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  #1  
Old 11-22-2010, 06:53 AM
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Location: Pacific Northwest
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Opinions requested - PM for a start-up company

Hi, I come from a heavy IT background working in large companies. However, now I am part of a small start-up company that currently has five members plus access to others as needed. It's an electrical controls, engineering firm primarily in the alternative energy sector.

Everything is project based with each project lasting up to four months. Most of that time is not filled with work however. Much of it is waiting for ordered equipment to be delivered. Obviously this means having to keep track of resources working on multiple projects at once.

Being a start-up, I won't have the budget to do anything the way I really want for at least the first project. I will make do with templates I find or create and, maybe, enlist the help of an open-source PM software package.

I'm most worried about getting pressured to get things ordered and moving before basic initiation and planning have been done. Since I do get a say in company matters (i.e., I'm not just a PM), I will make sure that proper preparations are in place, however I want to be able to state what needs to take place explicitly while not burying the rest of the team with paperwork.

What I'd like to get some opinions on are two areas:

1) Where can I cut back from the usual processes (e.g., reducing the normal 42 PMBOK processes)? There are over 50 documents/templates to cover everything, I'm hoping I only need a fraction to cover our first project(s).

2) What software would you recommend for a small company like ours? I'm trying not to create too much work (especially if it's unnecessary) because I have to wear several hats until we can hire more help - and that won't be until toward the end of the first project. A good example is that I'm still up after 3am on a Sunday researching this!

Thanks for your help.

Craig
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  #2  
Old 11-25-2010, 02:20 AM
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Ok, due to the overwelming number of replies, let me try a smaller question:

Do you even need Project Management for small, engineering projects?
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  #3  
Old 12-01-2010, 02:05 PM
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Hmm... Alright, how about this one then: Do any of you know of another Project Management forum with active participation?
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  #4  
Old 12-02-2010, 11:59 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 75
from my limited experience, you need project management even for a small start up. As for you other questions, give me some time and i will have detailed answers for you.
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