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Using a Wiki as a Project Management Tool
Lisa Spencer, Director, Support ServicesGayle Burns, Manager, Academic Technologies
Educause Western Regional Conference April 1, 2008 San Francisco, CA
Where’s that information
Was it in an email ?
Where s that information. . .
Was it in an email . . . . . ?
No formal process
Perhaps a phone call?
No formal process
Perhaps a phone call?
Project info was scattered
Did I hear it in
Project info was scattered
Did I hear it in a meeting?
Impermanent info abounded
I think it’s on the whiteboard
Impermanent info abounded
I think it s on the whiteboard. . .
There had to b b tt !be a better way!
photo © KE TA www.flickr.com/ke-ta
Today’s presentation will cover:
• Brief history on project management at
Today s presentation will cover:
• Brief history on project management at OccidentalSh l f fi t j t• Show examples from our first project management software tool
• Discuss why we switched to using the wiki• Show examples from the wikip• Lessons Learned
The Beginnings of Project M O
• Began using “Basecamp” as our project
Management at Oxy• Began using Basecamp as our project
management tool in September, 2006P d f l f ll ti i f ti i• Proved useful for collecting information in one place
• Very structured environment • Difficult to get everyone to start using g y g
Basecamp
Introducing Oxypedia our wiki
• Introduced in October 2006
Introducing Oxypedia, our wiki
Introduced in October, 2006• Set up knowledge bases for documenting
departmental processes and proceduresdepartmental processes and procedures• Staff easily adapted to using the wiki for
thithis purpose• Documentation became a fairly regular
occurrence
Nine Months later…
Documentation Consternation:
• Where should I put this information?
Documentation Consternation:
Where should I put this information?• Where did I put that information?
Wh d I fi d th i f ti I d?• Where do I find the information I need?
Two tools were too manyTwo tools … were too many
• Added confusion
W t d ti• Wasted time
• High frustration levelHigh frustration level
• Some staff didn’t want to use both tools
… we needed to SIMPLIFY
Introducing Oxypedia as a PM Tool
• Not much pre-planning
Introducing Oxypedia as a PM Tool
Not much pre planning• Developed Project Plan page templates
All d i ti t t i t d l• Allowed organization strategies to develop as people became more comfortable
Pros• Flexible structure – tailor it to meet your
particular needs for the project
Pros
• Reduced meeting time• Specific pages or entire spaces can be
“watched” updates via emailwatched – updates via email• Easy to share the space or specific pages with
colleagues in other departments• Easy to upload documents• No question about where to put information or
where to find informationwhere to find information• Our staff took to the wiki easily (people actually
USED it)
New Challenges
• Wiki doesn’t pull the milestones or updates
New Challenges
Wiki doesn t pull the milestones or updates of all current projects into one calendar
• Setting no rules for the organization of• Setting no rules for the organization of project spaces resulted in … some disorganizationdisorganization
• Needed to begin “tagging” consistently so it ld b h ditems could be searched on
Luminis Portal Projecthttps://oxypedia.oxy.edu/display/luminis/Home
Luminis Portal Projectp yp y p y
Pros:Documentation in central locationDocumentation in central locationShared easily with folks across campus
Cons:Cons:Information is separated into logical pages, but pages are not organized within the spacepages are not organized within the space
Ingeniux CMS Migrationhttps://oxypedia.oxy.edu/display/CMSMigration/Home
Ingeniux CMS Migrationp yp y p y g
Pros:Documentation about this phase of the project in a central locationa central locationCaptured all of the exchanges between the IT staff, student staff, and temp staff, , p
Cons:Only useful to a few “inside” peopleDid ’ ll f h j d ( iDidn’t capture all of the project data (previous phases captured in other places)
TimelogsTimelogs
• Simple tablesSimple tables• Viewing can be restricted
to the individual and his/her project manager if desired
• We found it particularly p yuseful to track hours worked by student workers
dand temporary contractors
Iterations of the LMS Project
LMS Committee: Jan 2007 – Jan 2008
Iterations of the LMS Project
LMS Committee: Jan 2007 Jan 2008 Project predated me: June 2007I f ll t dInfo collected:• Peoples’ hard drives: Powerpoints,
meeting notes, memos• Phone calls• Face-to-face info gathering techniques
LMS Project Part 1https://oxypedia.oxy.edu/display/LMS/Home
LMS Project Part 1p yp y p y
Pros:Documentation in central locationThink through planning process
Cons:Not comfortable sharing it outside of ITSOnly useful to a few “inside” people
LMS Project Part 2https://oxypedia.oxy.edu/display/LMSRec/ONE+LMS+FOR+OXY
LMS Project Part 2
Pros:“Mirrors” the hard copy recommendationMirrors the hard copy recommendationEasy access (links) to supporting documentsDoesn’t spam email servers
Cons:S l till f ili ith O diSome people still unfamiliar with Oxypedia
LMS Project Part 3https://oxypedia.oxy.edu/display/MOODLE/OXYMoodle+Ho
LMS Project Part 3
me
ProsContinued the thinking process
ConsConsNeeded more structure to be useful
One year in
• We’re the campus technology champions
One year in
We re the campus technology champions, but still find ourselves challenged by adapting to a new tooladapting to a new tool.
• Confusion about how to organize informationinformation. . . .
• At a minimum, information is more easily t d h bl d h d th itcaptured, searchable, and shared then it
was before Oxypedia.
Factors in success?
• A strong desire to collaborate
Factors in success?
A strong desire to collaborate• Peer pressure, in the form of “gentle”
reminders from Oxypedia championsreminders from Oxypedia champions• Critical information lives there!
– Including restaurant reviews and holiday party planning
Lessons learned?
• Assign a project manager/owner
Lessons learned?
Assign a project manager/owner• Provide basic project formats for folks to
choose from if they likechoose from if they like• Always front load the process with the
j t i t l tproject overview template• Encourage the use of labels/tags• Consider the use of viewing restrictions• Encourage email “subscribes”Encourage email subscribes
Take aways
• If you’re considering it – try it!
Take aways
If you re considering it try it!• Allows people to “think” in whatever ways
they are comfortablethey are comfortable• Be patient with yourself and with others—
th i t h i l l i dthere is a technical learning curve and a process learning curve (one size doesn’t fit ll)all)
