Wikis for IT Project Management - Assignment Example

WIKIS FOR IT PROJECT MANAGMMENT INTRODUCTION Information management is the assortment and organization of information from distributed sources to be accessed by a large audience. Nowadays, information can be either electronic or physical and it should be managed in a structured way irrespective of its source or format (audio, video, electronic, physical, etc.). Off lately, project managers have been giving a lot of importance to the use of wikis for information management because it allows easy communication and sharing of information across diverse distributed teams. It enables managers to simply share their research and data within a Web environment to be immediately accessed by their teams, and vice versa. The word wiki has been derived from the Hawaiian word for "quick" or "fast," meaning that a collaborative team can quickly construct a web site. Wiki is a website that is used to share and add information on web. It is basically a collection of interconnected pages that share information for a specific purpose. It was first created in 1995 by Ward Cunningham to deal with increasing number of pages in user groups and discussion groups. According to Cunningham, wiki is "the simplest online database that could possibly work” for searching, creating, editing and browsing information. In technical terms, wiki is collaborative server software that enables users to create and edit interlinked web pages through a web browser. It is open source software that supports hyperlinks and has easy to understand text syntax to create new web pages and links connecting internal pages of the wiki. Wikis allows users to write shared documents in simple markup language on a web browser. It enables users to interact and query complex, non-linear problems. It allows users to create and update pages at ease, often without even user authentication. Such open purpose wikis do not any have firm set of rules regarding the way information is to be organized. In contrast, wikis may also be purpose-oriented and editorial rights might lead to deletion of information that is irrelevant to the subject. Such wikis are usually on private wiki servers and requires user verification to edit pages. An example of such a wiki is Wikipedia, the largest and the most successful online database of information. ADVANTAGES OF WIKIS In Project Management, wikis serve as an effective platform to create and disseminate information in a timely manner. Here, I shall be discussing three most important advantages of wikis for IT Project Management. Every project has specific needs and they may be altered over a period of time. Wikis provide the flexibility to meet the tailored needs of a project. It allows all users to create, add, delete and update information at their own discretion. Wikis do not have any predefined structure so it allows project managers to use different applications within wiki. Project managers can easily and intuitively add content on the wiki. Every wiki page is specific and subject-oriented, and allows users to archive, updated versions can be kept. Each wiki page can be organized and managed according to projects requirements and it allows any number of pages to be interconnected through hyperlinks to create a detailed project wiki that covers comprehensive overview of the project. It gives the project team a common space to discuss and share information about their project. As the information on a wiki is updated, each member is notified accordingly. Another very important advantage of wiki for project management is time managment. Nowadays, projects are handled by distributed teams. It is a diverse team with professionals from all across. Therefore, sharing information through wikis considerably reduces meeting time. In this fast pace world, professionals hesitate to travel to discuss on small issues, therefore time becomes an important constraint. Keeping this in mind, wikis serve as an important tool to disseminate information and ideas to project managers without wasting travelling time. The last but one of the most essential advantages of using wiki as project management tool is there is no need to download any software to use wikis. It does not require users to install any HTML writing tools to understand and learn the use of wikis. It is open source software that uses simplified markup language to allow users to easily upload and share documents online. It is available for free so it allows cost-effective communication among team members. It does not require any technical skills and therefore, it can be used by professionals from all fields and backgrounds. Wiki software allows team members to keep track of their changes for later references. DISADVANTAGES OF WIKI Every technology has advantages but often, there are also significant disadvantages which cause a hindrance in the success of that technology. Here, now I shall be highlighting some major disadvantages of using wikis as project management tool. The flexible structure of wikis is one of the major drawbacks that users don’t realize in the beginning. As there is no defined structure of information within the wiki, the information becomes disorganized over a period of time. The space within the wiki is inefficiently utilized that leads to wastage to wiki space. To research some project related issue on the wiki can become a time-consuming and tedious task. Due to this disorganization, wikis cannot keep track of all project related activities within one calendar. Therefore, while working collaboratively, it is important for project managers to also structure the wiki with cooperation for effective research and understanding. Everyone must have the same level of information and goals to be able to develop the criteria of organizing information and it should be decided before the wiki is deployed. Another major disadvantage, also highlighted as an advantage, is that anyone can create, edit, update, and delete information on a wiki. It is not a secure platform and has a very low barrier to entry. At times, it does not even require user validation. It would lead to trouble if any random user reads and edits confidential project information. However, wikis have evolved over time and now it allows only authorized users to add and delete links, pages, and content. In some cases, a moderator must approve the changes before they are posted. Most wikis also provide a way to track changes and view earlier versions of pages. Wikis help project managers to create and disseminate information but it doesn’t allow them to control that information. Wikis are an excellent way to manage documents online but they serve an ineffective control mechanism. According to Mark Mader, CEO of SmartSheet.com, an on-demand provider of project collaboration software, “A wiki is good for search. But if I am involved with you on a project, I don't care about search. I want to know what is assigned to me”. Therefore, as Mader points out, wikis do not really manage projects. It is effective if users want to disseminate and document information to a large group of people but it is not effective if that large group of people wants to control that information. Another disadvantage is that wikis can only be accessed in a Web environment. To allow team members to collaborate through wiki, managers must make sure that all members have an easy access to internet connection which might be a problem at times. Also, such facilities are easily available in developed areas, but in remote areas it can become major challenge, thus causing a hindrance in the project collaboration. CONCLUSION Project Management can be a challenging task if the teams are distributed and information within the team is not appropriately managed. In such a situation, wikis serve as a great tool to create intranet and collaborate within the team. Wikis serve as a social technology allowing cooperation, interdependence and synergy among team members. Wikis provide an opportunity to blend ideas and create a collaborative project that is broader, deeper, and more interconnected than that created in a traditional writing environment. It allows team members to correct, modify and update the information added by their team members. Wikis provide a platform for teams to discuss and share their understandings and reach a better consensus. Wikis have an ‘organic structure’ which means that they evolve and change over time. They do not have a predetermined structure; therefore it might lead to disorganization. Wikis are more effective as an intranet within project teams which invites them to active participation and involvement. Though wiki is great project management tool, it is accessible only within the Web environment. Members participation is restricted if they do not have appropriate access to Internet. Wikis open participation makes it a bit insecure platform as it has very low barriers to entry. Anyone can add anything to a wiki at anytime. Although many wiki projects require registration or guest access for outsiders, most allow anyone to join in the fun, which can be a problem if critical information is posted on the wiki. Therefore, the project managers do not have appropriate control over information on the wiki. Works Cited Lamb, Annette; Johnson, Larry. "an information skills workout: wikis and collaborative writing." Teacher Librarian 5(2007):57. eLibrary. Web. 12 Oct. 2010. Fichter, Darlene. "Wiki While You Work." Online 3(2008):55. eLibrary. (Kaushik)Web. 12 Oct. 2010. Bernners-Lee, Tim. Advantages of Wiki. 11 October 2010 . "Introduction to Wikis." September 2005. 12 October 2010 . Kaushik, Preetam. Project Management. 10 October 2009. 11 October 2010 . Mathew, George Eby. Wiki: A collaboration platform that could ease Intranet woes. 3 June 2005. 11 October 2010 . Schwartz, Ephraim. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Using a Wiki to Manage Your IT Projects. 3 September 2008. 11 October 2010 . Spencer, Lisa and Gayle Burns. "Using a Wiki as a Management Tool." 1 April 2008. 11 October 2010 . What is a wiki. 11 October 2010 . Engard, Nicole C; Park, RayAna M. "Intranet 2.0: Fostering Collaboration." Online 3(2006):16. eLibrary. Web. 12 Oct. 2010. Fichter, Darlene. "Using Wikis to Support Online Collaboration in Libraries." Information Outlook. 01 Jan. 2006: 30. eLibrary. Web. 12 Oct. 2010. Read More