Trends in the Cloud: What 2014 Will Bring

While cloud computing ostensibly makes us more efficient, it has yet to make us omniscient. However, key trends are emerging that merit attention in 2014 to fully leverage the power of the cloud, particularly by effectively managing project and application portfolios. Those organizations that can capitalize on the potential that these trends promise for businesses...

When It Comes to Innovation Maturity, Where Do Medical Devices Firms Rank?

The findings from the Fourth Product Portfolio Management Benchmark Study and the Innovation Management Maturity Model™ have spawned some important dialog around innovation maturity for medical devices firms and across multiple industries. In a recent article published Dec 3 on Medical Design Online, Jim Pomager poses the question, “Does the medical devices industry have an...

Scope Creep. It happens to ALL of us.

The negative impact of scope creep on projects is a well-documented fact. Scope changes – no matter how small or large – can affect the timeline and cost of a project. Whether it’s new requirements being added or modifications of existing requirements, scope creep is the source of a lot of project management headaches. But how does scope creep impact...

Epics, Stories, and Tasks

Have you ever looked at a body of work and wondered how you would get it all done? They say the best way to eat an elephant is to take one bite at a time.* This analogy does a great job of explaining why it is a good idea to break down your work into...

Tasktop Sync 3.0 released, service desks get support

Open source projects have it good. Their issue tracker serves as the single system of record for all development, support, quality management and planning activity. The result is a theoretical ideal in terms of a connected software lifecycle. For example, every vote that a user makes for a particular bug is immediately visible to developers....

Tasktop Sync 3.0 released, service desks get support

Open source projects have it good. Their issue tracker serves as the single system of record for all development, support, quality management and planning activity. The result is a theoretical ideal in terms of a connected software lifecycle. For example, every vote that a user makes for a particular bug is immediately visible to developers....

Tasktop Sync 3.0 released, service desks get support

Open source projects have it good. Their issue tracker serves as the single system of record for all development, support, quality management and planning activity. The result is a theoretical ideal in terms of a connected software lifecycle. For example, every vote that a user makes for a particular bug is immediately visible to developers....

Strategy and Execution Belong Together

The Economist recently published an interesting article, Strategic moves: Big consulting and accounting firms are making a risky move into strategy work, about what seems to be a new consolidation movement amongst the major strategy consulting firms and operations specialists in a effort to offer both strategy and execution services. Traditionally, within enterprises and throughout...

For Professional Services: 2014 Will Focus on Talent Management

A Special Sneak Peak of SPI Research’s 2014 Professional Services Maturity Benchmark™ Reveals Looming Resource Issues Get ready for 2014. SPI Research is nearing completion of surveying for the 2014 Professional Services Maturity™ Benchmark, and the results thus far are impressive! With more than 100 professional services firms participating so far, organizational performance seems to...