A business case is the justification an organization uses for making a decision or undertaking an initiative. Its format can range anywhere from a formal report to an informal presentation or memo. Business cases are the foundation upon which all business is built. New capital projects, process improvement initiatives, growth strategies, and the like are all … [Read more...]
6 Process Improvement Methods that Stick
Human beings are naturally predisposed to resist change because of the risks it entails. Maybe the change will fail. Maybe it will reduce business or personal income. And maybe it will result in a loss of job security. We'd rather the devil we know, than the devil we don't. But process improvement is often an exciting step forward that makes an … [Read more...]
How to Perform Lean Project Management
Lean Project Management is the application of lean concepts to project management methodologies. Lean is a method used in the manufacturing industry which results in significant increases in product quality and production efficiency. Project management, on the other hand, seeks to produce one single product or service (or just a few) while satisfying stakeholders … [Read more...]
The 10 Primary Project Roles
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 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...]
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...]
Project Management Tools of the Trade
Carpenters have hammers, plumbers have wrenches, and programmers have computers. But does a project manager have any tools which help them perform their work better, quicker, or cheaper? Absolutely! In fact, if you don't use these tools you will be at a serious disadvantage to other project managers. And if you do, your career will see an order of … [Read more...]
The 3 Main Capital Budgeting Methods
How do large corporations make the decision to proceed with a project? What data or metrics do they consider prior to investing billions into a new plant, a new high rise condo, or major I.T. project? Capital budgeting refers to the financial modelling that evaluates the feasibility and compares potential project investments. At the end of the day, … [Read more...]
8 Functions of Project Management Information Systems
A Project Management Information System (PMIS) is one or more software tools used for a project's information storage and distribution. There are many types of PMIS, and equally diverse ways of applying these types of systems for optimal benefit to the organization. The components of a project management information system are: Scheduling Estimating … [Read more...]
The 4 Vital Parts of a Project Report
Writing a project report can seem like peering through the morning fog, into the unknown with no sense of direction. But there is a standard structure which, if followed, can pierce the veil and reveal the road to the destination. A project report has a 5 part structure: Executive Summary Introduction Main Body Statement of Problem Description of … [Read more...]