Project Management Blog

In today’s complex company environment new projects are continuously being developed as organizations seek new ways to lessen expenses, enhance processes, increase productivity, and build their bottom line. Managing these diverse projects along with their individuals, resources, technology, and communication is really a challenging endeavor for which the risk of failure is frequently far too high. An powerful solution, created to establish a a lot more centralized management structure for large groups of projects, will be the Project Management Office (PMO). The PMO gives organizations with an infrastructure of folks, procedures, and tools to obtain powerful project management by leveraging project management standards, allocating resources, establishing consistent performance measures, and reducing duplication of efforts.

There are several benefits to establishing an effective PMO. 1st, the PMO supplies a framework for consistently managing projects through a regular methodology while ensuring the projects are aligned with corporate objectives and techniques. Project managers have clear lines of responsibility whilst coordinating folks, processes, and tools with one yet another and by doing so, steer clear of both gaps and overlaps between projects and decrease or eradicate duplication of effort. Standardization and repeatability afford an organization better communication, reduced project price, improved resource management, a lot more accountability, improved top quality, greater forecasting, and less overhead related to project managers.

Enlist Executive and Management Support
The first step in establishing a PMO is gaining executive and management support. This step relies heavily on organizational change management (OCM) as it demands a potentially considerable shift in organizational culture together with roles and responsibilities. Regardless of the difficulties and resistance to alter, this step is the foundation upon which a profitable PMO ought to be built. As with any shift in organizational structure, policy, or procedure, favor ought to be gained via justification for the modifications in terms of cost benefit and return on investment (ROI).

Decide the Structure and Develop the Team
The next step in constructing a PMO would be to decide the structure and develop the team. There’s no defined template for PMO structure as every single organization brings its own variables to consider. Some manage all aspects of the projects assigned under them like scheduling, budgets, resourcing, human capital, oversight, and communication. Other people might strictly coordinate these functions with most of the support coming from adjacent departments. The keys to determining the right structure and team members for the PMO are understanding one of the most powerful way they can co-exist within the organization and discovering the proper balance between the PMO, organizational culture, roles and responsibilities, and management style. Some issues to think about in establishing the structure and developing the PMO team include: availability of resources; existing project management standards and methodologies; existing roles and responsibilities; the politics of the organization; project size and volume; and present project management troubles.

Develop and Document Standards
When the structure and team members have been determined, it is time to develop and document the PMO standards, practices, and methodologies for project management. These standards will enable for consistency across the organization and its portfolio of projects. They’ll also comprise a huge portion of the training that projects managers and staff will obtain in the next step. Standardization is also an essential part of allowing an organization to compare a variety of projects and allocate resources where and when they’re essential.

Identify Abilities and Train the Staff
Once the development of project management standards and methodologies is complete, the PMO need to identify the proficiency levels and skill sets of it project managers and staff as a way to determine what training is essential. Some of this information will likely be evident as a result of reviewing the statuses of current projects. Significantly of the training content may also be based on the standards, practices, and methodologies that had been defined in step #3. The PMO really should also establish an ongoing training program. In a PMO it really is inevitable that staff members will come and go and organizational standards will alter and evolve. A training program will make certain that all new employees receive training on those standards and existing employees remain conscious of any modifications.

Measure Success and Continuously Improve
Now that the PMO structure is finalized, project management standards are established and communicated, and personnel are trained, the focus of the PMO need to shift to assessing and measuring success. This point in time marks the initiation of progress and performance reporting based on standardized tools, templates, and methodologies. Even so, it also marks the beginning of a continuous method improvement cycle along with a transition from PMO deployment to operational sustainment. As the PMO evolves, project team members should maintain an awareness of the metrics by which their projects are measured along with how method effectiveness is determined. There must be a concerted effort to identify processes which need improvement. When identified, improvement measures need to be developed and implemented.

The establishment of an powerful PMO is beneficial to any organization which manages a portfolio of projects. When planning and developing a PMO it’s imperative that it is accomplished in a manner which compliments the existing structure or the organization. This will enable the company to gain maximum benefit and to do otherwise could be counter-productive. Since every single organization is different, the optimal structure for the PMO need to be developed based on numerous considerations and variables. The capability of a PMO to manage projects by way of consistent and repeatable standards and methodologies brings numerous positive aspects. It supplies the organization with accountability, continuity, simplified oversight, along with the capacity to measure project success a lot more successfully. An efficient PMO can be a catalyst for higher efficiency as it makes it possible for an organization to do far more quality work with fewer resources and much less risk. The result of these positive aspects is an organization that may significantly boost its project success rate.

Original Site: http://www.mypmhome.com/how-to-build-a-project-management-office/

In my previous blog, posted here on the 28th of February, I spoke about the first key to Successful Improvement Projects; “An Uncompromising Focus on the Customer.” At the conclusion of that posting, I promised to follow it up with the second key; Senior Sponsor Support. Read on to find out about the second key…

It is a waste of time to go about improving operations or implementing a new project unless there is a senior sponsor that will advocate, exert influence and resource the project. If the sponsor is not passionate about the change - do not start! I have seen numerous ingenious innovations left to die on the vine. Why? Because the leader was focused on important, urgent and immediate issues while creative people in the organisation had great ideas but no mechanism to bring that idea to market. The senior sponsor plays a critical role when bringing about changes to the business. Sponsor support happens at two very different levels. You need the sponsor’s ‘head’ to provide you support with resources and people. More importantly you need to tap into the sponsors ‘heart’, to find support in the form of an excitement and passion for the improvement. I discuss this further in my newsletter, Silver Bullet 7. Visit Silver Bullet.pdf for more information.

This newsletter includes some practical tips on engaging your sponsor.

As the project rolls out, ensure you maintain communication with the sponsor to give feedback, receive direction and maintain a level of excitement about the success the improvement will bring.

In my next post, I will explore the third key to Successful Improvement Projects: A crystal clear vision.

Dan Jackson
Head Coach 7SIM Business Improvement
www.7sim.com.au

Original Site: http://www.mypmhome.com/communication-is-key-to-successful-project-management/

Project management is an art, and project management is also a science. This is my understanding of project management.

It is a science, because it includes all aspects management knowledge. When it comes to project management, people naturally think of its eight major elements: scope, time, cost, quality, human resources, risk, procurement, communication. A successful project is closely related to all these factors.

However, in the actual participation of project, we can find the factor which associated with most of the activities is the project stakeholders; project stakeholders generally include the customer or user, the project team, the project company’s managers and other major stakeholders. In the project management, time, cost, quality, human resources, risk, and procurement are related to communication. How to set up a successful project teams? How to play full potential of team in the project? How relationships with customers are maturing? How to do customer satisfaction? All these are communication management, and the project manager must master the skills.

To carry out all elements of communication, to manage all related people, project manager should stand on stakeholders’ perspective, from their needs and interests to achieve their maximum value through the project. If out of these, it is difficult to make project success.

In the development of software, the communication style of requirements management affect the accuracy of the requirement baseline, the same in the project design and development process, the communication result between project members and project manager directly affect the success of the project. The key goal of communication in project is to maintain the progress of the project, identify potential problems, requests for proposals to improve project performance. If the communication is carried out improperly, the project will failed unexpected.

Communication in project management has its inevitable and irreplaceable important role. In the 1995, Standish Group study found that IT project success is related to three main factors: user participation, management support, requirement clear. All of these factors are dependent on having good communication skills.

Early in the project, the project manager in addition to the preparation of a good communication plan, but also to understand how to manage team, and how to meet the needs of customer, standing on the roles of stakeholders, so as to achieve a successful project targets.

Speaking of project management is an art, not only refer to the communication skills with stockholders, most of project managers can blindly memorizing the eight elements of project management, but how to control them flexibility, making these elements more suitable to the actual operation of the project, it requires the project manager having art management techniques in the operation. Management rules are surely died, but people are living. In every field of project management, these communication skills are generic and hold the other project management with the requirements of the relevant elements of the.

How to use the art of project management flexibility in practical work, ensure that the project greatly meet customer’s needs, guide the project towards the goal of success, this is the key thing every project manager should consider and carefully implement.

Original Site: http://www.mypmhome.com/communication-is-key-to-successful-project-management/

This blog is intended to invite discussion on why some improvement projects succeed while most fail to realise the benefits expected.

I have conducted significant research in this area and have found the reasons most improvement projects fail is not because of the methodology underpinning the improvement process, but the failure to recognise and foster the cultural implications of change.

Equipped with this knowledge, I developed 7 keys to successful improvement projects:
1. An uncompromising focus on the Customer
2. Senior Sponsor Support
3. A crystal clear vision
4. Plain spoken and extensive consultation
5. The best people on the Improvement Team
6. Actively manage change
7. Recognise that people transition differently through change

I have loaded a new video describing these keys at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zb2QpsesYPc

In future posts, I’ll go into more detail on each of these keys. I would like to hear from other project managers involved in business transformation or process improvement to hear your views and any advice you have.

I hope this has been helpful.

Dan Jackson
Head Coach 7SIM Leadership Training
www.7sim.com.au

PS. Email me if you would like a link to the Research Points aforementioned at Enquiries@7SIM.com.au

As the expansion of social media websites accelerates, many project managers have asked themselves, “Is the time I spend with my marketing team building social networks worth it or am I wasting my time?” Well, the answer is yes. A recent study conducted by the Nielsen consulting group says that “36% of [an internet user’s] time is spent communicating and networking across social networks, blogs, and personal email and instant message.” So, it is obvious that the more time spent constructing your company’s social media website the better your company’s reputation will appear? This unfortunately is not true. Since the beginning of the social media frenzy, there have been companies that have thrived from the creation of their social network while some have suffered from the transparency created by extensive social networking. If there is one lesson to learn: quantity and relevance is more important than quantity.

Today’s globalized world has turned the traditional business thought process upside down and continues to create new venues and ideas which have helped many entrepreneurs and project managers accomplish their goals. With the airline industry seeing less activity and innovative communication platforms such as Skype it seems mandatory for a firm’s long-term success to be established in the construction of a large social network. As the article, “Social Media Success Stories” by Erik Qualman suggests, there are many firms, from Intuit to McDonalds, who see the importance of a strong social network and how it has produced substantial and measureable returns on investment. With small companies looking to expand and large companies looking to diversify their target audience, the expansion of social media gives the impression that it is now irreplaceable in the techno-savvy business world.

While there have been numerous success stories initiated by social media there are many stories that suggest that social networking may not be done properly or even successful networking may unveil problems with other departments in a firm. Gary Moneysmith, the President of Dynamlt Technologies a consulting company in Columbus, Ohio, believes that social media has its limitations and should be focused on what can help the network creator achieve their goals. With so many options to develop, the internet is a now a platform where a firm can lose its positioning and lose focus on its target audience and overall goals thus wasting time and money. Other firms have developed networks that have caused internal implosions due to the transparency created by social media. In the case of United Airlines, a passenger of theirs named David Carroll, a musician who often travels with his guitar caused lots of unwanted turbulence for the company. After receiving a broken guitar at the baggage claim and not getting the optimal customer service response from the airline that he expected, he recorded a song about his experience that traveled across the world via social media websites and thus destroying United’s ability to re-establish itself as a company that delivers premium customer service.

So, now it is clear that social media networking is vital to a company’s growth and sustainability, a proper balance between quality control and quantity of networking must be established in order for the network to produce results that simplify the path towards a firm’s long term goals. As more project managers struggle to walk this marketing tight rope, it is important to remember a quick quote from a man who needs no introduction: “Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted.” –Albert Einstein.

For reference information and more articles please visit www.projectguidinglight.com

My conviction, from the past learnings, especially in managing people is, we need more than just skills and experience to deliver.

I will start with 3 major buckets when looking for resources in a project team. For that matter, into the organization.

Skills are the knowledge elements required for the job. You advertize them prominently. Experience is obvious which is also advertized prominently. The last, but most important one, which is often not even realized and recognized is, the Quality.

I will define Quality as the personal characteristics of the individual. Definitely, there are many of them to make a large list. And they differ from role to role.

For example, a project manager is expected to display maturity, patience, commitment, trust, integrity etc., Whereas, for a developer, focus may not be on these kind of characteristics but on generic ones like commitment and attitude. As you can see, Qualities are distinctly different from Skills. They can't be taught in school (or, probably can be!!)

The point I am trying to emphasize is that, every job requires some of these qualities, varying in number and degree from role to role. The organization must list, define and assign them to each role. AND, don't just stop here. When bringing in someone into the system, check their qualities which are expected for that role, just as you would check the guy's skills and experience. If someone doesn't have it, don't take them in.

I think you'll have a wonderful system in place. You certainly don't want people who lack commitment, even if they are having the best skill and tons of experience.

However, the challenge will be to try and evaluate these qualities when interviewing people. Some food for thought for the HR function?

1. Poor planning:
Who are your IT managers and do they get enough opportunity to plan or under pressure from senior management they tend to think planning as a waste of time because they believe that time is better spent doing something rather than planning. Do you involve your project team in planning? Do they have the skills and experience to make complete plans? Or you always ask them to implement the solution. These are fundamental questions that need to be answered first.

2. Unclear goals and objectives:
Many IT projects are elaborated progressively and in these scenarios project managers rely on rolling wave planning. As a result, the goal of a project may be only partially clear due to a poor requirement gathering in the definition stage of the project. In such case, the scope and schedule developed by project managers cannot possibly be accurate because their objectives are unclear. Defining clear requirements for a project can take time and lots of communication.

3. Poor Stakeholder Management:
Project stakeholders’ interests may be positively or negatively impacted by the project and that is why stakeholders’ influence on the project is the most important thing to consider. Stakeholders who are found later will make changes and could cause delays. Any change that is made later is harder to integrate and is much more costly.

4. Scope creep and Feature creep due to objectives changing during the project :
Uncontrolled and unexpected changes in user /stakeholder expectations and requirements as a project progress always negatively impact a project. This is known as scope creep. Many times new features are added to the project with a wrong assumption that one small feature will add nothing to cost or schedule. This unplanned addition is called feature creep.

5. Unrealistic time or resource estimates:
Many times project managers make costly mistakes while estimating time or resources. One common mistake is made during the creation of the Work Breakdown Structure. Often it is assumed that the time on task equals duration. Project managers estimate the time on task is the time the task will take to complete. How about interruptions? Some may be known and some may be unknown. Do project managers anticipate interruptions? In reality duration is the time the task actually takes to complete including interruptions.
Another common problem is using linear approximation when estimating the schedule For example, if you double the number of developers, you can cut the project time in half. In reality, doubling the number of developers produces a non-linear result.

6. Improper delegation of task and responsibilities:
Many times project managers fail to delegate tasks and responsibilities to the team in such a way that they should fit team members' job descriptions. When team members are asked to work outside their specialization (often as added responsibilities), they not only go through a learning curve but also tend to lose focus on the project objectives. This always results in confusion among the team members and eventually cost and time overruns.

7. Lack of executive support and user involvement:
IT managers face many difficulties in managing projects and the lack of executive support and user involvement are the two main reasons of IT project failures. Many times IT project managers work as project coordinators or project expediters and without executive support they cannot personally make and enforce decisions. The second reason is user involvement and often the project planners fail to plan human solutions to the very human users that the product is proposed to serve.
8. Failure to communicate and act as a team:

Projects sometimes fail due to improper communication. Many large IT projects are so complex that these projects always require large amount of analysis and work. The project teams are busy doing the analysis, creating WBS, time estimation etc. and project managers do not communicate progress regularly because they believe that progress will not be seen by the executive management or they fear of improper reporting.

9. Lack of proper risk management:
Another potential cause for project failure is the IT managers’ inability to categorize all the risks qualitatively and quantitatively and implement corrective measures.

10. Inappropriate skills:
The rapid changes of the technology-driven business environment and the constant changes of technology make it hard to predict skills the IT department will be needed.
Almost all large IT projects require a diverse range of skills. Many teams lack the breadth, and depth they require. Also dearth of qualified people in the labor market and high attrition rate of the industry add many problems to the projects. Often, projects mangers spend substantial amount of their time in recruitment related activities.

There is an old saying in software development about how the only bug free line of code is the one you don't write. While this may sound pessimistic, the motivation is to curb a developer's urge to over engineer a solution. When it comes to Project Management, do we have a corollary to this wisdom?

I believe we do, and it is this: The unnecessary meeting that is cancelled retains productivity. (Or at least, it has the potential whereas the meeting would have certainly doomed the group to wasting an hour)

Meetings are a necessary evil. This is so because good software requires communication between developers and stake holders, but meetings should ultimately be seen as overhead. If five people are in a meeting for an hour, this represents five person-hours not spent on features or fixing bugs. Scott Berkun, in The Art of Project Management, goes a bit further and warns against recurring meetings, which often outlive their usefulness.

There are several ways for a Project Manager to keep developers out of meetings:

• Sit down with developers and stake holders separately and confirm if all expectations are met. A five minute discussion with both parties separately may save everyone from a longer project review session.
• Start eliminating recurring meetings, or convert them to opt-in meetings, decided by the Project Manager
• Structure the order of events in a meeting so that some persons may leave early. Don't make developers suffer through a budget discussion if all they need to do their job is clarification on the software requirements.

Before you get too slash-happy, do keep in mind that effective meetings can add value. A Project Manager should enable developers to produce software. If the meeting doesn't serve this goal, adopt some meeting elimination tips from this article.