PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ENGINEERING & REMOTE SENSING
June 2017
389
P
roject
M
anagement
In the Geospatial Community
By Raquel Charrois PMP, CP, CMS | VP
How many of us are 100% confident and satisfied that we
have all the necessary parts and pieces in place to tackle a
new product or project? Whether it’s with a shiny new piece
of technology, the latest and greatest software, or simply a
product that is new to us but uses well established tools and
technology? When it comes time to complete the very first
project using said technology or software are you as project
manager (PM) adequately prepared? Are you certain that
you have just what you need to make the project a swimming
success? Exactly the right resources in hardware, software,
staff count and expertise? Odds are incredibly high that you
have answered “no” to at least one of these items, and further
that it is our industries “new normal”.
There was a time not so many years ago when care and caution
were meticulously applied to nearly everything we did in our
industry. Technology changes were extensively analyzed
and debated. Most would not have dreamed of implementing
a “new” anything without an extensive dedicated planning,
research, development, and testing phase. As an output of
that we would have a workflow that we had confidence in,
ultimately getting all the kinks out before we tackled a “real
job”.
Upon receipt of the “new” item we would work to build a
process that would satisfy the needs of our stakeholders and
confidently meet the technical requirements of final products
with repeatable/demonstrable results. In the research and
development (R&D) phase we investigated how the “new”
thing would fit into our old world. We accessed if it fit into
our old workflows using our old tools, if it needed new ones or
possibly a hybrid. The results were analyzed over and over,
simulating real life situations as much as possible. We learned
what we needed to do with the “new” thing in order to deliver
a reliable quality product. Next we further developed that into
a production flow. Taking the time to run many samples of
data through the entire process documenting the results. It
was then and only then, once we were satisfied with everything
that we would release it into the production environment. And
then only with much trepidation and dare I say skepticism
on the part of many individuals that had been working with
a prior technology.
The Project Management Professional (PMP)
®
and the geospatial profession—Research and
Development in Production (RDP)
It’s also worth noting that back then new technology was
released along very different timelines than current day. From
the moment that the industry first heard of a new of a piece of
technology to when it was available for use could take years.
It would then take time, again often years, for an organization
to make a purchase. While there were always new things it
was not at the same volume or frequency as today. In current
day it is not unusual for organizations to have purchased a
new sensor before it is even off the assembly line.
But that was then and this is now. Now we are inundated
with information regarding the release and upcoming release
of technology. There is a race to market with software and
technology the likes of which we have never seen before. As
PMwe have to be able to adjust to operating in a culture where
the work that we manage is often leading edge. There are
going to be changes occurring in even our most static or long
term programs and products. It is critical that we are agile
enough to adapt to the necessary changes when they happen.
Unlike in our not so recent past, rarely now do we have the
luxury of taking our time in developing a process that is
virtually flawless before we embark on the execution of a
project. While that is surely a preferred approach from a risk
standpoint, in this day and time we are not typically afforded
that luxury. Schedule and financial constraints limit us, add
to that pressure from our stake holders. The reality is that
they are being exposed to the same barrage of information
regarding available technologies as we are, and they tend
to want it yesterday. Speed to market is a real driver on our
projects.
So how do we balance the need to get technology/software into
play as soon as possible and still acknowledge/manage the
project risks? We change our mindset and project management
Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing
Vol. 83, No. 6, June 2017, pp. 389–392.
0099-1112/17/389–392
© 2017 American Society for Photogrammetry
and Remote Sensing
doi: 10.14358/PERS.83.6.389
