4 Tips for Improving Customer Centricity Through Idea Challenges

Companies like Pfizer, Siemens, and AT&T have discovered that idea challenges are the missing links to solving customer experience problems. What is an idea challenge you may be wondering? An idea challenge is a core component in any effective innovation program. It’s a way for you to identify ideas at scale from employees, customers, partners,...

Constellation Research Analyst Interviews Planview’s Chief Product Officer About Recent Thoma Bravo Acquisition

Want to better understand the importance of Planview’s recent acquisition news? Watch the new video for a front-row seat as Constellation Research analyst Alan Lepofsky takes Planview’s Chief Product Officer Patrick Tickle through his paces regarding the Thoma Bravo acquisition. You’ll get an up close look at why leading private equity firm Thoma Bravo acquired Planview and...

The Art of Evaluating PPM Software

Whether you’re a professional or “accidental” Project Manager, the burden of evaluating software solutions will likely fall on your shoulders at some point in your career. I say burden and not responsibility because the pressure to deliver is real, visibility among executive stakeholders high and change management a tricky process to navigate. So how do...

Blessed Are the Mapmakers: The Business of Wayfinding

In a recent article, I observed that the modern-day organization prizes certain cultural traits. We seek to foment a culture of innovation. We seek to foment a culture of quality. We seek to foment a culture of sustainability. And, a culture of safety. The successful organization comes to mirror the well-rounded individual whose sense of...

Going Beyond WIP Limits for Ever-Higher Organizational Performance

You’ve probably heard the big news: multitasking is a myth. And yet, virtually everyone is guilty of switching between several projects at once — all while responding to emails, drive-by conversations, phone calls, and more. When pressed to deliver faster, we often overwhelm ourselves by attempting to take on more tasks, inadvertently diluting our focus...

Test Management – An Integration Opportunity

Test management is the practice of managing, running and recording the results of a potentially complicated suite of automated and manual tests. Test management also provides visibility, traceability and control of the testing process to deliver high quality software, quickly. Tools for test management are generally used to plan and manage tests, test runs and...

Make the Right Strategic Decisions on Your Project Portfolio

If your organization has been busy managing a portfolio of projects, you should already be aware that the traditional annual planning cycle hinders adaptability of effectively managing the portfolio in today’s continually changing market. Portfolio planning must be continuous to minimize missed revenue and maximize opportunities so your organization can capitalize on new demand that...

Stop Working on Projects That Are Not Priority

Projects still remain the vehicle for executing on strategy. Even if the current pressures facing executives around strategy are ignored, and assuming strategy remains unchanged, project failure rates will continue to remain alarmingly high if there is no clear unified vision for execution. Only 29 percent of projects were completed successfully in 2015, according to...

8 Customer Experience Stats Every Leader Needs to Know

Customer experience can literally make or break your business. One bad experience for a customer can set off a chain reaction that leaves your company putting out a lot of fires. The horror stories you hear about of a bad experience with a brand going viral across social media is a great example of this....

Teams Are Virtual and Global: Organizations Must Help Them Succeed

So far in this blog series, I’ve described five of the eight market forces impacting organizations. Number six is where the rubber meets the road: The teams who are doing all the work. Not only are they tasked with executing to your strategy, they are also expected to gracefully pivot to ever-changing demands and deadlines....