Archive for December, 2010
December 30, 2010
The purpose of project management case studies is to learn from the past. This is a valuable source of information that should never be wasted or discarded. The information that can be learned will cover the entire project process with both the good and bad included. Just like with history in general, those that do not study the past are doomed to repeat its failures.
The project management case studies and their review should include both the successful ones and the ones that failed from the past. In both instances, the economic conditions of the business sector, health of the company and available resources should be noted for further reference. It should also be remembered that just because an approach to a project of the past failed does not mean that with new conditions it will fail again.
The opposite is also true that will be seen with project management case studies. A successful project might no longer have a viable approach in the present time and could fail when applied in the future. How the time was managed along with the quality of the deliverable, the different risks, and issues that were encountered during the project all have to be factored into the analysis.
The best approach that has been found to using what can be found in project management case studies is a composite approach. This is to take the factors and sections of a past project that match up best for the current situation that is relevant. Then, apply them into your project and its economic situation. There will never be just one that is 100% applicable, but the different parts that can be found will be relevant.
The best place to find the most applicable samples of past project management case studies is in the archives of your business. There you will find how others have used the equipment and other resources to the fullest, while making the management satisfied with the results. Nothing is foolproof, but this is a good start.
December 27, 2010
Part of being a management consultant is knowing the project management process in detail. This comes after being in this area of business for an extended time. This type of consultant must have a firm grip of understanding of the different areas or topics such as time, costs, quality, change, risk, issues, tender, procurement, acceptance and communications.
The good management consultant will be able to have compelling proposals for their clients. Their pre-sales pitch and market offerings must fit your business profile to be beneficial to your company. Ask about the consultant’s delivery proposals and how often do they met the framework of their proposals in time and market goals.
There is more than one type of management consultant for a business to choose from. There are the individuals that work as independent contractors who gained expertise due to the length of time they have spent in their field. This gives a business individualized attention and focus, but lack any guarantees that a larger firm might be able to provide.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, there can be a management consultant from a large firm or organization. They can offer your business some expertise in each area of business, along with different points of view on approaches to the same problem. These are the most expensive, but are sometimes the best approach.
There is also the type of management consultant that falls into the middle ground. This is larger than the boutique type firms but still can give their clients that individual attention some desire. Many of them are still large enough to offer many of the same services the larger firms have to offer, but at a more reasonable price.
The boutique firms are the highly specialized management consultant companies. They are focused on just one specific sector of business that they are near the top of their profession in.
The right type of management consultant to fit your needs is dependent on your budget, time frame and specific requirements. Just remember, the advice from each one will be slightly different in its nature and results.
December 23, 2010
A project process is any course of action that helps move a project along during the execution phase to its conclusion. In most cases the conclusion is hopefully successful. But that is highly dependent on how well the project is planned out by the managers.
To quality as a project process it must be an action that assists in the progression of the deliverable to a successful conclusion either directly or indirectly. There are eleven different project processes that are included in nearly every project being run in the manufacturing sector of the business world.
The project process list includes the project management process, time management process, cost management process, quality management process, change management process, risk management process, issue management process, tender management process, procurement management process, acceptance management process and communications management process. Each one plays a critical role on how the deliverable is created, funded, checked and concluded so a positive revenue stream is created.
The time management project process is one that has finite resources. While you can always find more raw materials, manpower and funding, time is limited. Once a specific time has passed, it is gone forever and can never be recreated or produced again. This is the most valuable resource that cannot be wasted under any circumstances.
The cost management project process is another critical one that a manager can recover from if the budget is not spent wisely, but there is usually a cost in reputation and in some cases position within the company. Learning to use money wisely is a top propriety of a project manager. One of the leading reasons a project is not considered a success is due to cost overruns. In a few instances the extra costs make the deliverable a non-profitable entity which makes all the time and resources spent on it a waste.
Managing each project process during the life cycle of a project is critical to the health of the deliverable and the business that has undertaken it. By reducing waste wherever possible is the best way to be successful. It is also the best way for a project manager to keep their job and position within a company.
December 20, 2010
The modifying and developing of new management methodologies to fit the needs of industry is an ongoing process. With the use of a computer, this has become a much easier process than before. This has made it very easy to create, customize and import existing methodologies along with managing several of them at once.
You can use management methodologies to define new process you have developed or group any set of existing process into a new methodology. There are project management methodology programs that can assist in the documentation of your new methodology so it can be used and shared by those you have approved. You can even customize a methodology for a particular size project with this type of program.
The most often use of this type of software program is to use several different management methodologies and modify them to you specific needs. This way you’re working environment and available resources can be made the most of in running your project.
Most programs that allow you to manipulate the different management methodologies allow you to import HTML pages along with Microsoft formatted documents. The importation of images, charts, and text from multiple sources allows for the customization process to proceed with minimal time loss.
As with all modern management methodologies programs, the need for templates, forms and other helpful tools will allow the using of such a methodology easier and faster. This will be of great use to the project mangers that have to follow and create their project plans with it.
By molding your own methodology from the many process that already exist in other management methodologies, the time required to develop your own methodology will be significantly reduced. Just like other methodologies of the past that took from existing ones and created new ways of approaching a project that have become industrial standards, so can yours.
The development of new and improved management methodologies will continue as the industry evolves into the future. In time the new ones will start to be used for even newer methodologies to fit the needs of the future manufacturing environment.
December 16, 2010
The approach to software development methodology saw the need for something different a few decades ago. The old approach of the well known Waterfall methodology was seen as to restrictive to take full advantage of the type of workers that create software programs.
Since the linear approach to software development methodology, like the waterfall, had so many pitfalls, other approaches were examined. This included the prototyping and cyclic methodologies. Each of these was an improvement but still very structured and restrictive.
What was needed was an iterative approach for a software development methodology to follow. This came into being in 2001 with the use of the Agile methodology. This is a combination of both iterative and incremental methodologies that was found to best suit the type of workers that were in this industry.
This type of worker that was needed usually worked best alone and isolated from others. They find Inspiration and ideas that come in spurts so a less structured approach to the software development methodology that allows for this is the best one to use.
This new software development methodology has a very important requirement that must be adhered to and that is self discipline by the workers. Because it is very rare that only one person develops an entire program by themselves, deadlines must be made and kept so the cross functioning teams can coordinate their programs.
The approach for the modern software development methodology will not work in most other industries, but it is highly successful in the IT industry. Many of the programmers work odd hours to not only meet deadlines but because that is when the solution is found in their minds. This is a creative task that must be given freedom for it to be done efficiently and productively.
By utilizing a software development methodology to develop your program, you allow the creation of something new that comes from the mind of a unique set of individuals. This new approach is what was necessary for the job to be accomplished. Just like with many problems, a new solution was needed.
December 13, 2010
The exact type of methodology a company uses is dependent on the sector of business they are operating in. The use and definition of each of the methodologies that are in use are clearly defined. The correct one for your business must take into account what your normal business practices include and the process you have available to utilize.
With so many to choose from the right methodology for your application should be a daunting task, but it’s not. For example in the development of software the Agile methodology is the most popular and wide spread. There are many variations to this including Scrum, but they all basically work the same and only work in the development of software.
In manufacturing there are three basic models that are widely used when approaching a methodology that works best for an organization. These are the waterfall, lean and lifecycle methodology. Each one has specific advantages along with a few distractions.
The lean methodology was first used after World War two in Asia and has grown to be the most widely used of its types in the manufacturing sector for good reason. This approach to completing a project required the manager to do the most with the smallest amount of ingredients. This is accomplished by taking a very careful review of the entire process and all of the components. If a process does not add to the quality or is not beneficial to the final product, it is removed from the process. This reduces waste and costs while still producing a quality deliverable.
The life cycle methodology is also widely used since it has built into is a mechanism that allows for refinement of not only the process but the deliverable itself. If there is a problem noticed in the execution phase of the project, it can be redirected back to the planning phase for refinement. This allows for a project to continue until a quality deliverable is produced without any waste occurring.
The waterfall methodology is the oldest one in use but allows for no mistakes or refinements to be made in the process or the deliverable. This path is only suitable for processes that are well defined and a known result is produced every time.
December 9, 2010
There are many project solutions that can solve the problem a project manager encounters in the planning or execution of their project. It is all dependants on the source of the problem that will lead to where the proper solution will be found.
While not every all problems can be connected to any of the known project solutions, there are ways you can minimize their impact. This is done with proper planning of the project. Every aspect of a project needs a well thought out plan of attack on how it should be accomplished. This will reduce the problems and thus reduce the need for a solution.
This approach to finding project solutions is considered pro active. To attain this approach all of the different aspects of a project need a well documented plan. To do this will take a certain degree of discipline and knowledge of the project. Many project managers are looking at the management tools at their disposal to assist them in this quest. One of the more useful tools are the project management templates.
The project management templates are the right tool to be the source of many project solutions that are needed. In the average project management software program that contains these templates are 52 solutions. The use of these templates will result in the creation of the needed schedules to make a project run smoothly. All of the necessary forms that will be required for contact within your company and to all third party vendors. This is not to mention all the plans that need to be composed so everyone knows what is suppose to happen when and where.
It is not an easy task to know every project solutions that might be needed with every project. What is necessary is a way to find the right solution for the problem at hand. By taking a proactive approach, you can be better prepared to handle the problems and take immediate action to resolving them. This will help keep your project running smoothly.
December 6, 2010
When at the enterprise project management level, more is demanded by the project manager. Because of the vast financial resources that are placed into this type of venture, the delivery of the projects deliverable must be on time and in budget so the expectations of the shareholders are met.
The use of enterprise project management programs is on a larger scale than what was expected from a project in the past. This has come about because the market has changed. No longer are businesses just worried about supplying their local communities with a product that is of better quality than their competitor, if one exists. Today business are participants in the global market that has stiff competition from other parts of the world.
The use of enterprise project management is necessary to help even the playing field with your global competitor. In every part of the world, the competition has certain advantage that only exist there. In the Far East the advantage is the low cost of labor. This allows many of the products that are produced there to have a lower cost and more profitable for the companies there.
To stay competitive you can use the enterprise project management process to increase the efficiency of producing your deliverable thus lowering your costs. This reduction in cost of your products along with making more of them faster will allow you to modify the deliverable quicker if the market demands changes.
The enterprise project management helps your company also follow the global industrial standards that many countries require in a deliverable and how they are produced. As an example to sell in the EU a product must be made in an ISO certified facility. Without that certification, even an extremely low cost product will not sell.
The use of enterprise project management level systems is for use on a large and global scale. It allows for a great return on investment while still meeting the requirements of the market place. This is one of the project management tools that can help you meet the needs of the ever changing global market and out preform your competition.
