Project Management

The Slater Group approach to project management is proactive, process directed and outcome oriented. We believe in delivering projects on time, within budget and with clearly defined milestones and deliverables that are tied to the payout schedule. We use the lessons learned from years of experience working with project managers, prime contractors, subcontractors, and being responsible for multi-million dollar and geographically disbursed projects to ensure that what the project owners want is what they get. 

The successful implementation of many projects requires the collaboration and cooperation between different groups, organizations or political entities. The Slater Group has extensive experience in working on projects with multiple entities and multiple levels within an organization.

The success of information technology projects often depend on the end users defining the desired functionality and translating these into technical specifications. The Slater Group has extensive experience implementing information technology projects that begin with abstract ideas and needs and move successfully through specification, design, build, test, and implementation.  Our first step is to define the project and success. Once an agreed upon definition of the project and success has been reached, we provide the planning, implementation, control, and evaluation processes. 

Change management is incorporated into each of our project management engagements. The successful outcome of the project will require some level of change. Often it is the stress brought about by the change that they resist. We have found the following:

  • People resist stress
  • Change is stressful
  • People resist change

Improvement efforts can be delayed or stopped by people who are resisting the stress brought about by the perceived or resulting change. The Slater Group employs processes to measure individual and organizational stress and to assist people in moving through the change and grieving process. Many people view change as a loss that they have to endure without a purpose they feel is validated. As a result of this perceived loss, many people will need to go through a grieving process before they can move forward.  If they are not allowed to complete their grieving process during the life of the project, there is a strong possibility that the grief will transform into behaviors detrimental to the individual, the project and the organization.

Without going through the change and grieving process, a person may display hostile, non-participative, or some other negative behavior at a later date.  This is most often displayed in lack of acceptance of the new and desire to revert back to the old even after a long period of time. This is a sure sign that that the improvements expected by the implementation of the change is not being realized to their fullest.

The Slater Group’s Seven Step Change and Grieving Process assists people through the change and grieving process while the project is being conducted.  The steps include the following:

Step 1: Denial
Step 2: Anger
Step 3: Bargaining
Step 4: Depression
Step 5: Acceptance
Step 6: Participation
Step7: Leadership

The Slater Group expects and prepares for the unexpected to take place during a project. To accomplish this we provide a comprehensive approach to project management that includes, among others, the following areas:

  • Project Charter
  • Change Management
  • Project Work Breakdown
  • Risk Management
  • Communication Plan
  • Project Management
  • Project Status Reporting
  • Project Redirection
  • Vendor Management
  • Business Continuity Planning