Paul Chin
(postpaulchinonline.com)

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Put Theory Into Practice

Working the kinks out of a project plan during a production run is a bad idea. It will feel like you're walking on eggshells all the time. And when you fall through, the impact is going to be magnified by the fact that turning back will cause major delays in project milestones.

Sometimes what we put on paper doesn't translate well into real life. Everything seems possible when viewed on paper. We plan, and plan, and plan, but when it finally comes time to implement, we discover it's not doable. Staring blankly at well thought-out flowcharts and stacks of project specs, you wonder where it all went wrong.

Whether as a result of an overly ambitious goal, time constraints, technological limitations, or lack of resources, your pilot will allow you to test your theory and make adjustments on a much smaller scale before attempting to tackle the full project. Performance athletes train for big events by gradually upping intensity level and distance before packing their bags and heading to Hawaii for the Ironman Triathalon. Unless you want to find out, 10 minutes into the swim, that you're unable to complete the event, you'd be well-advised to do the same.

Test Intranet Team Dynamics

There's a very fine line separating an efficient intranet team from a dysfunctional family hellbent on putting the Munsters to shame. That's why selecting the right people to take part in an intranet project requires more thought than randomly pulling numbered balls out of a bingo cage and hoping everything falls into place properly.

When I was an IT greenhorn more than a decade ago, the first thing I was taught was the theory of "garbage in, garbage out". It was a mantra we were made to chant in unison along with the other bright-eyed neophytes so as to never forget its importance in the systems we develop. The same principle applies here. A cooperative effort will produce a prodigy; an uncooperative effort will produce Rosemary's baby.

An intranet team is comprised of multi-disciplinary personnel who may not necessarily speak the same language. While content providers are talking about site navigation and data structure, IT is talking about security and network infrastructure. With such varied backgrounds it's essential that everyone be on the same page at the same time. Pilots give you the opportunity to evaluate this working relationship among the potential production team members. As the pilot progresses, you'll be able to gauge how team members get along with one another, whether there are any major roadblocks to the project's progress (this is a euphemism for "giving the boot to the troublemakers and slackers"), and to establish an initial line of communication among the various departments and workgroups involved; in short, the better the team, the better the product.

Obtain Feedback From a Smaller Test Group

Whenever you implement a new system that will affect the company as a whole, it's important to test user reaction in a smaller, controlled environment before full deployment into the general user community. You need to do this for the same reason television executives create pilot episodes and hold pre-screenings. They do this to see how viewers respond to the new show and use the feedback to make last-minute script changes or leave certain things on the cutting room floor. Once the show has been polished, it's time to get ready for network television.

Your test group must represent the demographics of the company as a whole. Don't base it on one department alone. Select representatives from the core departments that will eventually make up your user base. They know how their staff go about their daily routine and can provide valuable feedback on what will and will not work for them. This is a first impression you really don't want to gamble with. Remember, you're building an intranet for the corporate community, not for yourself.

Time to Take Your Tiny Bite

Unlike what you may think, pilots are not just for beginners to cut their teeth on. Experienced developers build pilot projects, not so much because their ability or knowledge is lacking, but rather because they know that pilots are an essential stepping stone to full production intranets. And it's important for you to realize this as well.

Oh, and by the way, my friend who took that tiny bite out of our good friend, Funky Octopus... she finished the whole thing—successfully.