Archive for July, 2011
July 28, 2011
Each individual project process is a foundation on which each component of your project is built upon. The sounder this foundation is, the better possibility of a successful project being the end result. To understand all of the different processes takes time and experience to understand their details fully.
While each project process has its value and is necessary for the completion of a project, there are some that have a higher level of importance than others. By properly managing time, cost and the quality of the product, a project manager can regulate the success of their project in a more efficient manner. These are the truly most important processes in a project. If any one of them are not planned correctly or executed in the right manner, the project has little to no chance of being a success.
Just because a project process is not at the highest level of importance does not mean it should be neglected. It is true that every risk that could possibly encounter a project will not do so, but the possibility is still there. If a known risk does impact the project and there is not a plan to deal with it, or a plan that little thought was placed into its creation, could spell disaster for your success of the project.
This is why each individual project process has to be properly created withal of the necessary detail and precision needed for it to be a successful component of the project. It is just like a building with a firm foundation. Most visitors know the building has a foundation, but only see what is on the surface that they come in contact with. If the corner stone of this foundation is cracked or faulty, the rest of the structure will crumble and be useless.
This is why each project process is important to the overall success of a project. The success or failure of a project is hidden in the details of all the different process that comprise it as a whole. It is not only the Boy Scouts that have to be prepared for the unknown, also the project manager.
July 25, 2011
It is the documentation of the project management process that leaves a history of what was done and how it was accomplished for use in the future. This is not only required by most business, but a good idea so the same process does not have to be recreated in the future, thus saving time by the project manager.
The project management process for each project will entail the creation of 11 different ones. These include communications management, acceptance management, procurement management, issue management, risk management, change management, cost management, time management and the overall project management processes. Each one as a specific purpose in helping the project manager deal with the undertaking of all the tasks they will have to do that are involved with a project.
To help the project manage with all of the documentation of the each project management process there are programs readily available. These have a detailed outline on just what should occur within each process during the course of a normal project. The better programs will not only help you devise a success process, but also give you real life samples so you can have an idea of just what might be encountered during your project execution phase of its life cycle.
As part of each project management process there should be a monitoring function. This allows the project manager to be aware of any problems or bottlenecks as they are occurring. This will reduce the reaction time so a positive resolution of the problem can be derived at.
Change is a part of life and every project. The one fear many project managers have is when the change project management process is modified by unauthorized personnel so the scope and goals of the project are now unachievable. This is sometime referred to as scope creep. To prevent this from occurring, a documented path for the proper approval and implementation of all changes has to be in place.
The documenting of a project management process is the only way for it to be known and followed correctly. All eleven processes in a project must be done so the outcome of a project can be a success.
July 21, 2011
The deployment of modern management methodologies is a growing trend in the business world at this time. This is being helped by the advancements in the software that has been introduced to the industry to help modify and create new methodologies to for the particular needs of the companies in business today.
Since there are no two companies exactly alike, thus the reason so many different management methodologies are being used and created. Each business has its own needs and focus of its core business and this is the best way to address these differences.
By using the latest programming, you can import many different management methodologies and extract the portions that fit your particular needs at this time. This will be the creation of a new methodology, but they were all created at some point in time and do not have an exclusive right that than existing one has to be used for it to be effective.
If you are unsure of just with methodology fits your business profile best, then investigating many different management methodologies is the only course of action that should be taken. This is also the reason so many business are now creating their own methodology, because their needs were not addressed with what was currently available.
With all the newly developed management methodologies, do not worry if it is only applicable to your business and does not become wide spread in your industry. This is even if you decide to share you newly developed methodology. This can be considered a trade secret until enough personal leave your company and spread the word about it.
What needs to be remembered is the reason behind all the different management methodologies and why they were developed in the first place, to fit a need that could not be addresses by what was readily available.
If you cannot find what you need on the internet from all the management methodologies that are floating around, consider creating your own. It does not have to be from scratch. It only has to be effective in the applications you will use it in.
July 18, 2011
The main use of lean methodology is in the manufacturing sector of business for which it was created for. This was due to the shortages of material and manpower at the end of 1945.
The main objective of the lean methodology is to create a quality product with the least amount of manpower and material. By doing this in every aspect of the project, the waste can be reduced or eliminated and the maximum effect from the employees work can be realized. Eventually it was found out that this process also maximized the profit potential of the projects where it was deployed.
Today the lean methodology is a constantly evolving methodology where it is deployed. Waste and inefficiency is a constantly changing atmosphere in the work place. Not only do the project manages see where waste is being created and can be eliminated, but so do the employees and team member so of the project.
Because the work place is constantly changing; the lean methodology allows and encourages changes to be made to the processes so improvements can be made on a constant basis. The process for these changes is part of the lean methodology itself. Without it, this methodology would not be able to help improve the project by reducing the waste and errors that are occurring during the production of the deliverables.
One of the key factors to making the lean methodology work efficiently is to only have on hand what is need in terms of raw materials. The just in time approach does have some draw backs, but the potential positive effects are greater. This way there is no added expense to store raw materials for use in the future; it is delivered directly to the floor where it will be used.
The drawback to this approach in a lean methodology is if there is a delay from your third party vendor in supplying your needs in a timely manner. This could potentially cause down time for your production lines. That is a risk many manufacture decide to take because the positive outweigh the negative in that particular scenario.
July 14, 2011
By utilizing a project methodology, a business will have a focused path to follow that has predetermined process and goals that have to be obtained. There are many different ones that are available today, the factors that must be considered before you chose is does it fit your business style, goals and resources to make it effective.
There is a project methodology that is very business sector specific. A great example of this is the Agile methodology. This approach to a project was made specifically for the development of software programs. This approach is readily different than any other methodology because of the approach the team members use to complete their tasks; this is nearly totally independent of each other.
For the business that product a real world deliverable, the project methodology that is used most often is the lifecycle methodology. This is a complete methodology that has been used successfully by many different businesses to help them achieve their goal of producing a profitable revenue stream.
This project methodology has an initiation phase followed by a planning phase. The execution and conclusion phase are at the end. Each phase has a set of tasks that must be completed in the correct order so the project can run in the most efficient manner possible. With each phase being dependent on the previous phase, the completion of assigned tasks is a critical function of this approach to building a project.
Incorporated into the lifecycle project methodology is many other methodologies that have useful and beneficial qualities. By removing the tasks that provide little to no benefit or an increase in quality of the deliverable, the project can cuts cost in many areas. This is taken from the lean methodology that was developed in Japan at the end of WWII.
The correct project methodology would be dependent on your processes and field of business. This is not something that can be easily changed once a project is underway. This is the main reason the decision on which methodology should be made at the beginning of the project and stayed with until the project is over.
July 7, 2011
The deployment of software development methodology by a business uses a different approach to project development and planning than any other in the world at this time. The main emphasis is on meeting the time limit and not the daily progression that most projects encounter.
The reason the software development methodology is so different is the freedom given the team members to accomplish their assigned tasks. This is due to the nature of their tasks are like no other in the business world. The development of script to perform a function in the virtual world cannot be simulated or even tested in the real world until it is near or at completion.
Because of the different approach used in software development methodology, the type of person involved in the task is unique in the business world. This is an independent but disciplined type of worker that accomplishes their tasks alone in nearly every case. This type of approach to work allows for great creativity when approaching a programming task and the obstacles that will be encountered.
The use of prototypes in the software development methodology is very common place. This allows the project team member to see if they are on the correct path to accomplishing their goals with the tasks without it being totally completed. This is a time saving device that will help the team member know if they are on the correct path or if another approach should be taken.
Because there is nothing similar to the software development methodology in the manufacturing sector of business, there is few to no references to other methodologies. This is why no similarities or comparison is every written about with reference to it.
What is known is that the software development methodology is highly successful by the team members that develop the new software programs. It is a new type of language that is used for the completion of the task that takes a full understanding of it so it will perform as intended.
July 4, 2011
The agile methodology was created because the current methodologies of the time were too restrictive to give the software writers the type of environment that is necessary to achieve their goals. With a less structured approach to regulating the team’s daily work and more on achieving the goals in a particular time frame, greater production is obtained.
This is the purpose of the agile methodology along with every other methodology being used by the business world, increase productivity without increasing the costs to the company. This allowed for more creativity to be used by the software engineers in tackling the problems they face when developing a program for the virtual world.
The reason the agile methodology is so helpful to the software engineers is they can now attempt new approaches to programming along with paths that will allow them to possible achieve their goals. Unfortunately for the programmer, trial and error is sometimes the only way of knowing if the script they write will perform as intended, which can be time consuming.
The approach agile methodology uses is not for every business and certainly not for the manufacturing sector that requires a stiff adherence to schedules and tasks to be completed as a team. This is an individual’s methodology that fostered creativity on a time scale that is independent of regular working hours.
When deploying the agile methodology, a project manager must have the confidence in their team members that they will be disciplined enough to meet the necessary deadlines without fail. This way the individual freedom to work so they can achieve their best work can be maintained and the project still progressing towards a scheduled conclusion. This dedication and discipline must always be displayed by all involved. Just like another team, they are only as strong as their weakest link.
The agile methodology is a well structures path to follow that allows the best of a tram and their abilities to shine thru. It can also lead to disaster if one to more team members is not reliable.
