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by mongol 2332 days ago
Where I work (a large, global corporation) a project is usually something that is so large that it requires it's own budget and involves so many different system dependencies that it is unfeasible for different teams to manage between themselves within the normal line of work. A project manager is assigned to it and he or she gets directions from a steering group, and there are multiple milestones to check if the it is ok to proceed to the next stage. Usually, in these situations it also motivated to have an assigned architect, an assign requirement specialist and an assigned test lead to take overall responsibility in coordinating respective areas.

If it happens that the scope is actually not large enough to motivate a project setup, this will be wasteful and inefficient. But if the opposite happens, that the scope is very large but it is not implemented as a project, it can lead to disaster. Typically, the solution will not work end-to-end because no one have had the complete picture.

EDIT: Forgot a word
1 comments
coldcode 2332 days ago
I spent almost two years on a project of such a nature at a ginormous company in the low 8 figure budget that changed on an almost daily basis and was killed at the last second - in order to start an even larger and looser project, while simultaneously starting a second similar project in insane fashion. Coordination is mostly a hostile battle between high level execs, with lots of promises of this time it will be different and never is. I always question decisions if I can but often you get no access from a technical level to the people deciding (and battling about) what is to be done, so often you can only deal with lower level decisions in your area. Sometimes you win a little but often your winnings are lost in a sea of terrible decision noise.

Then again I've been in tiny companies with low 6 figure budgets for projects and you still wind up powerless to ask the right questions.

Sometimes you have to settle on getting your part of a giant project right and sigh your way through the rest.

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