Author: Jeff Armstrong

Jeff Armstrong is a business professional with a background in Lean & Agile Project Management, and in Product Management
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RAID Log – Manage Project Risk

Risk Matrix used in the RAID Log
Risk Matrix used in the RAID Log

A RAID Log is a great tool for managing Project Risk.

RAID stands for Risks, Assumptions, Issues, Dependencies.

BEWARE – it is hard to keep track of these aspects of your project in your head. You can keep track of them using a LOG TEMPLATE for your own safety.

Risks (R in RAID)

Your project risks are the “issues waiting to happen”.

i.e. Ask yourself “What could go wrong?”, and the list of items in answer to that are your risks.

e.g. when planning for a race, an example risk could be “My shoes fail during the race”

RISK SHEET – Excel RAID log & Dashboard Template

Assumptions (A in RAID)

Assumptions are items that you believe to be fine,… but that may not be. Assumptions are aspects of the environment, or of the surroundings to your project that you believe will be in a certain state.

The purpose of tracking assumptions is that you need to be prepared for your assumptions being wrong.

Issues (I in RAID)

Issues are the things which are actually going wrong – i.e. Risks that have been realised, and have turned into issues.

If you were lucky with your Risks identification earlier, you may already be prepared to deal with the issues 🙂

Dependencies (D in RAID)

Dependencies are items being delivered- or supplied-  from elsewhere, and that may not be directly in your control.

i.e. in order for your project to deliver, your dependencies must be present / delivered / supported.

Dependencies are quite frequently what cause project failure – track these carefully!

 

Excel RAID Log & Dashboard Template

RAID Log Template

This Excel Template is a handy format which allows you to track your RAID items, their status, and assign them to owners.

Some examples templates in the “Risk” area

 

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Roadmap with PEST

This Roadmap Template features a PEST factors area, where important Political, Economical, Social and Technological factors can be listed on the timeline.

This Roadmap with PEST factors area. Click to enlarge.

This helps strategic planning by encouraging you to uncover the environmental factors will affect your projects and business.

Features of the ROADMAP with PEST:-

  1. Timeline
  2. KPI
  3. Projects
  4. PEST

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Our PEST Templates

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Roadmap Templates

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Product Roadmap Examples

Project Schedule Roadmap

The Project Schedule Roadmap has a great presentation style which matches modern infographic layout.

This Product Roadmap shows Timeline, Workstreams and a Project Dashboard

Product Roadmap

  1. Product Title & details
  2. Project Timeline (in quarters, and you can change this)
  3. Workstreams areas, for Marketing, Development, KPI
  4. Product Dashboard (with RAG – Red, Amber, Green): Delivery, Budget, Resource, Marcomms, Dependencies  Risks, Issues, Radar
  5. Impressive “Activity Bar” graphics

See the Product Roadmap Template.

This template features both the Product Roadmap, and the Project Dashboard

Product Roadmap with Dashboard – 2

  1. Three Workstreams
  2. Product activities, with a RAG status
    1. Red – high risk
    2. Amber – medium risk
    3. Green – all ok
  3. Timeline
  4. Milestones on the timeline
  5. A project dashboard for project status
    1. Successes
    2. Upcoming releases
    3. Live risks
    4. Blockages
    5. Caveats

See the Product Roadmap Template with Dashboard 2.

The Agile Roadmap shows iterations alongside the Roadmap

Agile Product Roadmap

The Agile Product Roadmap format is a Powerpoint template that has slides for

  1. Agile Iterations Roadmap
  2. Agile Roadmap with Dashboard
  3. Agile Theme Summary Roadmap
  4. Agile Roadmap 2-Year Summary

These templates are used in scenarios when a roadmap is required for stakeholder communications, and when it needs to be aligned with multiple Agile delivery workstreams.

View the Agile Product Roadmap.

This Roadmap Template shows KPI, STATE, Projects, PEST factors

Product Roadmap with PEST factors

This Roadmap displays

  1. Business Change – START and TARGET STATEs
  2. KPI – Revenue and Market Share
  3. Projects & Initiatives
  4. PEST factors; Political, Economical, Social, Technological.

View the Roadmap Template (also features PEST area).

This Roadmap with Resources and Budget is perfect for project communication

Product Roadmap with Budget & Resources

This Product Roadmap emphasises the Product Investment, in terms of resources and budget.

Features:

  1. 5 workstreams
  2. An area against each workstream to detail the resources and/or budget allocated to that workstream
  3. A “Summary” area where the resources and/or budget can be summarised
  4. A timeline with example milestones
  5. The milestones can be dragged along the timeline, and the dates change automatically
  6. A legend for the timeline areas

See the Project Roadmap with Budget and Resource Template.

View our recently added Transition Plan Template

Product Transition Roadmap

This Roadmap is designed to communicate Transition Plans

  1. Timeline
  2. Milestones
  3. Event markers in each workstream
  4. Management workstream (to show coordination activities in the transition project)
  5. Communications Workstream (announcements, comms)
  6. HR Workstream (transition HR issues management)
  7. Relocation Workstream
  8. IT Workstream (PC and telecomms)
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SWOT Analyse – Simple Idiots Guide: Templates, Examples & Help

We can help you SWOT Analyse your project or your idea. Here are some simple templates and guides to help you with SWOT, with examples.

The SWOT Analyse Template Pack

SWOT is part of Management Jargon, but is pretty useful for fast assessment of lots of ideas.

What EXACTLY Does SWOT Analyse Mean?

S.W.O.T. stands for:

  1. Strengths – What things are GOOD?
  2. Weaknesses – …and what things are BAD?
  3. Opportunities – Does it open up areas which are GOOD?
  4. Threats – Are there things that MESS IT UP?

SWOT Cheat Sheet

Here are some prompts for your SWOT, so that you can make it complete:

Strengths

  • Patents?
  • Strong brand name?
  • Good reputation among customers?
  • Many product lines?
  • Broad market coverage?
  • Manufacturing competence?
  • Good marketing skills?
  • Good materials management systems?
  • R&D skills and leadership?
  • Information system competencies
  • .. more available from our SWOT analysis template discount bundle

Weaknesses

  • Obsolete, narrow product lines?
  • Rising manufacturing costs?
  • Decline in R&D innovations?
  • Poor marketing skills?
  • Old content management systems?
  • Poor reputation?
  • High cost structure?
  • Loss of customer good will?
  • Bad information systems?
  • Inadequate human resources?
  • Lack of access to distribution channels?
  • .. more available from our SWOT analysis template discount bundle

Opportunities

  • Expand core business(es)?
  • Exploit new market segments?
  • Arrival of new technologies?
  • Removal of international trade barriers?
  • Exploit unfulfilled customer need?
  • Widen new market segments?
  • Extend cost or differentiation advantage?
  • Diversify into new growth businesses?
  • … more available from our SWOT analysis template discount bundle

Threats

  • Attacks on your core business(es)?
  • Increases in domestic competition?
  • Shift in consumer tastes?
  • Emergence of substitute products?
  • New regulations?
  • Increased trade barriers?
  • Increases in foreign competition?
  • Change in consumer taste?
  • Fall in barriers to entry?
  • Rise in new or substitute products?
  • … more available in our SWOT analysis template discount bundle

Get a bundle of templates to help

SWOT Analyse Template Discount Bundle
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Running a Website Tender – RFI, RFP, ITT

Have you run a website tender before? If not, here are some pointers to help. (NB – this is only for sub-OJEU level tenders – less than ~£140k [see OJEC]).

For sub £15k projects, you should find the supplier you like, and award the contract directly. For those between £15k and £100k, you should include 3-6 suppliers in a tender process.

Use reliable templates for your tender documents

We have a set of tried and tested website design tender templates here, which will help you through the process.

What is your website project? Define it!

Be sure your project is well defined – the features you want, target platforms (mobile, web,..), a design brief, start date, delivery date, guide budget, and include any support you are likely to need during the process.

Find some suitable suppliers…

Put together a list of 3rd party suppliers who are suitable. If you do not know any, you can find help from e.g. Business Link.

If you have too many, you can narrow the list down by using an RFI to screen for suitable suppliers – this is a document with a set of questions which probe whether suppliers could deliver your project to your satisfaction.

Send out a Website RFP (request for proposal)

Using an RFP template, send out your “Request for Proposal”. You then allow the group of suppliers to work on this proposal for at least a couple of weeks

Select your supplier, fairly

You will need to conduct a fair evaluation of each proposal, with scores, to assist you in making a fair and documented decision. Use a pre-agreed set of criteria (which should be lined up with the requirements you put in your RFP) to mark each supplier’s proposal. You should do this with at least 1 other person, so that you have another point of view, and so that you can mitigate any ommissions you may have made.

The Website Design Tender template pack

Website Tender Templates

You can find a set of website design tender templates here – this includes RFI, RFP and Evaluation templates. If you need help with these, please contact us.

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How to run a Website Design Tender

Need to find a supplier to design and build your website?  How do you ensure that you get enough information up front to make the best choice?

We’ve recently created a website design tender template pack to take the complication out of the process with a simple explanation for all of the acronyms.

ITT, RFI, RFP?

What is an ITT (invitation to tender)? What is an RFI (request for information)? What is an RFP (request for proposal)?  The request for information and request for proposal templates set out all of the questions you need to ask a website agency or freelancer which you can tailor to suit your requirements.

When you’ve finally got a selection of interested parties, all ready to show off their prices and skills, how do you decide?  This is when an evaluation criteria template will come in handy – these are professional prompts to guide you to the best and fairest choice.

Download the Website Design Tender Template pack here.