Category: Blog

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Manuscript from Fog Creek Software

I wanted to do a comparison on Project Management Software and reached out to Fog Creek software first.  They use to have an evidence based scheduling tool that was a neat feature in a product called Fogbugz.  The way that tools works is to analyse past estimates vs actuals (evidence) to guess how a particular developer should really be estimating.  They’ve now moved this evidence based scheduling into a product called Manuscript.

I signed up for the demo and was sent a followup email from the company (Will) asking how I was making out.  To my surprise I was impressed that Will interacted with me on a few emails and was willing to share a demo he just recorded which I’m pasting into the post.  Kind of nice to get some human interaction these days!

They have a good Kanban view option and I like the ease of the tool.  Check out this 11 minute video provided by Will!

I’ll be sure to add to this post in the future – but wanted to pass this along 🙂

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PMP Certification – Steps to obtaining the PMP® certifications

PMP® Certification is becoming a popular route for professionals who want to demonstrate their management and organizational skills.  It is becoming a very popular entry point for the PMI certification tracks.

Steps to obtaining the PMP® certifications

  1. Review the requirements to take the test
  2. Join a local study group
  3. Register to take the test
  4. Take the test

Where can I find qualification information on the certifications

You can find information on the Prerequisites here:

Check to see if you qualify to take the test.  If you do not have enough direct work experience you may consider taking the CAPM certification.

Local study groups

Look up your local chapters and see if you can get added to their mailing list.  These chapters are full of people who will help you get started and often can direct you to the study groups often happening in your home city.  Those chapters also put in great lunch and learns to help you keep your training up to retain your certification.

Favorite materials to ensure you add to your study curriculum

When I studied for my test I was given the PMBOK as well as a few study guides.  I remember a difference maker being Rita Mulcahy’s book.  I’ve never met Rita but if I did I’d thank her for the guide that helped me learn the concepts in a really clear way.  Just a little tid-bit of info for you 🙂

Where does one take the test?

You will want to check the page on the PMP Certification as at this time the CAMP certification course can be taken online.  I did not see this on the PMP site but I bet it would be coming soon.

I personally took the test at a local testing site about 2.5 hours away from my home base.  You can see a list of testing centers hopefully near you.:

Alternatives to the PMP® Certification

As of the time this article was written: PMI offers 8 certification tracks.

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How to Optimize for Successful Methodology Roll-out

Methodologies

When it comes to project management methodologies, every company is implementing a new methodology or trying to salvage an existing, imperfect implementation. A poorly executed project management methodology roll-out causes confusion, erodes morale, and puts your project at risk.  Companies big and small cling to Agile, Waterfall, TOGAF, or a mashup of multiple approaches.  Some verticals are now being mandated to follow industry standards.  With so much at stake, it is critical that an organization optimize for success, but organizations are complex systems so that can be harder than it sounds.

 

A poorly executed roll-out of a new project management methodology causes confusion,

erodes morale, and puts your project at risk.

 

Discussions about embracing a particular methodology often happen at such an academic level it leaves a massive gap between idea and execution.  The people who have chosen the methodology need to connect the dots for the broader organization and clearly communicate how to use it.

Continue reading “How to Optimize for Successful Methodology Roll-out”

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Properly Timing Resources Coming on or off the Project

Projects can die in the starting blocks for a very solvable issue of overly cautious resource management.  Adding project resource timing is a crucial success criteria.  I’ve seen projects fail to start because the resources are not secured quickly enough.  I see this more with cautious resource procurement processes that are trying to get one type of resource and when secured, they go after the next one in the list.  The problem is that often a request takes 3 weeks+ from start to finish and the first resource may not be available when the last one is finally confirmed.  The process continues to look for the first resource again. Continue reading “Properly Timing Resources Coming on or off the Project”

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Risk Management: 5 Easy Steps

Most businesses, if not all, talk about risks. But are they actually managing them?  We will discuss 5 easy steps to execute risk management.

I’ve heard people say things like “if we do that, then there a risk that…”, “what are the risks involved?”, “we don’t want to take that risk”.

But how many of these risks are properly identified, planned, and actively managed? Continue reading “Risk Management: 5 Easy Steps”

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The Paradox of Creating a Plan for Managing Change

Change Management Plan Article written by guest blogger – Carl Gosselin

Planning for organizational change is always simpler than implementing the change. The planning process is usually linear; one activity in planned prior to other activities and so on. Although an attempt is made during implementation to follow these steps, what actually occurs in anything but linear. Continue reading “The Paradox of Creating a Plan for Managing Change”

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Project Management Software | Clarity and Open Workbench

I’ve noticed several enterprise organizations working with Clarity and Open Workbench lately.  Enterprises are looking outside the traditional MS Project Tool set for their project management software.

Clarity is an enterprise back-end solution that is well-suited to run portfolios of projects. It seems to hold every slice of enterprise project data you could ever imagine. The reporting is robust; however, there is a learning curve to access the data. It takes some time to master the movements and to understand how each piece of data relates to the other in the Clarity UI. You will have several “Aha” moments along the learning path as you understand how it is all interconnected. Continue reading “Project Management Software | Clarity and Open Workbench”

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Focus Helps Project Management

You have to concentrate to focus … you have to work at ignoring distractions.

Wikipedia defines Focus: selectively concentrating on one aspect of the environment while ignoring other things.

Today’s large organizations often are open concept cube farms.  There has always been a lot of things in this type of environment to distract you or break your concentration and this is getting more pervasive in today’s connected state. With facebook, twitter, personal e-mail, IM (corporate and outside), drop-ins, online banking, loading Tim cards via smart phones, people walking by etc… it is hard to FOCUS.  But it is not just your typical outside distractions.  I find corporate processes heavy in templates and corresponding data mappings can slow down the works and create a mesh in itself that is tiring to wade through. Continue reading “Focus Helps Project Management”

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Character Leadership requires Character Deposits

Why is it that some people are given a green light of immediate trust on topics while others struggle to get buy-in on their ideas?  Character Leadership is present or is lacking and becomes apparent when the crew needs to follow the leader.

I’ve come to believe that if someone thinks you have a strong character then they will accept your ideas faster.  Likability plays some part in this however I know like-able people who could not sell an idea or approach to a group.  I believe someone with a high character score will bring experience from their past learning and consideration for all involved to a discussion. Continue reading “Character Leadership requires Character Deposits”