Technical projects are complex and can get easily get off track. EC Internet employs common sense techniques that work well for our customers and minimize problems.

Yet, the secret is knowing two things:  the project principles — so you can make the best decisions, and the path ahead — so you can anticipate the next steps.

Setting Goals & Objectives: We start by setting goals and objectives. We consult with our customers to find out what success looks like to you and where you want to end up. As Stephen R. Covey famously pointed out ,”You should begin with the end in mind.”  We also establish a list of your objectives along the way. These are time-bound, measurable milestones that give the team feedback as we advance along toward the goal.

Regular Check-Ins: We host regular, often weekly, project check-in meetings with key team members. These 15-minute “huddles” give everyone a chance to review what was accomplished over the past week and a chance to look at the steps planned for the coming week. We discuss any challenges that might impede the project. These are status and dispatch meetings and the 15-minute rule is key: we want to avoid pile-on meetings that wander from topic to topic. If more time is needed to go into detail, our participants can schedule time to meet on focused topics at a later time.

The Tools We Use: We use Agile project management principles, and we use Jira as an on-line tool to keep in sync. Jira keeps all team members focused on tasks and priorities to create frequent mini-releases called “sprints.” Frequent releases help customers see progress regularly and often, and force the development teams to share breakthroughs and setbacks in real time.

The Two-Hour Rule: If a team member is stalled out solving a problem, they are required to limit the stall-time to two hours. After two hours, they take the challenge and review it with another team member. Often the process of sharing the challenge or defining the challenge will reveal the path to a solution.

Knowing project principles and combining them with an awareness of the path ahead keeps everyone on track with the right solutions for your ecommerce project.