Me vs Risks: Managing risks over projects

Recently, i've been swimming, running,walking,crawling and most likely lurking around the world of website development. I got a few projects caught up in my hand, One is our thesis project which is the Quezon Online Auction ; A website that offers auction functionalities for consumers, buyers and sellers all over Quezon, Province Philippines (feel free to view :D). The other one is from a client of mine (courtesy of dean vannij) hailing from Atlanta Georgia. This project was known as d & s publishing ; A website that provides publishing or advertising towards its many different section like sports, entertainment, news etc. By the time i was appointed to this client, The client demanded to change the name to affordable advertiser. Requirement changes already strucked on me on my first assignment..That was one of the many risk abiding projects such as website development.
Honestly, im a noob, a newbie, an apprentice, a level 1 good looking guy when it comes to developing and managing websites. I have never imaginged myself working on projects like this and i have never thought that i would also be fond of it. Im making this article to share to you some of my experiences and the "Risks" i have encountered during my early website development era.
When it comes to projects, risks are irritably unavoidable. Nothing is perfect even websites.
Reminiscing over our thesis project, it is nearly done or are we the ones how are done? lol..When i first worked on it, It was all me..I didnt really much involve my groupmates bcus i was in a roll, a momentum that i can handle on my own..but then again, it was a risk. Now im gonna list here the risks bumping us over our thesis project(Quezon Auction) and the ways to get a grip on it so we could get back on the right track.
1.) Uncoordinated groupmates - uncoordinated means bad for both the project and the proponents, It is not just a risk of having a shortfall over an organized progress over the project development but as well a risk on the performance level of the team. What needed is to get my groupmates involve and assign them accordingly to their capacity or talent. Have a meeting from time to time and assign who will do this and that coordinating to time.
2.)Management,Schedule, Budget, Budget, Schedule, Management - Of course, thesis isn't our only subject to deal with so we have to give time over other subjects and especially to our selves and loved ones. Sometimes, we would rather sit on a couch than sit in front of a computer developing the project and then when it comes to our project and other requirement fees we would rather expend the money on foods and complain how expensive the project fees and why. In order to fix these slacking attitude of ours, Using project management tools such as the gantt chart, PERT/CPM, S-curve etc. We can keep track of our schedules,assignments and fees over the project.
3.)Proponents lack business related experience over project - As students, we are learning so as the need to adapt over our project. We need to use a method of prototyping, interview a more experienced users and study some of the existing similar projects.
4.)Wrong project functions and properties - Everything have to be connected and functioning according to its foundation and requirements over the users. We need to conduct thorough analysis of the business flow/procedures and then construct it according to our intended project.


Risks are always around the corner, Consider the accomplishment and success of your project. My advise is be a step ahead, be more precise and coordinated so that you or your team can get through the ups and downs on your projects. Till then! -joshi

Quezon Auction gets no. 1 in Google

For a while, I was having trouble knowing how SEO or Search Engine Optimization really works.. My first google search on Quezon Auction (our thesis project), shows us on page 1, woohoo but at the point where we still havent fixed the meta description and the meta keys..it still lacks the strength to get on the top. So after fixing and modifying our configuration.php script on our site.. Still its not yet showing...why is that?... after a few more days....here it is finally..i guess the google's web crawlers really goes through your meta and get everything accordingly. Now the description got updated and we finally get no. 1...and hopefully it stays on top!
Quezon Auction no. 1 (google search) on october 3, 2008 using keywords quezon auction

our meta key tags are : quezon, auction, Quezon, Auction
Any other tips from you all who specializes on SEO..please do give tips and comments..i would really be grateful!

Please do visit Quezon Online Auction

Project Management Ultimatum: Quezon Province's Auction Website Development

The very first thing you do is think of a good thesis project. A project that can define quality and uniqueness....aww heck, thinking of the "Unique" consumes a lot of time so lets go to the easiest way of what you can have for a project.. "A common function or actual invented principle implemented on something or somewhere that does not have it" ..hmmm hows that?.. Next stop, think of an ecommerce that can interest the viewers and in the same time, can help you out in earning from it.. And then a place where you can establish it... lastly, add up my ideas and charisma lol! What do we got?!

QUEZON ONLINE AUCTION , An Ecommerce website based on Quezon, Province Philippines wherein the sale of goods are bid by intending buyers against one another for individual items, each of which is sold to the bidder offering the highest price.

Under the development process, we came in on a few bumps on how to handle and manage certain things considering every inch of how, when and what?!

In order to fix those and add some chronological order and justice as i may say to this project of ours. We need to depend on some methods, techniques and processes in project management.

The Gantt Chart can be very helpful to....let's say to provide us a graphical illustration of our schedule to plan, coordinate, and track specific tasks in developing Quezon Online Auction. Here's a shot of our thesis original gantt chart made from microsoft excel.
Another great help: Add a Milestone to allow the project's management to a much more accurate and deterministic on whether or not the project is on schedule. Here is a Microsoft project version of our gantt chart with milestone.
Atleast this lessened up the pain and made our planning and scheduling better, but wait..there's more... I've come across this technique called Program Evaluation Review Technique ...making it simple as PERT, yeah lets call it PERT!! lol! anyway its bringing something with it and its a method..A method known as Critical Path Method or better as CPM..respectively this are network techniques used to aid in the planning, scheduling, monitoring and control of the activities which are related to each other. Here is another shot of our attempt of the PERTechnique and CPMethod.The Framework for PERT and CPM

Essentially, there are six steps which are common to both the techniques. The procedure is listed below:

1. Define the Project and all of it's significant activities or tasks. The Project (made up of several tasks) should have only a single start activity and a single finish activity.

2. Develop the relationships among the activities. Decide which activities must precede and which must follow others.

3. Draw the "Network" connecting all the activities. Each Activity should have unique event numbers. Dummy arrows are used where required to avoid giving the same numbering to two activities.

4. Assign time and/or cost estimates to each activity

5. Compute the longest time path through the network. This is called the critical path.

6. Use the Network to help plan, schedule, monitor and control the project.

Cost presentation: here is a brief chart of our expenditures throughout the planning phase to development phase of the auction website. Still have'nt reach the implementation process yet but we'll get to it pretty soon.


Now, talking bout women's curve hahaha, let's talk about this S-curve that is also a major benefit in project management. They say that the S stands for Sigmoid Curve which means a mathematical process or function that results in a S shaped curve. This S-curve is used as a means of representing the various expenditures of resources over the projected time of the project or as a means of charting the real time expenditure of resources. So right here is a preview of our predicted cost and actual cost throughout the development of Quezon Online Auction in s-curve.

Overall, all this project management techniques, methods, styles or whatever you may wanna call em' .. All of em' have been a great help to our project development process.. You can apply this all in any other projects you may think of.. so give a little light, a path, a road and a sight to your projects by using these methods.. and by god help you! lol! you'll get through it just fine c",)

Please do visit our Quezon Online Auction thanks!