Digital Project Management

• Describes how to create a thorough scope document, gap analysis, budget and requirements documentation, as well as task-level details of a digital project plan
• Delineates the proven step-by-step rollout process that can be applied to any digital project, and how responsive design and mobile first techniques are woven into traditional project management while keeping a rigid focus on planning and communication
• Utilizes a fictional case study to help explain the concepts and steps to building a responsive customer-facing web solution, and details how to apply an agile approach to design and development in a setting that demands clear requirements and deliverables
• Explains how information architects work with the creative team to produce a responsive content strategy, when the mobile first methodology should be applied within the process, and which deliverables are affected
• Discusses what digital project managers need to know about search engine optimization, analytics, infrastructure management, testing, potential risks, and every aspect of cutover management
• WAV™ offers 14 templates and three process maps, including the rollout process checklist and all examples used in the book, and instructor materials—available in the Web Added Value™ Download Resource Center. Instructor materials include a comprehensive 400+ slide, 11-module presentation of the material as presented in the book, and a Leader’s Guide for presenting the material for course instruction. These materials are available to instructors and trainers for purchase, and free for adopting professors.

Taylor Olson is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP^®) with more than twenty years of experience in the field. She earned her degree in Telecommunications from Michigan State University, and began her career in automotive marketing and advertising. Ms. Olson has worked for organizations of all sizes and has traveled the world to train and collaborate with global team members, documenting digital project management best practices along the way. Over the past several years, she has been helping to build global websites and applications for Fortune 50 corporations. Taylor currently specializes in using content management systems to produce and maintain global web solutions for large corporations operating in multiple countries and languages.

Taylor’s speaking engagements, presentations, and consulting prior to the development of this book had been by invitation from organizations in a wide variety of industries. One of her more meaningful and recent invitations was to give a presentation on the original healthcare.gov release and how following the process in this book would have prevented most of the problems associated with that rollout.

Taylor is a sought-after speaker and currently travels extensively to share her knowledge and experience at professional associations and events and through webinars and other means to help project managers, and the organizations they serve, achieve successful results.

Chapter 1: Basic Training —Types of Resources —Types of Agencies —Responsive Design —Mobile First —Getting the Assignment —The Rollout Process PART I: INITIATION Chapter 2: Needs Assessment —Gap Analysis —Conduct the Workshop —The Stakeholder List Chapter 3: Documentation    —Business Requirements Document (BRD) —Types of Budget Estimates —Creating the Budget —Statement of Work PART II: PLANNING Chapter 4: Communication   —Creating the Schedule —Communication Planning —Internal Kick-off Meeting —Status Reports —Something Extra – Working on Global Teams Chapter 5: Information Architecture —Sitemaps —Technical Solution Strategy —Wireframes and Functional Specifications —Style Guides Chapter 6: Analysis —Analytics —Search Engine Optimization —Something Extra – A/B Testing —Managing Infrastructures and Environments —IT Bill of Materials (BOM) Chapter 7: Development —Communication —Change Management —Something Extra – Data Mapping Chapter 8: Preparation —Test Strategy —Test Cases —Package Identification —Construct to Close Schedule —Something Extra – Working Remotely PART III: CONSTRUCT TO CLOSE Chapter 9: Content —Create Content Tracker —Asset Quality Review —Content Entry —Quality Assurance —Something Extra - Favicons Chapter 10: Testing —Systems Integrated Testing —User Acceptance Testing —Non-Functional Testing —Something Extra – Global Rollouts Chapter 11: Cutover —301 Redirects —Cutover Management —Transition to Operations APPENDICES —Glossary

“Using this rollout process for complex technical projects has enabled me to break project work into logical and manageable steps from kick-off to launch. Following along with the process ensures that I don’t miss critical steps that might otherwise be overlooked, and it provides me a guideline for managing complicated work across functional teams. Projects small and large, local or global, and with varying scope can all greatly benefit from the structure provided by the rollout process presented in this book.” —Jennifer Harrison, Digital Project Manager

“I now use the rollout process in this book for every single site project I manage. It pretty much ensures success thanks to the straightforward, intuitive instructions.” —Megan Reed, Rollout Manager, MRM//McCann

“Launching nine different sites across South America wouldn’t have been possible without this digital rollout process in place. I strongly recommend it.” —Rafael Eugenio Figueroa, Digital Marketing, General Motors South America

“This step-by-step process provides an A to Z reference guide to success for any level digital project manager.” —Anne Marie Lambert, Sr. Digital Producer, Leo Burnett Worldwide, Inc.

“Olson has written a wonderful book targeted to agency project managers charged with delivering digital projects. It offers a great blend of classic project delivery methodology in an agency-specific context. I’m going to buy copies for everyone on my team.” —Kirk Mager, Platform Lead, The Blue Hive

“I have lready implemented many of these steps into my business, dealing with consulting, web development and application development. I have been very impressed with how helpful it has been for me, and how some clients I have worked with on past projects are enjoying a tighter budget on their finances for their projects when they allow the PM to follow a more detailed research and planning schedule.“—Hamid Timothy Soheili, Pres/CEO, Automata Web Services (As reviewed in PM World Journal, Jan. 2016)