Project Management at FMQ
Being a project manager has become quite an enigma these days, as this role varies greatly depending on the core business and the environment in which the company operates. However, in developing a structured organization with long-term sustainable growth, there is something that cannot be overlooked: the creation of a project management department. For me, this became quite clear when, over 4 years ago, I was challenged with this task at FMQ. Still with a mindset very focused on execution, since my career began as a Developer, I found in Project Management the solution to the majority of impediments I encountered as a member of the Development teams. In those early days, which now seem quite distant, I started alone to structure FMQ's projects, which, at the time, still had all the benefits and difficulties of any start-up. With the steady growth of the company, I recruited and grew the team. Initially, I opted for internal resources who, despite having little knowledge in project management, were valuable for the know-how they brought from their markets of operation and for already dealing with people they would work with. In 2017, with the delineation of a strategy in which there are multidisciplinary teams specific to each market, the Project Management team grew, now coexisting alongside a Process Management team. The latter plays a decisive role in the restructuring the company has undergone, changing and implementing new processes. Last year was also the year we defined different ways of working in Project Management, creating two dimensions: one centred on the traditional method and the other based on the agile Scrum methodology - which, due to the contingencies of FMQ's reality, is not followed strictly by the book. In the traditional method, we rely on PMP. Here, the project scope is defined with the client, as is the case with projects where the final output is known exactly (such as those related to Hardware and Business Solutions). In the case of projects that use agile methodologies, we have a Product Owner who surveys the scope and all the functionalities of the product, and a Scrum Master who accompanies them in terms of resources and external dependencies, removing all impediments and making the teams' work as efficient as possible. Here, in the case of an animation for one of our games, for example, the fact that we have constant feedback from the client makes any iteration much faster and easier, optimizing the value chain. | Overall, I believe these two dimensions will shape the role of project managers at FMQ in 2018, as well as in the Portuguese business fabric, depending on the scope of action. Also for 2018, in FMQ's Project Management area, the objective is to focus more on customer satisfaction, which is a very important drive for the company. This stems from the fact that our learning curve in relation to stakeholders has stabilized. And now, we are indeed focused on the customer. In terms of Project Management, we aim for process improvement, increasing our reports. We want our customers to be aware of the operations map, collecting their inputs and how these are managed. Furthermore, we want to provide internal training regarding platforms and working methods, as they are common throughout the company. We believe that this standardization is very important for us all to move in the same direction. For this reason, I believe it will be a very motivating year, and by gaining closeness to the customer, we can understand the purpose of the projects. And, of course, we will invest in getting to know the customers in their home country since we are aware that the environment in which companies operate can influence their organizational behaviour. And this way, we can more easily understand the messages and manage expectations. Finally, it should be noted the recruitment we will be doing for FMQ's project management area. Often, I am asked, "Ana, what is the ideal profile for your teams?" For this answer, I must necessarily mention that my vision has changed in recent years. At the beginning of my career, I always sought a profile with a developed technical part. Nowadays, I realized the importance of soft skills and that the technical part is learned, with more or less effort. A more suitable profile is one that can self-motivate, be resilient, and positively inspire the teams they are part of. And of course, have initiative spirit to seek new challenges and solve existing ones. So don't forget to send in your application. 03 - 01 - 2018  |
