Project initiation is where it all begins—the moment a project takes shape, its purpose sharpens, and the foundation for planning is set. But it's significance is far more than administrative, rather, it forms the heartbeat of a project’s potential success. Beyond paperwork or procedural hoops, the project initiation phase builds the foundation for the future success … [Read more...]
Critical path analysis is a game-changer in project management, helping you pinpoint the exact tasks that dictate your project’s timeline. Picture this: you’ve got yoga class in two hours and groceries to buy—logic says shop first, right? That’s the essence of the critical path: a sequence of must-do tasks whereby a delay in one pushes the whole project back. Slip a … [Read more...]
How would you feel if your boss gave you a 23% raise? That's how much the Project Management Institute reports that certified project managers earn over and above non-certified ones. Job security also increased substantially over the 33,000 professionals surveyed in 37 countries. So how do you become a part of this club? I've been part of it for 14 years, and in … [Read more...]
Like many things in life, project management is an art form as well as a science. It's a delicate dance, a blend where intuition meets precision. While some may possess a natural flair for orchestrating chaos into order, the true mastery of this craft lies in understanding its scientific backbone. Fortunately, you don’t need to be a born artist to excel; a solid grasp … [Read more...]
Like the tiny O-rings that brought down the space shuttle Challenger, one small underestimation often results in a chain reaction that the project can't recover from. Poor estimation of activity durations is one of the leading causes of project failure. It’s the silent saboteur that turns promising plans into missed deadlines, strained budgets, and frazzled … [Read more...]
Every successful project, from building skyscrapers to launching software, hinges on a framework that keeps chaos at bay. That's where the PMBOK Guide's five process groups come in, a central foundation of project management theory. Although relegated to one of many project 'models' in the PMBOK version 7, they’re the backbone of project management, guiding teams from … [Read more...]
In the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) the process groups are the chronological phases that the project goes through, and the knowledge areas occur throughout any time during the process groups. The process groups are horizontal, and the knowledge areas are vertical. They are the core technical subject matter of the project management profession, and they … [Read more...]
The Project Initiation Document (PID) is the most important document in the PRINCE2 project management method. It defines the project scope and identifies how the project will achieve its objectives. It puts the project on a solid foundation, a baseline that provides a place from which the project manager and project board can assess progress. The PID is a … [Read more...]
Project managers have one of the most important jobs around. Projects usually make a one-time improvement to a business process, therefore the end products or services almost always represent an important focal point to the organization. In addition, projects are by definition unique and have little repetition to draw from, hence project managers have little choice but … [Read more...]
Project management certification can be a difficult field to navigate. You want to be recognized for your expertise and further your job prospects, but if you choose the wrong certification you could jeopardize those goals. You have to know which to choose before pursuing them. There are many variables to consider, including geography, popularity, cost, and … [Read more...]
