PM Best Practices - All Comments

re: Too many project requests? Scorecard them!

EvelynM — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:04:14 GMT

Hello..did you implement this process? Do you have dynamic application built to support this?

re: Prioritization: Getting Executives to Pay Attention

KBoff — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:23:34 GMT

Great approach, I'd like to try it. Can you come back with an example of the graphics and simple numbers you reference in the blog?

re: Prioritization: Getting Executives to Pay Attention

Buckeye — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 18:20:33 GMT

This is a great example. One that I will try and mirror to get the attention of the execs I work with.

re: PMO - Where to start?

Michael H — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 18:51:17 GMT

Dan - you nailed it. The introduction of a PMO is 'just another project...' albeit a very VERY important one, and challengingly, this one might be attempted while also maintaining business as usual under the old organization & structure.... (probably a good theme for a seperate discussion sometime).

In my original post I mentioned writing a 'project statement' and you went further to suggest that this plus some other information elements could be called the 'charter'. Gerard Hill (Pp 142-9 The Complete Project Management Office Handbook, Auerbach Publications, 2004) calls this document the PMO Charter, which he says is [begin quote] constructed to:
- Describe the PMO's purpose relative to the achievement of business objectives.
- Show the PMOs org alignment with other business functions.
- Guide the development of the PMOs functional capability.
- Confer appropriate authority for the PMO to accomplish its mission.
- Identify PMO funding." [end quote].

As mentioned, I am working on just such a PMO implementation project, and we will be starting with the PMO Charter, and will also be scheduling and monitoring the PMO establishment project in the enterprize portfolio management system - just like all the projects in the portfolio.

This makes the PMO project visible, accountable, and - hopefully - a good example of what a centrally monitored & professionally delivered project looks like. If done well, I am hoping that this will support the adoption of the PMO as an entity in our organization by the various stakeholder groups.

re: Too many project requests? Scorecard them!

Raul Cardenas — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 01:07:49 GMT

Makes sense to create 3 groups for evaluating projects.

How do we put that in eProject request forms? I tried to create creat with value field, but it does not let you add value, the value is already there.

Do you have Dynamic App that considers that?

Thanks¡

Raul Cardenas

re: PMO - Where to start?

UKprince2 — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 22:28:39 GMT

I am a project manager working for a local council in the UK. I recently set up a PMO to support a programme of projects ranging from community services through to IT infrastructure. I found that the employees that make up the PMO need to drive the rationale behind what project managers expect from the PMO.

Through this i am currently recommending automatting through Microsoft EPMS, creating a environment for stakeholders, PMs, Proj Leaders, etc to interact with the PMO and reap the benefits of PMO methodology.

Also building a physical library of books such as Body of Knowledge, Managing Successful Projects, etc will show resistant parties that the PMO is also about learning, advising and growing with each project.

re: PMO - Where to start?

CIMpleBS — Mon, 30 Oct 2006 20:15:48 GMT

To complete the logical thought process started by Michael, and tie all of these great threads together, you have hinted at the primary objective of any methodology: A standard approach to leverage experience towards the effective realization of a desired change. What you suggest is creating a Scoping Document in tandem with an approach document (can we call this a Charter?). Sounds like implementing a PMO is just another project that requires exactly the same mental rigor, communications, validation and tracking of any other project. Objectives will lead to requirements, and you can then answer your own question. Better than trying to sell the benefits of a PMO, you will actually be demonstrating the very reason for having a PMO to the stakeholders that must understand, define, and support the PMO in the first place. What a concept!

re: Prioritization: Getting Executives to Pay Attention

John Filicetti — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 15:22:50 GMT

Dave,
I have posted an example prioritization schema for Healthcare. It can be modified for any industry. http://elounge.eproject.com/files/12/templates/entry974.aspx

re: Do PMs really hate PMOs?

GTCInc — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 14:07:19 GMT

Just as there are key activities that work in a PMO implementation, there are factors that hinder progress.
What doesn't work - The Top Three:
. Forget Key Stakeholders
· Demand before Provide
· Work in a Vacuum

. Forget Key Stakeholders: Executives are not the only key stakeholder
or customer of the PMO. There are other customers, including project managers, project teams, functional/resource managers, and line managers. Just like the executives, get these stakeholders involved from the beginning and determine their needs, expectations, and goals. Understand the problems at different levels; otherwise, you may overlook a key concern.

· Demand before Provide: PMO must be viewed as an entity that helps – an entity that provides services to ease project management administration and to facilitate smart business practices. PMO should never be in a position of always demanding information and seldom providing services. You will not be successful by always demanding – you win by providing.

· Work in a Vacuum: PMOs fail when they start working in a vacuum. In a PMO implementation, a team approach wins. PMO is intended to serve multiple customers, each with personal experiences and ideas to share. Incorporate other people’s ideas and acknowledge them and give credit where due. Learn from other’s experiences - don’t re-invent the wheel. Find out individual requirements and needs and design accordingly and appropriately.

In order to be successful, PMOs should, in short:
· Keep it simple
· Involve all the participants
· Keep the atmosphere non-punitive and participatory
· Discontinue or revise what is not working

Surya M Ganduri, Ph D, PMP.

re: Do you log your time?

rhodepat — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 12:17:27 GMT

Hello Dave,

I just started a job as a PMO analyst for my IT department and was wondering what would you recommend as the first tasks for me to undertake. How would you eatablish this PMO role for a department?

Any help in term of acticles, whitepapers etc. would would be good.

Thanks

re: The Invisible User Interface

JSin — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 00:42:57 GMT

5? PPM6's user interface, speed, and information architecture overall definitely improves on 5.0. I'll let you be the final judge of that, however. ;) As a company, we're looking forward to the feedback and response we get from PPM6, to gauge the real-world user experience improvements over 5.0.

re: The Invisible User Interface

David Haddad — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 23:44:41 GMT

"do you mean 5.0 was head and shoulders above the rest?"

Yes 5. I'll bet I looked at 100 or so other online aps before choosing eProject 5. Most of them offer some type of free online trial or flash demo or what ever. So I'd fill out the form and give it a twirl. 90% of the time I was able to reject them in less than 5 minutes just based on the UI - which tells you so much. Of the remaininf 10% I thought eProject was best and the only thing I was disappointed by was the inability to easily control uses views and make them simpler on a system wide basis. Which PPM6 now adresses...IF we even get upgraded to it...I'm waiting very unpatiently :-) :-) :-).

re: The Invisible User Interface

JSin — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 18:34:01 GMT

Thanks for the comment David. We really appreciate your positive response to our user experience (do you mean 5.0 was head and shoulders above the rest? or what you've seen of PPM6?). Of course, we welcome constructive criticism as well. I *highly* encourage users to provide constructive criticisms regarding PPM6 when it becomes available. Acceptance testing is critical to all new releases.

I have definitely seen BasecampHQ. In fact, I was one of the first users of their BackpackIT product. They've gotten quite a bit of publicity among smaller pro-serv/consulting organizations, espeically design houses. The product is well suited for small team collaboration, and really leverage ajax to provide a responsive user experience. My only criticism was that, while easy to use once you got the hang of it, it took me a little bit to figure out what was what. The fact it is a very simple solution of course mitigates initial learning curve confusions. But of course, I'm a UE designer's worst nightmare - I never read help, have a very low patience level, and tend to get bored easily. =)

re: The Invisible User Interface

David Haddad — Thu, 08 Jun 2006 05:24:47 GMT

Thanks for the article Josh. One of my primary reasons for choosing eProject was that I felt it was heads and shoulders above most of the other applications I tested in useability. I can't wait to see the improvements in PPM6 and am especially excited about being able to have much greater control of users views.

I think onf of the primary reasons for the lack of real use by employees of most PM applications is that they are too complicated to use. If you are not familiar with it, I'd like to refer you to an interesting product that is getting tons of press and has an almost cult like following. www.basecamphq.com It is not remotely in the same league as eProject as a PM application. BUT...non technical people can use it! I refer you to it only because I think it's popularity speaks to how desperate people are for applications they can use. It is what we were using before we switched to eProject. I'm hoping PPM6 will allow us to improve usability by creating ultra simple views for our Clients and non-technical user who will find the full veiws overwhelming.

re: Presentation Skills for Project Managers

jmanas — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 03:15:32 GMT

Glad you found it useful! I agree, communication is such an overlooked but important area in project management success. It amazes me how many organizations spend zero time educating their project managers in these crucial skills.