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Issues vs. Action Items
- by Kenneth Darter, PMP
(April 23, 2012)
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Issues and action items are often lumped together, but there are differences--and they require different strategies to make sure they don't derail your project. Do you have a plan in place?
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Stakeholder Relationship Management: Make it Personal
- by Michael Wood
(April 2, 2012)
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The fostering of any successful relationship requires us to see the world, issues, concerns and needs through the lens of the other person. Additionally, you need to factor the person’s influence, position and attitude toward you into your assessment of how to cultivate and manage the relationship. This holds true for SRM as well--and purposely taking these elements of the relationship into account when designing your communications plan will only add to your success.
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Project Closure: Party or Post-Mortem?
- by Kenneth Darter, PMP
(April 2, 2012)
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Whether the end of the project is a celebration or a time for tears, it is important to take the time to properly close the project. While there are some subtle differences in closing a project with a party or a wake, a carefully defined checklist will help with either ending to the project.
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The Forgotten Stakeholder
- by Andy Jordan
(April 2, 2012)
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We've all done it: failed to identify all of the stakeholders up front. And you only realize it when you need them to approve something, provide resources or assist with the project. What’s the best way to deal with a “forgotten” stakeholder?
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When Push Comes to Shove: Team Crunch Time
- by Michael Wood
(March 22, 2012)
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Recently, concerns have surfaced regarding the viability of the remaining three months of your project. Management wants quantitative evidence that it will finish successfully and on time. You need to act and act now. Before hitting the panic button, rely on these proven techniques to help achieve success.
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The Importance of Change Control
- by Brad Egeland
(December 19, 2011)
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Why is change control so important? With everything a project manager is responsible for, why so much concern over it? What does it really mean, and how do we perform it?
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Mature Change?
- by Michael Wood
(November 1, 2011)
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Most project managers think of changes to a project to be related to change requests that modify the scope of deliverables. But changes to projects go far beyond mere scope changes, so it's important to have a change management process in place that can address any manner of project change. While the majority of organizations have fairly mature change request processes in place, most lack similar processes to handle event-driven changes.
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Freeze the Client!
- by Kenneth Darter, PMP
(October 26, 2011)
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They approved the scope statement?! Freeze the client! Sigh...if only it were that simple. Maybe it's time to learn to love change instead of struggling against it.
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The Procurement Project
- by Kenneth Darter, PMP
(October 3, 2011)
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Procurement management is one of the knowledge areas in PMBOK, but procurements for large computer systems or multi-year projects can easily take on a life of their own. This article will provide guidelines for issues that are unique to a procurement project. Ensuring that these guidelines are followed (or at least considered) by the appropriate stakeholder will assist the PM in successfully completing the procurement so that the real work can begin.
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Managing Global Projects: Easier Said Than Done
- by Michael Wood
(October 3, 2011)
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Managing projects that span countries and cultures brings with it its own set of challenges, not the least of which is a greater risk of failure. This article explores some of those challenges and complexities that are unique or amplified when managing global projects.
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Practical Project Control Cadence
- by Dr. Andrew Makar, DMIT, PMP
(September 19, 2011)
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It's important to clarify the purpose and status reporting expectations early in the project. Here, we share a sample integration management cadence for a large project or program that effectively balances the time with the administrative overhead.
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Getting Procurement to Support Projects: Mission Impossible?
- by Mark Mullaly, PMP
(September 12, 2011)
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Where evolving procurement requirements come from, and why, is in reality no different than how requirements evolve in any organizational area. The challenge is that they compound themselves, layering restriction upon constraint upon requirement. What can an organization do to improve its procurement efforts? What can be done to make procurement work in support of projects rather than be a barrier, roadblock or black hole?
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Source and Resource
- by Mike Donoghue
(September 12, 2011)
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Developed in conjunction with a project plan, resource plans help provide tactile information on what is needed, when and for how much--thus making them huge assets during the activate phase of project management.
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Lessons Learned: Five Easy Steps
- by Brad Egeland
(September 6, 2011)
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The first step in conducting a productive and meaningful lessons learned session is accepting the fact that it is useful. From there, follow these five easy steps that will actually last throughout the project engagement.
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Managing Strategic Provider Relationships
- by Michael Wood
(September 6, 2011)
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The relationship forged with strategic providers can make the difference between success and failure within the organization. Here, the value proposition they represent is often based more on their service and support levels than price. In essence, SPs become de facto stakeholders with the organization--and thus require special consideration in terms of how the relationship is cultivated and managed.
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Dashboards, Scorecards and Project Status (Oh My!)
- by Kenneth Darter, PMP
(August 22, 2011)
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Stakeholders need to know the status of a project. A good status report will report status and also foster communication to benefit the project’s health. Here, we explore some of your options.
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PM in the Cloud
- by Michael Wood
(July 5, 2011)
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Is there any advantage to using Cloud-based project management tools to manage projects? Is it cheaper and more effective? Are the tools more feature-rich? And what about the disadvantages? Here is what some research has revealed…
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Scope Management: Not Always Saying 'No'
- by Brad Egeland
(June 13, 2011)
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How do we ensure that we aren’t running around reprimanding team members and shouting “No!” to everything that comes out of the customer’s mouth? Here are three steps to set scope management in motion and ensure that it’s a positive for the project.
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Mission (Statement) Accomplished?
- by Brad Egeland
(June 13, 2011)
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If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you know when you get there? If we lived in a perfect world, we’d always have perfectly detailed requirements. The mission statement is there to guide us through some of the questions we have.
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Common Estimating Mistakes
- by Brad Egeland
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Even if you have the estimating gift, there are still lurking issues that can render it highly inaccurate. Some you have control over, but for many you don't. Here are some common estimating issues that can often negatively impact your project:
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Improving Project Status with Visual Reporting
- by Dr. Andrew Makar, DMIT, PMP
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The entire purpose of the status report is to inform the project stakeholders of project progress and have a conversation about scope, resource and timeline concerns. Visual formats help make this easier, so to address different communication needs you can use the following one-page formats to improve status reporting.
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And So In Closing...
- by Mike Donoghue
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While finishing the extra details at the end of a project may turn into a rush job by the team, the process should be completed properly so that other groups in the future can learn from your experience.
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All Good Things...
- by Andy Jordan
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Ending the project is about more than just post-mortems and parties (don't worry, you can still have those, too!). Here we explore why we want to ensure that the project adds to the overall organizational knowledge--and how formal closure to all of the project elements must leave no confusion, gaps or misinterpretation.
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'C' is for Cookie! Er, Control!
- by Michael Wood
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You justified your project, planned it to the last detail and have gotten it approved and activated. Now what? Time to actually do the project--and that means managing the actions needed to insure the plan delivers as promised. In short, time to control the process. Here we explore this critical stage of JPACE in terms of its practical application.
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Manage the Forest, Not the Trees
- by Andy Jordan
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Project control is not about the minutiae, it’s about the big picture. Here we provide some guidelines on how to move from micro-level project management to a more macro-level control phase.
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Ready, Set, Activate!
- by Andy Jordan
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Effective project activation is more than just hard work and good luck. It's an important focus on the work required to bring the project up to speed, and this article explores some ways to get from zero to 60 as quickly as possible.
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Project Checkmate: A Tip from the Game of Kings
- by Tom L. Barnett, PMP
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Just like the rulebook for chess, planning and preparation are important--but activation and execution requires a different view. Managing your project through the execution phase is a game of skill and experience, but if you take a tip from the chess masters there is a way to give yourself an advantage.
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Planning for Fun
- by Andy Jordan
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As project managers, we are biologically programmed to groan whenever the thought of planning a new project comes up. Which begs the question: Is it possible to make planning a pleasurable experience? (Baby steps, dear readers...baby steps!)
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A Critical Look at Project Initiation
- by Mark Mullaly, PMP
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You think you can justify that? Some organizations conduct an objective and formal analysis of their project opportunities, appropriately evaluate and prioritize them against objective criteria and make reasoned choices based upon independent assessment. There just aren’t many of them. Here, we’ll explore what does happen, and why. We’ll evaluate some alternatives and considerations in approaching project justification and talk about some of the changes that can lead to organizations making better decisions.
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Justify My Project!
- by Andy Jordan
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It scares this writer how many project managers believe that projects start with the planning phase. It scares him even more that their employers often agree.The project starts during the justification phase of the initiative, and the project manager needs to be a part of that process.
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In Search of True Value
- by Michael Wood
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Why do stakeholders' eyes roll when you try to explain why earned value is a good thing--and how it works? Ever wonder why claiming partial credit for projects in progress is met with skepticism and ire? Maybe it’s time to rethink the concept of EV as a way to measure project performance and progress.
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Leadership and the CIO: Too Little, Too Late?
- by Michael Wood
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At the turn of the century most would have agreed with the notion that the CIO was gaining ground as a true leader within organizations. Now in 2010, the pendulum may be swinging in a different direction. Is the future of the CIO in question?
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Prioritizing the Project Portfolio
- by Michael Wood
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ROI can get muddy, and the priority of projects can be changed after they've been started. So how do you quantify disruptions to progress and the impact on morale and relationships? Hopefully, through this article you will glean some insights and ideas on how to improve an ailing IT project prioritization process. And guess what? It's not as difficult as you might think!
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Sandwich Sense (Part 3)
- by Craig Curran-Morton
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We know, we know...you just want to sit down and eat. But before you do, we have one last lesson from The Sub Shop. How does it know that it's producing a product that meets your requirements? Is the sandwich being produced a quality sandwich? Is your experience a positive one? We can examine this through the quality control step in our quality management process.
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Quality, Not Testing
- by Andy Jordan
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Testing is not the same as quality, and it’s not a replacement for it either. Our writer hopes to help you identify some ways that you can improve how you manage quality on your own projects--and hammer home that if you plan for quality in the first place, you won’t need to spend so much time fixing the things that have gone wrong.
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Organizational Quality Management
- by Andy Jordan
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If you want to ensure that your organization can differentiate itself based on quality, you need to ensure that everyone is focused on achieving that goal. Quality goes far beyond the individual project, and this article looks at some of the steps needed to ensure that you are capable of delivering quality projects on a consistent basis.
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Sandwich Sense (Part 2)
- by Craig Curran-Morton
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Still hungry? As our mouth-watering series on quality management continues, quality assurance takes center stage. While the concepts are often not well defined and are made more complicated than they need to be, a trip to the sub shop may hold the answers.
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Sandwich Sense (Part 1)
- by Craig Curran-Morton
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Quality is a nebulous term that is often misunderstood and misrepresented. In this series of articles, our writer presents a three-stage quality management process of quality planning, quality assurance and quality control using a simple example of purchasing a submarine sandwich (hold the pickles, please!).
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Quality Control
- by Michael Wood
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Discussion on quality management has not evolved much since the mid-1990s. Within executive circles, the discussions are not about the importance of quality, but rather on what quality is, how it is achieved and how it can be measured. The issues surrounding quality seem focused on definition and approach rather than on need. What is quality? What does senior management expect from the quality process, and how do these expectations apply to IT? Read on...
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Requirements for the Unknown
- by Andy Jordan
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How do you produce requirements for an unknown solution? Prototyping is a slow and time consuming process, but in IT projects--especially software development--it is often the only solution that works.
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Required Reading
- by Michael Wood
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Requirements management can mean many things to many people. For some it is about managing scope creep, for others it is all about traceability from definition through implementation. With that in mind, let’s explore some of the issues and challenges currently confronting effective requirements management.
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Project Memoirs: Real Projects, Real Lessons
- by Michael Wood
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Most seasoned project managers have a treasure trove of lessons they have learned over the years. Some lessons came at the cost of failure, others with success. So take a stroll with me down memory lane as I use real projects from my personal experience as case studies for a few lessons learned.
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Global Programs and Global Tools
- by Dr. Andrew Makar, DMIT, PMP
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Another area to consider when implementing a global project is the use of communication and collaboration tools. Here we look at a few examples on how you can take advantage of such an environment.
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The Global PM Challenge
- by Michael Wood
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Why do organizations pursue global initiatives when they are so bad at managing the process? Global projects introduce cross-cultural and geographic elements that aren’t given the right amount of respect and discernment from the start. So what are these elements and how might they be integrated into the project planning process?
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Pursuing a Project Nightmare
- by Michael Wood
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What can you do to make sure your projects fail--and fail in a big way? History and experience have shown this writer that it's an art form unto itself. Here are some ideas to consider to help make your next project a colossal misfire.
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Collaboration: Let Me Count the Ways...
- by Michael Wood
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With the advent of globalization, distributed work teams and reduced travel, collaboration is almost always framed in terms of the Internet and a vast array of tools. But does Web-based collaboration yield the same innovation and creative breakthroughs that come from the old-fashioned way? This writer wonders...
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Facilitating Fast Decision Making
- by Hans Robbers
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To facilitate quick decision making, it is important to present the options in a clear and concise matter. Over the years, this writer has developed a seven-step approach.
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Marketing Your Project
- by Michael Wood
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Although the benefits of correctly marketing a project can be many, applying these concepts to projects is not always easy. The following concepts are intended to help you in your project marketing efforts.
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Mind Mapping for Efficient Project Management
- by Dr. Andrew Makar, DMIT, PMP
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Mind maps can be built using a variety of options. This series of articles will demonstrate several applications using mind mapping tools for better project management efficiency and effectiveness. In this article, there are several links to a variety of free templates that you can use to get started with mind maps.
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Mind Mapping Your Microsoft Project Schedule
- by Dr. Andrew Makar, DMIT, PMP
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This series will demonstrate several applications using mind mapping tools for better project management efficiency and effectiveness. This article provides an overview on how project managers can apply the Project Time Management process to quickly develop a skeleton project schedule using Mind Manager and integrate it with Microsoft Project.
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The Earth Hour Epiphany
- by Andy Jordan
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Earth Hour got this writer thinking: As project managers, we are the perfect people to organize grassroots initiatives that will make a difference.
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The FANGs of Scope Creep
- by Hans Robbers
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Managing the scope of a project is one of the main instruments in managing the project budget. Over the years, this writer has developed a more holistic view on scope management. This article explains the thinking behind the concept and provides examples and tips to manage each of the aspects.
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It’s Not Easy Being Green
- by Andy Jordan
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The environmentally conscious PM doesn’t have an easy time of it, but they can still do their part.
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Going for the Green: In Pursuit of Eco-Friendly IT
- by Michael Wood
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How green are you? For many, implementing Green IT solutions is an imperative that transcends ROI or enterprise alignment. For others, it's a good thing to go green if it is cost effective and in tune with other stakeholder expectations and needs.
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Stakeholder Relationship Management: A Primer
- by Michael Wood
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The body of knowledge for SRM is still developing, and combining the best ideas from many viewpoints will yield a better approach. This article provides a more thorough look at SRM and presents some basic ideas that will help you in your development of your company’s SRM framework.
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Embarking on a Services Journey through ITIL
- by Vijay Sankaran
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ITIL brings with it tremendous potential to transform an organization. However, it requires unwavering persistence and commitment to leverage the transformation potential.
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Destination: ITIL
- by Mike Donoghue
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A strong alignment between the organization and its technology infrastructure is an essential first step in starting an ITIL initiative.
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ITIL-igence for Project Managers
- by Tom L. Barnett, PMP
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Do you manage your projects with ITIL? Here’s some insight on how PM and ITIL can best work together in an IT organization--and what that means for PMs. (Hint: It may not be what you think!)
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Migrating to ITIL: Evolution, Not Revolution (Part 2)
- by Michael Wood
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ITIL appears ready for prime time. So why isn't it being implemented with great success across the board in IT organizations? As we continue to look at how you can successfully evolve ITIL standards into your organization, we present the remainder of ITIL’s modules along with implementation recommendations.
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ITIL Cost Ya
- by Mike Donoghue
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ITIL reduces the disguised costs of poorly managed projects and thereby improves support. It may not be cheap, but it enables its followers to do more with their operations--and increase their potential.
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Migrating to ITIL: Evolution, Not Revolution (Part 1)
- by Michael Wood
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ITIL appears ready for prime time. So why isn’t it being implemented with great success across the board in IT organizations? This two-part series will set forth some observations and insights on how you can successfully evolve ITIL standards into your organization.
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Shoestring PM
- by Michael Wood
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Achieving project success during hard times is no easy feat. But before you cut projects and project staff, read about these valuable tactics you can use to reach your goals on shoestring budgets.
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Building a Better Post-Process
- by Michael Wood
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The post-implemenation review wants to understand whether the project delivered the value promised in a way that was socially and economically acceptable--and that the value was worth the effort. This article will explore each of the review's questions in detail--and the approaches required to help create a better PIR process.
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Projectizing Your Strategy
- by Jonathan Weinstein, PMP
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Every organization needs a plan of action, a guide to achieve the goals of your organization. Following the path outlined here will transform a strategic plan into an action plan.
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Staffing Strategies: Avoiding the Meltdown
- by Michael Wood
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Times are tough...so what can employers do to avoid cutting too deep? How will IT staffing levels be affected and what are some of the unintended consequences related to laying off key intellectual capital resources? Here are some strategies for employers and employees that might help make getting through these tough times a little easier and more manageable.
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Coping with Scope: Eight Real-World Strategies
- by Michael Wood
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Most scope management frameworks are designed around the definition of a finite scope based on limited knowledge and advocating tight controls to manage change. The challenge is how to weave change and scope recalibration rules into the fabric of the project. Here are eight strategies you might find useful in meeting the challenge.
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Lost in Transition
- by Andrew Makar, PMP
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Without defined operational roles and responsibilities, project teams endanger future releases as well as suffer from role confusion. This article provides several recommendations to avoid becoming “lost in transition”.
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Embracing PM as a Routine Business Function
- by Michael Wood
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For many organizations, projects are a mystery because they do not follow any prescribed process that is routine and operational in nature. The outcomes are inconsistent and the dependence on specific individuals is high. So what will it take for projects to be considered a normal business function of organizations?
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Master of Your Domain
- by Michael Wood
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Is there a place for mastery--the processes of perfecting our natural gifts and talents--in the workplace? Is the concept of mastery lost on organizations as they strive to cut costs, compete on margins, reduce FTEs and focus on next quarter’s numbers? It's time to go beyond mere training and discover the answer.
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The Economics of Project Governance: Communicating the Law of Scarcity
- by Ian Stewart, PMP
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Vilified or blamed for inefficiencies by the majority of its constituents, project governance rarely gets the appreciation that it deserves. Why do so many people have such contempt for it, and how do those responsible for governance get out of this state? The answer might be revealed by understanding one of the fundamental laws of economics.
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Effective SDLC Tailoring
- by Andrew Makar, PMP
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By implementing a project tailoring tool, the project manager can focus on the key SDLC activities that are applicable to the project.
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Tactical Tips for Virtual Teams
- by Andrew Makar, PMP
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While managing three virtual software implementations, this writer learned several tactical tips to remember when working with virtual teams.
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The Living Project Schedule
- by Andy Jordan
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Project planning isn’t just an activity for the start of the project--the project plan must be a living, evolving document that is updated and changed on a regular basis.
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Streamlining the Work Plan Process
- by Michael Wood
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One of the most tedious parts of a new project is creating the work plan. But what has recently occurred to this writer is that all projects basically comprise predictable and pre-definable groups of tasks. How much can be defined for project work plans to make your life easier?
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Too Many Templates
- by Andrew Makar, PMP
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The purpose of this article isn’t to call for a reform to PM methodologies and project administration...project administration is part of the job. But the goal in streamlining a methodology is not to remove administrative tasks but to optimize the administrative tasks and reduce non-value add documentation.
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Project Woes Plague Government
- by Michael Wood
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Warning: You are about to enter the Government Project Failure Zone. The government is the poster child for IT project failure, but it is not alone. What can you learn from these unfortunate lessons?
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Bridging the Gap
- by Mark Mullaly, PMP
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Frustrated with the perennially elusive value of enterprise project management software? So are we. So seldom is nirvana actually attained. So what’s the problem, and what can we do about it? Can we bridge the gap? Read on.
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Building the Ultimate PM Toolkit
- by Michael Wood
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Let’s take a deeper look at the components of the Ultimate Project Management Toolkit and explore what technology solutions are available in today’s market. Everything has a beginning, middle and an end...projects are no different, and can be broken down into three distinct phases.
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Project Budgeting and Funding: Making Your Case
- by Michael Wood
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Like it or not, getting funding for a project goes beyond presenting the numbers and hoping that they speak for themselves. Getting approval for projects requires a superior business case complete with persuasive arguments as to why the project in question deserves funding and support amongst all the other competing requests for resources.
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The Bumpy Road to Alternate Service Delivery
- by George Jucan, MSc, PMP, OCP
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Engaged in the path of transforming their business processes, many organizations need to choose between multiple options available to satisfy their needs. This article presents some practical advice for the analysis and selection process.
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Stake in BPI
- by Jacqueline Dasso Haddad, PMP
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This article will outline how to start selling the concept of business process improvement that aligns to business stakeholders expectations.
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You Say You Want a Revolution
- by Ian Whittingham, PMP
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The purist view of BPI is that it is a quantum leap rather than a step-change for businesses. Radical transformation is BPI's intent, but it often falls short of that goal. Even when they face possible corporate demise, many businesses do not really have the appetite for radical transformation, and settle for the half-way house of process re-engineering instead. But this does not have to be considered a failure...
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It’s The Organizational Change, Stupid...
- by Mark Mullaly, PMP
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Welcome to the other side of process improvement, where we need to support processes that are not designed in such a way that they are able to be performed by a 14-year-old.
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BPI (R)evolution
- by Sainath Nagarajan, PMP, SCPM
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Is business process improvement best done through evolution or revolution? And what are the differences?
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BPI: A True Value Proposition
- by Rob Saxon
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If necessity is the mother of invention, then the customer is the father of business process improvement.
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Culture Club
- by Andy Jordan
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How did you improve today? By making BPI an integral part of your company’s culture.
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The Post Mortem: PI Style
- by Andy Jordan
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Making the most out of one of the most difficult parts of a project can reap tremendous rewards.
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The Process Question
- by Bipin Roy Lekshmanan
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Should we employ project management quantitative techniques? And what would they bring to the table from an information technology standpoint?
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Driven to Change
- by Mike Donoghue
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In order to make successful technology transitions and engineer for the future, you should consider reviewing how your current practices stack up against what you project for upcoming changes.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
- by Michael R. Wood
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All Project Communications Plans are not created equal. The goal of this article is to present four principles and guidelines that will help you develop communication plans that fit the specific needs of your projects and those who have a stake in the outcomes.
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10 Steps to Breakthrough PI Results (Part 2)
- by Michael R. Wood
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What does it take to do world-class business process improvement projects? Does it take a total corporate infrastructure dedicated to the task? Does it lots of automated tool sets that do process analysis, simulations and collaboration? The answer may surprise you as we conclude our two-part series.
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10 Steps to Breakthrough PI Results (Part 1)
- by Michael R. Wood
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What does it take to do world-class business process improvement projects? Does it take a total corporate infrastructure dedicated to the task? Does it take lots of automated tool sets that do process analysis, simulations and collaboration? The answer may surprise you...
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Hit the Accelerator
- by Michael R. Wood
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Accelerating mission-critical projects is a function of value, not budget. It is not the cost of accelerating--but the cost of not accelerating that is the question. So how do you accelerate a project's timetable when the value proposition is compelling? Here are a few guidelines to consider.
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What's In Your GAP...Analysis?
- by Michael Wood
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Now that a GAP analysis is standard operating procedure for most process improvement initiatives, it seems appropriate to explore how to go about performing it and what it should contain. Here is one man's definition and rules related to the performing and construction of a GAP analysis.
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The Triad of Organizational Effectiveness (Part 1)
- by Rich Kay, PMP
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What does it take to achieve organizational effectiveness? In this multi-part article, a simple model will be presented and explored that will help you understand the three-legged stool called The Triad of Organizational Effectiveness.
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Software Search
- by Michael Wood
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In search of the perfect project planning and management software? Settle down with this helpful guide. Part 1 of this series addresses the project planning aspect of project planning and management.
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Learning From An Old Dog (Part 2)
- by Michael Wood
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First and foremost, project planning must be practical. Here are some insights from an old timer who has learned about practical project planning and management. These insights are presented in two parts. The first set pertained to project planning, while this second set focuses on the project management process.
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Learning From An Old Dog (Part 1)
- by Michael Wood
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First and foremost, project planning must be practical. Here are some insights from an old timer who has learned about practical project planning and management. These insights are presented in two parts. The first set pertains to project planning while the second set focuses on the project management process.
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Big IT Brother (Part 2)
- by Michael R. Wood
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Are you always looking over your shoulder at work? Are you being monitored? This article will explore both sides of the employee monitoring debate and offer some guidelines for developing an e-mail and Internet usage policy. In the second part of this two-part series, we will focus on the deployment of monitoring policies, processes and procedures and provide a short checklist of features to look for when selecting electronic monitoring software.
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Big IT Brother (Part 1)
- by Michael R. Wood
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Are you always looking over your shoulder at work? Are you being monitored? This article will explore both sides of the employee monitoring debate and offer some guidelines for developing an e-mail and Internet usage policy. In the first part of this two-part series, we explore common arguments for and against employee monitoring.
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Form Fit (Part 2 of 2)
- by Stephen Page
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Do you know about the importance of forms management to ISO Quality Standards? The forms professional plays an important role in the establishment and maintenance of ISO Quality Standards as they relate to documentation needs (processes, procedures, work instructions and forms), which are critical to the success of the ISO Quality Standards. For this two-part series, we will focus on ISO 9000:2000 Quality Standards, the latest standards from the ISO 9000 family.
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Form Fit (Part 1 of 2)
- by Stephen Page
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Do you know about the importance of forms management to ISO Quality Standards? The forms professional plays an important role in the establishment and maintenance of ISO Quality Standards as they relate to documentation needs (processes, procedures, work instructions and forms), which are critical to the success of the ISO Quality Standards. For this two-part series, we will focus on ISO 9000:2000 Quality Standards, the latest standards from the ISO 9000 family.
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Adaptive Project Framework Part 6: Post-Version Review
- by Robert K. Wysocki, Ph.D
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This is the sixth in a seven-part series on the Adaptive Project Framework. APF is an approach to a class of projects for which neither the traditional nor the extreme methods are appropriate. APF is entirely compatible with the PMI PMBOK Standards. This series is derived from selected content from the 3rd edition of Effective Project Management: Traditional, Adaptive, Extreme.
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Move Over, BI...
- by Todd Miller
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Done properly, competitive intelligence enables companies to make critical business decisions based on facts. To be done properly, CI must be legal, ethical and rely on a process for measuring quality that strives for near perfection--Six Sigma.
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Arrested Development
- by Michael R. Wood
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Outgrowing your IT/MIS group? If you worry that your information technologies and supporting management information systems are not keeping pace with your growth and operational complexity, consider a formal effectiveness assessment project before pursuing change.
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What's In Your BPI Method?
- by Michael R. Wood
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More than ever, business process improvement/re-engineering (BPI/BPR) is gaining recognition as a critical success factor in sustaining the growth and profitability of businesses. With these gains comes a plethora of tool kits, methodologies and technologies all promising to be the end-all, be-all solution.
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Uncovering BPI
- by Michael R. Wood
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Here's why business driven, data structured process improvement methods work best.
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The Five Secrets to CIO Success (Part 2 of 2)
- by Michael Wood
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Ever wonder why the half-life of a CIO is about 18 months? Have you heard what some say CIO stands for: Career Is Over? It doesn't have to be that way. In the second installment of our two-part series, we look at the remaing four secrets to CIO survival and success.
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The Five Secrets to CIO Success (Part 1 of 2)
- by Michael Wood
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Ever wonder why the half-life of a CIO is about 18 months? Have you heard what some say CIO stands for: Career Is Over? It doesn't have to be that way. Here are the five secrets to survival and success for the CIO.
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Stop the Insanity! Change the Model!
- by Michael R. Wood
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The skies are far from friendly these days. But a little process improvement can change all that. Read about three improvement concepts that would radically change the current value delivery model within the airline industry.
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Ranking and Optimizing Projects, Initiatives and Programs
- by Michael R. Wood
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Projects, initiatives and programs...we all have them, and it seems like a never-ending drain on our brains to prioritize them. Well, take a deep breath and relax because help is here. For your consideration, here is a quick and easy way to prioritize the major initiatives within your company or department. Use this story and free template and be on your way!
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The Silver Bullet (Part 2)
- by Stephen B. Page, MBA, PMP
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In Part 1, I addressed how to find free information on policies and procedures. In this article, I will address whether you should consider paying for references.
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The Silver Bullet (Part 1)
- by Stephen B. Page, MBA, PMP
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Trying to find that ace shot for writing policies and procedures? While both free and paid references are available, it will still take experience, resourcefulness, hard work and persistence to create a successful system of policies and procedures. In this installment, we look at good sources of free references.
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Alignment Critical to MIS Success
- by Michael R. Wood
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Today, successful CIOs know that the MIS organization is the most crucial cross-functional leverage point with the organization. As such, the MIS organization is expected to understand the business of the organization from strategy through operational processes. More and more, MIS is charged with leading crucial business process improvement initiatives. So what does it mean to be aligned?
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Are You Cut Out to be a Policy and Procedure Writer? (Part 2 of 2)
- by Stephen B. Page, MBA, PMP
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The policy and procedure writers in an organization should make every effort to create a policies and procedures department that has the full endorsement of senior management and is reflected in the organization’s vision, strategic plan and core processes. There are three key areas that should be considered during the set up of a policies and procedures department. Find out what they are.
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Are You Cut Out to be a Policy and Procedure Writer? (Part 1 of 2)
- by Stephen B. Page, MBA, PMP
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You must have the authority to control what is written, approved, published and implemented, trained and measured in order to be an effective policy and procedure writer. Four elements are critical to your achieving this success. Find out what they are in this article.
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Control Points--A Key Ingredient to Successful Policies and Procedures
- by Stephen B. Page, MBA, PMP
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Policy and procedure writers are turning to metrics and measurements as a means of determining what works well and what needs improvement. While training, communications and metrics can help with the roll out of policies and procedures, they do not guarantee success. Here come control points to the rescue.
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Time for a Change--Assessing the Experiments of the '90s
- by Michael Wood
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By now it should be clear to everyone that our economy is in a meltdown masked by waning consumer consumption. Contributing to this problem is the denial that surrounds economists and corporate leaders that the experiments of the '90s are not working. Read on for some examples of concepts that need to be revisited.
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Baselines, Metrics and Measures...Oh My! (Part 3 of 3)
- by Stephen B. Page, MBA, PMP
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You've heard the concepts bantered around in the same breath, but what the heck do they mean? Through a solid understanding of baselines, metrics and measures, you'll be able to make value-added improvements in your projects, processes, policies and procedures. In parts one and two, the terms, "baseline," "metrics" and "measures" were explored in context to process improvement. In this installment, these concepts will be applied to project management.
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Baselines, Metrics and Measures...Oh My! (Part 2 of 3)
- by Stephen B. Page, MBA, PMP
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You've heard the concepts bantered around in the same breath, but what the heck do they mean? Through a solid understanding of baselines, metrics and measures, you'll be able to make value-added improvements in your projects, processes, policies and procedures. In part one of this three part article the terms "baseline," "metrics" and "measures" were explored. In this installment, these concepts will be applied to process improvement.
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Baselines, Metrics and Measures...Oh My!
- by Stephen Page
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You've heard the concepts bantered around in the same breath, but what the heck do they mean? Through a solid understanding of baselines, metrics and measures, you'll be able to make value-added improvements in your projects, processes, policies and procedures.
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Improving CRM Implementation Efforts
- by Michael R. Wood
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Why do so many CRM efforts fail? More often than not, it's because they are not strategic in their approach. Here's how to change it.
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CEOs: The Summer of Your Discontent
- by Michael R. Wood
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The destruction of value that has occurred in America over the past two years is unrivaled in history. And as far as this expert is concerned, bring it on.
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Can't We All Get Along?
- by Rich Kay, PMP
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The more you understand about your personality preferences and temperaments, the brighter the lightbulb in your head will be. Get some help in your quest to enhance communications and improve team performance.
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A Case of Leadership Deficit Disorder
- by Michael R. Wood
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Why are so many ERP and CRM systems--and even whole companies--failing? Meet Leadership Deficit Disorder and its sick cousin Competency Deficit Disorder, two maladies of ineffective CEOs.
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Toward the 21st Century--Learning from the '90s
- by Michael R. Wood
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Are organizations worrying more about cost than growth? How have we lost our focus? Because of a misplaced focus on shareholder value as the driving force behind core strategies.
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Will Helix Stick?
- by Alan Thompson, CCSP, CPF, ASME
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Is Helix just another methodology fad, or the DNA binding your process improvement initiative together?
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Total Value Management ? Policy Assessments
- by Michael R. Wood
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Are outdated or unnecessary corporate policies getting in the way of creating real value for your organization? Now is a good time to assess what those policies are really doing for you.
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Don't Forget About Database Design
- by Michael R. Wood
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The center of your IT processes usually comes down to databases. This is why it is so important that the PI pros and DBAs learn how to understand each other. Here's where you can start.
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Conducting Total Value Management Assessments
- by Michael R. Wood
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You remember TVM--it's the next evolutionary step up from TQM. Here's how you can conduct a TVM Assessment to help your organization transform how it does business and deliver value to stakeholders.
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Process Improvement in a Vacuum
- by Michael R. Wood
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Running a process improvement project with little or no knowledge of the legacy systems gives a whole new meaning to "creative thinking." Here's how one team got over this hurdle to achieve breakthrough results
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Total 'What Now?' Management--The Quest for Continuous Process Improvement
- by Rich Kay
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Breaking on the scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s was Total Quality Management (TQM) and many other associated organizational improvement philosophies. Today, emerging on the scene is Total Value Management (TVM). Does this mean TQM is dead and now the new flavor of the month is TVM?
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Accelerating a Project--A Case Study
- by Michael R. Wood
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Mission: Impossible. You have just six weeks to completely replace the most mission-critical revenue generating system at each of your organization's five divisions. If you fail, your company folds. Sound impossible? It is--with traditional methods. To learn how this project was successfully completed in six weeks, read on. (But quickly...this story will self-destruct in 30 seconds.)
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Process Owner--Person or Collective?
- by Michael R. Wood
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If you don't know the answer, you need help. It's time for department heads to shift their responsibilities and move away from the process owner concept and the supportive silos that are sucking the life out of improvement initiatives. By recognizing true ownership, fostering constant collaboration and holding everyone accountable, innovation is one step away.
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Designing to Close the Stakeholder Value Gap
- by Michael R. Wood
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Asking stakeholders what they value seems to be the easiest way to find out. But there are flaws in traditional survey techniques. Here's a three-pronged approach that can help you close the treacherous stakeholer value gap.
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Total Value Management
- by Michael R. Wood
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Once upon a time, the buzzword was TQM. Now, you have to look at more than quality. Today's successful businesses are about value. Welcome to the age of TVM.
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Six Sigma
- by Steve Phinney
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If you really want to kick butt when it comes to project quality, you should be working toward your Black Belt--and that's not something you'll get from the kung fu dojo.
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The Role of Process in CRM
- by Steve Phinney
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If you really want to see how well your CRM is working, draw a picture. Process mapping is one of the best ways to visualize and understand the importance of process in your CRM efforts.
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Hitting--and Hurdling--the Wall of Resistance
- by Michael R. Wood
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If you've ever led a project, you've encountered resistance to change--that goes with the territory. Here's how to identify it and overcome it to move forward.
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I Forgot: What Are We Here for Again?--Deadly Disease #1: Lack of Constancy of Purpose
- by Rich Kay
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Dr. W. Edwards Deming is famous for his 14 Points, also known as the Obligations of Management. But he is less well known for his enumeration of the Seven Deadly Diseases. This is the second article in a series regarding the Seven Deadly Diseases and how timeless and applicable they are in process improvement efforts as well as project management methodology.
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It's All About Value
- by Michael R. Wood
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When you're proposing a PI project, remember that the whole point of improving process is improving results. That means adding value--to the client and to your organization.
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What Stakeholders Want: The Employees
- by Michael R. Wood
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When you think about stakeholders, don't forget the employees. Without them, it's awfully tough to get much done. Keeping them means keeping them happy.
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What Stakeholders Want
- by Michael R. Wood
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Stakeholders, stakeholders, stakeholders! Everybody has them, but few know what to do about them. Join me over the next four weeks as we explore the world of stakeholders-- who they are and what they want
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Identifying Winning Process Improvement Opportunities
- by Michael R. Wood
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When you are proposing a PI project, you want to make sure you have the best possible chances of carrying through with it successfully. How you pick your projects is as important as how you manage them. Make sure you pick a winner.
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Conditioning Your Organization for Change
- by Michael R. Wood
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Ready to start shaping up your business processes? Don't send your organization on a marathon before they can walk around the block. You need to work up to change to make it as painless as possible.
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What Is a Process Improvement Methodology Anyway?
- by Michael R. Wood
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Have you ever been involved in a process improvement (PI) project? Have you ever led one? Have you ever wondered if there are any criteria, methods or standards that really define how to conduct these projects that are supposed to deliver huge returns for the company while delivering more value to its customers, employees and owners? And if there were, what should a process improvement methodology look like anyway?
Well, wonder no more. Just spend a few minutes and this short primer will help you understand what to look for in selecting a Process Improvement (PI) Methodology.
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All Aboard!
- by Paula Weber
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If your project seems overbooked, with dueling stakeholders and mixed directions, getting everyone on board can make all the difference. Involvement of all parties in a project keeps things rolling, but being a project loner can mean a lonely ride.
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So You Actually Got a Project Approved--Now What?
- by Michael R. Wood
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You've worked hard, built your constituents, put a killer presentation together and management bought it. The good news is - management wants you to head up a process improvement project. The bad news is management wants you to head up a process improvement project. NOW WHAT?
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Communication Breakdown
- by Stephen Maye
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What's the best way to get your message across to your team? TALK TO THEM! Although it's not a hard concept, communication planning is not widely used in PM, yet it could make a big difference in the outcome of your project.
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Beware the Ugly American
- by Stan Rifkin
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The American Way isn't the only way. Before you head into international territory, get to know the culture. Your national pride depends on it.
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Who's Your PAL?
- by Amy Justice
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You don't have to reinvent the wheel--just keep the ones you have rolling. Make a Process Asset Library your best friend.
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Have Your PI and Eat It Too
- by Stephen Maye
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Believe it or not, it is possible to use an established PI model effectively, without sacrificing your project's needs.
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The Methodology Saga Continues...
- by Nan Sauer
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When we last left our hero (we didn't really have one, but please play along), he or she was lugging around heavy bound references containing "methodologies" for systems development. I equate that brave soul to the door-to-door salesmen who used to shill the latest greatest invention of thought or machinery in a handy portable format. Except for the "portable" thing, the similarities were uncanny.
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| I hope, when they die, cartoon characters have to answer for their sins.
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| - Jack Handey |
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