Only Way to Stop a Hacker is
to Think Like One™”are trademarks of Syngress Publishing,Inc.Brands and product names mentioned
in this book are trademarks or service marks of their respective companies.
KEY SERIAL NUMBER
001 HJIRTCV764
002 PO9873D5FG
003 829KM8NJH2
004 J98444FRRT
005 CVPLQ6WQ23
006 VBP965T5T5
007 HJJJ863WD3E
008 2987GVTWMK
009 629MP5SDJT
010 IMWQ295T6T
PUBLISHED BY
Syngress Publishing,Inc.
800 Hingham Street
Rockland,MA 02370
How to Cheat at IT Project Management
Copyright © 2005 by Syngress Publishing,Inc.All rights reserved.Printed in the United States of
America.Except as permitted under the Copyright Act of 1976,no part of this publication may be repro-
duced or distributed in any form or by any means,or stored in a database or retrieval system,without the
prior written permission of the publisher,with the exception that the program listings may be entered,
stored,and executed in a computer system,but they may not be reproduced for publication.
Printed in the United States of America
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0
ISBN:1-59749-037-7
Publisher:Andrew Williams Page Layout and Art:Patricia Lupien
Acquisitions Editor:Jaime Quigley Copy Editor:Amy Thomson
Technical Editor:Nels Hoenig Indexer:J.Edmund Rush
Cover Designer:Michael Kavish
Distributed by O’Reilly Media,Inc.in the United States and Canada.
For information on rights,translations,and bulk sales,contact Matt Pedersen,Director of Sales and Rights,
at Syngress Publishing;email [e-mail] fax to 781-681-3585.
339_HTC_IT_PM_FM.qxd 8/19/05 11:37 AM Page v
Acknowledgments
Syngress would like to acknowledge the following people for their kindness and
support in making this book possible.
Syngress books are now distributed in the United States and Canada by O’Reilly
Media,Inc.The enthusiasm and work ethic at O’Reilly are incredible,and we
would like to thank everyone there for their time and efforts to bring Syngress
books to market:Tim O’Reilly,Laura Baldwin,Mark Brokering,Mike Leonard,
Donna Selenko,Bonnie Sheehan,Cindy Davis,Grant Kikkert,Opol Matsutaro,
Steve Hazelwood,Mark Wilson,Rick Brown,Leslie Becker,Jill Lothrop,Tim
Hinton,Kyle Hart,Sara Winge,C.J.Rayhill,Peter Pardo,Leslie Crandell,Regina
Aggio,Pascal Honscher,Preston Paull,Susan Thompson,Bruce Stewart,Laura
Schmier,Sue Willing,Mark Jacobsen,Betsy Waliszewski,Dawn Mann,Kathryn
Barrett,John Chodacki,Rob Bullington,and Aileen Berg.
The incredibly hardworking team at Elsevier Science,including Jonathan Bunkell,
Ian Seager,Duncan Enright,David Burton,Rosanna Ramacciotti,Robert
Fairbrother,Miguel Sanchez,Klaus Beran,Emma Wyatt,Chris Hossack,Krista
Leppiko,Marcel Koppes,Judy Chappell,Radek Janousek,and Chris Reinders for
making certain that our vision remains worldwide in scope.
David Buckland,Marie Chieng,Lucy Chong,Leslie Lim,Audrey Gan,Pang Ai
Hua,Joseph Chan,and Siti Zuraidah Ahmad of STP Distributors for the enthu-
siasm with which they receive our books.
David Scott,Tricia Wilden,Marilla Burgess,Annette Scott,Andrew Swaffer,Stephen
O’Donoghue, Bec Lowe, Mark Langley, and Anyo Geddes of Woodslane for dis-
tributing our books throughout Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji,
Tonga,Solomon Islands,and the Cook Islands.
v
339_HTC_IT_PM_FM.qxd 8/19/05 11:37 AM Page vi
339_HTC_IT_PM_FM.qxd 8/19/05 11:37 AM Page vii
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).
vii
339_HTC_IT_PM_FM.qxd 8/19/05 11:37 AM Page viii
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.
viii
339_HTC_IT_PM_FM.qxd 8/19/05 11:37 AM Page ix
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
ix
339_HTC_IT_PM_FM.qxd 8/19/05 11:37 AM Page x
x