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 Topic: Project Management Tips & TechniquesThe new items published under this topic are as follows.
Tips: Organize a quality circle... |
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Published on Friday, January 21, 2005 - 10:52 AM |
Organize a quality circle in your organization and schedule the first meeting. This will give the team scheduled time to review project issues and determine the processes that are causing those issues.
The purpose of a quality circle is to:
ï?± Identify Problems
ï?± Analyze Data
ï?± Recommend Solutions
ï?± Carry out approved changes
� Success depends on top management’s willingness to listen to recommendations.
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Read full article: 'Organize a quality circle...' (430 bytes more)   |
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Announcements: WinA&D Standard 4.0 |
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Published on Friday, January 21, 2005 - 10:49 AM |
Process, Data & Class Models for Software Design
Placitas, NM – January 18, 2005 - Excel Software is now shipping a Standard edition of WinA&D 4.0. Developers on a budget can use a professional tool for drawing data flow diagrams, logical and physical data models and UML style class diagrams integrated through a powerful data dictionary. Version 4.0 adds namespaces for partitioning and managing large projects and code generation for C++, Java, Delphi and SQL.
Data flow diagrams (DFDs) show the flow and processing of information in a system. They are especially popular in real-time, embedded systems where software closely interacts with hardware or many concurrent threads of execution are needed to handle external events. WinA&D Standard supports multi-level DFDs, textual specification of primitive processes, balancing of information between diagrams and the data dictionary and design verification reports.
UML package and class diagrams show class structure in an object-oriented system. Class attributes and operations can be defined in the model and C++, Java or Delphi code generated for class declarations and empty function frames. Models are linked directly to code through a built-in code browser enabling developers to click through diagrams in the model and directly to the code.
Database designers can draw logical and physical data models and generate the SQL schema code for popular RDBMS products including Oracle, SQL Server, DB2, Sybase, Informix and InterBase. Rich data models highlight primary and foreign keys and represent tables, views, constraints, assertions, triggers, indexes, procedures and other SQL elements.
In conjunction with the WinTranslator reengineering tool, WinA&D Standard generates UML class models from C++, Java or Delphi code and data models from SQL.
Other features include a contents view for diagram navigation, diagram scaling and printing, custom icons, color support, user-defined detail dialogs for diagram objects and full text import/export of diagrams and dictionary information. Data types, UML stereotypes and a project glossary can be maintained for a development project.
WinA&D Standard at $495 runs on Windows 95 through XP and includes two printed and PDF manuals, the Setup & Tutorials Guide and the User's Guide. All project documents are compatible with the full WinA&D Developer edition priced at $1995 or Desktop edition priced at $1295. See www.excelsoftware.com for site license pricing, product descriptions and online ordering.
Excel Software
Ph: (505) 771-3719
Fax: (505) 771-3718
Web: http://www.excelsoftware.com
Email: info@excelsoftware.com
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Tips: At the kickoff meeting have project stakeholders define... |
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Published on Tuesday, January 18, 2005 - 12:15 PM |
At the kickoff meeting have project stakeholders define the difference between dialogue and debate.Dialogue is where both sides present their objectives, issues, point of value to work towards a win-win solution (collaboration). Debate often produces a win/lose situation where one person is right and the other is wrong.
While most of society is programmed towards debate (did anyone have a dialogue team in high school?), the best way to resolve issues within projects is through dialogue. Dialogue raises conflicts to the highest level of resolution (the best of both ideas) whereas debate puts everyone in a win-lose mindset. Ask stakeholders to commit to the use of dialogue for project issue resolution.
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| Read full article: 'At the kickoff meeting have project stakeholders define...' (431 bytes more) |
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Tips: The secret ingredient of successful negotiations... |
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Published on Monday, January 17, 2005 - 11:28 AM |
The secret ingredient of successful negotiations is preparation.
Really good project managers are also good negotiators. Negotiations are a large part of project management and this requires project managers to understand the needs and wants of the other party. Clearly see the situation through their eyes. The best negotiators will seek the “win, win� solution rather than the “win, lose� solution. Once you understand their wants and needs, prepare a list of potential questions, obstacles and benefits from their line of sight. Understanding these factors in advance will allow quick resolution and avoid the fires that are a result of unsuccessful negotiations.
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| Read full article: 'The secret ingredient of successful negotiations...' (430 bytes more) |
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Tips: If you are planning to utilize contractors... |
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Published on Friday, January 14, 2005 - 11:30 AM |
If you are planning to utilize contractors for your project, carefully prepare for contractor solicitation.
Determine if your company has a preferred list of suppliers that can meet your project needs. Carefully prepare the Request for Proposal (RFI) to ensure that it answers all the questions you’ll have. Determine the best format for submission and clearly communicate that to potential vendors. A good procurement plan will help avoid contractor fires that are usually a result of poor planning.
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| Read full article: 'If you are planning to utilize contractors...' (430 bytes more) |
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Tips: The more time you spend preparing for... |
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Published on Thursday, January 13, 2005 - 11:13 AM |
The more time you spend preparing for meetings the less time you’ll need to meet.
There is nothing more frustrating than attending a meeting with no clear objective, agenda or structure. It wastes time and de-motivates everyone in attendance. Putting together an agenda is only one part of preventing this fire. You must also plan the time frames for the topics and determine if support materials are needed to accomplish the meeting objective(s). If they are, they should be prepared and distributed to the team in advance if possible.
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| Read full article: 'The more time you spend preparing for...' (430 bytes more) |
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Tips: When preparing the communication plan... |
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Published on Wednesday, January 12, 2005 - 11:22 AM |
When preparing the communication plan, use standard templates that ask project stakeholders the key questions about when, how, why and what they want to know about the project progress.
When you involve the stakeholders in the communication planning process, it not only ensures that you deliver the information in the right format and at the right time but it also secures their first level of commitment to pay attention to what they are given. Many times, project managers deliver too much, or too little for a particular stakeholder and the stakeholder delays looking at it until they can secure what they need. When they are asked a question by the client or another stakeholder, they will urgently contact the project manager and put you in firefighting mode until they get what they need. It is much better to understand this up front.
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| Read full article: 'When preparing the communication plan...' (430 bytes more) |
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Tips: Clearly define the roles and responsibilities... |
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Published on Monday, January 10, 2005 - 11:46 AM |
Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of each team member in the planning phase and gain commitment from that individual.
Utilize a RAM (Responsibility Assignment Matrix) to clearly define the roles and responsibilities of team members. The type of RAM and the level of detail can be determined on a per project basis, but the fundamental elements such as: general management responsibility, what approvals are needed, who needs to review, who must be notified, who must approve and who has a specialized responsibility will help to avoid the fires that start when there is duplication of some efforts and lack of completion of others.
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| Read full article: 'Clearly define the roles and responsibilities...' (430 bytes more) |
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Tips: Utilize the Work Breakdown Structure... |
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Published on Friday, January 07, 2005 - 12:10 PM |
Utilize the Work Breakdown Structure to establish the need for subsidiary project plans such as procurement plans.
The WBS, when thoroughly completed, can serve as the input to project plan development. It will allow you to determine if you’ll need to include a Risk Management Plan, or a Procurement Management Plan and at what level of detail. This will help identify and avoid the fires that occur due to a lack of planning.
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| Read full article: 'Utilize the Work Breakdown Structure...' (430 bytes more) |
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Tips: When you’re managing a global team... |
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Published on Thursday, January 06, 2005 - 11:55 AM |
When you’re managing a global team, be aware of the diverse usage of terminology and acronyms to avoid miscommunication issues.
For example, did you know that “to table an issue� has different meanings in different cultures? In some it means to put it off until a later time and in others it means to address it immediately and get it all out on the table. The project manager needs to research the cultural differences of team members early in the project, and communicate those differences with all team members. One of the fastest ways to perform this research is to ask questions of the team members. Ask questions about meeting ground rules, issue resolution, appropriate times to meet and unclear terminology.
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| Read full article: 'When you’re managing a global team...' (430 bytes more) |
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Tip of the day:
Establish an environment where reporting bad news in a timely manner is encouraged rather than an environment where fear prevents the flow of critical information.
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