9 Important Points to Consider When Estimating a Project

By Harry

Project estimation is crucial, as explained in every online PMP course. Because the project estimation determines the project schedule and duration. The project estimation determines the company’s objectives and aligns other projects. Based on the deadline, project stakeholders set expectations. PMP exam questions will test your knowledge of project estimation. Naturally, PMP project management training…

7 Steps to Create a SIPOC Diagram in Six Sigma

By Harry

The SIPOC diagram is an important tool in a Six Sigma project. It is part of the Six Sigma DEFINE phase. It is an acronym that stands to Suppliers, Inputs Process, Outputs and Customers. Business process experts use the SIPOC diagram to help them understand how to look at a process as a series of…

7 Steps to Continuous Improvement in IT Services

By Harry

Continual Service Improvement is the final stage in the ITIL lifecycle. This was covered in online ITIL training. During this stage, all services within the IT service provider are reviewed in order to identify areas that need improvement. ITIL online courses discuss how continuous improvement is applied to all stages of the ITIL lifecycle: Service…

7 Signs of poor project management – Alarming facts!

By Harry

There are many reasons why projects are initiated. Projects can be initiated for many reasons, including legal requirements, customer requests, or creating a new product. No matter the reason, success in project management is essential for any organization to survive on the market. Because project management ensures that projects are completed on time and within…

Mission, Vision, and Strategy in Project Management

By Harry

Did you ever work on a project that was so intense that you didn’t ask?why? Why are we doing this? Why is this important? Why do people work 80 hours a week? Without knowing why, you complete task after task after job. You don’t think about the bigger picture strategy that could justifiably justify your…

Methodology Madness – I was asked a great question by a subscriber of my PMP Guide newsletter about methodologies or frameworks. Information overload – by woordenaar via Flickr. He mentioned a long list and asked if he really needed to know everything.

By Harry

Framework for Adaptive Projects Agile software development XP FDD ITIL Lean Development Scrum Spiral 10 Steps JAD RAD RDD Crystal Method DSDM Waterfall SDLC Prince 2 This list contains many different frameworks and methodologies. To anyone who is overwhelmed by the many ways to “get r Dun”, my general advice would be to follow these…

Intuition is always more important than measurement

By Harry

Travis Anderson guest post Glen Alleman mentioned?Against the gods? The remarkable story about risk? In a previous PM Student post, ‘How Expectations Misunderstand Project Estimates. I am a PM Analyst by trade and have an EVMS background. EVM fundamentals require measurements. Even for projects not required to use EVM measurements are always necessary. I found…

MBA: A Worthless Piece of Paper

By Harry

My MBA is worthless Flickr photo by maveric2003 Are you up for the challenge? Good. From the pmStudent community Anne is from the US Anne is a recent subscriber of the?Project Management Career newsletter. She hit reply to one my messages?to ask a question and get mine. I invite you to sign up for one…

Master Plan An article entitled “Master Plan: IT executives must develop an eye for project mangers” appears in the April 2007 issue of PM Network. I would like to comment. This article is based largely on a Gartner Inc. study in Stamford CT, USA. A sad statistic that is true was that between 20-30% of IT executives have a “dismissive attitude” toward project management. These are the same executives who suffer from “poor quality, late delivery, and unrealistic project costs.” This is something I know from personal experience. I would venture to guess that the attitude towards project management decreases when you reach higher-ranking executives in operational areas. Most IT executives have realized that well-run projects, managed by people who have the right skills, can deliver real value. If I had to guess at a percentage of operational executives, I would say around 40-50% have a dismissive attitude toward formal project management. However, this number seems to be declining. The majority of directors and higher-ranking people still don’t see the value in formal project management. I see the shift towards project management adding value as a positive reinforcement to my decision to enter this discipline. But I digress. Referring back to the article in PM Network. I found some points that were insightful and worth sharing. First, Gartner has divided IT project managers into four categories.

By Harry

Novice – Some project experience, lacks formal training Apprentice – Has some project experience and shows initiative towards managing projects. Journeyman – Minimum 2 years experience in project management, formal training in scope, risk management, advanced scheduling, and best practices. Master – 5+ Years of experience successfully managing projects, often PMP or another certification. Only…