Project Leaders Need to have Subject Matter Expertise

Your project leader needs to understand your business. And the system you’re implementing.

Too many times, project managers don’t have that knowledge. They only know how to manage projects. Creating lists of things to do. Calling out people on missed deadlines. Asking when things will get done.

Which means that they can tell you the project isn’t moving forward. But they can’t tell you how to get it moving forward.

It doesn’t work.

Let’s take an extreme, if absurd example.

My fraternal twin brother and I both run projects.

He’s a trained architect. He does design management for airports, hospitals and other large construction projects.

I work with enterprise software and data.

You wouldn’t hire him when you needed me. And vice versa.

But even within the world of data and systems, I wouldn’t feel comfortable leading any project. I have deep experience with Accounting, HR/Payroll, Procurement and supply chain systems.

My team and I have developed hundreds (if not thousands) of reports and interfaces.

I have written hundreds of lines of SQL code and have a decent command of PowerShell. (I’ve programmed many other languages but not for quite a while).

So, if you have a challenge with these enterprise systems or business intelligence, I’m a solid choice.

But I have much less experience with pure custom software development.

And I know something about marketing and web analytics. But enough to justify my rates.

In my areas of expertise, I know what can go wrong.

What makes sense. And what can’t be true.

So, I can help solve problems, and not just point them out.

What’s your experience with your project managers? Have they helped solved problems or pointed them out?

If you have a project where my experience might help, please contact me.