project management

How a project manager can be a 'Rock Star'

Judi Hasson — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:35:48 -0400

Fumi Kondo, managing director of Intellilink, a management consulting and training company that specializes in technology implementations, says that good project management not only requires finishing on time, within budget and meeting expectations; it also requires leadership and good people skills to manage the users, the sponsor and the stakeholders.

"The more experienced project managers understand that if you don't get the people side of project management, it doesn't matter how good your methodology or your tools are," Kondo said.

Kondo's firm analyzed the skill sets of both its own best project managers, and those of its clients, and came up with the following six attributes: They possess the gift of foresight; they're organized; they know how to lead; they're good communicators; they're pragmatic; and they're empathetic.

For the details:
- check out this CIO.com article

Windows Server 2008 to ship with SP1

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 06:59:58 -0500

Have you ever heard someone say that they wouldn't deploy a Microsoft product until the arrival of service pack 1? Well, apparently the folks in Redmond have heard that line just as many times as we have. Microsoft has just announced that when Windows Server 2008 sees release, in just a few short weeks, it will come packed-in with the first service pack from the get-go. According to Ian McDonald, director of project management for Windows Server, the simultaneous delivery of Windows Server 2008 and SP1 represents the culmination of years of planning at Microsoft. "...Microsoft has actually been attempting to synchronize its client/server release schedule for most of the past decade." With Windows Server 2008, the company will finally be working off of the same codebase for both its server and desktop operating systems. Will the SP1 moniker be enough to convince enterprises that Windows Server 2008 is worthy of deployment? Or will most businesses still elect to wait for the first post-release service pack? Let us know what you think in the comments.

For more on Windows Server 2008 SP1:
- see this Ars Technica article

Web 2.0 is here to stay

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 06:59:58 -0500

It's time for Web 2.0, whether you like it or not, according to Forrester Research. A new Forrester report predicted that half of the 42 percent of enterprises in a third-quarter survey that resisted the technology are now planning to invest in Web 2.0. That includes tools like wikis, RSS, blogs and social networks. "The IT shops that began experimenting with enterprise Web 2.0 tools for their own use in 2007--for tasks like help desk ticket resolution, standards and documentation tracking, and IT project management--will begin rolling out these tools more broadly to lines of business as they pass IT muster," the report said.

The report also predicted that CIOs will lower their resistance after seeing that employees want to use these tools very badly. So where does that leave the CIO? Better get your head out of the sand and roll with the punches because these tools are already making their mark on corporate culture. "Expect the adoption of social networking solutions for businesses to accelerate dramatically in 2008, with many firms looking for internal social networking solutions," Forrester said. "Nearly any vendor that uses the term 'social networking' will at least get some consideration."

For more on the Forrester report:
- See this ComputerWorld article

Analysts: IT needs to embrace Web 2.0

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 06:59:55 -0500

You've been hearing about Web 2.0 technology in the enterprise for what seems like ages but are your peers really rushing to deploy Web 2.0 tools? The answer might surprise you: according to a Q3 2007 survey by Forrester Research, some 42 percent of businesses are not planning to invest in Web 2.0. Despite this fact, Forrester predicts that half of those businesses will change their mind and decide to invest in Web 2.0 tools--like blogs, wikis and social networking applications--by the end of the year. "The IT shops that began experimenting with enterprise Web 2.0 tools for their own use in 2007 -- for tasks like help desk ticket resolution, standards and documentation tracking, and IT project management -- will begin rolling out these tools more broadly to lines of business as they pass IT muster," the report says. Will Web 2.0 tools really become business-critical or is this all just a bunch of warrant-less hype? Let us know what you think in the comments.

For more on Web 2.0 trends:
- see this Computerworld article

Saas comes of age

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 06:59:58 -0500

Software as a service is coming of age. And any CIO who hasn't adopted Saas into their portfolio is woefully behind the times. The trick is to spot the best uses of Saas to enhance such tasks as project management and internal collaboration. More than a third of small and large businesses will adopt software as a service (Saas) into their technology portfolio during the next year to help bolster activities such as project management and internal collaboration, according to report by THINKstrategies and the Cutter Consortium. About 80 percent of the 100 companies surveyed said they planned to adopt it in the next year.

Rebecca Wetteman, an analyst at Nucleus Research which does technology research, says, "If IT wants to be in the conversation, they need to get ahead of the curve in presenting these to end users." She predicts that on-demand productivity apps such as Google Apps and Zoho will have a good year as they make inroads with customers looking to save money on expensive on-premise software for people who aren't power users. "Businesses might look at tiering their office apps, particularly as they look at the next version of Microsoft Office," she says.

For more on Saas:
- Check out this CIO Magazine Article

Ensuring project success

Sun, 06 May 2007 20:01:36 -0400

IT projects have a better chance of succeeding if the company has dedicated a project manager to coordinating them. The project manager is charged with making sure expenses don't run amok, that time spent on the project is within reasonable limits, and that the delivered product meets customers' quality expectations. Other responsibilities include risk and change management and contingency planning. A successful project manager is adept at leadership, communication, negotiation and planning. To choose the right person for this critical job, make sure internal customers have a say.

Read more about the importance of project management:
- read the article at ComputerWeekly

ALSO: read this on the value of project management

A good project manager is hard to find

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 20:01:39 -0400

Good project managers are essential to ensuring that projects are delivered on time and on budget, but they can be hard to find. Because of the dearth of good project managers, more than half of companies surveyed by Forrester Research plan to train their staff in project management this year. But training IT staff to make the transition to project management isn't easy; often, they lack the training, experience and business knowledge to get the job done. Good project managers must constantly sell the project, keep all constituents in the loop, deal with changing customer demands and report back to upper management. While project managers don't have to be technical experts, they need to understand the technology well enough to explain its benefits and constraints to every user group the technology touches. They should also be good communicators.

Learn more about how to train IT staff to be project managers:
- read the article at TechTarget

ALSO:
- read this on getting needed business skills on staff

Speak up!

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 19:01:39 -0500

Nothing kills a project faster than silence. When workers aren't encouraged to say what's on their minds--especially when it may impact the success or failure of a critical project--the project is probably doomed to failure. But conversations held quickly and effectively can reduce the probability of project management failure by more than 50 percent. The reason, according to a recent study, is that most projects fail for reasons that are widely perceived but rarely discussed. To solve the problem, senior leaders should be willing to listen and take action, hold senior management accountable, and make heroes of early adopters.

For more about the importance of speaking up:
- read the article at The Industry Analyst Reporter

Ensuring success with outside contractors

Mon, 12 Feb 2007 19:01:38 -0500

Hiring a contractor to develop an IT system means crafting an RFP, developing a carefully worded statement of work (SOW) and choosing the best contractor for the job. But that's only the beginning. To make sure your external projects stay on track and deliver the desired results, review the project plan often. In addition, check that documentation tasks are well-defined, the allocation of effort makes sense, milestones are no longer than 30 days apart, contingencies are quantified and project management steps are fully defined.

For more about smooth external contracting:
- read the article at ComputerWorld

ALSO NOTED: New IT governance portal launched; Vista fails certification tests;

Tue, 06 Feb 2007 19:01:38 -0500

> New portal for IT governance and project management launched. Article

> Independent security certification body says Vista fails. Article

> Skype, Facetime partner for better enterprise control. Article

> PCI security vendor alliance created. Article

> Most IT managers expect a yearly security event. Article

> Managing rich media. Article

And Finally… IT managers view personal success differently from their bosses. Article