Project Smart ~ Exploring trends and developments in project management today
Project management best practice reminds us that if we successfully initiate, plan, execute, monitor, control and close out our projects, our metrics will illustrate better results.
Ten warning signs that say your project has underestimated what is needed for success-with consequences that damage the final outcome and benefits.
It is one thing to finish a project but quite another to finish strong. By employing these activities and strategies, you'll finish every project strong.
Projects have a lot of moving parts. When you throw multiple projects into the mix, as most organisations do, then knowing where projects stand is essential.
Worthwhile meetings - meaningful, accurate, timely, efficient, productive - all the ingredients that go into what most of us would consider a good meeting.
A back-to-basics look at why so many organisations run projects poorly, with twelve common mistakes in project management and how you can avoid them.
There are likely almost as many best practices as there are project managers in the world. These are a few of the 'core' project management practices.
Are you just going through the motions on your projects? To keep your customers coming back for more, you will need to be creative and dedicated.
This article considers a few best practice litmus tests to perform (if only in your head) to make sure you are delivering well on every project.
Where should we focus our effort to improve the performance of IT projects? The Standish Group has identified 10 areas in their Chaos Manifesto 2013.
Having ridiculous timelines not only leads to chaos, but also bad practice, more chance of errors and burnout of staff, so what can be done?
A three-step approach to take if your project gets temporarily shelved, whether it's a two-week or two-month restart window.
You never get a second chance to make a first impression, or to successfully kick-off a project engagement. This list will help you get the project started off right.
Many project managers believe extra resources make all the difference between a project success and failure. But can extra resources rescue a poorly managed project?
The ability to plan effectively is crucial for professional services firms operating in billable markets such as accounting, consultancy and law.
The most important factors that contribute to a project being completed successfully can be broadly broken down into five areas.
If companies want to improve their performance in the execution of initiatives they should take a serious look at restructuring project steering committees.
Six top tips for project management success to help you avoid the last minute 'all hands to the pump'.
The Health Check is a reflective learning exercise, a snapshot of project or programme status used to identify what is going well and areas for improvement.
IT-led business change programmes and projects continue to fail, yet many of the common pitfalls can easily be avoided by undertaking regular health checks.
Many project managers put an implementation or cutover plan together yet fail to carryout the rigorous analysis to determine whether they should proceed.
In a competitive business environment, projects with the best value proposition get funded. So how can you emphasise the value proposition of your project?
We all want to deliver successful projects. But sometimes the right thing to do is to stop a project. When is this the right choice?
As project management grows around the world and becomes increasingly commoditised, more specialisation will be necessary to secure the best opportunities.
Integration management is the knowledge area that includes processes needed to ensure all project components are co-ordinated to achieve project goals.
The six principles of project management transitions easily to any type of project or initiative you are trying to effectively implement.
Today dozens of new project managers will start their first project, a daunting prospect. Here are my tips for surviving life as a project manager.
If you're working on a team where the temperature is rising, make sure you use your Project Management skills to protect yourself and keep your project on track.
If you can meet these five goals for each project, you will achieve project and professional success.
The top three causes of project failure, which if addressed will greatly increase the chances of project success.
A step-by-step guide to establishing project management best practice in your organisation, starting with a discussion of what best practice is.
This article details ten solid principles of project management that are crucial to achieving your goals.
As projects become more complex and critical to business performance, improve your chances of success by following these eight simple steps.
How to establish common project processes that can be adopted throughout your organisation, providing better performance and tangible results.
If you're looking for guidance to help you manage your project with added confidence, then this article will help you.
The concept of a project management maturity model has evolved considerably from the software industry. Where does your organisation sit on the maturity model?
Are you winging small projects using status emails and Excel spreadsheets to manage them? If so, you could be making a great mistake.
Project Initiation is that critical stage of a project where information about how the project will be delivered must be laid down.
Why slow down a project when it needs quick delivery? What is the real benefit of having a kick off meeting and what is a kick off meeting anyway?
Every year countless projects hit trouble for the same reasons. Why? Because the fundamental principles that determine project success are not being respected.
Keep it simple! A successful project comes with great leadership, not lengthy and unwieldy project management processes.
This article discusses the 3 Ps of project management. They are broken down and reviewed to provide an understanding of what needs to be addressed for project success.
Projects are ultimately about making an organisation stronger and better, and that means it's important to make sure you're choosing the right projects.
Common pitfalls that projects experience and some tips to help make a project more successful and avoid the potential for chaos.
Successful projects don't just happen. They require structured planning, insightful management and good interpersonal skills. Use these ten tips to help make your next project a winner.
In an increasingly fast paced world, clients want project implementation to be quicker and less intrusive. It's a tough thing to achieve because implementing a business solution is not a straightforward process.
Not recordedAny project manager who's been around the block a few times has experienced a visit to the project management guillotine. Avoid a trip by keeping these simple tips in mind.
Not recordedThis article is about presentation, planning and processing; the three cornerstones of project management and important elements of a successful project.
Not recordedThis article recommendations how to deliver project status to management and the project team that you will hopefully find to be very effective.
Not recordedVery few people know how to report status on a project, even when they are expert project managers. The problem? Most don't understand the perspective of a manager who is being reported to.
Not recordedThese 21 project management tips won't guarantee success, but they will help you get a solid handle on your project and ensure that you're doing all you can to make it succeed in an unpredictable world.
Not recordedMeetings are important, but are they always productive? Help make sure your meetings are productive with these nine golden rules for effective meetings.
Not recordedNowadays, the bottom-up approach to project management is becoming more and more popular. More and more, organisations are abandoning the top-down project management style.
Not recordedProject management needs robust monitoring and control processes. We should actively monitor and control our projects from business case through to closure.
Not recordedBetter technology vendor negotiations produce better contracts for technology projects, and better contracts produce better project outcomes.
Not recordedEffective objectives in project management are specific. A specific objective increases the chances of leading to a specific and successful outcome.
Not recordedThe problem with project management and IT is that all too often, project management is an afterthought on a project.
Not recordedUnderstanding how projects should be managed or by the book methodology is a good reference guide and tool for everyone.
Not recordedWhen forming project objectives DISCO can be spelled out to point us in the proper direction for creating meaningful objectives and tracking their progress.
Not recordedThe top five ways that you as a project manager can help to boost that bottom-line and become a valuable player in financial discussion.
Not recordedHow to develop a project scorecard to measure the success of your projects in terms of implementing organisational strategy.
Not recordedAll organisations have their approach to procurement. As project manager, you need to understand your organisation's approach and then follow the rules to get the stuff you need.
Not recordedThe scope triangle illustrates the relationship between three primary forces in a project - time, cost and quality.
Not recordedIf time is money, keeping a project on budget requires utilising the project's estimate, schedule, cost forecasting and earned value systems interactively.
Not recordedThis article outlines a simple beginners guide to project management that will help in organising projects and their participants.
Not recordedA seven step procedure to manage projects from inception to success. It guarantees the best chance of achieving maximum project benefits.
Not recordedSeven tips to keep your design project moving by goal setting, involving the decision makers, engaging your team and estimating accurately.
Not recordedFour tips for achieving project management success that have stood the test of time. If you contemplate these suggestions you may discover new insights that lead to greater project success.
Not recordedProject management can't be accomplished by following a formula or using the right system. The systems and the software only make the job easier; they aren't the elements of success.
Not recordedMost technical design projects could theoretically be completed in half the time if they were managed perfectly and there was no rework required.
Not recordedBy predicting project success, great people can overcome bad process to deliver a good product.
Not recordedBest practice project management reminds us that if we successfully initiate, plan, execute and close out our projects our metrics will illustrate greater results.
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