Incoda employs a formal project planning process that involves developing detailed project plans, tracking actuals against plan, and using sophisticated estimation techniques.
- Planning. For each project, we develop formal project plans that detail tasks, milestones, resource assignments, and dependencies. An overall, high-level plan and a detailed plan for the project inception phase are developed at the beginning of the project. During each project phase, detailed project plans are developed and refined for subsequent phases.
- Tracking. We formally track progress against the plan on a weekly basis to identify problem areas that require intervention.
- Estimating. Incoda employs parameter-driven estimating tools. These tools are continuously refined based on project heuristics. After each project, we enhance the accuracy of our estimating tools by updating them to reflect what we learned from our “estimate versus actual” analysis performed during post-completion project reviews.
Incoda uses specific methodologies and tools to manage project scope, identify issues, and mitigate risk.
- Scope Management. Incoda practices rigorous and formal scope management. Project scope is clearly defined during the project inception phase. Any requested changes to scope are documented, challenged, measured to determine impact, and subjected to a formal approval process.
- Issue Management. For each project, we maintain an issues-tracking database that is used throughout the life of the project to formally document project-related issues, prioritize issues, track progress against issues, and record issue resolution.
- Risk Management. The identification of project risks begins during the project inception phase. All known risks are identified, documented, assessed, and ranked according to a combination of likelihood and degree of impact. Each risk is analyzed to determine how that risk might either be avoided or controlled. Risk mitigation strategies are documented. Risk reviews are performed periodically throughout the life of each project to ensure that known risks are actively controlled and that all new risks are identified and managed.
