Blog
What’s difference between project management and change management?
Change management and project management are often thought to be the same thing. They aren’t. Here’s how they differ. Project management involves the use of people, processes and methodologies to plan, initiate, execute, monitor and close activities. It is designed to meet an organization's project goals, and hopefully overall strategic objectives. View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
How to choose the right project management methodology
Choosing the right project management methodology for the job is essential. Our guide to evaluating project management methodologies will ensure you pick the perfect fit for your next project. Choosing the right project management methodology for your team is the first step to success. View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on Source link
Are you ready for remote project management?
The need for remote project management is a reality for most businesses today. But how ready is your business for the move? Here are some things to help evaluate preparedness.Managing projects is a demanding job, and it's more seem challenging when you add in the fact that you're doing it remotely. But it doesn't have to be. After identifying all the possible barriers to remote project management, as well as some of the possible solutions, [...]
How to choose the right project management tools
With all the project management and collaboration tools available today, it's important for companies to carefully evaluate which ones will best meet their needs today and in the future.The right tool for the right job goes the old adage, but knowing exactly what criteria you should consider and how to go about evaluating each of the project management (PM) tools at your disposal can be time-consuming and even frustrating. So we've taken some of the [...]
5 secrets to creating the best project management resume
Each year countless resumes are quickly reviewed and filed away. Don't let yours be one of them. Here are five tips that will help your project management resume stand out and land you that interview you want.Your resume is an extension of you professionally, and to some extent personally, and because you only have one chance to create that best first impression on paper, make sure it counts in a big way. Before you actually [...]
How a project manager can smooth interdepartmental conflict
Interdepartmental conflict has always been an issue for businesses. However, project managers are uniquely positioned to help smooth conflict as it arises, but all conflicts are not created equal.The causes of interdepartmental conflict are numerous, but how much can a PM do to resolve the issues? Let's take a look at some of the more common conflicts today's project managers might be forced to deal with and what, if any, actions they can take to [...]
What it takes to be a great project manager
Project management certifications and training, in general, focus heavily on technical knowledge and project phases, but there's still so much more to being a successful leader. Do you have the necessary soft skills to be a top project leader? Here, Moira Alexander shares what decades of experience have taught her.Many challenges confront today's project managers -- new technologies, remote workforces and a global market to name a few. To take a project from inception to [...]
What is the Program Management Improvement and Accountability Act?
We all know there is a lot of waste in government. Well some politicians are trying to do something about it by enacting the Program Management Improvement and Accountability Act.PMI's Pulse of the Profession report shows "only 64 percent of government strategic initiatives ever meet their goals and business intent -- and that government entities waste $101 million for every $1 billion spent on project and programs." View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published on [...]
9 ways company politics can thwart your projects
Politics is an unfortunate reality in many workplaces, but there are steps you can take to reduce the pervasiveness and impact to projects. Workplace politics are ultimately types of behaviors or actions injected into business situations that can complicate, impede, or derail progress altogether. Politics and its impact are often underestimated until it's too late. However you can mitigate the risk and the first step is to identify the type and level of [...]
The best project management software for small business: 7 affordable tools
There’s no shortage of project management solutions for mid-size and large businesses. Small businesses, though, have limited budgets and simply can't afford high-priced project management software. Here are seven affordable options. The time has never been better for small businesses to access well-tested, feature-rich, affordable project management product previously offered only to larger companies. Here are just some of web-based options that a startup can license to manage its activities right out of [...]
Scrum vs. Lean vs. Kanban: Comparing agile project management frameworks
Agile frameworks like Scrum, Lean or Kanban are widely used across many industries. Each has its own focus, features, process, benefits and drawbacks. Here's how to decide which framework work best for your next project. Agile is an increasingly popular methodology choice for project management. It was initially developed for projects that require significant flexibility and speed, breaking down delivery cycles into short, iterative bursts, known as “sprints.” View Moira Alexander’s article as [...]
How to use data analytics to improve project outcomes
Worldwide revenues for big data and business analytics is expected to grow to more than $187 billion by 2019 and the project management industry is projected to hit $5.81 trillion by 2020. Here is how some organizations are leveraging data analytics to improve their project performance. Ted Friedman, vice president and analyst at Gartner, predicts the following four trends will drive fundamental changes in the use of data and analytics: View Moira Alexander’s [...]
Why SMBs need to get project management right from the start
Project management products aren't just for big business. With increasing competition and the always-changing digital landscape, it's important for small businesses to take the grunt work out of critical business processes. IDC's Top 10 Predictions for Worldwide SMB, 2017-2020 study reports that "what has been the relatively fragmented and improvisational nature of SMB IT spending will begin to echo the coordinated and managed approaches seen among larger firms." That said, if small and [...]
Free project management courses: Improve your skills with these PM training courses
Project management is a rapidly expanding field that offers potential for a career leading and managing projects, but it's not easy or affordable to gain the knowledge you need. To help set you on your project management journey, here is a guide to free project management courses and training options.Note: This article will be updated regularly as more online project management courses become available. Located here are free online courses available for project managers in [...]
How to connect business strategy with project management
Making the connection between your business strategy and project management isn't easy, but it is necessary if projects are going to serve a purpose and meet inherent business needs. Here are some things you can do to make the connection. To align business goals with project management (PM), leaders from the enterprise project management office (EMPO) or project management office (PMO) need to be involved in strategic planning sessions alongside senior-level management. View [...]
Project management software: 6 free and feature-filled open source tools
You don't have to shell out for expensive project management software, these free and open-source solutions that just might fit your business needs.Whether you own a small business or you’re just starting one, every dollar counts; finding free software to help you manage, communicate, collaborate and keep projects progressing smoothly isn't easy. At CIO we've taken some of the guesswork out of it with this list of 6 (alphabetically sorted) open-source project management tools that [...]
The 7 best project management mobile apps
For teams on the go, there’s nothing like a top-notch project management tool to keep everyone productive. If your company is in the market for a mobile project management solution, these are your top contenders. Project managers’ impressive capabilities can be significantly bolstered with top-notch project management tools. Within today’s realm of project management responsibilities and demands, mobility is no longer a “nice-to-have” option — it’s a necessity. View Moira Alexander’s article as it’s published [...]
6 traits of highly effective project managers
To be a truly great project manager, you must be a strategic business partner fully vested in organizational success — and be able to roll with inevitable setbacks. Here’s how to stand out from the crowd.Every project manager knows to execute projects on time and on budget. And good project managers also take pains to consistently meet project requirements. But truly great project leaders go above and beyond. Not only do they execute projects within [...]
Project management: 5 tips for managing your project budget
Budget overruns are a project manager’s nightmare. These budget management strategies will keep your project budget under control — and your stakeholders happyBudget overruns are a litmus test for project success or failure. Few companies have an unlimited budget, so the first thing project stakeholders look to in determining whether their project was a great success or a colossal failure is the bottom line. This fact fuels the pressure project leaders and their teams face [...]
7 goals every project manager should aspire to achieve
Project managers must look beyond requirements, budgets and timelines to ensure they are executing high-impact, high-visibility projects with a direct line to the organization’s overall strategic goals. Here’s how to be recognized by executives and stakeholders as an indispensable strategic partner. You may think the chief responsibility of a project manager is to deliver projects on time and on budget, but you’d be wrong. As a high-level strategic body, project management professionals first and foremost [...]