Does size matter?

What is better for a project: a small team or a big one? There are pros and cons for both.

For a small team:

• Pros:
• High exposure of team members to several methodologies, tools, tasks, resulting in a rapid increase of experience
• Not a complex task management required, project tracking is more accurate and easy to manage
• Work with a bigger variety of people can bring some benefit in developing communication skills
• Cons:
• Difficult ramp-up: Always there is an extra-time needed to understand the required methodology, tools availability, what could be reused. The deadlines for such shorter projects are usually very strict and may be more difficult to fulfill the initial learning
• High mental cost as people need to adapt to work environment very fast
• Despite the fact that small projects may not involve high complexity, they have a short development and verification time and there is sometimes no room for task management, which can result in stressful deadlines
• Small visibility on overall project - tasks are usually punctual, well targeted, with limited understanding on how the entire system is working
• Difficult to integrate into client teams, establish close work connections, trust and confidence
• Difficult to manage vacations
• Changing often projects and teams can lead to people burnout
• Needs rather experienced people, which some times are hard to find
• Instability after project end

A big project can be:

• Long – a long period of time working in the same project, usually covering many releases
• Complex – larger team working on the same project. In this case, higher level of experience is required inside the team; the interactions between team members and client are more frequent. The management of such a project is more complex, but offers more space for tasks planning and people management in order to avoid stressful deadlines.

For a big team:

• Pros:
• It's easier to place juniors on side tasks
• Sharing knowledge is easier (you can consult with more members and share the knowledge)
• It creates necessary conditions for specializing on a specific domain
• More training can be planned and followed within the project
• Cons:
• Team members may become bored from doing the same repetitive task for a long time
• If not properly planned and tracked, projects are easier to slip, due high complexity and far deadlines
• Communication is more difficult

Irrespective of the project, without specific managerial skills and proper planning and tracking, as big as team is, the individual output and quality are decreasing and average costs (per active team member) is increasing.

So, what is you preference?

Prin standardizare spre mediocritate

Odată ca niciodată, animalele au hotărât că trebuie să facă ceva semnificativ pentru a se adapta la problemele lumii noi. Așa că au lansat, cu surle și rețele de socializare, programul NOUL TU MULTIDIMENSIONAL. Au ales activități variate: alergatul, cățăratul, înotul și zborul. Pentru a fi mai ușor de aplicat, toate animalele au fost obligate să participe la toate cursurile.

Rața era foarte bună la înot (chiar mai bună decât instructorul ei). Lua însă note mici la zbor și se descurca foarte prost la alergat. A fost nevoită să renunțe la înot și să facă ore suplimentare de fugă. Tot exersând, și-a rănit labele și a devenit aproape mediocră la înot. Dar nimeni nu și-a făcut probleme (în afară de rață).

Iepurele era primul la alergat, dar, din cauza cârceilor (datorați efortului de la înot), a ajuns ultimul.

Veverița era foarte bună la cățărat, dar întâmpina tot timpul neplăceri la ora de zbor, deoarece profesorul o punea să înceapă de la sol, nu din vârful copacului. A început să sufere și ea de cârcei din cauza epuizării și n-a mai câștigat niciun concurs de cățărat.

Vulturul a devenit repede un elev problemă. A fost sever admonestat pentru nerespectarea procedurilor: la orele de cățărat, ajungea primul în vârf, dar o făcea zburând. Ca pedeapsă (pentru a se dezobișnui de prostul obicei) i sa interzis participarea la concursurile de zbor.

Tu cum îți înțelegi echipa? Știi numele fiecărui membru, sau sunt doar resurse supravegheate sever de doamna Procedură și domnul Regulament Intern?

5 Steps for Process Optimization

In theory it is simple:

1. Identify - Once you determine which business process needs an overhaul, the first step is to list out all the key components of the process. These should be fundamental, unchangeable aspects of the process.
• Create the question list to identify the business process and distribute it to the study group
• Collect the answers and create the business process map (BPM)
• Review the BPM
2. Rethink - Use brainstorming technique to redesign the process and to define the KPIs (key performance indicators).
• Define the scope for the process improvement
• Brainstorming session for process redesign
• Brainstorming session to define the KPIs
• Create the new process business map
• Review the new BPM
• Review and update the operational procedures for the redesign process
3. Implement 
• Put in place the modified process (if possible, as a pilot process)
• Start collecting the KPIs data
4. Measure results
• Compare the expected results with the actual ones
• Decide on necessary adjustments (if needed)
5. Decide for final implementation of the redesign process

But what about practice?