Assignment: Software Project Management

1. Experience/ Educational/Professional background

Name: Sanjay Gangwal

Educational Background: BE in Computer science.
Total Years of Experience: 17
Companies worked for: L&T Infotech, Renaissance Worldwide, ICICI Infotech (Now 3i-Infotech), Kanbay, Synechron
and Adjility Alliance
Have done Microsoft Certifications, IT Project+

2. How did they move into the role of a Project Manager?

Sanjay Gangwal: When he switched from Kanbay to Synechron, he joined Synechron as Project Manager. Sanjay
started his career as a developer and then gradually moved into lead role for the development function before joining
Synechron. He gained majority of his Project Management Experience in Synechron where he worked as a Project
Manager and Delivery Manager for 5 years.

3. What do they wish they knew better when they first played the role of a Project Manager?

Sanjay Gangwal: When he first played the role of project manager he was more task oriented towards his approach.
He felt during his experience that this approach has its limitation and would not work in the long term. Hence, he felt
it’s more important to focus on people or on a person then on work. If you focus more on development of individual
than on work, it would automatically improve in the quality of work as well.
4. What are the 2-3 main challenges that they see in the role as of today?

Sanjay Gangwal:
 Placing Right people at Right Place keeping the aspirations in mind.
 To make people grow professionally and personally.
 Decision making which aligns with the expectations of the Senior Management as well as mitigate risks
associated with the project
 Managing crunched timelines and limited budget while not compromising on the quality at the same time

5. What are the 2-3 main positives of being a project manager?

Sanjay Gangwal:
 It’s a big and important responsibility. One gets a chance to be involved in the entire project lifecycle-right from
the scope to the final delivery. This helps one grow personally and professionally. The responsibility of Success
and Failure of the project lies on his shoulder
 Guiding people, and having the satisfaction of nurturing the aspirations of the team members.
 Client happiness on delivering product which is easy to use and is as per the customer expectation.
The happiness and satisfaction of a Project Manager is derived from the happiness of the employees and client.
6. What are the key trends in the industry/domain (that they work in) in terms of project management?

Sanjay Gangwal
 Speed of changing business at client side is increased significantly. Hence we cannot rely on waterfall model
anymore. But pure Agile also doesn’t work in most of the cases hence there will be merger and best of both the
worlds will be taken and Implemented in the projects i.e. custom mix of Agile and waterfall model.
 The concept of holding almost 30% people on bench is getting reduced by considerable amount, as the IT
market is not growing with the speed it used to grow before.

7. What would be your advice to anyone planning to go down the path of becoming a software project
manager?

Sanjay Gangwal:
 Observe your manager and check for both the positives and areas of improvements in him. Try not to do things
which you hated most about your manager. For E.g. Micro management is one thing which he personally used
to hate about one of his managers.
 Trust the people who work with you. Give them responsibilities by taking calculated risks. And if they fail you,
then try to help them learn and grow professionally.
 Focus on People, Communication, Interpersonal Skills and Technologies- in that order.