You have a malfunction. Or your project ran into problems. Or your plant's production has fallen. There could be one main reason, or several reasons for the negative event. There could be a chain of events which was initiated by a root cause. How do you decipher the complex web of events which culminated in the negative outcome? You need a … [Read more...]
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...]
Change is the only constant thing in life. - Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher Human nature is such that, if you ask me to do something for you, you expect me to have a plan and, following your approval of that plan, to adhere to it. That's why project management involves the development of a project management plan, which includes the budget, schedule, stakeholder … [Read more...]
A baseline is defined as a time-based standard against which performance is measured. A project baseline is a time-based, progressive plan as opposed to one, single target value. Projects will often have a single, target value, but it is important to know if the project is in good health at any given intermediate project control point. The baseline … [Read more...]
Many projects have a long list of requirements, from product features to design standards to quality metrics. Each of these requirements originated from a stakeholder, manager, or company policy. To make matters difficult, the stakeholder often can't even articulate their requirements or how they would like it implemented into a solution, or company policies … [Read more...]
Project configuration management is the process of tracking and controlling changes to important project documents and products. This includes the project's deliverables as well as project management documents like the schedule. Anything that requires tracking through the project change control system is identified in the configuration management plan. These … [Read more...]
The project plan is like the flight plan filed by a pilot prior to embarking on a journey. It communicates how the project will attempt to reach its destination. The project plan is the strategy that will be used to produce the project's products, services, or results. It is written in sufficient detail to communicate to executives and stakeholders how the … [Read more...]
The first knowledge area within the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) is called Project Integration Management. Although most people forget about it after writing the PMP exam (because it is a unique knowledge area that underpins all of the other, more visible ones), this knowledge area is in fact the one most utilized on a day-to-day basis by … [Read more...]
The Theory of Constraints relates any complex system, such as a manufacturing plant, to a set of one or two constraints which fix the upper limit on its performance. It seeks to manage those constraints to maximize the performance of the plant. The Theory of Constraints was developed by Dr. Eli Goldratt and first published in his book The Goal in 1984. … [Read more...]
A value stream map is a tool used in lean manufacturing to identify and communicate the value-producing processes within a factory. Value stream maps utilize a standard set of industry recognized symbols to map out the plant's processes, from raw material to finished product. Value stream maps are used to improve the plant's processes, perform continuous … [Read more...]
