Posts Tagged ‘System’

Some years ago I read the book, The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It, by Michael Gerber. At the time, I became a huge Gerber fan. My focus became an almost dogmatic pursuit of the perfect expert system to eliminate the need for expert employees. It made sense to me, and I have recommended the book to countless people. However, over the years I have come to the conclusion that a "smart" system is no substitute for a talented and creative (dare I say, smart) person. Although I still believe there is value to creating a system,the system should foster and environment of creativity, collaboration and efficiency—I disagree with the notion that creating a smart system to replace smart people is a good idea.

Upon the recommendation of a colleague, I have been reading Seth Godin’s book, Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?. Unlike Gerber, Godin suggests, "Every successful organization is built around people. Men and women who don’t merely shuffle money, but interest, give gifts, and connect."

Godin seems to be speaking to something I have been feeling for along time, particularly for teams doing project-based work. In my opinion projects, by their very nature are unwieldy, challenging, dynamic and risky things. If they weren’t, they wouldn’t be called projects. They’d be operational or other work, and we wouldn’t create plans to "try" to "manage" them. I say "try," because I don’t know that we can completely eliminate the risk and challenges associated with projects. We "try," but I think that’s all we can really do with a real project.

If we put other repetitive work or work in general aside for a minute and consider the needs of projects, it doesn’t take long to realize that our project teams should include the best and brightest performers in our organizations. What’s more, those teams of highly skilled and talented individuals should be lead by our very best. Those who are able to see, as Godin describes, that "The indispensable employee brings humanity and connection and art to her organization. She is the key player, the one who’s difficult to live without, the person you can build something around. The indispensable employee—I call her/him a linchpin—is a person who’s worth finding and keeping."

What’s more, as project leaders, we should be striving to be the linchpin in our organization—striving for excellence ourselves. What does that mean? According to Godin, "Excellence means that you’re indispensable. At least right now, in this moment, there’s no one else I would choose but you."

However, I realize that these two goals might be challenging in organizations that are stuck in the "E-Myth" world. I can even relate, there was a time when I thought that way too. That being said, I agree with Godin when he suggests, "The good news is that more than ever, value accrues to those that show up, those that make a difference, those that do the work that matters."

The world is looking for project leaders who can step up and lead efforts that produce real value for their organizations. "Now, like it or not, the world wants something different from you," says Godin. "We need to think hard about what reality really looks like now."

The other day I shared some thoughts I had regarding a recent webinar I attended with Audrey Apfel, Gartner Managing Vice President, "One-Size-Fits-All" Doesn’t Fit, and like it or not, business as usual, isn’t any longer. The way we manage projects and other work is changing. And, the way organizations look at work is changing too. We have a unique opportunity to be the linchpin.

"Instead of focusing on complying with management as a long-term strategy for getting more stuff and being more secure, we have a chance to describe a powerful vision for our future and to actually make it happen," says Godin.

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Strategic Project Management

Online Project Management Software Holds The Key To Efficiency And Cost Savings In Your Project Tracking System

Online project management software, also known as “hosted” software is a great way to improve the project tracking system of most organizations while holding down costs. It allows project managers to be consumers of software, rather than provisioners, thus taking much of the hardware and software support out of the cost equation.

Online Project Management Software Reduces IT Hardware Expenditures While Improving Visibility And Connectivity

Online software—also known as “on-demand” or “Software-as-a-Service” (SaaS)—is made available through the project management software vendor’s servers. Therefore, customers are freed from the ongoing expense of maintaining the performance and security of on-premises hardware. Costs related to upgrades and maintenance are also eliminated.

Additionally, by essentially “renting” online project management software one seat at a time, smaller customers (requiring less than 100 licenses) that would not have been able to afford the upfront capital costs of a robust project tracking system can now use these systems.

Visibility and connectivity are also improved since any location with Internet access is a “gateway” to the on-demand project management solution. This provides two distinct benefits:

1. Far-flung consultants, temporary workers, and full-time employees all have equal access to the solution
2. All stakeholders (including managers and executive-level staff) can view the real-time status of a given project

An Online Project Tracking System Increases IT Staff Efficiency

Aside from reducing the hardware footprint of the project tracking system, the software vendor’s product specialists ensure the integrity and updating of the online project management software. This allows customers’ IT professionals to focus on their companies’ core competencies and to maximizing profitability and productivity.

In “SaaS Impact on Project and Portfolio Management,” Gartner, Inc. even poses the possibility that online offerings can enable departments or project teams to address their own specific needs without relying on the IT department at all. This illustrates the level to which end users are relieved of implementation and operational responsibilities.

Online Project Management Software is Secure

The security of online project management software is frequently greater than what users can provide on their own. Software vendors’ IT specialists are able to focus exclusively on the latest developments in data safeguards and provide them to customers. This is particularly true of vendors with SAS 70 certification, an internationally recognized standard with stringent criteria for guaranteeing the integrity of customer data and the uptime of a hosted project tracking system.

A Summary Of The Benefits Of Online Project Management Software

Online project management software provides a number of financial and operational advantages for companies seeking to optimize their project tracking system:

* Capital expenditures for applications and related hardware are reduced
* You save on the costs of software and hardware maintenance and upgrades
* Costs for database-related hardware and software upgrades are eliminated
* Internal IT staff workload and resource allocation is improved
* Internal staff as well as contract and project workers have access from Internet connections
* Managers and executives can view real-time status updates

As a result, online project management software simultaneously reduces the total cost of ownership, improves ROI and provides a more efficient project tracking system.

Related project management video:

Visit Praizion.com for the PMP Exam Prep Camp Course! Basic information for the PMP Exam Be Sure to check www.praizion.com for our PMBOK Audio Digest – 12 CDs that discuss the PMBOK and review every input, output, tool and technique.
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Online Project Management Software Holds The Key To Efficiency And Cost Savings In Your Project Tracking System

Online project management software, also known as “hosted” software is a great way to improve the project tracking system of most organizations while holding down costs. It allows project managers to be consumers of software, rather than provisioners, thus taking much of the hardware and software support out of the cost equation.

Online Project Management Software Reduces IT Hardware Expenditures While Improving Visibility And Connectivity

Online software—also known as “on-demand” or “Software-as-a-Service” (SaaS)—is made available through the project management software vendor’s servers. Therefore, customers are freed from the ongoing expense of maintaining the performance and security of on-premises hardware. Costs related to upgrades and maintenance are also eliminated.

Additionally, by essentially “renting” online project management software one seat at a time, smaller customers (requiring less than 100 licenses) that would not have been able to afford the upfront capital costs of a robust project tracking system can now use these systems.

Visibility and connectivity are also improved since any location with Internet access is a “gateway” to the on-demand project management solution. This provides two distinct benefits:

1. Far-flung consultants, temporary workers, and full-time employees all have equal access to the solution
2. All stakeholders (including managers and executive-level staff) can view the real-time status of a given project

An Online Project Tracking System Increases IT Staff Efficiency

Aside from reducing the hardware footprint of the project tracking system, the software vendor’s product specialists ensure the integrity and updating of the online project management software. This allows customers’ IT professionals to focus on their companies’ core competencies and to maximizing profitability and productivity.

In “SaaS Impact on Project and Portfolio Management,” Gartner, Inc. even poses the possibility that online offerings can enable departments or project teams to address their own specific needs without relying on the IT department at all. This illustrates the level to which end users are relieved of implementation and operational responsibilities.

Online Project Management Software is Secure

The security of online project management software is frequently greater than what users can provide on their own. Software vendors’ IT specialists are able to focus exclusively on the latest developments in data safeguards and provide them to customers. This is particularly true of vendors with SAS 70 certification, an internationally recognized standard with stringent criteria for guaranteeing the integrity of customer data and the uptime of a hosted project tracking system.

A Summary Of The Benefits Of Online Project Management Software

Online project management software provides a number of financial and operational advantages for companies seeking to optimize their project tracking system:

* Capital expenditures for applications and related hardware are reduced
* You save on the costs of software and hardware maintenance and upgrades
* Costs for database-related hardware and software upgrades are eliminated
* Internal IT staff workload and resource allocation is improved
* Internal staff as well as contract and project workers have access from Internet connections
* Managers and executives can view real-time status updates

As a result, online project management software simultaneously reduces the total cost of ownership, improves ROI and provides a more efficient project tracking system.

Online Project Management Software Holds The Key To Efficiency And Cost Savings In Your Project Tracking System

Online project management software, also known as “hosted” software is a great way to improve the project tracking system of most organizations while holding down costs. It allows project managers to be consumers of software, rather than provisioners, thus taking much of the hardware and software support out of the cost equation.

Online Project Management Software Reduces IT Hardware Expenditures While Improving Visibility And Connectivity

Online software—also known as “on-demand” or “Software-as-a-Service” (SaaS)—is made available through the project management software vendor’s servers. Therefore, customers are freed from the ongoing expense of maintaining the performance and security of on-premises hardware. Costs related to upgrades and maintenance are also eliminated.

Additionally, by essentially “renting” online project management software one seat at a time, smaller customers (requiring less than 100 licenses) that would not have been able to afford the upfront capital costs of a robust project tracking system can now use these systems.

Visibility and connectivity are also improved since any location with Internet access is a “gateway” to the on-demand project management solution. This provides two distinct benefits:

1. Far-flung consultants, temporary workers, and full-time employees all have equal access to the solution
2. All stakeholders (including managers and executive-level staff) can view the real-time status of a given project

An Online Project Tracking System Increases IT Staff Efficiency

Aside from reducing the hardware footprint of the project tracking system, the software vendor’s product specialists ensure the integrity and updating of the online project management software. This allows customers’ IT professionals to focus on their companies’ core competencies and to maximizing profitability and productivity.

In “SaaS Impact on Project and Portfolio Management,” Gartner, Inc. even poses the possibility that online offerings can enable departments or project teams to address their own specific needs without relying on the IT department at all. This illustrates the level to which end users are relieved of implementation and operational responsibilities.

Online Project Management Software is Secure

The security of online project management software is frequently greater than what users can provide on their own. Software vendors’ IT specialists are able to focus exclusively on the latest developments in data safeguards and provide them to customers. This is particularly true of vendors with SAS 70 certification, an internationally recognized standard with stringent criteria for guaranteeing the integrity of customer data and the uptime of a hosted project tracking system.

A Summary Of The Benefits Of Online Project Management Software

Online project management software provides a number of financial and operational advantages for companies seeking to optimize their project tracking system:

* Capital expenditures for applications and related hardware are reduced
* You save on the costs of software and hardware maintenance and upgrades
* Costs for database-related hardware and software upgrades are eliminated
* Internal IT staff workload and resource allocation is improved
* Internal staff as well as contract and project workers have access from Internet connections
* Managers and executives can view real-time status updates

As a result, online project management software simultaneously reduces the total cost of ownership, improves ROI and provides a more efficient project tracking system.

Related project management video:

2. How to Receive email instructions to free online project management course

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Speed Plays A Pivotal Role In Project Management System

management system. They have also attained to the web- based project management software. Management system accumulates the human support satisfied from their point of view that whatever there performance. These days project software is really very preeminent for the management of any kind of project work. Project management software can adjutant managers to manage their project fluently and effectively. The perfect project manager is embedding by project management software. When you select software to drift a project or business then you can see that many dependent overlook its key factors that provide a successful project management system implementation.

Project Management system accommodate a standardized method of managing jobs. This accumulates each step of project execution, and it makes easier for new assistant to learn your system. These days, broad organizations are operating different information systems and software like ProofHub project management software to increase their capability. This software runs very smoothly and it also plays very pivotal role in the management system. These days’ managers and employees get very busy in their work so they give more preference to the project management software. Now the competition is very high in every business. If we take the example if IT field there is lot of workload on employees each days. The major task is to deliver projects at time. So when you choose any project management system to manage projects then you should aware about the speed of that system. Because in project management you have to deliver so many projects and mails to clients and there is a fix deadline for every project, at that time speed of the project management system plays an important role.

A web based system also helps to improve the competency by scheduling the task according to their precedence. It also can be accessed, controlled and refresh anywhere. The diverse user management techniques manipulated by a web based project management system. It also makes easy handling of the complex projects as well. This management system lets you know the proficiency and performance of the whole team. This software makes the work so effective and it also saves our lots of time and energy as well.

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The Importance of Computer Technology in Setting Up a Project Management System

In the world of globalization, Information system is such where data are collected, classified and put into process interpreting the result thereon in order to provide an integrated series of information for further communicating and analyzing. In a progressively more spirited worldwide atmosphere, Information System plays the role as ‘enabler and facilitator’, which endows with tactical values to the officialdom and considerable step up to the excellence of administration. ‘An Information System is a particular type of work system that uses information technology to detain, put on the air, store, retrieve, manipulate or display information, thereby partisan one or more other work structure’. In totting up to taking sides assessment making, co-ordination and control, information systems may also help managers and workers investigate problems, envisage complex subjects and generate new merchandise or services.

The criteria of operational  systems and the idata management  systems that support analytically pass through at least four phases: a) Introducing the system  of manipulating the need to promulgate  on going operational Management  system b) development of  the process of acquiring and configuring/installing the necessary hardware, software and other resources c) implementation, the process of making new system operational in the organisation, and d) Operation and maintenance, the process concerned with the operation of the system, correcting any problems that may arise and ensuring that the system is delivering the anticipating benefits. The management of these processes can be achieved and controlled using a series of techniques and management tools which, collectively, tend to be known as Structured Management System. Two important methodologies:  PRINCE (Projects IN a Controlled Environment), and SSADM (Structured Systems Analysis and Design Methodology),structured by the Central Computing and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA), are used widely in the UK public sector and in some Developing Countries, like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal etc. Prior to comment on the application of these methods in the Developing Countries, it would be pertinent to describe brief outlines of these methodologies.

It is a significant fact that PRINCE is a project management method; not system development, which covers the organisation, management and control of projects. Since its introduction in 1989, PRINCE has become widely used in both the public and private sectors and is now the UK’s de facto standard for project management. Although PRINCE was originally developed for the needs of IT projects, the method has also been used on many non-IT projects. PRINCE requires a dedicated team to be established to manage and carry out each project. It therefore aims to provide a supporting framework between the current state of affairs and the planned future state. PRINCE focuses attention on end-products rather than activities, ensuring that the organisation actually gets what it wants out of the project. Quality is seen as a necessary and integral part of the project and the focus on end-products enables the criteria by which quality is to be judged to be specified at the outset of the project. It requires the development of a viable “business case” for the project at its outset and that the business case needs to be periodically reviewed.

In PRINCE a project is regarded as having the following characteristics:

 defined and unique set of technical products to meet the business needs
 corresponding set of activities to construct those products
 certain amount of resources
 finite lifespan
 organisational structure with defined responsibilities

In such Management Structured System, an approach to planning based on products rather than activities and the use of this approach for the benefits. It also emphasises that projects needs to define the ‘ shape’ or manageable phases of a project to promote sound business control. Stages are characterised by the production of specific products. The PRINCE model for projects is based on two main principles:

The project is a joint responsibility between users, the developers and the organisation for whose benefit the end-product is being developed
In order for projects to succeed, a special structure is demanded to manage the project throughout its life – from conception through build to handover. This structure is distinct from normal line management.

By Using these principles, the model defines three levels of activity:
Overall project management and major decision making
Day-to-day management
Production of end-products

These three levels of activity are assigned respectively to the Project Board, to the Project and Stage Managers, and to the Technical Teams. The latest version of the method, PRINCE 2, is a process-based approach for project management providing an easily tailored, and scaleable method for the management of all types of projects. Each process is defined with its key inputs and outputs together with the specific objectives to be achieved and activities to be carried out. In the following diagram, the process-based approach is shown:
Structured Management  Process Model
Such Standard Method  provides benefits to the organisation, as well as the managers and directors of the project, through the controllable use of resources and the ability to manage business and project risk more effectively. PRINCE enables projects to have:

 a controlled and organised start, middle and end;
 regular reviews of progress against plan and against Business Case;
 flexible decision points;
 automatic management control of any deviations from the plan;
 the involvement of management and stakeholders at the right time and place during the project;
 good communication channels between the project, project management, and the rest of the organisation.

There is no denying the fact that SSADM is a highly structured and rigorous method of systems development ,was originally developed by Learmonth and Burchett Management System (LBMS) following an investigation by the CCTA into adopting a standard Information System (IS) development method for use in UK government projects. It was launched in 1981 and by 1983 became mandatory for all the government IS developments. This gave SSADM a large toehold in the IS structured methods market.
It is a prerequisite for SSADM that user commitment and involvement are agreed right from the start. It provides a top-down approach, where a high level picture is drawn up and subsequently refined into lower levels of detail. One extremely important concept in SSADM is the distinction between logical and physical views of system components.

The following purpose are generally fulfilled by such important methods.

 Provide a sound platform for communications between analysts, designers and users;
 Reduce errors and gaps in the specification produced
 Improve the quality of software documentation and the productivity of analysts;
 Reduce potential risks by presenting analysts with a structural framework for the use of techniques, and a standard for documentation end-products;
 Provide techniques for checking completeness and accuracy;
 Improve the maintainability of the new systems;
 Reuse staff and skills on other projects;
 Protect investment in analysis and design, and to allow freedom in implementation techniques.
SSADM consists of three main components:
 The structure or framework of an SSADM project
 A set of standard analysis and design techniques
 The products of each technique
The structure of SSADM might appear a little complex at first, but will make more sense as we began to look at the method in more detail. Following diagram illustrates the breakdown of the life cycle into a hierarchy of modules, stages, steps and tasks.Each module represents a SSADM phase, and is made up of one or two stages. Where a module contains two stages, one will be an analysis or design and the other will be a project decision stage. Each stages is made up of between two to seven steps, which provide the framework for applying and controlling the development techniques. The tasks to be carried out within each step define how the techniques should be used, and specify the required standard of the products output from the step. Following diagram shows the breakdown of SSADM’s modules and stages.The major analysis techniques mainly used are as follows:

 Business Activity Modelling (BAM) – explicitly describes what goes on that part of the business under investigation. The activities are defined from purely a business rather than on IS perspective. Recommended approach to be used in the construction of a BAM may be Soft System Methodology (SSM), Functional Decomposition or Resource Flow Diagrams.
 Logical Data Modelling (LDM), representing system data, is applied throughout the life cycle to provide the foundation of the new system;
 Work Practice Model (WPM) maps business activities onto the organisation structure defining user roles to the underlying business activities.

The key important thing is the end-product. Each step has number of tasks associated with it, most of which lead to the creation or enhancement of standard SSADM products. At the end of an SSADM project the new system will be described by the sum of these products. Products can be divided into three basic groups: Processing, Data and System-User (or Human-Computer) Interface.

By way of substantiating the Information System in developing countries is a complicated virtual process, specially in the public sector. With the growing needs in the information age, and by the pressure from the international donors , big and ambitious projects has been undertaken by the public sector in developing countries . But due to the lack of standard procedures and methodologies for IS development caused many projects to combat problems in the implementation stage. Many projects failed to attain their business needs, as they were too large and highly ambitious. Basic reasons for the project failure in the developing countries can be characterised as the following:

 Solving wrong problem;
 Technology led, not business;
 Lack of major stakeholder involvement;
 Experts lead, rather than facilitate;
 Lack of commitment and hidden agenda;
 Benefits not identified and quantified at outset.

Nowadays, the developing countries are applying both PRINCE AND SSADM methodologies, the project management development techniques, specially designed for IT projects, that are funded by the UK Department for International development (DFID).

4.2 In Bangladesh , private sectors are advancing with IS development , but it is not the identical situation in the public sector. The reasons behind this may be the poor salary structure in the public service, which never give confidence to the prospective talents and system designers to join the public services. Most of the IT projects are donor funded; domestically financed IT projects rarely experience success like the donor projects.

4.3 However, RIBEC (Reforms in Budgeting and Expenditure Control) project, funded by DFID, has been considered as the most successful project in Bangladesh.

At the early stage of RIBEC project (Phase 2), it was observed that, the project was design to develop and modernise the budgeting and accounting system of the government of Bangladesh. The experts mainly dominated that phase, including lots of things to cover. There was lack of stakeholders’ involvement; problems were not recognised at the initial stage. Only a range of high-grade staff in the relevant field was given a general IT training. There was no follow up; no visible product was seen. Benefits were not identified. No system was developed to automate the budgeting and accounting system. So this phase 2 had experienced a massive failure. Having awful experience, the following phase (2A and 2B), a downsized project with specific output targets came up with analysing user requirements. This phase focused on sustainability and proved successful with sustainable solutions especially in the software development for budgeting and accounting Substantive training had been offered to the users of the systems. Stakeholders have been involved in the software development process and the local vendors who will be easily available in the future, developed the systems. Following PRINCE and SSADM as methods for project management and system development, RIBEC project is now considered as a model for other projects which implies the potential scope for applying these methodologies.Financial Management Project for HMG Nepal has been designed to establish a reliable database to ensure user friendly and reliable financial information and to computerise budgetary system. CCTA guidelines for IS strategy including PRINCE and SSADM were followed in developing the system.  In Pakistan, Lahore WASA project experienced badly as the original proposal was too big and not phased project; no analysis of business needs, solution was technology led, benefits were not identified at outset, high risk strategy, questionable long-term sustainability, lack of training facilities and computing skill within organisation etc. So, 2 years’ costs and effort were wasted.

By taking into consideration the UK approach of project management, Lahore WASA claim to be successor and benefits are realised especially in the billing from bimonthly billing to daily billing and reduction in bill production cycle. The main project management approach in the new proposal includes: redefinition of purpose, identify business benefits, prioritise outputs, involvement of stakeholders, DIFID played the role as the facilitator not doer, ownership of solution by stakeholders, use of local consultant etc, phased development, distributed system.

In view of the above it is evident that ‘Information technology and Information systems for what they really are – powerful and valuable tools, but not magic. When applied thoughtfully, these tools can bring important benefits for individuals, organisations, and customers. When misapplied, they can waste tremendous amounts of time, effort, and money’.The USA, a Progressed and well structured country that is economically and technologically advanced, designed PRINCE AND SSADM, to meet their own requirements. It cannot be expected that these structured methodologies would equally suit the resource scarce developing countries. But the above discussions surmise that there is potential scope and rationale for applying PRINCE AND SSADM that would facilitate the developing countries for better project management and system development. But again, these methodologies need not be considered as the “ final conclusive critics”, rather these structural criteria should be used thoughtfully, tailored to manage projects efficiently and to develop effective information systems to cope with the challenge of change Management virtually.

The Perfect Project Management System

Along with the evolution of technology, project management systems are growing in popularity. The birth of new computer systems opens the doors for innovative ways of making businesses more effective.

A proper project management system is essential to businesses that eventually want to grow out of the basement. When you add up all the different business fronts together, you get a hell of a multi-tasking mess. Also, it’s hard to coordinate things together when the work is divided between multiple people/departments.

Many project management systems exist out in the world, but it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the different options. To focus on the primary needs of the business is important. For your convenience, I’ve compiled the most essential elements of project management systems you should be looking for.

Communication

In the case of businesses with a reasonable amount of employees, project management goes hand in hand with team management. Projects are rarely done by individuals; teams are normally assigned to each. Because of this, it’s sometimes hard to keep track of the progress of things, and coordinate tasks effectively. Easy communication between teams and team members is essential to things going smoothly.

A good project management system has to keep everybody updated on the status of the project. It should give them the freedom to easily share project-related information, as well as delegate tasks. Teams should also be given importance, and the system should be able to assign them to different tasks/projects.

Centralization

In order for a business to grow, it needs to improve itself in all aspects. This includes its ability to multi-task. Unfortunately, when it comes to that point, things get exponentially harder to manage.

Project management is mostly about multi-tasking. Projects have numerous tasks, and businesses normally have more than one project on the go. The system in charge needs to be able to accommodate all the projects and tasks in one place. It’s then possible to keep track of everything from one central location, which is essential to time management.

Support

In a world of high technology, software is all around us. However, if a problem arises, or if something needs to be programmed differently, technical support isn’t always easy or cheap to find. This is especially true of small name brands.

It’s important to make sure that the system will be easy to fix if problems start to rise in the future. It’s a wise habit to check if the purchase in question comes with technical support, at least for the first few weeks. Software is easy to find; reliable technical support isn’t.

You now have a better idea of which system to look for when it comes to managing your projects. With all the different choices on the market, it can be hard to decide which project management system is best suited for your needs. Focus on your specific needs, and make sure to pick a system that works for you.

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Project Management System Evaluation Checklist

“An elegant solution to the wrong problem solves nothing.”
- Bryce’s Law

INTRODUCTION

Commercial Project Management systems (PM) have been available since the early 1970′s. As PC’s proliferated in the workplace, so did PM software, which also brought an ease-of-use element to project management. A multitude of PM products are now available on the market, some expensive, and some very reasonably priced. However, to say all PM packages were created equally would be a gross exaggeration. Each has a specific niche they address in project management or target a specific industry.

As I described in my article, “Why Does Project Management Fail?”, one of the main reasons for failure is because there is a lack of consideration for the magnitude and complexities of project management and, consequently, there is a natural inclination to attack it in piece meal. As a result of the bulletin, I have been asked as to what criteria I would use to evaluate a PM package. Consequently, I have developed the following checklist for evaluating a PM package it its pristine form. I hope it will be of benefit to you.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:

The Project Management system should…

Support any type of project – large or small; not just those limited to a specific part of the business (e.g, IT pplications). As such, it should be flexible in application and accommodate any
and all methods of work effort (new development, maintenance, and modification/improvements).

Distinguish between Direct, Indirect, and Unavailable activities. For background information, see:
http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/pride/pmmeth.htm#time

Promote the “Mini-Project Manager” concept. For background information, see:
http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/pride/pmmeth.htm#minipm

Provide an integrated approach to support all activities of project management, not just some; this includes Planning, Estimating, Scheduling, Reporting, and Control.

Promote and enforce in-house project management standards; e.g., use of standard methodologies, labor rates, time reporting, detection of estimate/schedule overruns/underruns, etc.

Provide a universally applicable calendar and allow for the specification of a standard reporting cycle.

PLANNING SUPPORT:

The Project Management system should…

Support various Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) – not just a single methodology. This includes controllable levels of WBS (number of levels of detail). Also, provides a library facility for reusable methodologies that can be automatically loaded upon request. Ideally, the WBS can be tied to specific information resources (such as systems, programs, files, etc.) thereby enabling the ability to record and monitor time for a specific information resource.

Support internal project dependencies (work step-to-work step) and external dependencies (project-to-project).

Allow for multiple projects, multiple human resources (both internal employees and external contractors), and multiple assignments for a single human resource. (A “many-to-many” relationship between projects and human resources).

Provide a Skills Inventory to track skills and proficiencies.

Be able to manage project priorities and backlogs of user service requests (business objectives). A “priority modeling” tool is highly desirable to study the impact of change.

ESTIMATING SUPPORT:

The Project Management system should…

Provide for both Detail estimates (for a specific phase of a project) and Order-of-Magnitude (for the entire project). For background information, see:
http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/pride/pm20.htm#types

Allow multiple versions of estimates (after all, estimates will inevitably need to be revised).

Provide a means to maintain estimating guidelines and generate tentative estimates accordingly.

SCHEDULING SUPPORT:

The Project Management system should…

Provide for automated calculations using “Effectiveness Rate.” For background information, see:
http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/pride/pmmeth.htm#er

Allow multiple versions of schedules (project schedules, like estimates, will change over time).

Provide facilities to manage resource allocations. This includes plotting both estimated and actual project assignments, as well as monitoring “effectiveness rates.”

Be able to calculate critical paths of projects.

REPORTING SUPPORT:

The Project Management system should…

Provide facilities to record and verify time on project assignments.

Provide for the recording of “Estimate to Do” (the amount of time remaining on a given assignment). Note: This is different than “Percent Complete.” For background information, see:
http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/pride/pm40.htm#etd

Maintain historical time data to be used in history reports and to update estimating guidelines.

Allow the recording of “out-of-pocket” project expenditures.

Provide a scratchpad facility to record project notes as well as formal reports (e.g. Project Proposals, Cost/Benefit Analysis, Project Audits, etc.).

Provide a standard facility to generate a variety of project reports (a “report writer” facility is ideal).

CONTROL SUPPORT:

The Project Management system should…

Post reported time to projects and to human resources reporting it. Also, post time to information resources to monitor activity. For example, the Order Processing system had 2,342 hours reported when it was created in 1985; 335 hours in 2000; and 246 hours in 2004.

Provide various summary reports to analyze projects and human resources, both by project and by department.

Provide the ability to bill end-users for project costs (Chargeback). This includes chargeback to multiple users at varying rates.

COMPUTER-RELATED CONSIDERATIONS:

The Project Management system should…

Be easy to install and test on the computer.

Be implemented as a cross-platform solution (operates the same on different computers) thus providing machine portability and independence from hardware manufacturers. It should also be easily accessed by all people participating in project management activities (conceivably the whole company) as an integrated approach.

Be easy to learn and use. It should be based on industry design standards (e.g., GUI design standards, on-line Help, use of operating system clipboard, etc.).

Performs reliably and productively in accordance with specifications.

Provide for multi-languages and multi-cultures, such as adapting to local customs for expressing dates, time (am-pm vs. military time), monetary values (Dollars, Pounds, Yen, etc.), and accommodating foreign languages (including the Asian Double Byte Character Set – DBCS).

Provide standard utilities for:
Monitoring and Administering the system.
Security – to both administer the system, and login to input data.
Import/Export data in various formats (Ideally an open interface should be provided).
File Management – to purge obsolete data, and backup files.

Be provided by a vendor with a reliable reputation for training, service and warranty.

I have described a pretty encompassing system with robust features. As such, a Cost/Benefit Analysis should be prepared to compare price versus the system’s value to the company.

This evaluation checklist should be used as a template and modified accordingly to suit in-house requirements. Good luck.

For additional information on “PRIDE” Project Management, see:
http://www.phmainstreet.com/mba/pride/pm.htm

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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