Project Management

PRINCE was established in 1989 by CCTA (the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency), since renamed the OGC (the Office of Government Commerce). The method was originally based on PROMPT, a project management method created originally by Simpact Systems Ltd in 1975. PROMPT was adopted by CCTA in 1979 as the standard to be used for all Government information system projects. When PRINCE was launched in 1989, it effectively superseded PROMPT within Government projects. PRINCE remains in the public domain and copyright is retained by the Crown. PRINCE is a registered trademark of OGC.

At Swan we've taken a leaf out of their book and use the PRINCE methodology to help us implement all new projects.

Why use a Project Management Method?

Project failures are all too common - some make the headlines, the vast majority are quickly forgotten.

The reasons for failure are wide and varied. Some common causes are...

• Lack of communication, leading to solutions which are not what the customer wanted
• Inadequate planning of resources, activities and scheduling
• Poor estimation of duration and costs, leading to projects taking more time and costing more money than expected
• Lack of co-ordination of resources and activities
• Lack of control over progress, so that projects do not reveal their exact status until too late

Let's face it given the choice why wouldn't you?