Project War Rooms: Physical vs. Virtual

Revision as of 10:23, 5 March 2023

Written by Ellen Cathrine Luke

Abstract

Project war rooms are a crucial tool in project management. They allow for a group or team to have a visual and collaborative space to plan, strategize, and track progress. Historically, war rooms have been physical rooms, where teams would gather to work on the project together. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, increased amounts of remote work are arising and the format of war rooms has adapted to this change. Virtual war rooms have become increasingly popular, allowing team members to work together from different locations and still access all the necessary information and tools. Some of these virtual platforms are sourced by companies such as IBM and Microsoft^[1]. With these virtual platforms, the challenge for project teams now becomes, “How do I provide that same data to the project team that we used to have in hard copy form in this room to the people no matter where they are on a real-time basis?”, as said IBM Project Manager Jerry Perone, PMP ^[2].

Despite the change in format, the importance of war rooms remains unchanged. They provide teams with a structured environment to tackle complex projects, and the visual nature of war rooms facilitates better communication and collaboration. In the post-pandemic world, virtual war rooms are becoming a necessity for organizations to manage their projects effectively, regardless of location. Both the physical and virtual format of a war room have their advantages and limitations, which will be explored further in the following sections.

Introduction

Definition & Historical Overview of Project War Rooms

A Project War Room, also referred to as situation rooms, control rooms and command centers is a dedicated space or virtual platform where project teams can gather to visually plan and track the progress of a project. It is a collaborative environment where all stakeholders can have a clear understanding of the project's goals, tasks, and timeline ^[3] . The concept of project war rooms has existed for decades, particularly used throughout World War II and since the 1960’s. The concept has since been used in other contexts and has become an essential tool in project management ^[4].

Project war rooms were inspired by the military, where they would use the rooms to plan tactics and strategies to take down the enemy. Miniature models and figures would be laid out on tables, creating a visual and collaborative approach for leading generals. Since the later 1900’s, project war rooms became physical spaces, which were often located within an organization's headquarters. These would be set up as continuous spaces with walls covered in charts and information relevant to the project. The aim was to create a visual and interactive environment where the project team could work together, brainstorm, and make quick decisions ^[4].

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the format of project war rooms has had to shift. Virtual war rooms have become increasingly popular, allowing team members to work together from different locations while still having access to all the necessary information and tools. The virtual environment provides the same collaborative and visual benefits as a physical war room, but with the added convenience of remote access ^[1].

Project war rooms allow organizations to manage their projects effectively, regardless of location, and are an essential tool in today's fast-paced and ever-changing business environment. Physical or virtual, project war rooms remain a critical tool in project management. They provide teams with a structured environment to tackle complex projects and the visual nature of war rooms allows for better communication and collaboration.

The Importance of Project War Rooms

The reason for having project war rooms in a project management setting, is to do the following:

1. Improve Communication and Collaboration

2. Improve Planning and Strategy Development

3. Increase Productivity and Efficiency

Better Communication and Collaboration

Improved Planning and Strategy Development

Increased Productivity and Efficiency

Best Practices for Project War Rooms

Key Features

Visualising the Information

Collaborative Environment (encourage open communication, foster a collaborative environment

Preparation

Define Objectives and Outcomes

Determine Team Members and Roles

Establish the Project Requirements

Technology & Tools

Which tools to use, which are commonly used, how to use them

Ensure compatibility with existing tools and systems

Physical War Rooms

Characteristics

What is a physical war room, what can it look like, how would you use the room

Guide to how you could use the room to its full potential

Advantages & Limitations

Advantages: Improved Communication and Collaboration, Increased Productivity, Clear Visuals,

Limitations: Limited Access, Higher Costs, Potential for unorganized room, Talking over one another

Virtual War Rooms

Characteristics

Remote Access

Digital Layout and Visualization, Bring in exampels from IBM and Microsoft (maybe others)

Advantages & Limitations

Advantages: More Flexibility, Lower Costs, Allows for AI assistance (records meeting minutes, suggests new tasks)

Limitations: Limited Personal Interaction, Technical Challenges, Potential Miscommunication

Conclusion

Summary & The Future of Project War Rooms

Growing Importance of Virtual War Rooms

Integration of Physical and Virtual War Rooms

Evolution of Project War Rooms

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Barron, Robert. Solve problems in a virtual war room. Available at:https://www.ibm.com/garage/method/practices/manage/virtual-war-room/
2. ↑ Ingebretsen, Mark. Enter the war room. Available at:https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/corporate-war-room-problem-solving-3368
3. ↑ Kidd, Chrissy. What Is An “IT War Room”?, 2019, Available at:https://www.bmc.com/blogs/it-war-room/#:~:text=Also%20known%20as%20situation%20rooms,any%20type%20of%20project%20management.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Shaker, Steven, Lessons Learned from War Room Designs and Implementations, 2002, Available at: https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA467523.pdf
5. ↑ [OWNERSHIP OF USER RESEARCH IN THE PROJECT ‘WAR ROOM’] https://www.businessthink.unsw.edu.au/Pages/The-Rise-of-the-Compassionate-Leader--Should-You-Be-Cruel-to-Be-Kind.aspx