Rethink mobile app development strategy with Progressive Web App

Google has put forward a way to have one application be on both mobile devices and web, known as Progressive Web Apps (PWA). These applications take benefit of the modern browser and web capabilities to give a native app like experience to users. A progressive web app may seem like a native mobile app as it behaves and appears like a native app. But, the progress app is entirely different because it uses modern browser and web capabilities for delivering an app-like user experience and has a responsive layout.

The best thing about progressive apps is that it loads quickly even on network connections with a slower speed, have an icon and splash screen on the home screen and can send push notifications. When these apps are launched from the home screen, they blend into the environment; they are full screen, top level and can work offline. Following are some major features of a progressive mobile app:

• Progressive – These apps can easily work on all browsers for every user
• Responsive – These apps work seamlessly across all form factors
• Connectivity independent – Can work on low quality network connections as well as offline
• App-like – Offers app-style navigation and interactions
• Fresh – This app is always up-to-date
• Secure – The app is secure as it is served through HTTPS
• Discoverable – These apps enable search engine discovery because they are recognizable as “applications”
• Re-engageable – These apps possess amazing features, such as push notifications which make user re-engagement easy
• Installable – It allows users to keep their favorite apps on their home screen
• Linkable – You can share this app via URL without the need of installing this app from the app store.

Benefits of Progressive Web App

Progressive web apps provide a number of advantages for everyone involved. The user will be able to install the “app” instantly without a large download or without visiting the app store. Organizations can easily develop web apps without needing the separate iOS and Android teams. They can update as well as launch their app without going through the process of the app store approval. Defect fixes and releases can be deployed instantly. 

Progressive Web App is website hence limited by what web can do today.  You will be surprised to know what is possible with web now (https://whatwebcando.today/).  As of now featured required for PWA are supported by Chrome, Opera. Mozilla Firefox (Extending the Web’s capabilities in Firefox and beyond) and Microsoft Edge ( Service Worker ) are developing the required features. Safari also lists service workers as “under consideration.” Overall Progressive Web App has enormous huge upside.

 PWA Examples

• Google Inbox
• Flipkart Lite

[Image: https://developers.google.com/web/updates/images/2015-03-03/add-to-home-screen.gif]

Find more information on PWA at following links

• Alex Russell — Escaping the tab without losing our soul
• Chrome — (YouTube Video) Progressive Web Apps
• Google - Progressive Web Apps
• Your first Progressive Web App - Google Codelabs

Share your development experience with Progressive Web App development.

PMO KPI - Measuring Success

A KPI (key performance indicator) is a kind of performance indicator, such as metrics, which an organization uses for evaluating the success of a specific activity.

PMO KPI

The PMO requires to define as well as agree on a specific set of metrics (with its stakeholders) for showing that it offers value to the business.

 The PMO KPIs are agreed collection of indicators that when achieved, should prove that the PMO has accomplished for what it was setup for.

Why PMO should have KPIs

KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) are the pillars of business. These indicators are used by executives, leaders and managers to help them understand that whether their business is on the right path for success, and, in case, it is not, then KPIs identify areas where to focus and make improvements. The goal of a PMO KPI is to bring about improvement in organization outcome delivery.

But with the amount of data that businesses and organizations generate, it is important to choose the right measures and indicators. Thus, KPIs must be aligned with the overall company strategy and objectives.

 If lots of effort and correct time has been spent to define a good set of important KPI’s, then PMO has delivered value.  But, if the wrong KPI’s have been selected, although they get achieved, still, the value will not be delivered and will have no positive impact on the business. Therefore, the PMO should have KPI for its continuous performance measurement and improvement.

List of major KPI

Following is a list of a few possible metrics. However, you still need to fine-tune them to make them fit as per your project portfolio.

• The percentage of the delivered projects.
• The percentage of projects stopped or not delivered.
• ROI (Return on Investment) for all of the PMO projects.
• How long would it take to start a project and deliver it and how good you are at estimating your project delivery time?
• Percentage of projects at Green/On Track, Amber/ Manageable Risk and Red/Significant Risk status.
• Elapsed Time from the conception of an idea to the delivery of the project.
• The difference between actual deliverables and required deliverables.
• Estimated costs as compared to the actual costs.
• The difference between the Benefit Forecast and Benefits Realized for a year.

Which KPIs are used in your organization?

IT PMO - Establish and Manage the Project Management Organization (PMO)

In this fast paced corporate atmosphere, it is a common practice to constantly take new projects to keep the business alive in the market. Thus, companies strive for ways to enhance productivity, improve processes and reduce costs. However, sometimes, it gets difficult to manage these projects as the risk of failure is generally too high.

One of the ideal methodologies to make sure proper governance of projects across every level is to establish a PMO (Project Management Organization) in line with best practices and management standards.

What Is A PMO?

Basically, a PMO (Project Management Organization) is a unit within an organization that enforces accountability, provides governance, and sets standards and rules to control multiple projects in a consistent and objective manner.

Typically, its mandate includes working as a partner to other organizational entities, and creating a decision-making and communication platform that results in organizational wide synergies and efficiencies. Thus, an operational PMO will then provide the firms with skilled resources, infrastructure, tools and processes essential necessary for efficient management of the project by establishing communication platforms, allocating resources, and leveraging standards.

Top Advantages of a PMO

• A central project coordination entity for the stakeholder
• Establish a base to manage organizational portfolio in an efficient manner
• A central repository for the management of projects
• Implementation of a consistent project management practices across the organization.
• Deliver projects with success, efficiency and predictable consistency.
• Enhance employee productivity and stakeholder satisfaction
• Provide financial reporting and transparent status to executive leadership
• Effective management of projects with available resources
• Alignment of investment to organizational strategy
• Provide cost benefits through successful execution of high ROI (Return on Investment) initiatives, limited project failures and enhanced resource management.

Establishing and Managing a PMO

There are some steps that must be followed while establishing a PMO and to further manage it.

Step 1: Assess Maturity

• You need to understand the existing state of the organization and its PMO
• Analyze gaps, weaknesses, and strengths and then place the PMO according to the suitable maturity level.
• Assess the organization’s technology orientation. Decision making maturity, cross departmental synergies and organizational process.

Step 2: Set up a Target State

• Remember, the progress of PMO is directly proportional to its organization growth, thus you need to define the PMO target state, based on organization's adaptability and executive sponsorship.
• Engrave the PMO’s scope as per the nature of projects, geographic location, target business areas and its own
• State qualitative indicators and metrics to assess the PMO performance.

Step 3: Establishment Of Roadmap And Implementation

• Prioritize disciplinary and structural set up of the PMO
• Create targets for 1, 2, 3, 6 and 12 months.
• Recognize and execute the PMO pilots
• Carry out road show all across the company to demonstrate to explain the PMO’s advantages and its processes.

Step 4: Struggle For Constant Improvement

You need to evaluate the performance of the PMO as well as ask for feedback from stakeholders on a periodic basis.