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In order to complete any project on budget and on time there are some quite simple steps to follow. But problems regularly arise because the person in charge of the project either doesn’t follow these steps or doesn’t know the basics of good project management.
It might sound obvious, but it’s surprising how many projects start without a written definition of exactly what is required. Like the old cartoon drawing in which a child dreamed of a simple tyre swing hanging from a tree but ended up with a complicated play frame. The play frame was great but it wasn’t what the child wanted.
So it’s useful to remember that a project failure is not simply one that overruns on time or budget but also one that doesn’t deliver the basic needs of the customer, even if it is on time and on budget.
So here is an outline of some of the key steps to planning and managing a successful project:
REQUIREMENTS
Firstly make sure the requirements are written down – clearly and in detail – and everyone involved understands the requirements. Also the interested parties must understand what is NOT included. To ensure this is the case you need to root out any assumptions that are being made, which is not as easy as it sounds as assumptions, by their very nature, are not always well-communicated.
COMMUNICATION
Communicating in detail and on a regular basis, is one of the key steps to project success. It is always tempting to communicate via email, which is very useful and effective for written detail, but verbal communication on the phone or face-to-face, if possible, is always necessary from time-to-time to maintain trust, detect potential problems and clarify details. It is often through these conversations that assumptions are mentioned and this gives the project manager the opportunity to clarify requirements and manage the customer’s expectations, if necessary.
ASSIGNMENTS
Once the scope of the project has been clearly defined, written down and communicated to the interested parties, then each piece of work needs to be assigned to the appropriate person or team. Whenever possible avoid single tasks that involve individuals with different skills having to co-operate. Break the work down into smaller, more distinct parts. It is far too easy for people to avoid taking responsibility in such a situation and if anything goes wrong much easier to try to blame someone else.
Ensure each task has a single individual clearly responsible for its success, even if a whole team is working on the task. This can be presented as a positive requirement in that the individual will receive the praise and appreciation for work well done. There is, of course, also a clear liability for failure to succeed. Although it is important to discourage a blame culture as that will certainly doom the project from the start.
COMMITMENT
Clearly defining and assigning tasks to a single individual (or team of individuals with a common purpose and skill set) will ensure commitment to the project. Ensuring individuals are committed to their tasks is a major factor in the quality of the work and hence the success of a project.
Agreement on the work required and the time and people needed to complete it, with realistic deadlines and expectations, will ensure commitment is maintained and the project is delivered successfully.
FLEXIBILITY
It would be unrealistic to expect that once the project plan has been clearly defined and tasks assigned and individuals committed to the work that everything will then be plain sailing to a successful conclusion.
Rather, it is highly likely that requirements will change as the project progresses. This is almost inevitable because as various stages are completed and can be seen or used, it is often only then that the full requirement can be visualised. This is because many people cannot think in the abstract and it means that changes to requirements have to be planned into the original project plan right at the start. This is one of the basics of good project management and planning. There can either be a specific task and time allocated for requirements change, or it must be allowed for within the contingency for time and budget.
DEPENDENCIES
A dependency is simply a piece of work that relies on another piece of work in order to be completed successfully; and details of how specifically a task relies on another task. This is particularly important to understand when the deadline of one task impacts the start of a dependent task. Failure of a single task to meet a deadline can then have a knock-on effect causing other tasks to fail to deliver on time.
One reason why dependencies are not clearly identified at the start of the project is often a failure to root out all assumptions, as mentioned earlier. Dealing with assumptions will assist an understanding of the dependencies, and ensure everyone concerned can meet their commitments.
RISKS
Things are bound to go wrong during the project. If you can identify the potential risks in advance then you may be able to avoid them, or at least have a contingency plan ready. Although a project team will, and should, discuss potential risks at the beginning of the project and how they might be overcome, it is impossible to predict every risk. But by simply being aware that there will be unexpected problems makes dealing with them easier.
So these are 7 areas of a well planned project that show why you should bother to plan a project. And if you are in doubt over your abilities to plan and manage a project successfully, then there are a range of training courses available so there’s no excuse for your project to fail.
We are in the last quarter of 2010, and it is a good time to look the at the Project Management trends in 2011. During the fourth quarter of every year organizations conduct surveys to predict the future of next year. In that series, PricewaterhouseCoopers had in-depth interviews with leading executives and wanted leaders to predict the business trends. Likewise, Gartner group and Society for Information Management have conducted few surveys to identify top priorities of business leaders recently. If we look at the survey results and in-depth interviews, we can see the following two important trends which can be a major challenge for project managers in 2011.
Continue to see the trend to use latest Technologies: Gartner Worldwide Survey conducted early this year showed that the focus for year 2010 was to use technologies such as Virtualization, Cloud computing, Web 2.0 and Business Intelligence. Most likely we won’t see a major shift in year 2011 because these new technologies can be implemented quickly without huge upfront expenses and that is what the business needs in next year.
Continue to face challenges of resource shortfall: Management must provide sufficient resources including workforce, time and money to complete a project successfully. But most likely during the next year you might have limited staff, time and money, and will be asked to complete projects on time under budget. This would be a great challenge most of the project managers would face in 2011.
OK Now we know the two very important trends in 2011. How do we tackle the challenges? I would suggest that apart from what ever you do today to manage your projects, you need to perform the following to successfully manage projects in 2011.
Learn new technologies: You and your team need to know the concepts behind cloud computing, virtualization and even more about web 2.0. For example, let’s say if you were asked to manage a project in Cloud computing environment, you and your team should know what cloud computing is, why is it different from mainframe and client-server model and how the concepts work etc. Hence spending some time to learn these technologies would be helpful in the forthcoming year.
Learn Quality Management principles: Wherever possible, improve the skills you possess. You need to brush up your knowledge in process improvement techniques and implement a suitable process to improve your skills. Demonstrating effective ways to produce product and services would help your company reduce cost and improve customer satisfaction. Besides it would help you attain self-satisfaction which would help you move up on the career ladder.
Improve your workforce management skills: In today business, many project teams have geographically dispersed members. Hence, learn your team members’ culture, and ensure that your rewards are equal and fair regardless of their work location. Workforce management skill is all about assigning the right employees with the right skills to the right job at the right time. Improvement in this area would help you manage your resources well.
Plan for more attrition if you manage projects in countries like India: Attrition is a major issue if you run projects in countries like India as demands for more man power are rising. Developing backup plans and proper Knowledge transfer plans can help you in this regard.
I’m sure 2011 will be an exciting year for the project management community and I wish them all the best. I’m wishing you advance happy New Year
Are you successful in your business? Do you get out of it exactly what you had wishes for? Or are you like 97% of the people, struggling to make a success with your business? If so, maybe you are missing one or more of these success laws, which also applies to different areas of your life.
1. Your actions will be rules by many things like passion, appetite, love, greed, fear. Environment, prejudice and habits. Habits is the most controlling one of the list. Og Mandino writes in his book, “The Greatest Salesman In The World”, that the only difference between those who have failed and those who have succeeded lies in the difference of their habits.
There is only one way to get rid of bad habits; you must replace it with a good habit. As humans, we are creatures of habits. That being said, develop habits that bring you closer to your goals instead of those that push you away from them. Ask yourself all the time if what you are doing will take you closer to your goal or closer to failure.
2. You must open your heart to love. No , I am not trying to be the romantic here. But this is the greatest secret to success, Love is a choice. You can hate the sun for being too hot, or you can love it for the light it brings to our lives, the energy to the living. You choose to fight with people that criticize you instead of using that criticism in a peaceful manner and build on it. With loving acts, you are more free to think clearly, to create good habits, to concentrate on your goals. Without that love within yourself, you lack that concentration, you think more of what is bothering you, and further move away from your goals and create bad habits. Most importantly, love yourself. You must live with yourself the rest of your life, make the best of it and make decisions you are sure you can live with.
3. You must stay persistent. We all heard of Alexander Graham Bell’s attempts when discovering the telephone technology. There have been more failures than success. As long as he learned from those failures, and learned to form them into lessons. The telephone system has given us so much in today’s world because of his failures at first. The same in business, learn from your mistakes and you will be a step closer to your goals. All goals bring you up to your success.
The problem most of the time is that the path is so cloudy that we don’t see how far that ladder extends. If you give up at step number 91 and the end of that path is at step 100, you just wasted precious time you will never get back and walk away from you success. As Og Mandino says: “Success often lies just a few short steps beyond the point where we decide to quit.” Be persistent and with your goal reaching habits, you will be in the right direction. “Success will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough”~~ Og Mandino
4. Remember you are nature’s greatest miracle. There is not one creature on earth that has the power to think, talk, have emotions, feel the way a human can. And even within our own species, you are unique. There has never been or ever will be anyone with your same DNA. We are unique and must capitalize on that uniqueness to offer others more. The more you can offer to others that can’t do it themselves, the better your success.
5. Don’t procrastinate. Live as if today was your last chance. You can never get back the time you wasted. But you do have the chance to make great things with the time you presently have available to you. If today was your last chance to increase your business for your future, what would you do? The same should be applied to different areas of your life. If today was your last day on earth, how would you treat your family? What would you do with your time? Treat today as if it were your last chance in business, your last day with your family and you will have a successful life with no regrets.
Grease stains, oil spills, and other challenging deposits are commonly found on the exterior surfaces of a gas station. After all, this is where people to go fill up their tank, check their car’s oil level, and a host of other tasks that can lead to the deposition of residues on the ground, gas fixtures, and other parts of a gas station. Keeping these areas clean is important in order to provide a welcoming environment customers. This is particularly essential in the face of today’s high gas prices that may deter customers. But, how can gas station attendants keep their facilities clean in the face of 24-hour use? The answer is high pressure washers.
Tri-Temperature Pressure Washers for Maximum Versatility
Not all applications in gas station maintenance are created equal. Regularly removing dirt and other deposits left by the elements is certainly one of the challenges in gas station maintenance, in addition to demanding task of removing grease and other oily deposits. To remove dirt, dust, and grime on a regular basis from gas station fixtures, building exteriors, and concrete surfaces a cold water or hot water pressure washer may suffice.
For more challenging applications, like grease and graffiti removal, the power of wet steam is required. High pressure washers that emit wet steam can reach maximum temperature levels of 330°F to readily dissolve the most stubborn greasy, oily residues. Pairing this with high pressure levels enables operators to readily blast away and completely remove engine grease, spilled gasoline, oil, and other deposits from virtually all surfaces.
These two separate applications can present a problem when choosing the right pressure washer for gas station maintenance. Do you purchase a cold water/hot water pressure washer and save on the price or do you go for the highly-powerful wet steam pressure cleaner? The answer is simple. Buy one high pressure washer that allows you to tackle all applications with the right level of power – a tri-mode system.
What are Tri-Mode Industrial Pressure Washers?
Commercial and industrial pressure washers with tri-temperature functionality enable use of cold water, hot water, or wet steam output as desired by the user for the application at hand. As such, operators can use the wet steam mode of these hot pressure washers to tackle the most challenging grease stains, while they may opt for cold water when managing dirt.
The benefits of tri-temperature high pressure washers are immense. First and foremost, by utilizing the right temperature level for the application at hand, gas station maintenance workers ensure safety for themselves and for their customers. After all, high wet steam temperatures can be dangerous if not used properly. Gas station workers can eliminate dirt and other deposits during the busier hours of the day with the cold water or hot water mode of the hot pressure washers. When gas stations are less busy, operators can utilize the highly powerful wet steam mode of these commercial pressure washers for maximum cleaning power.
To find the best industrial and commercial pressure washers for your gas station, conduct proper research. Look for reputable online suppliers offering extended warranties, high quality construction, powder coated exteriors, dual layer pressure hoses, and a range of different options to meet your specific needs. By following these guidelines, you can be sure to find the best high pressure washers for your gas station.
The Importance of a Great Logo For Your Business
Logos are an integral part of any successful company. In order for your business to become noticed, you must have a strong image that represents who you are and what services you provide.
First, think about how you are going to use your logo to positively promote your company. It is imperative that you decide where you want to use your logo before you design it. For example, you must be sure your image is versatile if you plan on using it on printed materials as well as on the web.
In order for your company logo to benefit you it must be produced by a talented designer. This will make all the difference when you have your finished product. You want to make sure your logo reflects your company’s overall style and tells customers who you are and what you do.
Why are logos so important? Because they show consumers that your business is genuine and portrays a professional, organized attitude towards your overall branding efforts. By displaying a professional, creative logo, you show customers that you are committed to quality.
When it comes to branding your company, there are many ways to accomplish this. One great way is through producing printed materials with your logo on them. Printed materials can vary from letterhead to envelopes, brochures to postcards. There are so many great printing companies out there, but it is important to find the one that is willing to work with you on creating your logo and constructing your brand.
Like a catchy jingle, you want to make your logo as memorable as possible. The key to making it stick is by using it over and over again. This brings us back to printed materials. Besides using the internet or television to advertise your logo, the majority of your opportunities are going to come from placing it on quality printed products. The more you can use your logo, the better.
Click here to find out all of the fun and unique ways you can incorporate your logo into everything that has to do with your business!
A project management expert, Mr. Nathaniel Adegoke, has said the way and manner governments, corporate organisations and individuals deploy project management strategies remain key determinant in Nigeria’s attainment of the Vision 20:2020 goals.
He also faulted President Goodluck Jonathan in his plan to engage expatriate project managers to assist with the monitoring and implementation of infrastructural projects to be executed by the Federal Government under the 2011 budget.
Adegoke who is Managing Partner of People Project Limited (PPL), a project management consultant and training outfit advised Nigerians to take more than a passing interest in project management and implementation.
He warned that the success of Federal Government’s Vision 20:2020 goals depends largely on the process.
” Nigeria has Vision 20: 2020. We want to rank among the biggest economies come 2020, we are left with 9 years to achieve that mile stone and for us to get that done it will be through structured project management. We cannot keep doing things as we used to and expect positive results. “We are saying that even for strategic direction of vision 20: 2020, project management will be a key determining factor, a key thing that we need to adhere to for us to be able to realise the set goals,” Adegoke stated.
According to him, project management in Nigeria was very necessary since there is a direct relationship between project management and realisation of project goals and or business failure.
“Nigerians need to look at project management in terms of implementation and delivery viz-a-viz realisation of objectives. Many times, projects do not work out properly or deliver the objectives required of them and that has been a major challenge in our ability to go to the next level,” Adegoke stressed.
The Project Management expert also faulted Federal Government’s plan to engage professionals from abroad to monitor and implement infrastructural projects across the country, saying, there is no need for that since there are qualified
Nigerians who can deliver on the same goals. “President Jonathan in his 2011 budget speech at the National Assembly mentioned
that he will be hiring project managers from abroad to handle infrastructural projects if the budget is passed. He is saying that in 2011, he will begin to hire foreigners to manage our projects in Nigeria .
“Going by how people that delivered infrastructural project in the past performed, if he says he wants to hire expatriates, I will not blame him completely. But we need to look at it conceptually. We have people that can do what President Goodluck want to hire expatriates to do locally and people that can help government’s objectives in terms of delivering relevant objectives and the right business,” he asserted.
He also warned about the inherent risks in engaging foreigners who are not in tune with the realities in the Nigerian economies for such jobs. He said this was because of the cultural and environmental fundamentals involved, adding that it is this gap that his organisation has come to bridge.
“When you bring in foreigners to handle projects locally, they will need local content, they will draw some human resources locally in Nigeria . So whichever way you look at it, there is huge gap of project management in this country and we are hoping to fill this gap in both private and public sectors,” Adegoke assured.
“So PPL is saying that which you want to bring in from abroad, we can achieve locally and we have that local content that you might need in terms of understanding the terrain, culture and people, putting everything together and still achieve the project objectives,” he added.
Online Project Management Software is the collection of details, programs and information that is used to execute various phases of a project and that is available on the Internet. Project management includes processes such as scheduling, calculating, building timesheets, managing resources, controlling documents etc. Each of these alters can be controlled through project management software. The services of collaboration software can help your team collaboration and it stay on task, remain on budget and succeed at your project. Effective online project management software supports your company and handles the complex projects without delays. It also lets you collaborate with project resources, analyze risks, assign tasks, coordinate schedules and make your project accomplish and successful at anytime from anywhere in the world. Web based Project Management Software for your clients are easy and comfortable to track project state and progress online anytime, anywhere. You can also see nearest milestones and review, comments of project deliverables online at any accessible and convenient moment. Project Management Software for project manager is one centralize storage to accumulate all projects in an organized manner. Project manager can easily link to tasks, pages, discussions and results. Online project management facilitates and analyzes the process needed to get your project done on time.
Offline Project Management is a transversal as well as a vertical activity. It has different items, such as mass storage or visualization that are flourished according to the user requirement and condition by few experts and that are seen as internal offline activities. The natural and clear distribution of the offline project is characterized the main concentrate on framework development, central co-ordination and release control distribution. In offline, the group develops the global infra-structure and the agents of the different projects will examine on the software of the project. It finds and coordinates the necessary resources within the project to meet the agreed milestones. It provides front line support for off-line users in the project and filters trivial problems, and reporting to the others of offline project.
The main difference between Online and Offline Project Management is that work being done does not require an active internet connection fulltime. In Online Project Management, you work online through Internet Connection and in Offline Project Management; you work offline without using Internet Connection. Many companies and individuals outsource have offline data because of its capability in cutting costs and the time they desire to accomplish their task. Workers who work on these projects accomodates quality work, work under no supervision and delivers work on agreed time. Offline entails entering raw data into the spreadsheet, database management program according to specification without utilizing the internet. As there are many types of employers including those from educational institutions, financial and accounting etc. To accomplish this goal, the offline project needs a different management structure from the other projects. The structure of online and offline project management software is totally different and both are contrary in their use.