Lucas Mendes paulo
Strategic Project Management | Problem Solving | Decision Engineering | Strategic Mediation
I apply strategic project management focused on delivering results. With experience in data engineering, I leverage data analysis and manipulation to support decision-making and solve problems, ensuring that project objectives are achieved efficiently.
WHAT IS STRATEGIC PROJECT MANAGEMENT?
Strategic project management is achieved through a smart approach that combines best project management practices with the integrated application of the three fundamental pillars below.
Problem Solving
Application of solution-oriented thinking to address challenges inherent in project development.
Removal of obstacles, creating a smooth workflow that motivates and engages the development team and stakeholders.
Decision Engineering
Combination of concepts and skills from Industrial and Data Engineering.
Analysis of complex data using both quantitative and qualitative methods.
Strategic decision-making based on solid foundations to guide the project’s direction.
Strategic Mediation
Application of communication skills tailored to each audience to ensure cohesion among stakeholders.
Alignment of interests to engage both stakeholders and the team.
Promotion of a collaborative and harmonious environment throughout the project.
Get to know the experiences that shaped my journey in strategic project management and see, in practice, the solutions I have delivered.
ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
On this page, I present my academic and professional background with a brief overview of the key experiences that have shaped my journey so far. I highlight the lessons learned, the skills developed along the way, and the contributions I made at each stage, demonstrating how these experiences have prepared me for current and future challenges.
ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING | 2020 - 2025/01
A multifaceted Industrial Engineering program that provided a systemic view of fundamental topics such as decision support systems, business analysis methods, and project management, among others. Throughout the course, I developed skills in tools and approaches for solving complex problems, as well as strategic support in various organizational contexts.
DATA ENGINEER | JUN/2022 - DEC/2023
Worked on diverse projects in the fields of Data Engineering, Power Platform development (focusing on the creation of Power Apps, automations with Power Automate, and integrations with Power BI), as well as Blockchain, among others. Contributed to the design and implementation of innovative and efficient solutions, utilizing advanced technologies to meet the company's strategic needs.
STRATEGIC PROJECT MANAGER | JAN/2024 - PRESENT
Leading digital projects of medium and large scale, ensuring strategic alignment with business positioning. Managing squads, resources, technologies, and methodologies, ensuring operational and technological excellence across the digital product portfolio.Responsible for the entire digital product development lifecycle, covering ideation, prototyping, development, usability testing, go-live, and future update planning. Ensuring the delivery of key indicators and status reports to stakeholders while maintaining alignment with strategic objectives.
Take a look at the strategic projects where I implemented intelligent solutions.
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PROJECT PORTFOLIO
On this page, I present the key projects I have participated in, with a brief description of each. I highlight the challenges faced, the strategies I used to overcome them, the skills developed throughout the process, and the solutions that contributed to the success of the projects.
With the recent rebranding and new brand positioning, the company needed to completely redesign its corporate website. This required abandoning the previous design and creating a robust, functional platform aligned with the new strategy. The goal was not only to reflect the brand repositioning but also to transform the website into a strategic communication tool. The multidisciplinary team, composed of designers, web developers, full-stack professionals, copywriters, myself, and others, was tasked with delivering a high-quality project—essential to meeting the partners' high expectations.
Key challenges during execution:
The project owner, responsible for the company's branding and strategy, came from a purely business background, while the team was mostly technical. It was essential to maintain clear and cohesive communication, ensuring mediation between both sides to foster a collaborative work environment.
At a certain point in the project, we could no longer rely on the main person responsible for prototyping, which created significant bottlenecks. Even so, strategic decisions I made allowed us to complete the project within an acceptable timeframe while respecting the initial budget.
Strategic solutions implemented:
The implementation of a progress tracking system was essential. I developed an integrated system using Microsoft Project, Excel, Power BI, and SharePoint, which automatically reflected project updates on its website, keeping the team and stakeholders informed.
I also developed a financial tracking system that compared planned costs, actual investment returns, and real expenses based on the hours worked and logged by the team.
The result was the launch of a fully developed, elegant, functional, and strategically aligned corporate website, exceeding expectations and satisfying all stakeholders involved.
Responsible for managing the company's internal digital products portfolio, including the institutional chatbot, corporate website, administrative and employee systems, and CRM. Led the definition of backlogs, roadmaps, and priorities, ensuring strategic alignment with the involved areas and continuous delivery of value.
Main challenges during execution:
Historical difficulty in defining scope and understanding functionalities: The development team and stakeholders faced historical difficulties in clearly defining and understanding the scope of the solutions to be developed, business rules, and consequently, the functionalities to be delivered. This lack of alignment hindered project progress and caused confusion about expectations and deliverables.
Need for alignment between design and technology: UX/UI and development teams were working in isolation, resulting in inconsistent interfaces. The creation and implementation of a Design System was essential to standardize the visual identity and improve the user experience.
Strategic solutions implemented:
Business vision applied for requirements alignment: To address this issue, I applied a business vision to work with the requesting areas to define requirements and structure well-defined business rules, ensuring that all stakeholders had a clear understanding of what would be developed.
Backlog structuring using User Story Mapping: To better understand the functionalities and prioritize development, I implemented Jeff Patton's User Story Mapping method. This approach allowed us to visually map the functionalities, identify priorities, and align stakeholders on the requirements more clearly and efficiently.
Creation of roadmaps based on functionalities: Based on User Story Mapping, we structured detailed roadmaps based on functionalities, which allowed the team and stakeholders to fully understand what should be developed and in which cadence. This generated greater transparency and alignment among all parties involved, facilitating continuous and effective project delivery.
Definition and leadership in implementing visual and technical standards, promoting strategic alignment, operational efficiency, and scalability in the internal digital products portfolio:
- Visual Standardization: Led the creation and implementation of a Design System, aligning the needs of the UX/UI and development areas to ensure consistent interfaces.
- Technical Standardization: Led the definition of standards for tools, languages, libraries, and frameworks, in collaboration with the responsible technical teams.
Take a look at the experiences that shaped my journey in strategic project management.