A few weeks ago I was assisting a project manager with a troubled project. We reviewed the documentation from the beginning, starting with the usual suspects: project charter, WBS, schedule. They all seemed fairly straightforward and understandable. Once we got to his status reporting though, confusion started. This project’s status reports were spreadsheets about 10 …
Project Management
Supply Chain Management (SCM) is the backbone of any successful business. It ensures the efficient flow of goods, services, and information from suppliers to customers. By managing everything from raw materials to finished products, SCM is crucial in reducing costs, increasing efficiency, and meeting customer demands. This article aims to explain the fundamentals of SCM, …
Every year, project management conferences come with a promise of learning and networking opportunities for project management professionals. The good news is that this year is no exception. If you have been looking forward to the next big event, here is a comprehensive list of the top project management conferences in 2023. Interest in Project …
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In some ways, the history of project management is the history of the 20th century. It begins with Henry Gantt inventing his handy chart and continues through many of the most significant events in modern history. World wars, space shots, and the Internet all depended in some way on the development of project management. Today, …
One of the most important books in the project manager’s library is the Project Management Book of Knowledge. It contains processes that smooth any aspect of a project, grouped into five process groups or project management phases. While they don’t contain a specific method of organizing a project, they can be used with any sort …
KEEPING THE WOLVES AT BAY — The Ever-Present Conundrum The recent events in the financial sector, while perhaps skirting the edges of legality, certainly highlighted the issue of the ethical dilemma often faced when increasing pressure to perform, deliver and maximize profitability butts up against moral and ethical (as well as legal) compliance. Certainly in …
Business operations is an elusive but necessary part of any organization looking to maximize productivity and profit potential. Companies that struggle to understand operational demands often miss key opportunities to succeed. This article explains how operations applies to businesses and tips for improving efficiency across the board. What Are Operations in a Business? An operations …
Test – How Good Are Your Own Project Management Skills? Sections of This Topic Include Foundations of Project Management What is Project Management? Overviews of Project Management Basics of Project Planning Roles in Project Management (including Project Manager) Skills Required to Leading Teams and People in Project Management Project Planning Feasibility Studies — Is the …
If you’re discovering potential project management methodologies for a new project, you might’ve come across a lot of project management jargon. If you aren’t already familiar with them, terms like the waterfall, scrum, agile, lean, and kanban methodologies aren’t immediately digestible. This guide is all about explaining one of these terms: the waterfall methodology, also …
Gantt charts are a popular and time-tested way of visualizing project workflows. But they’re not just for any project. This project visualization approach aligns with the waterfall methodology that focuses on completing a task or process before the next one can begin. A Gantt chart lets you organize a project’s timescale and create an overview …
Guest post from Alexander Mitnikov. Where does a typical software vendor come from? IT-companies from the USA, the UK, Canada, India and Germany have a substantial representation in the market. However, in search for a suitable project management tool for instance one might bump into some extraordinary countries. Serbian business tool, software from Denmark, Latvian …
KEEPING THE WOLVES AT BAY — The Ever-Present Conundrum The recent events in the financial sector, while perhaps skirting the edges of legality, certainly highlighted the issue of the ethical dilemma often faced when increasing pressure to perform, deliver and maximize profitability butts up against moral and ethical (as well as legal) compliance. Certainly in …
Business operations is an elusive but necessary part of any organization looking to maximize productivity and profit potential. Companies that struggle to understand operational demands often miss key opportunities to succeed. This article explains how operations applies to businesses and tips for improving efficiency across the board. What Are Operations in a Business? An operations …
Gantt charts are a popular and time-tested way of visualizing project workflows. But they’re not just for any project. This project visualization approach aligns with the waterfall methodology that focuses on completing a task or process before the next one can begin. A Gantt chart lets you organize a project’s timescale and create an overview …
Scope creep is one of the biggest culprits for delayed large projects. A lack of clear requirements, involving the wrong stakeholders, lack of documented functional and non-functional requirements, and poorly defined map process flows all contribute to scope creep. Luckily, there are many strategies a project manager and all project stakeholders can put in place …
People operations empower your employees to become productive and fulfilled in the workplace. It’s essential for you to invest time and effort in people ops because your workforce is the backbone of your business. Although the term “people operations” is relatively new, it’s a traditional concept that is closely related to human resources (HR). What …
If you’re an American reader of this blog and you’re involved in or interested in, project management, then you’re probably familiar with, or at least heard of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide). In this article, I want to introduce you to a complementary approach to project management which was …
Anyone who has been responsible for a work schedule knows how complicated they can be. Imagine how much more complicated the schedule for producing an app or even constructing a building must be. Project scheduling is an involved topic that can be bewildering. However, those who take the time to understand it will discover a …
I have been having an ongoing discussion with a global company that has been having big issues in delivering its major customer projects. They are looking to develop a strategy for provision of real project managers / and or professional project management expertise to help. In doing this, they are having an important debate: Should …
One of the most important books in the project manager’s library is the Project Management Book of Knowledge. It contains processes that smooth any aspect of a project, grouped into five process groups or project management phases. While they don’t contain a specific method of organizing a project, they can be used with any sort …
If you’re discovering potential project management methodologies for a new project, you might’ve come across a lot of project management jargon. If you aren’t already familiar with them, terms like the waterfall, scrum, agile, lean, and kanban methodologies aren’t immediately digestible. This guide is all about explaining one of these terms: the waterfall methodology, also …
The issue of scope creep has bedeviled project managers since the ancient Egyptians wondered if three pyramids might be more impressive than just one. It isn’t a difficult concept to understand. However, heading off scope creep often requires a great deal of effort and expertise. Key Takeaways: Scope Creep Project scope is the project’s goal …
There is no single agreed-upon definition of project management methodologies. However, in broad strokes, it can be thought of as a set of guidelines, principles, and processes for meeting or exceeding a project’s requirements. Any project management methodology may help you complete a project. That’s not quite the same thing as saying any methodology will …
Agile project management (APM) is a project philosophy that breaks projects down into iterations or sprints. The purpose is to produce bigger ROI, regular interactions with clients and end-users, and improved delivery of product features. Today, Agile is used in virtually every industry from software development to real estate. Keep reading to learn more about …
Quite a few customers are jumping on the ‘Agile’ bandwagon these days, choosing an Agile methodology for specific projects, or for repetitive releases of their product. A challenge they are facing is how to manage and report Agile projects when the processes and templates provided by their PMO have been developed for Waterfall projects. And …
Every project comes with its unique challenges. But there’s one challenge that accompanies every project you’ll work on: deciding which project management methodology to choose. The waterfall vs agile question is the most frequent one you’ll come across in this discourse. As important as it is to answer, this question might have you bogged down …
A few weeks ago I was assisting a project manager with a troubled project. We reviewed the documentation from the beginning, starting with the usual suspects: project charter, WBS, schedule. They all seemed fairly straightforward and understandable. Once we got to his status reporting though, confusion started. This project’s status reports were spreadsheets about 10 …
Guest post from Alexander Mitnikov. Where does a typical software vendor come from? IT-companies from the USA, the UK, Canada, India and Germany have a substantial representation in the market. However, in search for a suitable project management tool for instance one might bump into some extraordinary countries. Serbian business tool, software from Denmark, Latvian …
Managing projects isn’t getting any easier. Thanks to a global pandemic, many businesses now allow workers to work from home full-time. The right project management software may be the only way to keep everything organized and moving in the same direction while having a grasp on how far along your team is on each project. …
The world of project management is forever changing. From new software to resource planning to technological development, keeping up to date with relevant blogs and resources is critical. We’ve listed some of the best blogs for staying aware of ideas and updates in the industry. Find your new favorite project management blog below. Interested in the …
Are you running a small business and struggling to manage your team and projects? Free project management software can make a huge difference. Manually managing tasks can be frustrating and inefficient, but thankfully, plenty of free project management apps are available to simplify your workload. >> Elevate Your Projects With monday.com >> Best Free Project …
Project managers often struggle to find the one software that will fill their needs. It’s not uncommon for team leaders to try out one software, only to migrate to another one. In this Confluence review, we analyze the project management software so you can find out if it’s the right fit for your team. Our …
Microsoft has been supplying business software for decades, and its weight of experience is hard to overcome. Wrike is one of the best of the new approaches: project management as work management. Microsoft Project offers a robust toolset, but in a battle between Microsoft vs Wrike, it’s Wrike that could be a better choice for …
A Gantt chart is a project management tool used to visualize a project plan. It’s a useful way of showing scheduled tasks and task due dates. Gantt charts help team members and project managers view the start dates, end dates, and milestones of a project in one simple stacked bar chart. What is a Gantt …
Microsoft was once a disruptive business, but these days they are the establishment. It has had a formative effect on project management for decades, so how can a newbie like ClickUp compete with MS Project? You may be surprised. The ClickUp vs Microsoft Project review will surely help you pick the right software for your …
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Most people involved in projects agree that it’s a good idea to monitor the quality of the project. Of course. Who could argue against it? Would anybody really oppose a job well done? The difficulty lies in how to measure project ‘quality’. On this topic, it is not so easy to agree. Quality Management, as …
I am always talking about bringing in training from the outside, not just a vendor but from another occupation or profession. As most of you may know I have a theatre background as well as one in training and psychology. My latest brainstorm in the area of theatre is to develop a community theatre based …
Two years ago I was deploying a high-technology project for a client. It was a worthwhile project, whereby we were going to give sales people the ability to communicate instantly with their developers in Asia. A few weeks into the project, the client’s own Security organization became very interested… and proceeded to shut us down! …
I was recently teaching a course where the discussion turned to project resourcing, and the problem of people being stretched more thinly than ever. I suggested to the student that maybe her company’s mechanism for “project selection” needed to be revisited with her management, so that the number of projects could be decreased until the …
Our topic today has nothing to do with an eccentric or detestable person, happily. Although some project managers may not agree, a more prevalent pest to be avoided in projects is “scope creep”: additional scope that creeps in, without anyone in the project team noticing. Before you know it, there is an expectation that the …
Here is a familiar scenario for some of us who perform projects for customers: a request for some work comes in. We have (or know where to get) the capability, the skills the personnel. Having performed similar work before, we even have references. The catch? Geography. Either the customer, or key performer(s), or the project …
There are certain skills which are incredibly useful for small businesses. If the business has someone on staff knowledgeable about ‘accounting’ for instance, or ‘taxation’, better decisions can be made consistently in those areas. For example, business equipment would be purchased knowing already in advance what kind of depreciation will leave the business in a …