Virtual Project Management: Tools and the Trade

Abstract

This paper investigates the broad subject of project management organizations as they enter a new era of organizational arrangements. Practitioners and academics often refer to these arrangements as globally dispersed or as virtual project enterprises. This paper focuses on four related areas of virtual project organizations and their project teams. The paper presents a brief history about approaches to project management theory and practice and defines virtual project organizations. The paper addresses challenges concerning communication and technology for virtual project organizations. The paper then summarizes four key organizational structures that form the basis of project-based organizations. This context is necessary in showing why some of the problems in understanding organizational structures are related to how well this information is communicated through models. An evolution of management approaches necessitates a modification in the types of project management models and communication tools. The paper introduces a new model that is capable of educating practitioners about the importance of focusing on people-centered project management tools for virtual project organizations. The final section of the paper examines one strategic and operational planning and communication tool: the roundtable road-mapping method. The tool is simple yet it is important in understanding the level of personal involvement that may be required for successful communication and planning in nontraditional virtual project structures. The following paper is the winner of the 1997 International Student Paper Award. Sponsored by the PMI Educational Foundation, the International Student Paper Award recognizes excellence in student development of original concepts in project management. Mrs. Guss was presented the award at PMI '97 in Chicago, Illinois.