The Role of the Project Coordinator

Most project managers find that they when they complete the planning of a project they become inundated in the following execution phase. This is primarily because of the need for overall project coordination, routine schedule management, integrated change control, and project status tracking. In most cases, there is more work than can be accomplished by the project manager, even when working overtime. For this reason, many corporations are realizing the need for a project coordinator also called called a project expediter.

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Can You Hear Me?

Shout Who says the PMO is only responsible for communicating project status reports or headlines when projects are in trouble?  Did you ever consider the opportunities for an Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO) who coordinates and communicates business plan information across your organization?   How about informing staff on ALL business plan activities, so everyone has a solid understanding of what is important and how each staff member supports business plan success? (more…)

Project Management For Dummies Horror Story

Wow, I guess they’ve got a for dummies book on everything now.  Awesome.  There is also of course the 10 minute project manager book in case you find yourself dubbed project manager 10 minutes before the kick off meeting.  (more…)

PPM Software Selection - The Smart Way

portfolioI’ve spoken to countless Program Managers, VPs, and Directors involved in selecting PPM software. The vast majority of them have some key drivers in mind, but not much in the way of requirements. They know they have to prioritize projects, manage resources and/or judge ROI more effectively. But beyond that — well, it gets pretty murky.

Then they go out and talk to vendors who “help them refine” requirements, which is a nice way of saying “steer them toward buying the vendor’s stuff.” The end result is a hodgepodge of what is really important and some vendor-driven jargon. (more…)

Can Using PM Tools Come More Naturally?

Between my blog and my role at gantthead, I probably get two or three meeting requests a week from Project Management tool vendors. The general trends these days (or at least what they punch in demos) seem to be toward:

  • Software as a Service (making implementation easy and quick)
  • Portfolio Views and Back End Data Mining Capabilities
  • General “Ease of Use” and Simplicity (more…)

Critical Chain Benefits From Traditional PM

chain.jpgToday I was trying to think of ways to integrate some of the methods and benefits of Critical Chain project management into the traditional PM methodology most companies use. I wanted to pick out one element of CC that would potentially yield the most benefit without much, if any, additional overhead to the project manager. Perhaps this has been written of before, but I haven’t come across it. Most of the CC proponents I’ve come across have an all-or-nothing mentality, so they wouldn’t normally write about this kind of hybrid approach. Here’s what I came up with.
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The POO Code, Chapter Five

FiveThe applause was thundering as the magician completed his performance. Proman A. Jecgert had hired the magician to help celebrate the completion of what would come to be called Phase One. The party included all participants across the organization. The grove in the trees was a perfect setting, and the sun shone brightly. Proman smiled in satisfaction about his meeting with the magician before hand. They tailored the presentation to make it fun and memorable. (more…)

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