The deployment and integration of new IT solutions into your environment can place a remarkable amount of strain on the time, money, and resources of your organization. Sentinel's highly experienced project management team aims to add simplicity, efficiency, and clarity to that process through our unique blend of formal planning techniques and sophisticated virtualized workflows. We provide guidance, clear communication, and detailed work assignments to help all project participants fully understand their roles, monitor progress, avoid unnecessary confusion, and minimize risk.
Our Methodology
When customers purchase a solution or service from Sentinel, they are assigned one of our PMP-certified Project Managers to ensure everything is completed on time and on budget. Project Managers take the time to understand the scope of work and all the deliverables, then function as a liaison between the customer and the Sentinel engineering team to assign tasks and enforce deadlines.
All of Sentinel's projects are run through the ServiceNow platform. This is available as part of our My Sentinel online portal so customers can closely track risks, issues, variances, action items, and overall project progress. ServiceNow also functions as a dedicated space to share documents and ask questions as needed.
The Sentinel Project Management team is skilled in both Waterfall and Agile methodologies, two widely recognized process models with different approaches based on the type of engagement. Waterfall requires a project to be completed in a specific linear order, while Agile groups different pieces of a project together in a series of “sprints” that are each completed over limited time frames. ServiceNow enables Sentinel to take a hybrid approach with certain engagements, where some phases are completed using Waterfall and others employ Agile in an effort to maximize overall efficiency.
A standard Sentinel project management engagement (typically requiring 80+ hours of technical services) begins with the following*:
Introduction
Call
Within two days of PMO notification, a Sentinel Project Manager will contact you to make an introduction and answer any of your initial questions.
Schedule
Customer Kick-Off
Within three days of the Introduction Call, the Project Manager will call again to arrange a “Customer Kick-Off” meeting with you and your team.
(Between the Introduction Call and Customer Kick-Off meeting, Sentinel assembles its team for an Internal Kick-Off to conduct a formal review of the project’s characteristics, inherent risks, and to perform formal planning and scheduling.)
Customer
Kick-Off Meeting
Within ten days of the Introduction Call, the Customer Kick-Off will be held either virtually or in-person at the customer’s location.
The purpose of this meeting is to:
- Approve the initiation documentation, risk review, and Top-Down Structured Planning (TDSP)
- Conduct a site walkthrough (if the project requires it)
- Schedule blueprint meeting(s)
After the Customer Kick-Off, a detailed final work schedule will be created and placed in ServiceNow. This schedule will be used to track and control the project. Once a schedule has been set and resources prepared, the project moves into the Design phase.
*Planning sessions, the creation of schedules, and other administrative project management documents such as risk plans, communication plans, and resource scheduling may extend beyond the time frames outlined above. The Project Management process may be customized based on factors including project size, urgency, or complexity.