Project management

A Work Breakdown Structure, abbreviated with WBS, is a visual tool for the definition and tracking of a project deliverable and all the small components necessary to create it. With a Work Breakdown Structure, the project manager can concentrate on what he has to accomplish as he approaches the project deadline. This is a fundamental … Continue reading "Work Breakdown Structure: some suggestions for using it to the best"

Total Quality Management is an extended and structured organizational management approach. It focuses on continuous improvement of the products and services quality using continuous feedback. The exact origin of the term Total Quality Management is not certain. What is certain is that it was certainly inspired by the works of Armand V. Feigenbaum and Kaoru … Continue reading "Total quality management: plan the quality management of a project"

Brainstorming, a technique apparently so far, but so useful for a Project Manager. In the life of a project manager, in fact, creative thinking is required every day to solve problems. Steve Jobs himself underlined it with the phrase: “Creativity is nothing more than connecting things” In fact, many job descriptions for project managers specify … Continue reading "Brainstorming and Project management: creativity at the service of a project’s success"

The GTD (Getting Things Done) method is a system that allows to efficiently organize one´s activities in relation to time, thus remaining productive. It may seem complicated from an external point of view, but the ultimate goal is to optimize the time to devote to the activities that need to be done, in order to … Continue reading "The Getting Things Done method: 5 important steps for managing time"

Program managers and project managers, two roles with similar titles will not be so different, right? Wrong! It is easy to get confused for the assonance, but above all because in some companies the Project Manager carries out tasks and activities that are very similar to those of the Program Manager. In reality, the Program … Continue reading "Differences between Program manager and Project manager: the two roles compared"

Today, the resistance to change in the company is a very important, and the same time delicate, subject. In fact, in business, it is assumed that – big or small – organizations must change to remain competitive and survive in an ever-changing market. However, facing this (big) change leads to face resistance barriers. There are … Continue reading "Corporate change: the 8 reasons that cause difficulties and resistance"

A clear and detailed project documentation is essential for the success of the project itself. Every good project manager knows it well! In fact, it is necessary to be constantly updated to stay on track with the project. However, project documentation drafting can be a difficult and unloved task. For some organizations and projects there … Continue reading "Project documents: best practices to manage them better"

Being able to organize the work time of your team is essential for the success of each project. This is also because a project manager does not always have all the necessary resources to complete the project. And even in the case when the resources are sufficient, during the execution of the project there are … Continue reading "Organize team work time: leveling or smoothing resources?"

In project management, the Earned Value method is one of the most appreciated and well-known project management tools. It is a project management technique that allows to measure performance and progress. It combines the measures of the project management triangle: scope, time and costs. CONTENT INDEX What is the Earned Value Method? The requirement for … Continue reading "The Earned Value Method: What is it and how to use it"

The idea of  how to manage remote working team until just 20 years ago was pure madness. Internet has changed the history, and companies are adapting to it. In the ever-changing and rapidly developing modern world, it is almost impossible to imagine something stable and stationary. CONTENT INDEX Choose the right members for the team Communication … Continue reading "How to manage remote working teams"

With lessons learned, we talk about learning from the mistakes, and not only, of the past. We could apply infinite proverbs to this statement, but we want to recall only one: “Errare humanum est, perseverare autem diabolicum” CONTENT INDEX Lesson Learned: the study of Axelos PPM Benchmark How does the process of lessons learned work … Continue reading "Lesson learned. Use the “lessons learned” to reduce the chances of failure of a project"

Project handover can be very simple or extremely complicated. It all depends on the organization of the Project Manager. Projects can be short and can last up a few days or can be complex projects with a lifecycle that can even reach several years. It is precisely for the duration of some projects that some … Continue reading "Project handover: how to manage it"

A project lifecycle often involves many meetings with different purposes. One of these meetings is the so-called kick off meeting or preliminary project meeting. This meeting is an important communication tool between project manager, team and stakeholders. If organized and properly executed, a preliminary meeting can help the project manager in order to handle the … Continue reading "The kick off meeting: how to set up a project start meeting and get the best results"

A project manager has to deal with customer expectations, project deadlines and evolving priorities, all of this while trying to coordinate and manage the team and respond to stakeholder demands. Let’s face it, it is a demanding job that takes time and effort to manage all the parts and sometimes hours are never enough! Project … Continue reading "Project workload: how to plan it to the best"

Stakeholder management in a project can be vital for the very survival of the project. Therefore, including everyone who is interested in the project, as well as all those that can influence the project, is a fundamental step for an optimal start. CONTENT INDEX Stakeholders identification How should a project stakeholder be managed? The advantages … Continue reading "How to manage project stakeholders"