Information Technology Project Managers
Do you remember ever visiting a company and not finding dozens of computers with rows of employees and specialists sitting in front of them, handling all the company's various activities and operations? These days, there's no business or service organization that doesn't rely on computer programs, applications, and systems to complete its buying and selling operations, provide services to customers, track its goods, or handle countless other tasks. Technological infrastructure is the backbone of every company in the world, and any fault or malfunction in these technological components -- whether in computers, software, networks, websites, communication equipment, or anything else -- can bring a company's operations to a halt, and often ends up costing companies millions of dollars as a result. Companies and organizations of all kinds make sure to have highly efficient technological infrastructure so they can carry out their work at the best possible quality. That's why they hire specialists and experts called "information technology project managers" to meet these indispensable needs. An IT project manager is responsible for choosing the right technological components for a company based on the nature of its business -- components that help it perform its work with outstanding efficiency and at the lowest possible cost. An IT project manager is tasked with leading the team responsible for every part of the technological system -- the experts and technicians in charge of computers, networks, software, security systems, servers, websites, and everything else that various organizations depend on for their operations. They're also responsible for developing and updating that system according to the changing demands of the local or global market relevant to the organization they work for.
Meet the Writer: Waleed Abo Omiraa
What You'll Actually Do
The core tasks and responsibilities that fill a typical day.
- Perform risk assessments to develop response strategies.
- Submit project deliverables, ensuring adherence to quality standards.
- Monitor the performance of project team members, providing and documenting performance feedback.
- Confer with project personnel to identify and resolve problems.
- Assess current or future customer needs and priorities by communicating directly with customers, conducting surveys, or other methods.
- Schedule and facilitate meetings related to information technology projects.
- Monitor or track project milestones and deliverables.
- Negotiate with project stakeholders or suppliers to obtain resources or materials.
- Initiate, review, or approve modifications to project plans.
- Identify, review, or select vendors or consultants to meet project needs.
- Establish and execute a project communication plan.
- Identify need for initial or supplemental project resources.
- Direct or coordinate activities of project personnel.
- Develop implementation plans that include analyses such as cost-benefit or return on investment (ROI).
- Coordinate recruitment or selection of project personnel.
- Develop and manage annual budgets for information technology projects.
- Assign duties, responsibilities, and spans of authority to project personnel.
- Prepare project status reports by collecting, analyzing, and summarizing information and trends.
- Manage project execution to ensure adherence to budget, schedule, and scope.
- Develop or update project plans for information technology projects including information such as project objectives, technologies, systems, information specifications, schedules, funding, and staffing.
- Develop and manage work breakdown structure (WBS) of information technology projects.