Posts Tagged ‘Effective’

There’s a lot of art, not just science, in most projects. When planning and overseeing project tasks, project managers often respond by applying heuristics or "rules of thumb." I promised to say a few words about them in my responce to Ibrahim's question on my post about critical path. As with many complex decision-making environments, heuristics can provide valuable assistance when addressing difficult project decisions. For example, when you plan your project and see a resource constraint, don’t level the schedule randomly. Think about which tasks are more important or more risky and put them at the beginning. This will help to mitigate risks on your project.

Another valuable heuristic is to analyze the scope of the work and come up with the minimal project scope that’s most important. Then try to schedule this “must have” scope before some other work that your stakeholders could live without. Let’s say you’re planning to paint the walls in your living room and whitewash the ceiling in the kitchen by the time your spouse comes back home from a business trip. So if you promised your spouse only to refresh the living room, then it would be important for you to finish painting the walls there first. Only then, if you have time, you’ll get down to whitewashing the ceiling in the kitchen to please your spouse even more.

Another heuristic method would be helpful when you have some tasks with unclear and risky estimates. In many cases, due to underestimation, such tasks might not even be on the original critical path, but if a task takes much longer than you planned, it will become part of your critical path when it’s too late. To mitigate this risk, you might want to put such tasks with unreliable estimates sooner, rather than later, in your schedule, or at least allocate sometime early in the project schedule to elaborate on blurry estimates (prototype, research, detail). This will help you to adjust your estimates for the project and proactively manage the risks.

Heuristics or rules of thumb are models based on experience and applied in situations when you have a choice. When you use heuristic methods, it's important to remember that these models have their limitations and often involve trade-offs. It’s important for you, as a project manager, to constantly evaluate the decisions you make and adjust your practices and processes based on what works and what doesn’t. This might seem obvious, but as it turns out, many people miss great learning opportunities along the way. Each iteration is a chance to learn. Each problem is a chance to do a “5 whys” analysis and improve the process. As you grow in your career, you’ll be able to build your own “project management intuition,” a body of experience that includes tools, practices and processes, and an understanding of when they work best and when they don’t.

What rules of thumb do you find helpful when managing your projects? Please share your experience in the comments below.
Project Management 2.0

Tips for effective Project Management

Successful Project Mantras

Treat the following points enlisted below as mantras for a successful project. Print them out and distribute among your team members. If followed properly, these tips are certain to go a long way in helping with the functioning of your project.

* Pro-active risk assessment: The process of pro-active risk assessment is too often an intuitive one that depends upon your own experience. The more projects you have, the better you get at assessing risks. The best project managers use a more formal approach to assessing and managing risks.

* Get the sponsor you need: Never start a project without an effective sponsor. The role of the project sponsor is critical in ensuring the success of both IT and business projects. Simply, a project without the appropriate degree of executive sponsorship will fail.

* Hope for the best but prepare for the worst: This age old adage rings true for the field of project management. Believe me, it pays to be paranoid.

Project Management Experts

Based in Australia, Thomsett INTERNATIONAL is recognised as one of the most innovative and effective project management groups. They provide consultancy and education in a number of areas including business project management, business analysis, project team management and mentoring at all levels in the above areas.

Their expertise in the fields of business analysis and project management has benefited not just Australian companies, but also companies from around the globe. Outside Australia they currently have work in, or over the past few years have worked in, the following countries: China, Fiji, Hong Kong, Italy, Kuwait, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. With their project management courses, workshops, tutorials and executive briefings, Thomsett INTERNATIONAL has made a mark in the field and is one of the most respected management groups around.

Apart from the courses, the company also has a mentoring programme. Their consultants are all skilled project management mentors. If you think that you or some members of your company could benefit from spending some time being mentored by one of their people, you can call them to discuss a programme. You can check out their complete list of workshops and tutorials on their website at www.thomsettinternational.com.au .

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Effective Project Management – Five Laws that Determine Success

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.  So said Albert Einstein.  Yet every year countless projects hit trouble for the same reasons, again and again.  Why?  Because the fundamental principles that determine project success are not being respected.  These principles can be distilled into five laws, realities that always hold true irrespective of the nature or complexity of project.  Here they are:

Law #1  Ambiguity kills Projects

Ambiguity is the enemy of project success.  Clarity is what is needed.

Without clarity there is confusion.  Confusion is not hard to find in projects.  Look for ambiguities in roles and responsibilities, goals, objectives, requirements, scope, estimates, status reports and more.  Each ambiguity is a potential source of conflict, rework and failure.

Make it a priority to seek out and remove ambiguity from every element of your project.  Thoroughly.  Start by reviewing project scope.  Is this as unambiguous as possible?  Is everyone clear on what is in scope and what is out of scope?  Do not rely on assumptions or memory.  Insist on clear communication.  Document every important decision.  Clarity is everything.

Law #2  Credibility requires Detail

Detail is the basis for accuracy in all projects.  Plans that lack detail cannot be believed.

Most projects are underplanned.  They are already late before they start.  Project teams that claim not to have time for detailed planning, typically end up working all hours to meet deadlines.  Insufficient detail in the plan means time and effort requirements will be underestimated.  Only when we get to the detail is the full extent of work revealed.

If you do not know the detail then you will not have credibility in front of your team or your boss.  Define what completion specifically means for each task and deliverable.  If it is at too high a level, break it down.  Avoid surprises.  Get to the detail.

Law #3  No Truth, No Trust

Projects are performed by people.  And people work together best when there is mutual trust.

But trust does not come free.  It is tied to truth.  You cannot have one without the other.  So trust but verify.  Assigning tasks demonstrates trust but what are sometimes missing are the accountability for results and adequate checks to verify status.  Without ownership and truth, we cannot trust ourselves to be focused on the right things.

When you know the truth, good or bad, recognize it, openly.  Be honest about the challenges ahead.  Reward outstanding commitment and performance.  Acknowledge the reality of delays and tough decisions.  Do not hide bad news.  Tell the truth or face the consequences.

Law #4  Uncertainty is Certain

Plans are not crystal balls.  Plans are incomplete views of the future, which means they are at least slightly wrong.

Most project managers ignore most risks.  Yet as sure as the sunrise, sudden events and changes will occur, triggering changes to the plan.  But sudden does not necessarily mean unpredictable.  Experience and a little insight will always expose risks that we can plan ahead for.

Ignoring project risks is the first and biggest risk to the project.  There is no such thing as a risk free project.  Prevent risks where you can and have contingencies ready where you cannot.  Expect the unexpected!

Law #5  Satisfaction is not Guaranteed

Projects do not carry guarantees, whatever the customer was told.  Satisfaction depends on competence, commitment and communication.

Respecting all the preceding laws will count for nothing if this trio is lacking.  Project management is a discipline that has to be worked at.  Learn as much as you can on each project, then use that knowledge to energize yourself and others on the next project.

Communicate with focus and sensitivity, to align the varying interests of stakeholders and team with the needs of the project, repeatedly, throughout the ups and downs of its life.  This is no simple task!  So if you want to be a great project manager then you will need to be an outstanding communicator.  Period.

Stop the Insanity!

I do not claim that observing these five laws alone are a panacea for all project ills.  But they are the strongest forces for shaping success or failure on most projects, most of the time.  Stop the insanity.  Respect the laws!

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Project Management Training- Step Leading To Effective And Successful Project Management

Training is always an essential part in learning and so does Project management training. Learning Project Management fundamentals is a necessary step in a project management discipline, besides other critical factors for successful project management. Project Management Training is generally referred to practical, real-world, hands-on experience for project managers in learning the principles and practices that lead to effective and successful project management.

Among the many project management certifications available, PMP is the most after and popular PM certifications. This certification from PMI, USA is of the highest order and holds high credentials too. AstroWix a registered education provider of PMI excels in providing project management training with over a decade long experience in training professionals on best practices in project management. Project management training traditionally revolves around the benefits of a set framework of principles and ‘best practices’ that are a part of effective project management. But our training approach follows a modern methodology that takes the project managers beyond the classroom environment of set guidelines and thus building an atmosphere of adaptability and the crucial habit of applying the lessons learnt.

Project management excellence is the buzzword of today, with efficiency experts in great demand as organizations are hiring them in an effort to enhance their productivity while at the same time lowering the costs. As the requirement for skilled and experts professionals rise the need for project management training also is on the high. Training in project management cannot be underestimated as it comes with measurable improvements to an organizations bottom line.

PMP certification amongst the many other certifications is the most difficult of them, requiring meticulous and thorough preparation. AstroWix training workshops on PMP not only provides with a structured course materials but also hands-on-experience on real projects. Moreover, the results-oriented approach of effective project management training makes it essential for project leads to build upon the concepts of good project management and apply their knowledge to their projects. A PMP certification prepares you for managing business projects using project management tools, processes and techniques. Moreover, all project practitioners stand to gain a focus on how to gain clear objectives, insight, ensure timelines and budget demands. Also it serves as an excellent guide to identify and manage resources, thus attaining highest return on investment.

AstroWix training workshops trains project professionals for applying project management skills and techniques in varying arenas from an IT software firm, a construction company to telecom. Over the years our training workshops and seminars have turned out to be very valuable for organizations that have reaped long term benefits.

To know more about Project Management Training, PMP visit www.astrowix.com

 

Effective Online Project Management System Tool and Task Tracking Software From Inventatechnologies

Project Management Software is the process of applying knowledge in overseeing and managing a project of whatever magnitude. Project Management System is not only required for big projects, Small projects can also benefit from an Effective Online Project Management. Knowing how to use and apply the knowledge you have acquired in all areas will be helpful in the implementation and accomplishment of any project. Project Management Tool is generally thought of as a business or organizational term, and it is true to say that Project Management techniques are normally applied to “Major” Projects within an organization. Project Management Software can help you to manage your Project Efficiently

Project Management Software to Manage Multiple Projects and Tasks

Project Management Software for Small-to-Medium size businesses who wish to manage their Multiple Projects and Multiple Tasks online in one centralized place. Project Management System increases the Effectiveness of your work and the happiness of your clients by making the workflow fully transparent to them. For every Project Management work is conducted under the supervision of an individual Project Manager and it is the responsibility of the Project Manager to head the whole project without even participating in the whole work, this is due to the software designed specifically for Project Management. Online Project Management Software is suitable for individuals as well as for businesses who want an uncomplicated and effective IT Project Management Tool.

Importance of Task Management Software

Task Management Software is interactive and responsive tool that runs on the computer as either a single user or may be shared by a group of project managers. Time is more precious than ever and the amount of tasks each of us has to cope with is almost endless so with this Project Management Task each and everyone in the organization can save the time in managing there projects. The only difference between successful and average people is their ability to manage their tasks effectively. This ability could be improved significantly by using Task Management Software and other Task Tracking Tools. The principles of Effective IT Project Management are potentially applicable to any project type across different industries, it is an excellent Tool for the Management of all types of Projects.

Choosing Project Management Software

Now a Days it often happens that Project Managers face the need to manage Multiple Projects and Multiple Tasks simultaneously, using resources that can be shared between them, But they do not need a huge and extremely expensive Project Management Software Tool with thousands of unnecessary features. What should they choose? Inventa Project can be the right tool for Project Management Software.

Inventa Technologies provides Web Based IT Project Management Software & Task Tracking System Tool Specially designed to help organizations collaborate and manage Client Information, Projects, Tasks, Files, Contacts and Calendars. It can be Accessible from Internet or on your intranet, it is adaptable to your business and easily modified based on your needs.

Conclusion: Project Management System is useful for small-to-medium size businesses who want an uncomplicated and effective IT Project Management Tool. Web Based IT Project Management & Task Tracking Software System Tool that lets you manage Multiple Projects and Tasks Online

What to Do Next…

If you have any queries regarding the above information or looking for a Project Management Software please contact us at Enquiry@InventaTech.co.uk or visit us on www.inventatech.co.uk

Inventa Technologies provides valuable information on Project Management Software, Web Based IT Project Management & Task Tracking Software System Tool, and designed to help organizations collaborate and Manage Client Information, Multiple Projects and Multiple Tasks, Files, Contacts and Calendars.

http://www.inventatech.co.uk/project-management-software.php

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