Project managers don’t have a crystal ball, but they do have experience……. As with any body of work, project managers need to learn from every experience, good or bad. When issues occur on projects people are often puzzled at how they happened in the first place. There are a few occupational hazards that come with […]
Project management is about getting the job done, not pleasing the PMO Lately I’m hearing more and more complaints from experienced project managers because they are being used as expensive typists and spreadsheet crunchers to keep the PMO happy. Some companies are not seeing the difference between effective project management and administrative project management. PMOs […]
Project Management Methodology The modern world of software projects appears to be flooded with agile terminology. Whether it is companies that claim to be at the cutting edge of agile or companies trying to catch up on the latest trends to improve project delivery, there is no escape from the seemingly ubiquitous agile approach and […]
Dark Matter One of the biggest risks that software project managers face is “Dark Matter”. On a software project it is defined as “The entity that we know exists but cannot see”. It is most prevalent on projects where you require an intimate knowledge of business processes. At the beginning of a project, the Subject […]
Projects From working on many projects over the years one can become accustomed to the culture of a project in terms of delivery, habits and work ethic. We can take a lot for granted in terms of what has become the norm for us. On a recent assignment with a client we had found it […]
Teams While working recently with a client, they asked for some specific advice for managing small project teams when delivering software projects. Previously their project teams were quite large, but the nature of their work now needs small project teams completing software modules in less time. This is to enable them to support ever-changing market […]
Definition With so many different variations of MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems) in use today, it can be difficult to define exactly what MES is and how it is used. The use of the system will vary from company to company. Manufacturing Execution Systems can be defined as systems that record and control the execution of […]
PMSummit Dublin PM Summit is an annual event that takes place in Dublin, Ireland hosting a global community of project, program and portfolio managers regardless of whether they use traditional, lean and/or agile approach to their projects. Unlike other project management events, the PM Summit catering to all sectors of industry, from engineering to pharmaceutical, […]
Distractions One of the biggest sources of distraction in the workplace today is technology. Phones, tablets, laptops, messages, emails all have the capability to cause even the smallest disruption. More often than not when running meetings and workshops I have to remind people about these distractions. There are a couple of basic rules that I […]
The Project Sponsor What is a Project Sponsor? Simply put, a project sponsor is the clients representative on a project. As a project manager one of the many challenges we face is working with and seeking support from the project sponsor. The role of a project sponsor starts before the appointment of the project manager. […]
