To manage projects effectively, they need to be divided into work packages. This allows you to focus on the smaller tasks at hand and how they relate to one another, which makes the whole project more manageable. It forms the basic building blocks for planning, controlling and measuring project performance. Estimating the project cost and completion dates depends on … [Read more...]
A few years ago I was part of a project which involved replacing a bridge over an irrigation canal. Because the canal authority shut off the water when winter set in and turned it back on in the spring, winter was a perfect time to build this bridge. We wrote penalties into the construction contract if the contractor held up the irrigation authority's ability to turn the … [Read more...]
I was once part of a project which went behind schedule and over budget. The project manager asked the project team, which included me, to come up with reasons why the project was late. Naturally the team produced several reasons, and a scope change request, along with a new budget was sent to the client. Everything sounded like it was back on track. This sequence of … [Read more...]
If I asked you how far behind your project was, could you tell me in quantitative terms? Most people know the basic status of various tasks: "Well, that report was a week behind and Johnny should've finished his analysis by yesterday." But that's not good enough. Project management standards dictate that the project manager knows how far behind (or ahead) the … [Read more...]
When I was a junior engineer I was part of a project where the project manager's communication skills were so bad, people were afraid to talk to him. If at all possible, you tried to deal with issues yourself, because if the corner office had to manage something the client wasn't likely to be pleased with the outcome. Do you know someone like that? Now, nobody can … [Read more...]
It is truly amazing how many roles a project manager plays. From leadership to salesperson to technical manager, it really does take a full gamut of skills to complete a project on time and under budget. Following is a list of key skills for project managers to possess: Project management fundamentals. The "science" of project management, including scheduling, … [Read more...]
I've been asked by people who see the project management practices we employ, like project management plans (i.e. risk matrices, scheduling, and so forth), and ask: What is the value of all this? It's a good question. Some of our competitors appear to complete projects flawlessly, with some technical experts in charge and a "go and do the work" mentality. Actually … [Read more...]
Have you ever stopped to brainstorm the risks to your projects? If you're like most technical professionals you just arrive at work in the morning, and start your project where you left off the previous day. You try to dot all the i's and cross all the t's, and then cross your fingers that unexpected things don't blindside you. Project management standards dictate … [Read more...]
If there's anything that can get a project manager's reputation into the toilet in a hurry, it's contractual issues with vendors. I've seen a few messy issues in my time, and I don't wish this on anyone. Fortunately there are things you can do on the front end to ensure it doesn't happen to you. Follow these 11 tips to ensure your projects stay out of contract … [Read more...]
Have you ever been involved in a project where unexpected issues outside of the control of the project team cause the project schedule to change? Never? I didn't think so, you're way too good for that. But for the rest of us mere mortals, keeping projects on track is an important consideration. Actually, I think larger projects are more likely to see schedule hiccups … [Read more...]
