Timely completion of any project—system implementations or upgrades, production line improvements, development of a new product, the addition of another facility—is critical in ensuring the organization gets the best return on its investment. Delays inevitably lead to costs in one form or another. Financial impacts often occur in the term. For example, if the schedule…
Project Management Consulting
Are You a Project Bottleneck?
February 19, 2019 by
One of a PM’s most important roles is to facilitate the timely and efficient execution of every initiative in the organization’s portfolio. That means making sure the team has the resources, support, and information it needs to carry out tasks according to the approved schedule and budget. Questions require answers, problems need to be solved….
4 Reasons Your Executives Don’t Take Project Risks Seriously
February 14, 2019 by
Risk management is a tremendously important element in moving a project from conception to planning to a successful completion. However, the executives and the project team don’t always deal with risk factors the same way. Some groups and organizations are more comfortable with risk, others want to avoid risk whenever possible. Using a single project…
Keep Your Team Focused on Project Improvement
February 12, 2019 by
Continuous project improvement is a target for many organizations, but sustaining the focus over the long term can be difficult. Project teams may experience burnout after a period of time. People could become frustrated if improvements don’t happen as quickly as they hoped or if it seems their contributions aren’t being recognized. In some cases,…
7 Project Questions to Start the New Year
January 14, 2019 by
The prospect of a fresh, new year offers the perfect opportunity for PMs to take stock of the strengths and weaknesses within their teams. If you’re serious about driving tangible improvement in the months ahead, kick off the year by asking these key project management questions. 1 – Does our project team have the right…
Has Your Project’s Critical Path Become a Moving Target?
January 8, 2019 by
Despite your best efforts, it’s possible some confusion could develop around your project’s critical path. The executives’ view on the initiative’s scope might evolve over time, pushing the schedule and budget into chaos. Or your team may not fully understand where the different paths rank in priority, instead treating them all as equally important. No…
For Best Project Results, Listen to Your Team
December 21, 2018 by
Savvy project managers are always looking for ways to improve their project results and performance and make their processes more efficient. One strategy that’s simple and effective—but is sometimes overlooked in favor of flashier approaches—is to listen to the team. The people working on project activities, whether it’s planning and executing tasks or handling support…
Combating Project Alert Fatigue
December 14, 2018 by
The number of system alerts and warnings that appear on workers’ screens every day is a growing concern in many industries and occupations. Between the growing use of technology and the low cost of computing power, more data makes its way into our hands than ever before, but all of that insight comes at a…
4 Reasons Executives Hate Project Contingency Plans
December 10, 2018 by
If it seems like your organization’s leadership team is reluctant to approve your project’s contingency plans, you aren’t alone. Contingency planning can sometimes be a difficult concept for executives to embrace and the mere mention of contingent planning efforts has been known to derail meetings with C-suite stakeholders. Contingency plans are useful for addressing all…
Is Your Project Data Demotivating Your Team?
November 29, 2018 by
Projects revolve around their project data—information on task durations, workforce productivity, and details about expenditure levels, just to name a few. Once the effort is complete, additional metrics will be gathered and examined. This could include compiling data on the project’s actual impact on manufacturing yield, for example, and comparing it against the initial projections….
