Every project has distinct roles that must be fulfilled in order to function properly and provide the products or services it was intended to provide. As a minimum, it needs a project manager and a project team who does the work, although those roles could be fulfilled by the same person. It also needs a connection to the larger corporate body who ensures funding … [Read more...]
The 4 Types of Project Organizational Structure
A common way to differentiate between business organizational structures is between ongoing operational work versus capital projects. Operational work maintains an existing sales channel, whereas projects are one-time, unique expenditures with a defined budget, beginning and end dates, and they accomplish a specific goal. There are four types of organizational … [Read more...]
The Benefits of Virtual Teams
Virtual teams are groups of people with a shared goal who fulfill their roles with little or no time spent meeting face to face. In recent years the availability of communication technology such as email, audio conferencing, social media, web-based media, and video conferencing has made virtual teams feasible for many projects in places where it wasn't … [Read more...]
The 8 Critical Elements of Project Team Management
Project team management is the process of tracking team member performance, providing feedback, resolving issues, and managing project resources to optimize project performance. It is one of the central cogs in the wheel of project management, and also one of the most difficult. No wonder why many books have been written about it from many perspectives. But … [Read more...]
The Role of the Project Team
In project management, the project team is the component of the project organizational chart that carries out the project's technical work. The project team reports to the project manager. For small projects, the project team and the project manager can be the same person. But this does not invalidate the presence of the separate roles. The main project … [Read more...]
How to Maximize Resource Utilization
Resource utilization is a metric that measures the uptime of a project resource. It is one of the most important business metrics for service companies such as engineering, software, or consulting firms. Even non-service companies can benefit from the calculation and tracking of the utilization rate. It is a very simple metric that speaks volumes of … [Read more...]
How to Use a RACI Chart to Simplify Responsibilities
A RACI Chart (pronounced "racy") is a visual representation of the responsibilities of a project. RACI stands for Responsible - Accountable - Consulted - Informed. It is an excellent way to communicate what the responsibilities of each member of the project team are. In a RACI chart, each project task is assigned to each project member within the project … [Read more...]
The 6 Steps of Resource Allocation
Resource allocation is the process of assigning and scheduling resources to project tasks. Resources are the life blood of project management. Resources are used to carry out the project, and are returned to their owners if not consumed by the project. There are 6 steps to performing a proper resource allocation: Divide the Project into Tasks Assign the … [Read more...]
The 4 Steps of Resource Planning
Like a carpenter without a hammer. Like programmer without a computer. Like a speaker without a microphone. Resource planning is an indispensable component of project management. In fact, it's so important that the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) dedicates a full knowledge area to resource management. In order to effectively manage … [Read more...]
The Steps to Strong Decision Making
The art of making a decision is a daily occurrence for most people, both at home and at work. We've all experienced projects where the best path forward is unclear, or there is no option without a major negative side effect. What does the science say about decision making that could help us? Decision making is the process of choosing a course of action from … [Read more...]