Management on Shafiq Alibhai

Things to do and questions to ask when starting a new contract

Thu, 22 May 2025 12:07:12 +0200

Before starting a contract, consider the following:

Is a BPSS check necessary?
Is a DBS check necessary?
Is the start date dependent on the client providing a laptop and completing setup?

Red Flags and Lessons Learned

Be cautious when:
- Code reviews are done by someone not actively working with you or partially working with you.
- Organizations use ServiceNow for project requests instead of support/change tickets.
- There are no operational tasks done in a squad/team.
- The lead engineer is not working on your project.
Best practices:
- Get to know all ongoing projects before focusing on one.
- Create a onboarding Jira ticket if possible.
- Conduct 1-to-1 meetings with all team members.
- Focus on making a positive impact and building workplace relationships rather than just performance.

Questions to Ask the Client

Consulting Framework

Thu, 22 May 2025 12:04:38 +0200

To determine the viability of a consulting project, consider the following factors:

Can the client easily find a solution online?

Ideally, the answer should be “no”, indicating that the problem requires specialized expertise.

What are the consequences of a failed solution?

The cost of failure should be significant, but not catastrophic. This could include financial losses, reputational damage, or operational disruptions.

How quickly can you deliver a solution?

The faster you can deliver a working solution, the better. This demonstrates your value to the client and helps build trust.

How confident are you in your ability to deliver a great solution?

You should be 100% confident in your ability to deliver a high-quality solution. Anything less may undermine the client’s trust and make it harder to close the deal.

Self-Promotion at Work

Thu, 15 May 2025 14:30:04 +0200

1: Introduction

Self-promotion is one of the key ingredients of success in the workplace. This guide will provide you with tips and tricks to help you sell yourself and advance in your career.

2: Pronouns and Communication

Using the right pronouns in conversation can be a subtle yet effective way of self-promoting. Taking credit for your work and avoiding the use of “we” when discussing individual accomplishments can help you get the recognition you deserve.

10 most popular books on soft skills for project managers

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 04:31:03 +0000

“How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie
- This classic book offers timeless advice on communication, relationship-building, and influence.
“Emotional Intelligence 2.0” by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves
- This book provides insights into understanding and improving emotional intelligence, crucial for effective leadership.
“Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High” by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler
- This book offers techniques for handling high-stakes conversations where outcomes can impact project success.
“Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us” by Daniel H. Pink

Security Clearance Vetting for Access to Cloud Production Environments

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 01:50:03 +0000

Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services such as servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics and intelligence over the internet. Cloud services offer many benefits such as scalability, flexibility, cost-efficiency and innovation. However, they also pose significant security risks, especially when it comes to accessing and managing sensitive data and assets in cloud production environments.

A cloud production environment is where the actual live applications and data are hosted and accessed by end-users. It is different from a cloud development or testing environment, where the applications and data are still under development or testing and not available to the public. A cloud production environment requires a high level of security and reliability to ensure that the applications and data are protected from unauthorized access, modification, deletion or disclosure.

Collaboration in a DevOps Team

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 11:08:20 +0000

DevOps is a philosophy that emphasizes collaboration between development and operations teams. The goal of DevOps is to speed up the delivery of software while maintaining high levels of quality and security. Collaboration is key to the success of a DevOps team.

One of the most important ways in which development and operations teams can collaborate is through the use of shared tools and platforms. These tools and platforms allow teams to share information and communicate effectively, which is critical for achieving the goals of DevOps. For example, a common platform for development and operations teams is a source code management system, such as Git. This system allows teams to collaborate on code and track changes, making it easier to identify and resolve issues.

Project Initiation Documentation RACI Chart

Tue, 30 Dec 2014 15:56:13 +0000

Stakeholder RACI Matrix Spreadsheet

Sun, 28 Dec 2014 10:53:53 +0000

Download Stakeholder RACI Matrix

Break stakeholders into smaller groups according to roles or goals [doc]

Mon, 15 Dec 2014 14:06:04 +0000

Download Stakeholder Roles Groups Document

Stakeholder List Document

Mon, 08 Dec 2014 10:19:56 +0000

Download -> Stakeholder List Document

Some notes on people skills and emotional intelligence – 1

Sun, 07 Dec 2014 12:01:02 +0000

Five essential people skills:
- rapport building
- curiosity
- communication
- ambition
- and conflict resolution
Assertiveness: the ability to speak and act in ways that naturally cause people to respond attentively and positively.
Use phrases like “You could be right about that. . . .” or “I understand how you feel. . . .”
Keep a diary of aggressive and passive behaviour on your part.
…

How to Sharpen Your Political IQ for a Smoother Career Path

Wed, 03 Sep 2014 13:39:09 +0000

Navigating the intricacies of office politics can often feel like walking through a minefield. However, developing a keen political IQ can not only help you survive but thrive in your professional environment. Here’s how to smarten up your game and make the most out of your work relationships.

Clearly Map Out Your Path to Success#

Before you can even think about manoeuvring through the maze of office politics, you need to have a clear idea of where you want to go. What are your career goals? What milestones do you need to hit along the way? Understanding your ambitions will give you a roadmap to navigate through the complexity of the workplace.

Risk Assessment Checklist

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 07:51:08 +0000

Download link : Risk Assessment Checklist

Risk Assessment Checklist

Project Name:

Project Code:

Program Manager:

Project Manager:

Engineering Process Requirements

Item	Yes	No	NA	Remarks
Stability
Are the requirements stable?
Are the external interfaces changing?
Completeness
Are there requirements you know should be in the specification but aren’t?
(IF Yes) Will you be able to get these requirements into the system?
Does the customer have unwritten requirements/expectations?
Are the external interfaces completely defined?
Clarity
Are you able to understand the requirements as written?
There are no ambiguities or problems of interpretation?
Validity
Are there any requirements that may not specify what the customer really wants?
Do you and the customer understand the same thing by the requirements?
How do you validate the requirements?
Feasibility
Are there any requirements that are technically difficult to implement?
Precedent
Do requirements specify something never done before, or that your company has not done before?
Scale
Is the system size and complexity a concern?

Page 1 of 10 Version No.1.0 / Date: 21-01-2012 Working Copy If Printed

The Comprehensive Guide to Order-to-Cash (OTC) Process

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 05:15:24 +0000

Download the Guide: Order to Cash PDF Guide

Introduction to Order-to-Cash (OTC)#

Order-to-Cash, often abbreviated as OTC, is an essential business process that starts when a customer places an order and ends when the payment is received and recorded. It encompasses a series of steps like order creation, fulfillment, invoicing, and payment collection. Let’s break it down into these seven key sub-processes:

Customer Engagement: How you interact with your customers.
Order Entry: Taking and logging the customer’s order.
Order Fulfillment: Filling the order either digitally or physically.
Distribution: Logistics and shipping of the order.
Invoicing: Generating a bill for the customer.
Payment Collection: Receiving money from the customer.
Receipt Recording: Documenting the received payment.

Why is Order-to-Cash Important?#

The OTC process is crucial for many businesses because it represents the entire customer experience, from initial contact to final payment. Companies often use ERP systems like SAP to streamline this process. These systems not only automate various tasks but also perform essential functions like credit checks, availability checks, and so on.

Sample Scrum Template

Sat, 01 Oct 2011 08:40:49 +0000

Download Link : scrum-tmpl-100212

Project Proposal Template

Sat, 01 Oct 2011 07:18:20 +0000

Download Link : proposal-template.doc

[Proposal] To For <Services Offered / Project name> <Date: dd-mm-yyyy> [Table of Contents]

Response to [RFP].. 3
[Executive Summary].. 3
Company Profile.. 3
Scope of Work.. 3
Architecture.. 3
Assumptions. 3
Work Estimate.. 3
Cost Estimate.. 3
Terms and Conditions. 3
Company’s Experience.. 3

#

Response to RFP

<Highlight the RFP / Solicitation identification number and a brief introduction to the document>

Proposals and Contracts [Sample]

Sat, 01 Oct 2011 07:00:19 +0000

Download Link : Proposals and Contracts Procedure_1

Proposals and Contracts Procedure#

Version 1.0

S.No	Description	Version No	Requested By	Authorised By
1.	Initial	1.0	NA

Objectives

The objective of this procedure is to define and establish the process of generating and submitting proposals, and of reviewing and finalizing contracts.
Scope

The scope of this procedure applies to all proposals submitted to prospects and contracts finalized with the customers.
References
- [Requirements Management] Procedure
- [Project Management] Procedure
- Audit Procedure
- Review Procedure
Outstanding Issues

Sample Issue Tracker Spreadsheet

Sat, 01 Oct 2011 06:31:21 +0000

Download link : sample issue tracker spreadsheet

The Fine Line Between Developers and Administrators - A Balancing Act

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 04:36:59 +0000

Learning from your own experiences is priceless. We’ve all made our share of blunders, myself included. While sharing tales of our missteps might provide some comic relief, the real value lies in the lessons learned. You don’t forget a mistake when you’ve had to deal with its consequences.

Speaking from firsthand observation, it’s not uncommon for developers to roll out code live, often hastily, to meet pressing business deadlines. The urgency tends to outweigh any considerations for the potential havoc it could wreak on a production environment. These situations occur more often than you might think.

Make it free or fail

Sun, 02 Jan 2011 07:16:38 +0000

As a project manager, I’ve seen the freemium model become increasingly popular in the software development community. The idea is simple: offer a basic version of your product for free, and then charge for premium features or additional functionality. This model has worked well for some companies, but I believe it’s a risky proposition for most startups.

Here are a few reasons why:

It’s difficult to attract enough users to generate a reliable revenue stream. In the crowded app and webapp space, it’s getting harder and harder to stand out from the crowd. Even if you do manage to attract a large number of users, it’s no guarantee that they’ll be willing to pay for your premium features. It’s difficult to get users to upgrade to a premium plan. Once users have gotten used to getting your product for free, they may be reluctant to pay for it, even if they’re getting a lot of value from it. It’s difficult to provide good customer support. When you have a large number of free users, it can be difficult to provide them with the level of customer support they need. This can lead to negative reviews and a poor user experience. I believe that startups are better off focusing on building a fantastic product and charging for it. This may seem counterintuitive, but it’s actually the best way to ensure long-term success.

Never use a shared database server for development work.

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 08:39:58 +0000

Like many conveniences in software development, a shared database is a tar pit waiting to fossilize a project. Developers overwrite each other’s changes. The changes I make on the server break the code on your development machine. Remote development is slow and difficult. Avoid using a shared database at all costs, as they ultimately waste time and help produce bugs.

One Perspective on Improved Software Quality and Reduced Risks

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 04:11:06 +0000

We talk endlessly about improved software quality and reduced risks, but deployable software is the most tangible asset to “outsiders”
such as clients or users. The importance of this point cannot be overstated.

Note to Self – Project Management

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 06:20:39 +0000

You can manage scopes of time, cost, and quality much more effectively by basing your decisions on working software with actual feedback and metrics, not just task items on a project schedule.

Completeness of the Requirements Set

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 06:40:13 +0000

A set of requirements is complete if and only if it describes all significant requirements of concern to the user, including requirements associated with functionality, performance, design constraints, attributes, or external interfaces.

Requirements Gathering

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 11:02:19 +0000

Just as there is no one right programming language for every application, there is no one right way to develop the more detailed specifications. Different environments call for different techniques, and the requirements managers and requirements writers will probably need to develop a mix of skills suited to various circumstances.

Software Development Process

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 08:26:25 +0000

The team’s development process defines who is doing what, when, and how.
In the waterfall model, software activities proceed through a sequence of steps, with each step based on the activities of the previous step.
The spiral model begins with a series of risk-driven prototypes, followed by a structured waterfall-like process.
The iterative approach, a hybrid of the waterfall and spiral models, decouples the lifecycle phases from the software activities that take place in each phase.
No matter what model you use, you must develop at least one early prototype to get customer feedback.

Why can we not allow for a process that creates detailed requirements and design information for each feature so that we can create more meaningful estimates?

Mon, 19 Jul 2010 09:26:59 +0000

Some people may think that the best way to estimate a project is to have detailed requirements and design information for each feature. They may argue that this is the most professional and accurate way to approach the problem. However, I disagree with this view. I think that it is more important to be able to make quick decisions about the scope of the project without spending too much time and resources on detailed estimates. Why? Because detailed estimates often turn out to be wrong or irrelevant later on, and they create “wasted inventory” that could have been used for more valuable activities. I’d suggest you only do detailed estimates when the schedule allows for it, and when you have a clear understanding of the value and priority of each feature.

Project Scope and Success

Sat, 17 Jul 2010 09:40:52 +0000

In many projects, in order to provide a reasonable probability of success, it will be necessary to reduce the scope by as much as a factor of two.

The "Yes, But" Syndrome

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 06:13:26 +0000

One of the most frustrating, pervasive, and seemingly downright sinister problems in all of application development is the “Yes, But” syndrome, being the observation of the users’ reaction to every piece of software I have ever developed.

For whatever reason, I always observe two immediate, distinct, and separate reactions when the users see the system implementation for the first time:

• “Wow, this is so cool; we can really use this, what a neat job, atta boy,” and so on. • “Yes, but, hmmmmm, now that I see it, what about this … ? Wouldn’t it be nice if … ? Whatever happened to … ?”

Productivity of all Individuals vs. Team Productivity

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 08:14:38 +0000

Software development is a complex and collaborative process that requires effective teamwork and communication. However, many software teams struggle with productivity issues and fail to deliver high-quality products on time and within budget. In this post, I will discuss why team productivity is more important than individual productivity, and how you can improve your software team’s performance by applying some proven strategies and best practices.

The Importance of Team Productivity#

According to Boehm, the COCOMO cost estimation model shows that the capability of the team has the greatest impact on software production. This means that the quality and efficiency of the software product depend largely on how well the team works together. Davis agrees with this conclusion and states that “optimising the productivity of all individuals does not necessarily result in optimising the productivity of the team”. In other words, having a team of highly skilled and productive individuals does not guarantee a successful software project. There are other factors that affect team productivity, such as communication, coordination, collaboration, motivation, and trust.

How to Implement Scrum Development Model in 8 Steps

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 06:52:15 +0000

Goa
Management
Requirement
Requirements
shafiq
Development
Sprint
Stand-up meeting

disableHLJS: false#

Scrum is an agile development model that allows teams to deliver software products faster and with higher quality. Scrum involves breaking down the product into small and manageable pieces called backlog items, and working on them in short iterations called sprints. Here are the 8 steps you need to follow to implement Scrum successfully:

Step 1: Prepare your product backlog. The product backlog is a list of features and requirements that you want to include in your product. You need to involve the stakeholders, such as the customers, users, or managers, to create and prioritise this list. You also need to get the approval of the product owner, who is the person responsible for defining and managing the product vision and goals.

Restarting a Project from Scratch !

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 05:40:13 +0000

Why Programmers Want to Start Over

Have you ever felt the urge to scrap your code and rewrite it from scratch? If so, you’re not alone. Many programmers have this temptation, and there’s a hidden reason behind it. The reason is not that the old code is bad, but that it’s hard to understand. There’s a fundamental principle of programming that explains this: Reading code is harder than writing it. This is why reusing code is so challenging. This is why every developer on your team has their own favourite way of splitting strings into arrays. They create their own function because it’s more enjoyable and simpler than learning how the existing one works.

Basic Software Development Process – Points

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:38:48 +0000

Basic Software Development Process:

Defining the requirements.
Approval.
Template designs.
Template approval.
Coding.
Internal release.
Testing.
Alpha release.
Beta release.
Project goes live.

This is the process I follow.

Some Questions to Ask Before You Join a Startup

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:18:17 +0000

IP
job market
job offer
Management
outflow
page views
promise
sed
ships
tens

disableHLJS: false#

Joining a startup can be an exciting and rewarding career move, but it also comes with risks and challenges. You need to do your homework and understand what you’re signing up for. Here are 10 questions you should ask before accepting a job offer from a startup.

How much cash do you have on hand?#

This is a straightforward question that requires a clear answer. You want to know how much money the startup has in the bank, not how much it expects to raise or borrow. A promise of money is not the same as money in the bank. If the startup runs out of cash, it will go out of business.