Project management

In all organizations, projects are a key means of building value, and planning activities to help the team di progetto becomes a critical step. CONTENT Project activities definition Project activities list Milestones The sequencing process of project activities Creating a Gantt Chart Network chart creation Critical path to planning activities Allocating resources Managing an organization … Continue reading "Planning activities to help your project team"

Measuring your project’s performance  doesn’t just mean meeting project budget and timelines.  In fact, other types of performance are also expected to be monitored and measured. This is intended to measure the ROI nd to determine if goals are being met. CONTENT Setting and measuring project objectives The 5 performances to measure in a project … Continue reading "Measure your project’s performance"

The precedence diagramming method of project activities is a visual representation technique that shows the interdependencies of activities and is used in the development of project planning. CONTENT What is the Precedence Diagamming Method (PDM)? How to build a precedence diagramming method (PDM) Relationship types in precedence diagramming method Dependency types in precedence diagramming method … Continue reading "The Precedence Diagramming Method in Project Activities"

A product backlog is a list of work priorities for the development team that is derived from the roadmap and requirements. Included within this document are new features, changes to existing ones, bug fixes, infrastructure changes, or other activities to achieve a specific outcome. The product backlog is the only authoritative source for the things … Continue reading "Product backlog"

Distinguishing between data returned by Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) (two project selection methods), when analyzing a project, is important because these methods can yield contradictory results. The resulting difference could be due to a difference in cash flow between the two projects. Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate … Continue reading "Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR): Project selection methods"

Decision making and its impact in problem solving is simply undeniable and is an intrinsic part of effective project management. CONTENT The importance of decision making in problem solving The 6 stages of the decision-making process The Decision Making Process: Defining and Identifying the Problem Clearly The Decision Making Process: Collecting Information The Decision Making … Continue reading "Decision making and its impact on problem solving"

Top-down and bottom-up stand for different approaches to different problems in project management. CONTENT Top-down project management Pros and cons of the top-down approach Bottom-up project management Pros and cons of the bottom-up approach Il New York Times: an actual example Deciding between top-down and bottom-up approaches: the hybrid method Using technology as a tool … Continue reading "Top-down and bottom-up – Different approaches for different problems in project management"

Theory of Constraints in Project Management is an approach that helps you to pinpoint the crucial limiting factor, usually referred to as a constraint or bottleneck, that gets in the way of achieving a goal. CONTENT Theory of Constraints Goal The five implementation steps Theory of Constraints in Project Management – Critical Chain Project Management … Continue reading "Theory of Constraints in Project Management"

As a project manager, possessing analytical skills for successful projects is the absolute core of required skills. Analytical thinking can help you explore complex problems, make decisions and find solutions. CONTENT What are analytical skills? The analytical thought process Why are analytical skills important? Analytical skills examples How to improve analytical skills So let’s take … Continue reading "Analytical skills for successful projects"

Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK ® Guide) is the ultimate guide to the business analysis art. Few analysts can really work without relying on it. The guide is described as “a globally recognized standard for the practice of business analysis,” written with the aim of defining the skills and knowledge that a seasoned professional … Continue reading "Business Analysis Body of Knowledge® (BABOK® Guide)"

A bottleneck is basically a situation where work is delayed. It can be a one-off event due to unforeseen circumstances, such as a team member who gets sick, or it can be events that happen on a regular basis due to poor planning or a lack of resources. CONTENT What is a bottleneck and what … Continue reading "Bottlenecks and project delays"

Corrective and preventive actions are processes used to identify, record, and address defects, deficiencies, and nonconformities. CONTENT What is the CAPA? What does corrective action mean? Corrective Process Steps What is preventive action? Popular – yet wrong – ideas about CAPA These are also called “CAPA” (“Corrective Actions Preventive Actions”) and constitute an organization’s immune … Continue reading "Preventive and corrective actions in project quality"

Strategic thinking and its importance is what elevates a project manager to the next level. Project managers are definitely accountable for a project’s timely delivery, but it’s their skill in crafting a strategy that makes the difference. CONTENT Strategic thinking and how to strengthen it in the business scenario Shifting from tactical to strategic project … Continue reading "Strategic thinking and its relevance for a successful project manager"

Organizational transformation within a company is typically undertaken because it is believed that the transition will enable a firm to work at a higher level. The aim is to become more efficient, productive, in short, to transform the company into innovative and more profitable. CONTENT What is organizational change? Why does a company change? Tips … Continue reading "Company organizational change: change management process and project manager’s role"

How do direct and indirect costs impact projects? This is the good question a fellow reader asked us and we would like to answer it in this article. Cost classification is an important concept in budgeting, accounting and project management (you may find this article about project management tools). CONTENT What are direct costs? Definition … Continue reading "Direct and indirect costs impact in projects"