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Project Management Blog

The Impacts of Testing & QC on Manufacturing Projects

Testing and QC programs are a useful and necessary part of the manufacturing sector, but PMs need to be ready to address the significant impacts these activities can have on projects that are already in progress. Once the results of a testing or QC program are released, the effects on the project can range from delays in downstream activities to changes in the project’s scope. Successfully executing tasks in spite of these impacts—sticking to the target completion date and approved budget—can be tricky. But while juggling mid-project changes is often challenging, there are strategies organizations can use to ensure that testing and QC efforts don’t put the project’s success in jeopardy.

May 9, 2017

Common Problems

Solid Planning is the Answer to the Brexit Uncertainty

Companies worried about the future should instead turn their focus toward planning. Contingency planning has long been a core skill behind successful project management, and it’s a competency that organizations can turn to as the Brexit process moves forward. After reviewing the firm’s goals and where the changing environment might intersect (or interfere), project managers will be able to lay out several contingent paths that can guide the business through the uncertain years ahead, leaning toward one or another of these potential paths as information about the future becomes more clear.

May 4, 2017

Common Problems

The Schedule Challenges Behind Manufacturing Projects

Project Schedule Challenges exist in every type of project, but manufacturing efforts bring with them some unique risks and obstacles. Outside influences and unexpected developments

May 2, 2017

Benchmarking

Maintain Quality in Your Manufacturing Project

There are many potential challenges hiding within manufacturing projects. Without the right kind of planning and preparation, issues can crop up with little warning and cause Project Teams to compensate by cutting corners, either in the level of work being performed, the materials used, or even in the overall scope of the project.

April 27, 2017

Communication

Why Your Manufacturing Project Needs a Work Breakdown Structure

Teams tasked with executing manufacturing projects have a lot on their plates. To get things underway as soon as possible, it can be tempting to skip over the development of a work breakdown structure and go right to carrying out tasks. But any perceived time savings gained by avoiding this step will quickly come back to haunt PMs, often in the form of delays, critical activity conflicts, and tasks left uncompleted.

April 18, 2017

Communication

How to Become a Staff Realignment Master

Project schedules are rarely static. Instead, they begin evolving as soon as the team gets to work. Status reports coming in from the field, issues such as material and equipment delivery timing, and labor availability will all impact the schedule throughout the project’s lifecycle.

April 11, 2017

Common Problems

Managing Projects with Multiple Critical Paths

Complex projects often have more than one critical path, and in order for the project to reach a successful completion, each of these paths must be carefully managed. Even if the primary path is achieved, a lack of progress on any of the follow-on paths could doom the project to failure in the long run.

Teams that execute these challenging projects need to be mindful of what it takes to manage multiple layers of requirements and actions. A strong awareness of all the paths that make up a project is critical if the Project Team wants to ensure that nothing falls behind schedule or drops off the radar.

If your center of excellence is facing a can’t-fail project with multiple paths, it’s important to understand the risks that exists and where opportunities for success can be found.

March 30, 2017

Common Problems

Partnering with an External Consultancy: Facts & Fears

Executive groups and internal project team members are often unsure what it means to partner with an outside project management firm. There may be concerns about job stability for Project Team staff or the potential for damage to the team’s reputation. Some people worry about the logistics of working with an external expert and how it might contribute to a difficult environment, where workloads, time pressures, and stress levels are already high.

These are reasonable concerns but they’re typically based on the unknown. They don’t reflect the reality of partnering with an experienced outside consultancy. We’ve compiled some of the most common fears we hear from potential clients and balanced them against the facts of how a relationship with an external expert functions in the real world.

If your organization is considering an external consultancy but fear is holding you back, see how a partnership with an outside project management expert really works.

March 9, 2017

Project Management Blog

Boosting Long-Term Project Performance With An Outside Consultancy

Project teams often partner with outside consultancies for a finite period of time, whether it’s to plan and execute a few specific projects or to

May 5, 2016

Communication

Outside Consultancies Fill Multiple Roles

Every project office has its own unique set of strengths and weaknesses. As time goes on, the needs of a Project Team routinely change and

April 26, 2016

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