For ensuring program and project success, Rapidiant can assist client’s program and project managers and members within their IFPTs in carrying out the following PMBOK PMO management areas as depicted in Figure x above for ensuring program success while readily enabling customer business functionality in accordance with stakeholders’ needs and expectations.

• Integration Management – this management area is where Rapidiant will employ its basic customer Integration Management Plan template and refine it in accordance with client’s requirements after contract award. Rapidiant recognizes that Integration Management is a complex process of identifying, defining, combining, unifying, and coordinating various activities and tasks on a project into a single framework for managing all the activities. Our overall goal is to define the characteristics on the unification, coordination, and articulation of all project activities for meeting project sponsor and stakeholder goals and expectations. Rapidiant will ensure the various elements of a project and its system and business integration points are properly coordinated and managed. This involves where we have to make trade-offs among and between competing objectives and alternatives for ensuring business functionality and that the project meets or exceeds customer and/or stakeholder needs and expectations. This project service is a PMBOK management area that holds the overall project together and integrates it into a unified whole. Rapidiant will assist the client in performing the following activities for integrating and unifying the project across the Project Life Cycle (PLC) spectrum by:
  • Developing a Project Charter – will ensure Product and Project Scope are well integrated together and described in the Project Charter
  • Developing a Project Management Plan – will ensure that all milestones, tasks, activities are integrated across the PLC and that the Project Management Plan, Project Schedule and Performance Measurement Baseline are integrated together
  • Directing and Managing Project Work – will ensure that project services and deliverables are delivered on time, schedule and within cost
  • Monitoring and Controlling Project Work – will monitor the project work and measure deliverable performance using our earned value analysis Project Management Information System (PMIS)system and perform project statuses and reviews reporting
  • Performing Integrated Change Control – will monitor and manage project changes and continually assess impact on cost, schedule and performance
  • Closing the Project – will assess completion on each phase in the Project Management Plan and review System Acceptance Testing (SAT) and User Acceptance Testing (UAT) test reports and commence closing of the project by submission of final invoicing and transfer of project documentation, source code, and property to the client.

• Scope Management – this management area is where Rapidiant will employ its basic customer Scope Management Plan template and refine it in accordance with he client’s requirements after contract award. Rapidiant will define the processes required to ensure that the project includes all the work required, and only the work required, to complete the project successfully. If the scope of a project is not managed correctly, it may very well lead to an unsuccessful project. Rapidiant’s approach to scope management is to clearly define the project’s scope at the beginning. Once defined, we will then validate the scope with all the key stakeholders by getting their buy-in and consensus before proceeding. We will next identify their project drivers and develop the operational concepts for defining the enabling business models. After defining the business models, we will then identify the user external interfaces for fully integrating and unifying the business information into an enterprise business practice. The scope then will be documented into a Project Charter for approval by the IT Governance Board and funding by the Program Sponsor.

• Time Management – this management area is where Rapidiant will employ its basic customer Time Management Plan template and refine it in accordance with client’s requirements after contract award. Rapidiant will manage the processes required to manage a project to completion. We will define the activities, sequence the activities, estimate activity resources, estimate activity durations, develop a schedule, and control a schedule to completion. These activities will allow Rapidiant to ensure the client meet deadlines and streamline collaboration across and among the Integrated Federated Project Team (IFPT) and its sponsors and stakeholders. Rapidiant will use the following methods and techniques for managing project time management:
  • Schedule Network Analysis – our analysis will be done through our use of either the Critical Path Method (CPM), Critical Chain Method, What-If Analysis, or Resource Leveling Method; or a combination of the three. Our analysis will attempt to find unbalanced use of resources over time for resolving any over-allocation conflicts.
  • Schedule Compression – this method will be used when tasks are running late. We will employ the ‘Crashing’ and ‘Fast Tracking’ techniques to avert the risks of project overrun. We will employ ‘Crashing’ by decreasing total period of time by assigning more people on the task or working overtime; or ‘Fast Tracking’ by starting a task early before the last task has finished.
  • Schedule Control – this technique will be used by scheduling and conducting project performance reviews, performing variance analysis, and using project performance management software for measuring Schedule Performance Index (SPI), Cost Performance Index (CPI), Schedule Variance (SV), Cost Variance, earned value management (EVM), and others as required. Rapidiant will deploy its Project Management Information System (PMIS) for maintaining schedule and cost control over a client project.

• Cost Management – this management area is where Rapidiant will employ its basic customer Cost Management Plan template and refine it in accordance with client’s requirements after contract award. Rapidiant will manage project costs for a client through a series of activities for estimating, allocating, and controlling costs within a project. We will employ and use Microsoft Project for managing and controlling costs and resources utilization. Our project cost management process includes the execution of the following key steps:
  • Cost Estimation – Rapidiant in conjunction with the client will estimate the costs for software, hardware, installation materials, salaries, cloud subscription services, licenses’ fees, and performance activities in delivering the project. Our project cost estimation will be conducted in the planning phase and we will use project cost management software, such as MS Project and EVM for Project, to develop appropriate spreadsheets and make cost calculations on project milestones, tasks and activities for formulating a budget.
  • Budget Determination – Rapidiant will use its cost spreadsheets to develop the budget framework and determine the budget for the client’s project. We will then use the project cost estimation and work with the Project Sponsor and the client’s financial department for allocating a budget and funding of the project before project commencement.
  • Spending Control – Rapidiant will track and manage spending using its Project Management Information System (PMIS) based on the allocated budget. We will work with the client’s Project Manager for ensuring that spending is under control and that the budget allocation is optimized and cost are fully covered with the planned and allocated budget.

• Quality Management – this management area is where Rapidiant will employ its basic customer Quality Control Plan (QCP) template and refine it in accordance with client’s requirements after contract award. Our plan will document the required information to effectively manage the project from planning to delivery. It identifies and defines the basic activities, policies, and processes to be used to manage the quality of the program from planning to delivery. This plan will be based on the premise that quality is achieved when the project meets and exceeds the customer and stakeholder expectations.  Rapidiant will coordinate all tasks, activities and delivery of products through its quality assurance office.  In addition, Rapidiant will oversee and facilitate contract governance activities, develop and institute policies and guidance, monitor performance of services, oversee and monitor project executions for our client via our Project Life Cycle (PLC) management framework. Our Quality Assurance (QA) professional will meet with the client at least monthly in monitoring our performance in delivering the project services and identifying any subpar performance areas within our Program Management Information System (PMIS).  This will ensure communications are strong among all parties, and that all services and integrated projects are well coordinated. Our support activities will include analyzing and assessing guidance; assist in implementing policy as directed by client’s Contracting Officer Representative (COR); and supporting client’s governance, initiatives and direction.  Our technical approach will allow our client to align its strategic budgeting and planning activities with tactical ongoing delivery of services by applying industry best practices, such as the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) to streamline operations, applications, and systems through our robust agile DevSecOps approach and streamlined Project Life Cycle (PLC). Any subpar performance will immediately trigger the development of an Action Plan or Get Well Plan for proactively correcting the deficiency in accordance with program objectives.

Our Rapidiant team will also understand and is familiar with ISO 9001:2015 standards and will employ them on all project activities.  Where we see opportunities for actionable business value, and with the approval from client leadership, we will integrate our CMMI Level 3 and ISO 9001:2015 processes and best practices into our Project Life Cycle (PLC) approach.  This means we will always be looking for continuous improvement opportunities in the execution of a client’s modernization efforts. All projects will be assigned an experienced expert that is highly qualified in performing the work. Our QA office will be responsible for maintaining the Configuration Management (CM) Library (in MS SharePoint) for all required project life cycle documentation, as well as coordinating and overseeing monthly program and project reviews with the overall client’s Program, Project, and Task Managers and their respective CORs.

• Human Resources Management – this management area is where Rapidiant will employ its basic customer Human Resources (HR) Management Plan template and refine it in accordance with client’s requirements after contract award. Our support consist of outlining the human resource requirements on a project by role, authority, responsibility, and operational and technical competency and defining how these HR resources will be organized and managed for performing the work. Rapidiant’s HR management process includes human resource planning by defining the role and responsibilities for each member of the project team; acquiring resumes for the project team and performing an analysis on their qualification and credentials; developing the project team into an organizational chart for hierarchical reporting, coordinating, and collaborating with the client; and managing and monitoring the performance of the project team through performance reviews and providing additional staff training as required. Rapidiant recognizes that the most important resource on a project is its people – the project team. We also recognize the project requires specific expertise at different times in the schedule, depending on the milestones being delivered or a given phase in the project. Therefore, Rapidiant understands the importance of continual education of its workforce and professional technical training of its technical staff on the latest state-of-art technology for ensuring project success.

• Communications Management – this management area is where Rapidiant will employ its basic customer Communications Management Plan template and refine it in accordance with client’s requirements after contract award. Rapidiant will define the project communications requirements, methods, and forums for distributing information on the project. We will effectively communicate over the life of the project and ensure that information is communicated upward to higher management and stakeholders and downward to lower technical project and client management teams for ensuring consistency in information and project progress being distributed. Rapidiant’s overall communications management approach is to take a proactive role in ensuring effective communications across the entire project. We will use a litany of communication methods (i.e., face-to-face, email, PowerPoint slides, meeting notes, project reports, ad hoc technical working group reports, project management review forums, etc.) for distributing the information across the PLC spectrum. Our communications management matrix will show what information is to be communicated to who, who will do the communications, when will the communications be performed, and whom will it be communicated to. Rapidiant recognizes that efficient and timely communications in both formal and informal settings is the key to successful project completion. As such, Rapidiant emphasizes that it is imperative that any issues, disputes, conflicts, or discrepancies regarding project execution and performance be captured in an appropriate written forum whether formal or informal for ensuring all pertinent information is captured and distributed accordingly. Distributing this information is conducive to maintaining project schedule, ensuring the correct information is distributed in a timely manner, and preventing and mitigating any project or program difficulties early. 

• Risk Management – this management area is where Rapidiant will employ its basic customer Risk Management Plan template and refine it in accordance with client’s requirements after contract award. Rapidiant will define the continuing processes concerned with identifying, analyzing, evaluating, monitoring, and responding to project risks for mitigating the adverse effects of loss. We will establish process controls over the project schedule for managing source, problem, or event-based risks and cost controls over the financial or costs estimating risks. Rapidiant will employ the following common risk identification methods using risk assessment templates for identifying a project risk:

• Objectives-based Risks – are where organizations and integrated project teams have objectives and any event that may endanger achieving an objective partly or completely is identified as a risk
• Scenario-based Risks – are where in scenario analysis, different scenarios are possible where there may be alternative ways of achieving an objective, and any event that may trigger an undesired scenario alternative then should be identified as risk.
• Taxonomy-based Risks – are where there is a breakdown in possible risk sources where a questionnaire is compiled and the answers to the questions reveal risks based on the taxonomy and knowledge of best industry practices
• Common Risk Checking – are where we list known available risks from similar industries but each risk needs to be checked for its application in a particular situation

• Procurement Management – this management area is where Rapidiant will employ its basic customer Procurement Management Plan template and refine it in accordance with the client’s requirements after contract award. Rapidiant recognizes that for successful project completion, projects require certain products and/or services that must be defined and specified according to the project requirements and then acquired and delivered on time and schedule. Our plan will identify and define the purchasing requirements for a given project and formulate the intended courses of action for procuring product and services and managing the contracts and purchase orders. Rapidiant in cooperation with our client’s purchasing/contracts department will take responsibility on planning for the procurement items based on defined criteria and technical specifications and identifying how the products and services will be delivered for meeting project schedule and specification requirements. Our document will define how the purchasing activity will be managed through the project lifecycle from initial vendor contacts and developing respective purchasing documents through to managing product and services deliveries and closing deals with selected vendors and/or contractors. Rapidiant overall procurement approach in support of its client’s purchasing department will plan for purchasing by:
  • Listing the items to be procured. We will hold meetings with the Integrated Federated Project Team (IFPT) to discuss and identify the possible procurement requirements and list the product and service items that are required for successful project completion of being on time and schedule. Our meetings will help our clients in getting expert judgement from the team regarding timelines and preliminary specifications. After the list of items for product and services are approved, we will submit the list to the client’s purchasing department for deciding on ways of buying or making the required products and services procurement.
  • Setting decision criteria for selecting vendors. We will analyze the market and decide on those vendors that can produce the necessary product and service items within the required timeframe and at a reasonable and fair cost. Rapidiant will work closely with the client’s purchasing department and IFPT to agree on the criteria for selecting and awarding the purchasing contracts. The decision criteria that we will deploy will take into consideration the following, to name a few:
    • Schedule compliance – where the vendor is able to produce and deliver the product and services items in compliance with the delivery schedule
    • Quality – where all product and service items comply with the technical specifications and system features as defined in the purchasing order
    • Cost – where the cost of the product or service delivery is reasonable and fair and does not exceed overall expected cost parameters
    • Performance – where we determine if the vendor’s past and present performance is fine and they are reliable in producing and delivering a quality product or service on time and schedule
  • Negotiating with selected vendors – once the decision criteria has been established, Rapidiant will work with the client’s purchasing department to begin negotiations on purchasing and delivering the procurement products or services under the most favorable conditions. We will also ensure that each product or service item complies with the requirements outlined in the specifications, and that the items can be delivered according to the project schedule. We will work with the client’s purchasing department and the vendor to prevent or mitigate any delays.

Measure performance of purchasing activities – Lastly, Rapidiant will track all procurements and measure performance based on whether the project stays on schedule in terms of purchasing activities. We will use this measurement for identifying where improvements can be made to our purchasing activities and identifying lessons learned. Rapidiant will perform an analysis on vendor performance by examining the data on their performance and then using this information for updating decision criteria on future projects.