Not only commercial projects are ambitious and complex – Cezary Kamiński from Internal IT about creating our new website

Sii Poland has launched a new website, which nearly 60 experts have worked on over the past year. Among them, Cezary Kamiński in the responsible role of Project Manager, who answered the questions concerning the complex process of creating the site and the challenges the team had to face, as well as the plans to implement further functionalities.

The new Sii Poland website is on now. What provided the most satisfaction in this project? What are you most proud of?

Cezary Kamiński, Project Manager at Sii Poland: The greatest satisfaction was working with ambitious, motivated and positive people. I think this project was unique in this aspect. We worked under high time pressure, in a changing environment and with very diverse teams. Despite the high bar, everyone was very involved, which directly translated into results. Even when we had to compromise or something didn’t go as planned, we looked for the best solutions and made thoughtful decisions.
In addition to the timely delivery of the project, I am also proud that we managed to develop a lasting, partner relationship between IT and Marketing teams. Thanks to this, we can provide more functionalities and implement subsequent projects even more effectively.

What was the biggest challenge in this project for you as a Project Manager?

C.K.: Hearing “a website”, we usually think: a simple business card, several information pages and a contact form – a piece of cake. There are even automatic page creators. This project was completely different. The web page delivery process was quite complex and required involvement in many areas. Starting from the business concept, by adapting WordPress to our needs, handling integration processes such as applying for offers, contact forms, RODO forms or newsletter subscriptions, adding content to the site, ending with planning and implementation. I think the biggest challenge was to ensure effective communication so that production teams know what’s going on, who is working on what, what are the relationships between the various stages or what are the priorities. For the business team, the schedule for creating business content or graphic projects, as well as testing solutions and how to work in the new CMS was important. The management team was kept informed about progress, risks and opportunities, and the current schedule. As part of the Steering Committee, we shared strategic information that allowed us to assess the situation and make decisions that increase the chances of the project’s success.

What were the stages of the project?

C.K.: The project was run in an Agile way. In the first stage, some graphic designs and business analysis were created – the most crucial one, indicating that the business concept is stable. Thanks to it, we were able to launch the process of designing basic architecture, integration and ultimately creating changes. Then, the delivery process of what has already been worked out started. At the same time, the team was working on the graphic design of subsequent pages and their content, which were then turned into architecture and final solutions by our Architect – Piotr Bielecki. The process ended with the tests of what was already developed. The key milestones included confirmation of the correct operation of integration interfaces and cyclical sharing of subsequent pages to supply them with content.

How many people worked on this project? What experts were included in the team?

C.K.: Over 60 people were involved throughout the project, with a core team of about 25 people from beginning to end. Power users, analysts, graphic designers and UX specialists were involved in building the vision and business requirements. We consulted GDPR issues with the security team. Website development involved architects, developers, testers and the QA team. Creating content was supported by power users, technical writers and a dedicated team from the Service Desk.

Is there a plan to introduce further functionalities?

C.K.: Of course – we are constantly working on ensuring that the website can perform its functions: arouse interest, provide valuable content, generate leads and applications for job offers even more effectively. In the coming months, we will implement new functionalities, which we will also provide agile. Currently, the priority are performance optimizations and improvements that will allow you to apply to several locations at once, search for job offers by experience level and remote working options.

Who would you recommend working in projects run by Internal IT? What competencies can be developed in this area?

C.K.: First of all, it is work for people who like contact with other people. I would also recommend it to those who like changes and being part of them. In the position of Project Manager, you can certainly learn soft competencies, such as effective communication, negotiations or team building, but also hard competences, such as scheduling and project management tools and methodologies.

If you want to join our team of experts, check current job offers!