First things first: What is Clarity* and what is the difference between Clarity and MS Project*? Do we need to use both? Why?
Clarity (formerly Niku) is a project management information system with functionality to do communication management, time management (including scheduling), cost management, resource management, risk management, and portfolio management. You can create projects, create a budget, add/remove resources to projects, manage project risks and issues, baseline a project, enter project actuals, store project documentation and monitor the project health.
MS Project (MSP for short) is a project scheduler. You can add/change/remove tasks and milestones, create task dependencies, add/remove resources to tasks, estimate task work or duration, identify the critical path, and level resources.
Because MSP does project scheduling better than Clarity they are used in conjunction so that all scheduling tasks are performed in MSP and uploaded back to Clarity. The user interface in Clarity is not conducive to doing project scheduling as easily as in MSPs Excel-like already familiar interface.
When MSP is used as a scheduling tool with Clarity, there are rules and one of them is that Clarity "rules": Clarity owns everything, including the schedule. It just allows you to temporarily "borrow" the schedule by downloading it into MSP so that you can make the necessary changes and hand it back; all of this via a Clarity-MSP interface that neither Clarity nor Microsoft are proud of.
The other rules are not as simple and are not spelled out anywhere except by third party vendors and consultants that have been there and done that. If you follow these best practices that I have collected through some years of working with both tools you will avoid a lot of trouble and frustration:
" Interface installation - Follow the interface installation instructions from top to bottom without missing anything. You want to do it right the first time so that you can continue to the "MSP configuration"
" MSP configuration - Ensure MSP is configured to work with Clarity as per the installation instructions provided by Clarity's manufacturer. Clarity limits the functionality of MSP. This means that you cannot use MSPs functionality to their full extent when it works in conjunction with Clarity
" Password protection - Don't password protect the project in MSP, Clarity does not support it
" New projects - Don't use the "Save As to Clarity" (on MSPs Integration Toolbar) to create and save a new project from MSP to Clarity. All projects have to be created in Clarity first using the project creation functionality
" Project save - Don't use the MSPs File/Save or the File/Save As functions because they don't save to Clarity
" Copy/cut and paste - In MSP, we are all used to copy or cut and paste a whole row. Clarity doesn't like it because each row of the schedule is provided with a unique Clarity ID that cannot be duplicated
" Drag and drop - Same as "Copy/cut and paste"
" Resource assignment - Only assign resources to a task in MSP that are already allocated to the project in Clarity first. If you create resources directly into MSP that are not in the Clarity project the project will not be saved back to Clarity
" Blank task names - Blank task names are not supported in Clarity. They will acquire their Clarity internal ID as the task name upon the save to Clarity
" Split tasks - Clarity does not support the split task functionality of MSP
" Do not use Effort Driven - Clarity does not support Effort Driven tasks. Do not mark tasks as Effort Driven in MSP
" Do not use Fixed Work - Task type Fixed Work is not supported by Clarity because of its effort driven nature; do not mark a task with this type in MSP or it will create unexpected results down the road
" Do not use recurring tasks - Recurring tasks are not supported by Clarity and, in the best case scenario, will be converted to ordinary tasks once saved to Clarity, in the worse case, you will get unexpected results when uploading the project back to Clarity
" Terminology - Get the terminology straight. For example, allocation in MSP is always used loosely when talking about both allocation and assignment, however, in Clarity, allocation is when a resource has been added to a project, and assignment is when that resource has been assigned to at least a task in that project
" Field names - Be aware that some fields in MSP do not share the same name in Clarity. For example, Remaining Work in MSP is called Estimate To Complete (or ETC) in Clarity. You can always rename the MSP column name (a nice feature of MSP)
" Clarity reserved fields - Clarity has reserved some fields for its exclusive use: Text1 through Text5, Flag1, Resource Name, Initials, Email, Number1, and Number2. Bad things will happen if you use them, for example, Text3 holds Clarity's unique ID for each task and you can imaging what will happen if this is changed
" Calendars - Clarity is the source of calendars. Changes made to the calendars in MSP will not be saved to Clarity and will only persist until you close MSP
" Resource leveling - There is no resource leveling functionality in Clarity similar to MSPs. Continue to perform a manual leveling in MSP for each project; you can try the automatic leveling if you are comfortable with the unexpected results it always give you (in any case, always save a copy of the schedule before trying it)
" Baseline - Do not baseline in MSP. Clarity owns the project baseline and this is done in Clarity
" Actuals - Do not manipulate project actuals in MSP. Actuals are entered via Clarity's timesheet functionality
" Task completion - If you use MSP to mark tasks as "Complete" remember to change the Remaining Work (ETC in Clarity) to zero. If a task's Remaining Work Hours or Remaining Work is zero in MSP and the completion is 100%, the complete task must be changed to 100% and the status changed to Complete
" Save frequently - Frequently, save your plan to Clarity. The more often you save it, the easier it will be to recover if you do something you want to back out of
The best advice of all is to completely avoid MSP functions that are not supported by Clarity and you will save yourself and others a lot of time. Don't you think so...? Well, I do.
* Clarity (version 8.1.1 as of this writing) is a product of CA, Inc; MS Office Project (version 2007 as of this writing) is a product of Microsoft Corp.
Clarity-MS Project Best PracticesGOAL: How to apply the essentials of project management to enrich your life
Do you notice how you mirror your work activities to every day living? It's an undeniable statement of fact that our lives are systemically intertwined in everything we undertake-whichever way we cut it.
That's why I totally subscribe to the basic philosophy that, in learning the basic essentials of project management and applying positive and high standards to every endeavor, we benefit on the job and end up happier and more contented with our lives, other people and our surroundings.
Every day, we're faced with ideas that can impact and improve our lives. However, I've also observed that immediately after these inspirations appear, the mind asks, "If I could possibly pull that off, where would I start?"
Indeed, what is the difference between the person who tries-and the person who doesn't?
Having the confidence to try new ideas is definitely a key factor. Where does confidence come from? From knowledge and experience. From learning the essentials of project management, which gift you invaluable insights that every successful person needs to know, in order to live a happy and satisfying life.
The five essential stages of project management are:
• Define
• Plan
• Execute
• Monitor
• Closure
Imagine if it was that simple to define your goal, create a plan for success and execute the plan. At that point, all you'd have to do is watch out for red flags that may hinder successful results.
However, eight out of ten failed projects can be attributed to the person in charge-the project manager. It's the manager's inability to take ownership of the project that becomes a major roadblock. They are stymied by their own fears and insecurities, which stifle successful outcomes.
Every successful project manager knows how to overcome personal and situational limitations. So can you. When you're able to learn and apply the essentials of project management, the possibilities are endless in enriching your life, too.
Project Management & Positive Living RewardsThere are a number of project managers today that use Microsoft Project to create and track project plans to keep tasks on schedule. Project is a fine application for small endeavors with one person in charge. However as a project grows and more decision makers are involved, managers need an application that can provide enterprise-wide project management.
On-line Management with Project Server
When coordinating a large venture, basic management tools like Microsoft Project may not serve the manager's needs. It is a standalone application that can be used only on one computer. All project information is in one place and all decisions can be made only at that computer.
Once there is a large endeavor with a management team, this lack of access becomes a problem. What is needed is a project management tool that can be shared company-wide and allow all managers to track their respective tasks without needing to wait for printed reports.
Project Server was designed with exactly that capability in mind. All team members can access the application from anywhere on the company network or over the web. Coordination and communication is easier when everyone is on the same page.
Each Team Member Has a Role
Just because everyone can access the software, that doesn't mean everyone has the same capabilities. Individuals are given permissions appropriate to their role in the plan and in the company.
Project managers use the basic Project Professional application just like they have in the past. However their updates and changes are transmitted to the server where they can be viewed by other managers and incorporated in their plans.
Team members who don't use Project directly can still access the server to see what their tasks are, what the status of the overall plan is, and can send status reports to be used by managers.
Even interested parties not directly involved in completion of the tasks, such as executives or investors, can be given access over the company network or the web so they can monitor the progress. Comprehensive security settings ensure that each person is given needed access without any excess privileges.
Project Server Training
Even experienced users of Microsoft Project will benefit from training on the unique capabilities of Project Server. The enterprise-level features of the software greatly increase the size of the projects that can be handled but may not be obvious to new users. Tasks such as team building, resource substitution, and information pooling can be used more effectively after taking instructor-led courses.
The transition from Project to Project Server is a major step for any business but with guidance and proper planning, it is a move that can be made with a minimum of complication. The added capabilities will be invaluable to any mid-size to large business.
Microsoft Project Server Vs Microsoft ProjectProject success is completely depends on balancing one of the major component of project that is "Scope". Scope refers the quality and quantity of what requires to be delivered in the project. Scope management concern about both what is there in the scope and also clearly identify what is not there in the scope.
Project scope management mainly concern with some important activities like:
• Constantly checking the work and make sure that it is completed.
• Preventing doing more work than what is required.
• Don't let people to randomly add to the project scope.
Project scope management also includes some processes required to successfully complete the project are:
• Collect Requirements-Define and document the Stakeholder need.
• Define Scope-Develop a detailed description of project and product.
• Create WBS (Work Breakdown structure)-In this process it subdivides the project deliverables and project work into smaller and more manageable components.
• Verify Scope-formalize acceptance of the completed project deliverables.
• Control Scope-Monitor the status of the project and products scope and manage the changes to the scope base line.
Following are some points to remember to avoid any scope issue:
• Make sure you have written, formal, agreement for the scope of the project: it helps to identify what is there and what is not there in a scope of a project.
• Recognize the scope requirements: know your requirements. Identify a variation to the document and underline it as a project issue.
• Review the Impact and decide the options: Review the cost and time impact of the increase in scope and present this to whomever you want to get a decision.
• Revise the Plan: depending upon the result of your discussions you need to eliminate other functions to increase time, accommodate, and increase the cost associated. Whatever your result, document it and ensure everybody is clear of the impacts on the project.
Project Scope Management is one of the most complicated parts of managing a project. Project managers should know what they are committed and also have a responsibility to make all effort to give the entire information essential to ensure the project scope will meet the strategic direction of the company.
Project Scope ManagementIn our life especially for those moving up their career ladder, at some point in time, one will invariably being called upon to lead and manage a project. Depending upon the nature of the work and the industry one is in, the size and magnitude, the intensity and rigor required of the method of project management may differ. At the simplest, it may just be the simple identification and definition of the various activities and tasks with assigned roles and responsibilities together with clear timelines and key delivery milestones. At the extreme, it may involve the full rigor of project management best practices utilizing robust Project Management (PM) methodology (such as those propounded by PM Institute, US or PRINCE, UK )and adoption of the various automated tools (eg Microsoft Office Project, complete with recruitment of fully qualified full time project manager or director to manage the complex process.
While one can avail himself to the variety of tools available in the market, does this guarantee project success. Detailed information on many PM Methodology tools is widely and freely available to all. Yet I must say that the mere adoption of such tools does not guarantee the project will be completed and implemented successfully. There have been far too many major projects that have gone wrong, unable to be salvaged. You can read many in the News.
What then is successful and how does one define that the project is considered completed and successful. Is completion of a project say done within budget and within timeline, consider success. I believe many would say so, after all, to the business, the project is implemented and to the supplier, he gets paid for the work done. Is this the sole criterion to determine success. What if the projects are completed, but never being used or worst still being shelved after a short while and ended up a white elephant. How do we account for the investment in this? The work done and delivered, irrespective of whether the project is used and serving its intended purpose. Ultimately, irrespective of which perspective you look at, if the project is completed on time and within budget, and adding value to the organization and indirectly also value to the society, then it is successful.
In the course of my career, I have undertaken numerous projects from small to major ones involving tens of millions and more particularly in the technology industry. While the key criteria to gauge the success or failure is determined by the order of the Management at that point in time, I must say that it is a very fine line largely dependent on the immediate stakeholders and users who stand to gain or lose by the project. And it is usually this group of people who determine the fate of the project, which may well be managed very properly and professionally. How qualified and knowledgeable is this group of stakeholders, I can only say appalling in most times, due to tendency to delegate to lower level staff.
I think the key requirements to ensuring successful projects are easily identified and obtained. Requirements such as getting right personnel, adequate time, adequate budget and so on, and with that, the assigned project manager to adopt a methodology. But despite the availability of such information and so-called tips and tricks or best practices, many projects still fail, and I mean real big projects. And maybe a professionally certified Project Manager will by no means guarantee the success. Perhaps a higher probability of success, but never a guarantee.
Here, I do not intend to delve into the key planning activities that a good PM tools will provide. Picking and standardizing one good, not necessary the most expensive and most elaborate one to suit your industry, organization and project is important for training, awareness and continuity of usage and support along the way. For continuity within the organization, there must be control on standards and not left to individual to pick his own due to familiarity. So the key consideration is like having the right people, the right tools and the right costs.
However, there are few focus points that I would like to emphasize that requires constant check and re-evaluation to ensure the success.
a) Select the Project Manager - At the start of the project, the assignment of the Project manager is critical. This is not a position that is offer to someone that happens to be available, with time to spent, or maybe senior enough. Blending this together with one that has good background knowledge of the business and industry as well as being able to see a holistic view is key. One that is handpicked by Project Sponsor for political purpose and although is willing to listen, to support and be advised by him is bound to fail as the Project Manager is ultimately the key person who shoulders the full accountabilities..
So if there is a need, one needs to hire one from outside the organization on contract basis, to be free from internal politics.
b) The Plan - Suffice to say, in any project, to be successful, it must be planned out first. As the saying goes, anything that is not planned is doomed to failure. So a typical plan as outlined in decent project management methodology such as the PMBok of PMI from the US, or PRINCE from UK will adequately identify and require the plan to include activities encompassing aspects such as Integration, Scope, Time, Cost, Quality, Human Resources, Communication, Risks, and Procurement. Due consideration must be given to each aspects to have adequate resources, time, cost and not just to suit top-down directives.
Planning must be done on participative basis with assistance from all stakeholders. Eventually, this has to be reviewed, confirmed and sign-off, and periodically used to monitor progress.
c) Define the Scope - The project manager can played a key role here to maintain what I call a fair and reasonable scope. While all stakeholders are involved and given time to define the scope and requirements, someone must be able to control the stakeholders to prevent runaway scoping. Firstly, unreasonable requirements such as requiring the project to provide the ideal leads to doom. One can talk about the ideal, but will never get started as they will be caught in analysis/paralysis syndrome causing repeated changes and delays. I say the PM plays a key role here to signal showstopper as to align perception of everybody, to avoid unreasonable expectations from this start point to avoid the need to raise issues at the final stage, if not arrested at this point. The final document must be reviewed and eventual sign-of by all key personnel. Mind you, this document will be the reference, when old stakeholders leave the organisation and new one replacing them will see no need to continue with the project and create problems to kill the project. Sometimes, I wonder, is the project undertaken for the person or for the organization. If it is for the later, why would new stakeholders so eager to kill of the project.
d) Regular and periodical review of Plan against status - There must be factual reporting, no trade-off, with sincere and concern for inactions. Here the PM's job knowledge and confidence is very critical as it will call for the questioning of the various stakeholders roles/responsibilities and inadequate effort and performance in partaking this project. The challenge is how to expose all such deficiencies and yet maintain a working team.
We are sometimes governed by own internal politics where the project sponsor knowledge and trust of his Project Manager is important. Ultimately, the project will be guided by and advise arising from his knowledge or perhaps the lack of it. Solid real life experiences and foundations as an all rounder will place the PM in good stead to make a project successful. One must be able to call a spade a spade without tradeoff. The PM ability to see a holistic view and identify hotspots and to raise them at an early stage, is important, to ensure and keep everybody's perception in tune.
e) Decision Making - Many a time, I find that too much of discretion is given to the business or users and not the supporting function. But they only have the view of their own functional areas. I always use the example of being efficient for the Department but inefficient for the organization as a whole. Of course, every Department will take care of their own interest, but when this goes against the company as a whole, the PM must be able to spot it and escalate for a "force" decision. How often we see the loudest voice rules, and the organization suffers?
f) Over demanding business/Users - When there is one over demanding person who occupy key position, but lacking the knowledge, the project is doomed to fail. Imagine what happen when there is indecisiveness or frequent change of decision can have on a project. While proper sign-off of the Scope Document may signify completion of the process and time-line as a formality, there is no guarantee of quality and completion, if the so-called key personnel has the overall say of acceptance and eventual payment. A weak PM would have succumb to such threat only to live with the problem that comes up when there is repeated delay after delay at later stage. A good PM needs to manage this, enforce strict change management and yet maintain the working relationship at all level.
g) Maintaining and keeping tabs of progress of all related activities. - As in doing up the Plan, the Project Manager must include all activities to have a dashboard of all the activities. Several times, I have come across Plans that are handled by a supplier, but did not capture the Activities and Progress of those handled by the buyer company. For example, the supplier could be involved in the supply of a computer system solution. So the plan only capture the part on completion of the system, while the part on getting ready the computer room, getting the necessary statutory approval, User Training etc are not capture. While such activities maybe undertaken by the buyer company and remains the responsibilities and accountabilities of the buyer organisation, nevertheless, a good PM would have capture such key milestones to track progress at high level. While it may be the fault of another party not fulfilling their part, it is the lack of full visibility of all key activities that cause projects to slip and then argument starts to follow.
Different people view success differently. It is hard to say whether a project is eventually successful. Many projects are completed and in use, but is the project delivering good value. Like I said, this is a fine line. Who eventually do we listen to whether the project meets the needs. After all , a truly successful project is one where the project is embarked to do effective things in an efficient way. Equally possible is when someone in power, in position embarks on an project based upon ineffective strategies and premises, but yet can be completed efficiently and therefore perceived as successful.
The point here is not the knowledge about project management, the industry, but the subtle qualities of the person put in charge, to lead the project and apply such qualities against the respective activities and tasks to fruition.
Managing a Project Successfully - From Start to Completion, a Management PerspectiveBusiness owners normally do not start their companies with the intention of staying a small operation. Most of them think about expanding. Even if they are not considering expanding, all business owners are interested in improving the quality of their management, their employees, the level of production. The overall satisfaction with the company by shareholders, customers and employees alike will all need to be great in order for success. When incorporating the Six Sigma quality improvement methods, and hiring a qualified Black Belt professional to lead the way, business owners can expect to see improvement in the overall quality of the products and/or services.
The Black Belt professional that will lead the team during the project management quality improvement process will be qualified to utilize the Six Sigma models, working with the company executives to meet their specific goals.
Often projects must be designed in a very focused and narrow way. This happens when there are several aspects of the company that need improvement, such as customer service, employee satisfaction and productivity rate. The goal of the 6Sigma professionals, working as a team with the company executives, is to work together to define the problem area and search for logical and possible resolutions. All ideas for improvement should be considered.
Black Belts professionals will work closely with the executives to get the intended results of the plan and will follow up to make sure changes that are made are helping the company. At times, they may spot areas where more focus could have been utilized and will continue working with the executives of the company until the process is perfect. If they are unable to perfect the process, Six Sigma professionals will notify business owners that further changes need to be made.
Project management is about leadership skills. The Black Belt professional leading the project, with a focus of increasing quality in general areas of the company, will be highly skilled in this area. They have the knowledge about 6 Sigma models that they need to lead with confidence and get accurate results. Project implementation will be closely monitored by this professional.
As the project is in progress, the Black Belt professional will act as a support structure for all of the team members, providing the framework and guidance to make sure the plan goes smoothly. It is vital to the success of the Six Sigma project for the team to work as a solid, functional unit, seeing the project through from beginning to end, analyzing results and making changes where they are necessary.
Using Six Sigma Methods to Enhance Project ManagementThere are many benefits to project management. One is the ability it provides for the utilization of such forecasting methods. Now organizations are able to look at situations through the use of number-driven computer applications. These numbers are presented in a wide variety of ways, i.e. on graphs, charts and other graphical depictions.
Also, through various formulas and other mathematical methods, teams are able to come up with solutions because of the projected future of the impact of certain processes. This has greatly assisted organizational leaders in resolving important issues quickly and easily.
Project management also enables better teamwork. Teamwork has become an important part of all aspects of organizational success and the more employees work together, the more improvements the company as a whole will achieve. It also promotes the process of goal setting. This is crucial in terms of increasing productivity and customer satisfaction. Projects can be viewed as the smaller goals established to work toward a larger goal. These individual processes also promote organizational growth.
Project management methods help organizational leaders by displaying the information in a way that is easy to see, understand and analyze. There are many ways of looking at the solutions for a problem and this process is instrumental in helping to find a formidable solution.
Project management uses the problem solving process whereby problems are identified, options are weighted and solutions are found. This makes it easier to find the areas where improvement is needed and address them one at a time. Various projects mean different teams. When these teams work together, the future of the organization will remain more secure and the overall operation quite prosperous. This is, perhaps the biggest benefit.
The Benefits of Project ManagementProject management is a very important part of companies and involves the organizing and managing the company's resources so that the required project is completed within a fixed time, scope and cost constraints. The project of project management is a temporary and one time job needed to create a unique product or service apart from the normal processes of the company.
All terms have to be agreed on wherein everything about the project is agreed on. Make sure you know what results are expected from you. Once all this is cleared, you have to list out the things needed to start and complete the project. Then list all the resources and logistics needed, and make a realistic map of things you intend to do, from start to the end.
Once you have a map sketched out, set a project schedule which you have to follow. With the schedule, you will know if you are ahead of time or whether you have to hasten things so that the schedule is met. Make sure you have an adept staff to handle the project by choosing efficient and able human resources. There is no point in the leader being capable if he is surrounded by an inept staff. Give the staff praise with their achievements to motivate them.
When working with a team of members, project management calls for a good communication plan wherein there is efficient flow of information from the leader to the stakeholders. With this plan, all information is related to the respective people to avoid delays and misunderstandings.
So it can be seen that project management is not really something complicated; it just follows a principle of hard work and proper planning to ensure a smooth running of the project from the beginning to the end of the project.
Project Management Calls for Proper PlanningA Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) is universally recognized as the standard for project management methodologies and practices. Project managers routinely use the PMBOK® as a reference for accepted tools, knowledge, and processes in order to ensure the successful completion of a wide range of projects. The PMBOK is also the industry standard which candidates must study and possess a functional knowledge of when preparing for Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) certifications. Since its creation the PMBOK has undergone several revisions the most recent of which is the 4th edition. Although much of the content is the same as in the 3rd edition, there are some significant changes regarding clarity and improvement.
The 4th edition of the PMBOK reflects a focused effort to provide more clarity in various aspects of project management practices while reducing ambiguity and redundancy. There are several areas where this is evident. First, in order to remain consistent, all processes are now annotated in a verb-noun format (i.e. Define Activities, Develop Schedule, Plan Quality, Verify Scope, etc). In such a dynamic discipline as project management it is imperative to maintain as high a level of consistency and simplicity as possible. Adding to its simplicity, the 4th edition has also grouped corrective action, preventive action, defect repair, and requested changes under the heading "change request". The purpose of this is to provide visibility of these change requests while allowing an easier understanding of the project management processes.
It is important for a project manager to have a comprehensive understanding of the processes involved with successful project management. In order to help with this the 4th edition of the PMBOK has focused more on clarifying process interactions. By more clearly explaining process inputs and outputs with aid from the PMBOK's new data flow diagrams-which replaced process flow diagrams-and the relationships between these processes, the project manager will have a better understanding of how to use these tools to his or her benefit.
Another important clarification is the distinction between the project management plan and the various project documents the project manager may utilize in helping manage the project. An example of this is that previously a change log may have been mistakenly grouped into a project management plan. The PMBOK® now makes it clear that while change management is an important part of a project management plan, a change log is a project document and should not be included in a formal project plan.
Additional clarification was made to the PMBOK® by more clearly differentiating what contents of the project charter and scope statement are required. Previously, these documents may have shared some commonalities as there was no clear distinction between required content. As projects progressively elaborate-or become more defined as they move forward-what is annotated in the charter will evolve and become evident in the project scope statement. This progressive elaboration is an important part of project management and the PMBOK has done well by making this consideration while defining more clear boundaries between these two documents.
Perhaps the most significant difference between the 3rd and 4th editions of the PMBOK is the addition, consolidation, and removal of several processes. The processes of Develop Preliminary Scope Statement (Project Integration Management Knowledge Area) and Plan Scope (Project Scope Management Knowledge Area) were removed in the 4th edition. Processes which were added include Collect Requirements (Project Scope Management Knowledge Area) and Identify Stakeholders (Project Communications Management Knowledge Area). Within the Project Procurement Management Knowledge Area the six processes were consolidated into four. These process revisions represent bold changes between the 3rd and 4th editions of the PMBOK. However, by renaming the processes in verb-noun format, removing those which were redundant or unnecessary, adding where needed, and consolidating others, the 4th edition of the PMBOK represents a significant improvement and another step in the right direction for project management.
Another improvement added to the 4th edition of the PMBOK is Appendix G which contains a list and discussion of interpersonal skills needed to successfully manage projects. While it is arguable whether or not these skills can be learned through training and practice or whether one is born more adept at these soft skills, it is clear that they are necessary in effectively managing projects and project teams. Their inclusion in the PMBOK is an improvement because they indicate areas in which project managers must maintain their focus while interacting with their project teams and stakeholders.
While the release of the 4th edition of the PMBOK was a step in the right direction for project management it was also part of a larger picture and not the only book of standards PMI released. Concurrently with the PMBOK fourth edition PMI released The Standard for Program Management 2nd Edition; The Standard for Portfolio Management 2nd Edition; and Organizational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3) 2nd Edition. The release of these four standards represents an effort to relate methodologies between and among these various levels of project and program management in a clear, consistent, and comprehensive manner. These standards of basic project management, program and portfolio management, and organizational project management, along with consistent language, terminology, and practices provide an umbrella under which practitioners of the project management profession can operate with awareness, clarity, and confidence.
In addition to the professional content contained within the PMBOK there are some other characteristics of the book worthy of discussion. First, the book maintains its quality of being easy to read and understand. The fonts and graphics used in the book are clearly visible and the reader will find them easy to follow. Additionally, the data flow diagrams at the beginning of each knowledge area chapter are much easier to follow and understand than the 3rd edition's process flow diagrams.
Another nice characteristic is the ability of the reader to take notes in the margins which provide very adequate space. One characteristic that should be improved is the soft cover of the PMBOK. With the cost of the book at .95 through PMI (or .50 for PMI members), a soft cover is hardly adequate to protect such an investment and valuable reference tool. Some simple internet research also found that the book can be purchased for .55 through Amazon.com with free shipping. This is certainly the most affordable price found online though, perhaps, it can be purchased secondhand or from a used book store for less.
One reason for the explosive growth of the project management profession is the degree to which the practices and methodologies have evolved. The revisions in the 4th edition of the PMBOK® represent the efforts made by its governing body, PMI, to remain proactive in a cycle of continuous development and improvement. The utility of effective project management has been realized throughout every industry and market segment. By including feedback from its practitioners in this improvement cycle the project management industry will continue to effectively evolve through its refinement of standards, tools, and practices.
Book Review - A Guide to the Project Management Book of Knowledge - PMBOK Guide - Fourth EditionIn the fast-developing economies, such as in India and China, where massive national and regional infrastructure projects are being undertaken, and businesses in every sector are growing at a phenomenal rate, traditional management approaches have been largely abandoned, and project management, and quality management, approaches have been universally adopted. In Africa and in the Middle East, this has long been the case. In most parts of the world, Project Management specialists are now respected and valued in the same way as professionals in medicine, finance, engineering, and education. For specialists (such as in Finance or HR), operational managers, and operational staff, it is now almost inevitable that they will be occasionally involved as a team member of a major project, and regularly selected to be a team member of smaller, overlapping projects. For project team members, there are many ways in which they can learn about how projects operate, and how they can contribute as team members.
The first is a simple step. That is, to read a book on Project Management. There are many, ranging from the very basic "Project Management in 20 Minutes" format, to the detailed textbooks by well established writers. This can be a useful introduction to the subject, but the "20 Minutes" format is simply too basic, and regarding the detailed textbooks, all the evidence says that most are abandoned after a couple of chapters.
The second is to take a Professional Development Short Course by distance learning, where study materials are sent to you, requiring you to read, learn, complete small exercises, and finally complete an assignment to demonstrate that you have learnt effectively. Look for titles such as "Managing Workplace Projects" or "Project Management Tools and Techniques". Most courses of this type will lead to a Certificate of Achievement. To ensure that it is a valid, credible, course, make sure that the provider also offers nationally or internationally recognised qualifications in the other sections of its courses portfolio. Don't underestimate this type of course. Most employers will be impressed that you have taken the time and made the effort to learn about projects in order to contribute to them more effectively, and of course, your improved performance will be noticed.
The third option, and for most people who will be regularly involved as a team member of operational, workplace projects, the best option is to study for a Professional Qualification in project management at Certificate level (Level 4 Diploma in the UK) . This option is also the appropriate one for specialists who will be involved in projects in their specialist role, but are not likely to lead the project, nor make project management their specialism.
Again, to ensure that the provider is credible, look for evidence that they are nationally accredited, that they have other qualifications, in other disciplines, also nationally accredited, and that they are offering content that is in line with international best practice. A high quality Certificate or Diploma at this level will offer the following: Course materials based on international best practices, A suggested Timetable of study, A Personal Tutor providing email, postal, and telephone support, Mini-activities built into the study materials, Module Assignments that can be related to the student's workplace, Assignments assessed and feedback given by the Tutor, External Verification (auditing) of the provider, by the Accreditation Body, National and-or International accreditation of the qualification award
The content of a high quality course would typically include: Overview of Project Management: Definitions; Project Management Best Practice; Why Project Management is Essential; The Demand for Project Management; Qualities and Competencies of a Project Team. Project Structures: Defining and Categorising Projects; The Life Cycle of a Project; Overview of Prince Methodology; The Lean and Mean Approach. Feasibility and Risk: Testing and Feasibility of the Project; Assessing and Managing Risk. Managing People: Internal and External Roles and Responsibilities; Managing Relationships; Managing the Project Team Members; Managing Creativity and Conflict. Managing Closure: Planning and Activating the Closure Point; A Project Closure Template. As can be seen, much of the content looks at the Project from the point of view of the manager or team leader. This is essential, as all team members should be aware of how a project should be effectively managed to ensure that the project is successful. Another reason for this is that completion of a course at this level can be the first stage in a career development plan, a stepping stone on to a higher level qualification.
Project Management Courses for Project Team MembersIf under the Project Management Professional exam is an exam in the near future, then what you need to prepare? We recommend first, read the Project Management Institute (PMI) ® website and familiarize yourself with the requirements explicitly take the exam. The PMP ® is a comprehensive process that requires concentration and individual energy. ® can be passed from application to the PMP a few weeks to several months of preparation done. It is not abe taken lightly, if you sincerely follow the action. Make sure you have acquired enough hours of experience in project management and training. A good rule is to plan now experience over the past 8 years, no experience in addition to the request, but not the number of credit hours required for the PMP ® exam can be placed on the product specific document. Educational experience must be documented in the last 3 years.
Next would be to complete the projectApplication Professional credential management that is online from the site of SMEs. Before completing the application, you will receive a worksheet to help. The worksheet similar to the completed worksheet to assist in filling out tax forms is a standard. Gather all the documents and contact information in advance and try to prevent the task out. The following documents and evidence must be at hand when compiling the spreadsheet application. Find the name and a manager or seniorcolleague that can verify experience. One of the main details to capture is the name, email and phone number and description of actual project to document on application. Know the start and end dates of projects that have been worked find data in company records in advance before filling in the worksheets.
The project information is broken down into the project management process groups or the project life cycle. Once the information is broken down it is further decomposed into questions related to how the PMI® theory was applied to the actual project. The process groups interrogated include initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling and closing. Project managers perform these tasks on projects to manage them successfully. The following breakdown of questions are asked on the application and the hours spend on each task during the project must be filled in.
The first set of questions deal with initiating a project and the number of hours spend on performing the tasks on a project.
• Conduct project selection methods to evaluate the feasibility of new products or services
• Identify key stakeholders and perform analysis to gain buy-in and requirements for the success of the project.
• Define the scope of the project based on the organization need to meet the customer project expectations.
• Develop the project charter and review it with key stakeholders to confirm project scope, risks, issues, assumptions and constraints as well as obtain project charter approval from the project sponsor.
• Identify and document high level risks, assumptions and constraints using historical data and expert judgment.
The second set of questions deal with planning a project. Questions that align with planning a project are categorized as questions and the hours of time spent for each task documented according to these categories.
• Identify key project team members and define roles and responsibilities to create a project organization structure to develop a communication plan.
• Create the work breakdown structure with the team to develop the cost, schedule, resource, quality and procurement plans.
• Identify project risks to define risk strategies and develop the risk management plan
• Obtain project plan approval from the customer and conduct a kick off meeting with all key stakeholders.
• Define and record detail project requirements, constraints and assumptions with the stakeholders to establish the project deliverables.
• Develop the change management plan to define how changes will be handled to manage the triple constraints.
The third set of questions deal with executing the project.
• Manage proactively the resource allocation by ensuring that appropriate resources and tools are assigned to the tasks according to the project plan.
• Execute the tasks defined in the project plan in order to achieve the project goals.
• Ensure a common understanding and set expectations through communication to align the stakeholders and team members.
• Improve team performance by building team cohesiveness, leading, mentoring, training, and motivating in order to facilitate cooperation, ensure project efficiency and boost morale.
• Implement a quality management plan to ensure that work is being performed according to required quality standards.
• Implement approved changes according to the Change Management Plan.
• Obtain project resources in accordance with a procurement plan.
• Implement the approved actions and workarounds required to minimize the impact of project risks.
The fourth set of questions deal with monitoring and controlling the project.
• Measure project performance using appropriate tools and techniques.
• Verify and manage changes to the project scope, project schedule and project costs as defined in the change management plan.
• Monitor the status of all identified risks, identify any new risks, take corrective actions and update the risk response plan.
• Ensure the project deliverables conform to quality standards established in the project quality plan.
The fifth set of questions deal with closing a project
• Formalize and obtain final acceptance for the project.
• Identify, document and communicate lessons learned.
• Archive and retain project records, historical information and documents (e.g., project schedule, project plan, lessons learned, surveys, risk and issues logs, etc.) in order to retain organizational knowledge, comply with statutory requirements, and ensure availability of data for potential use in future projects and internal/external audits.
• Obtain financial, legal and administrative project closure (e.g., final payments, warranties, contract sign-off).
• Release all project resources and provide performance feedback.
• Create and distribute final project report.
• Measure customer satisfaction at the end of the project.
After completion of the worksheet transfer the information to the actual credential application on the PMI® website. Next fill in the education experience gained over the last 3 years. The 35 contact hours can be obtained by enrolling in a bootcamp http://www.pmstudy.com and hours can be obtained via online preparatory work prior to physically sitting in a classroom so application can be submitted quickly and the test can be completed within days of finishing the project management prep bootcamp.
Filling Out the Project Management Professional (PMP) ApplicationWhile each individual, the Project Management Institute (PMI) Project Management Professional (PMP) certification exam to be certified PMP, the preparation and study habits vary from person to person. Many people prefer a self-learning for their training routine PM, the knowledge slowly absorbed over a longer period is required before the exam date.
However, individuals can self-study to make a difficulty to understand the complexConcepts presented in SMEs A Guide to Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK). There is also a danger that a student may forget to check out some important information, or it may be unprepared for the changes introduced by the SMEs for the examination.
When people work faster than dynamic approach to prepare for the PMP certification exam is a 4-day PMP Boot Camp, a solution they can turn to. They are usually offered by companies incorporated, compresses all Project Management Trainingessential information, those who say the test should pass the test. Intense and very complete, PMP Boot Camp participants will also ensure the high transfer rates. Some companies also offer free courses and tuition reimbursement in the event that one of his students fail their first or second attempt.
Most of these courses are usually only a handful of students is limited, so that teachers more similar to each student's learning style, or one group. The teachers themselvesuses are fully certified PMP, whose professional experience is presented as a basis for the scenarios in the classroom. The possibility of PM principles with practical examples of study allows the student a better understanding of the realities that you face when you have PMP.
Many of these boot camps help students to quickly understand all the important points of the PMBOK SMEs and five major areas of focus of the examination. Students will also be drilled in the use of concentration,focus and retention techniques to help them recall all of the information they absorb during the training for the test day.
The reading material handed out during the project management training boot camp is also designed to be easily understood, enabling students to grasp difficult concept faster than if they had conducted a self study.
By combining project management fundamentals with a dynamic learning environment, a capable learning institute provides aspiring PMs a good chance of passing their PMP exam on their first attempt.
Attend a Project Management Training Boot Camp to Gain a Better Understanding of Key PMP Concepts