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While it may not be the most time-consuming element of a project manager’s job, developing project plans is generally considered to be the most important. A good plan will get a project off on the right foot and can steer project teams to success under the most challenging conditions. A poorly-constructed plan, on the other...
Milestone planning is one of the most important aspects of project planning, because project milestones are the most visible indicators of project progress. What are milestones and why are they important? Milestones typically mark critical decision points, the completion of major project tasks and the ends of various project phases. Senior stakeholders who are not...
Project managers are vital to any organization consistently achieving its objectives. They ensure that projects stay on track and within budget while meeting set deadlines. As well as the people management skills necessary to get the most out of their team, a key to the effectiveness of PMs is the creation, and following of, an...
There are a bunch of things that make project management tougher, riskier and (much) more stressful than it needs to be. I have a mental list of things that I could happily live without. Doubtless, you have one, too. Chances are that our lists are strikingly similar. However, there’s something out there that’s more infuriating,...
In a perfect world, project managers could execute their wildest, most ambitious project dreams without ever having to worry about the bottom line. In reality, though, PMs are beholden to budgets – and that means they have to know how to manage costs. Ineffective cost management is often the very reason that projects fail. Read...
One of the oldest, and often more heated debates in the project management world has to do with bottom up and top down approaches to project planning. Those on Team Top Down proclaim that their preferred approach lets leaders do what they’re supposed to do: establish goals, select techniques, and streamline the planning process. They...
The initiation phase is first of the five main phases of project management and sets the tone for how the project will proceed. It will give a macro view of the project, such as providing the broad reasoning for why the project is needed and give stakeholders an opportunity to consider whether or not it...
Project resources are anything that is necessary for the project to be completed. Without them, it’s impossible for a project to be completed successfully. A key element of a project’s planning phase is centered on the identification of resource requirements and how they will be allocated. The Types of Resources in Projects Human: These human...
Resource management is among the most critical – but also the most challenging – aspects of project and program management. Failing to allocate the right resources, to the right tasks, at the right time, and at the right cost invariably leads to budget and schedule overruns. It also creates frustrated team members, stakeholders and customers....
Project maintenance—the process of tracking and enabling project activities in accordance with the project plan—is an essential, but often overlooked, factor in overall project success. After spending so much time in the planning phase, many project managers have a tendency to take a step back once the other members of the project team start their...
