Costs Cutting With Project Management
Even if the modern trends of the commercial culture have put an additional emphasis on the process of project management, it is a recognized truth that this has been a very demanding viewpoint since a very long time and has a widespread appeal to it. This worldwide status goes one step ahead when we talk about cost-cutting strategies.
In the present situation, cost-cutting has been one very hot issue that gains a very high level of focus and concentration of the decision makers. In regards to the organization of this surmise, the significance of cost-cutting, in the topic of project management, is one of the uppermost in the listing of any decision maker.
There are many ways to cut costs and make the production and management process much more effective and efficient, some of which would be discussed in this article. A very important tip on the prospect of cutting costs would be to have employees track the time they take to complete each single project.
This, in turn, would go a long way in determining the amount of time each project is taking, the results of which could be measured against the predicted return that the project is supposed to give in the future. This cost-benefit analysis goes a long way in cost-cutting as it gives a higher level of insight on any mistakes that are there and could be corrected.
Moreover, one could use the tip of increasing labour rates according to time data. As it is, the efficiency and efforts of each individual labourer differs and that is the thing that needs to be worked on. Or one can say that the same treatment cannot be given to every labourer. If a less efficient worker is invested in with the equivalent degree as a more efficient worker, it would be a waste of investment and a prospective cost that could have been saved.
For cost-cutting, it is also of prime importance to create a balance between different types of indirect costs. General indirect costs include rent etc, and semi indirect costs cover customer relationship management. One needs to develop a balance between these two, which will surely be helpful in the cost-cutting for company’s interest in the future. Some numerical competence in this aspect is essential, the implementation of which could produce immense results when it comes to the viewpoint of cost-cutting.
Another important way of achieving cost-cutting in management includes focus and concentration. They can be obtained through investing in development and research. This way of cost cutting has done miracles for the production process of companies. They don’t only increase the output of the company but increase the profit margins too, that is the most crucial aspect for the bright future of a company.
All in all, project management has several dimensions and criteria that determine the effectiveness of the manager and one of the most important of these yardsticks is the phenomenon of cost-cutting.
John Nash is a project management expert. You can learn more about importance of web based project management software for your business at http://www.concertosupport.co.uk
Importance Of Sound Project Reporting And Web-based Project Management Tools
Most of the projects comprise of a variety of tasks that are included to perform in a specific time period. Project management is a quite demanding job as different risks, uncertainties and complexities are involved in this process that need to be managed efficiently. Thanks to different approaches and handy tools which have proved quite effective in eliminating these hurdles and developing a sound platform to attain the set objectives. Many different approaches and tools have been specifically designed for this purpose. These tools and approaches have the ability to enhance the chances of some projects’ overall success. Similarly, these tools have been found quite effective in saving all the important information and details which are attained at their completion.
Following are some vital features of project management:
1) Laying out the framework 2) Scheduling 3) Scope management 4) Building support for the project 5) Project reporting 6) Change management 7) Review
At the execution of a project, an error-free reporting of all the progress, which is made during the process, is required. This sort of reporting proves quite effective to monitor the progress of the project. The team members of a project must report to their managers as it develops better communication in different members of a team.
Nowadays, a large number of organisations and firms around the globe are utilising different web-based project management software and tools to achieve the set objectives of their projects. All the members of a project team can easily access these tools via internet or other computer networks in an organisation.
Reporting with project management tools comes in handy especially when a team is assigned more than one task. As they work simultaneously on different projects, they will be able to concentrate equally without getting confused, because the reporting software knows exactly how to keep track of their respective performances. The reporting job is complex, since it involves the coordination of many different people and the completion of many tasks in a precise sequence. It has to be accurate because a great deal of time and money is spent in the planning and execution of projects, which should not go waste due to a minor error or negligence in reporting.
Getting the set objectives is the basic purpose of every project; however, it can’t be done without attaining certain milestones in the entire process of project management. The whole planning is carried out keeping some crucial points in view, and if there is any irregularity in the project, it can be checked and corrected using milestone reporting.
A real life milestone is a marker that tells you how Far you are from a certain point, so you know how far you have come, or how far you have to travel. Project milestones mark significant events, deliverables or interdependencies that need to be monitored to keep the project on the track. Project milestone report shows you what has been achieved and what else needs to be done to successfully complete the project.
In some cases, project reports have to be shown to the sponsors of the project to assure them that it’s going smooth and according to the schedule. Preparing such reports in a conventional manner is cumbersome, but with the web-based project management tools, it’s much easier to generate up to date and stylish reports, with bar-charts, graphs and pie-charts. It’s also useful in generating project status reports, progress reports and resource reports. These reports are simpler to print, email and save for future references. Project reporting is fun with the web-based project management tools.
John Nash is a project management consultant. There are many alternatives and project management solutions available for those businesses using project management to achieve organizational efficiency, more info at http://www.concertosupport.co.uk
Tips For Acquiring Learning Management Systems: Buying verses Building
Assume that you been assigned by your employer to suggest whether your company should buy or build a training platform from scratch. How would you state your case, for and against the decision that your company should make? Should you recommend buying an existing off-the-shelf software application or would you suggest that your company purchase existing software?
Custom-built software has the appeal of being designed to fit your particular training needs. One issue you should address early is whether or not it will save you any effort and time, rather than purchasing existing software. Also, you would have to determine the employees in the organization who need to have access to the training software. An additional point to note is that the data management, data processing, and data reporting functions and features should be planned on from the onset of the project to then be implemented and tried out during product testing. Remember also to focus on data quality as you develop the training software. So, if you are planning to incorporate e-learning tools, be sure that data tracking and management is accurate and efficient.
If you decide to buy a learning management system, ensure that the features that you need have already been built into the system. Do not assume that the learning software will meet all your corporate training needs. In fact it might be premature to assume that all the data collection and management is automatic. So, address the following issues before you decide what software you are going to buy:
Try and respond to the following questions as you make your decision? What database outputs will be most important? How will you approach usability testing? What levels of access are important to the different users? How will trouble shooting and debugging be done? What are the important user interface features to have?
Given that each of the above questions will generate different responses for each organization or company, a team should be brought together to work on coming up with the best plan possible. This means that project management will be important here. Usability and testing should also occur throughout the process and should be piloted with a small group of learners and instructors on a smaller scale before the learning management system is launched throughout the entire organization.
It is entirely possible for a custom-built learning platform to be more expensive to build and manage. It is turns out that sometimes the programmers who developed the system leave the company and technical support is not readily available. With this sorts of possibilities arising, some organization choose to buy off-the-shelf software where the company provides standard support, regular software updates, and training. It should however be noted that in many cases this extra support comes at an additional cost.
The disadvantage of off-the-shelf training software is that is may not always meet specific training and instructional needs. The technical support can be costly and may not always be readily available. The support that includes licensing requirements and software upgrades should be part of the discussion even before procurement takes place. Where possible, considering off-the-shelf training software that is flexible and customizable should be considered. Many software vendors provide this option, so be sure to check out their terms and conditions.
Regardless of the option decided upon, it is important to keep in mind that there may be additional costs such as training, maintenance, upgrading. At the end of the day, the important thing to determine is the cost-benefit analysis, and of course the value added to the learners, instructors, and teaching and learning process.
Programme Management with MSP
Before I delve deeper into the subject of programme management allow me to clarify what a programme is and what a project is. The reason for this is because I have seen these two words used so interchangeably across many organisations in many countries with people calling a project a programme and vice versa.
A programme is a flexible and temporary organisation which is created to direct, coordinate and oversee the implementation of a set of related projects in an effort to deliver benefits and outcomes related to the strategic objectives of the organisation.
A project is a temporary organisation which is set up to deliver one or more outputs in accordance with a business case.
Programmes create outcomes and projects create outputs, and programme management does not replace the need for competent project management. A programme acts as an umbrella under which projects can be coordinated and integrated in order to deliver an outcome which is the sum of the projects’ parts.
With that clarified, the British Office of Government Commerce (OGC) has a framework known as ‘Managing Successful Programmes’ (MSP). The MSP framework provides proven programme management best practice for successfully delivering transformational change.
Organisations that have embraced MSP have enjoyed the benefits of transforming themselves successfully as opposed to being amongst the many that suffer painful or disastrous transformation.
Nowadays, more and more C-level executives are recognising programme management as a powerful tool, which can, facilitate ’successful’ transformation programmes as opposed to ugly monsters that get out of control and wreak havoc within the organisation.
At the very highest level, programme management aligns corporate strategy, business-as-usual and the delivery mechanism for change. These are three important elements which must align if transformation is to be successful.
MSP principles represent success factors that underpin the likelihood of successful transformational programmes. These principles have been derived from lessons learned in both the private and public sectors.
Positioned within the seven principles are nine governance themes which help put in place the right leadership, delivery team, organisation structures, controls and control information to optimise the likelihood of delivering the planned outcomes and benefits.
Then finally comes the transformational flow which provides a path through the programme lifecycle from conception to closure.
If you are still wondering why you should adopt programme management, consider the fact that many organisations are likely to fail to deliver change successfully if there is:
- insufficient board-level support
- insufficient leadership
- unrealistic expectations of the organisational capacity and capability
- a lack of focus on benefits
- no clear picture of the future capability
- a very poorly defined/communicated vision
- no desire to change the organisation’s culture
- a lack of stakeholder engagement
MSP provides a structured framework that can help organisations avoid these pitfalls and achieve their goals.
Managing Successful Programmes
Before I delve deeper into the subject of programme management allow me to clarify what a programme is and what a project is. The reason for this is because I have seen these two words used so interchangeably across many organisations in many countries with people calling a project a programme and vice versa.
A programme is a flexible and temporary organisation which is created to direct, coordinate and oversee the implementation of a set of related projects in an effort to deliver benefits and outcomes related to the strategic objectives of the organisation.
A project is a temporary organisation which is created to deliver one or more outputs in accordance with a business case.
Projects are designed to create outputs and Programmes are designed to create outcomes, and programme management does not replace the need for competent project managers. A programme should act as an umbrella under which projects can be coordinated and then integrated to deliver an outcome which is the sum of the projects’ parts.
With that clarified, the British Office of Government Commerce (OGC) has a framework known as ‘Managing Successful Programmes’ (MSP). The MSP framework provides proven programme management best practice for successfully delivering transformational change.
Organisations which have embraced MSP have enjoyed the benefits of transforming themselves successfully as opposed to being amongst those that suffer painful or failed transformation.
These days, more and more C-level executives are recognising programme management as a powerful tool, which when used well, can facilitate ’successful’ transformation programmes as opposed to ugly monsters which get out of control and wreak havoc.
At the highest level, programme management aligns corporate strategy, business-as-usual and the delivery mechanism for change. These are three critical elements which must align if transformation is to be successful.
MSP principles represent success factors that underpin the likelihood of successful transformational programmes. These principles have been derived from lessons learned in both the private and public sectors.
Positioned within the seven principles are nine governance themes which help put in place the right leadership, delivery team, organisation structures, controls and control information to optimise the likelihood of delivering the planned outcomes and benefits.
Then finally comes the transformational flow which provides a path through the programme lifecycle from conception to closure.
If you are still wondering why you should adopt programme management, consider the fact that many organisations are likely to fail to deliver change successfully if there is:
- insufficient board-level support
- insufficient leadership
- an unrealistic expectation of the organisational capability and capacity
- insufficient focus on benefits
- no real picture of the future capability
- a very poorly defined/communicated vision
- lack of desire to change the organisation’s culture
- insufficient stakeholder engagement
MSP provides a structured framework that help organisations avoid these pitfalls and achieve their goals.
Tips for Buying or Building your Training Platform
You have been requested by the your employer to give your opinion on whether your company should purchase or develop a training platform from scratch. How would you develop your argument in each case, for or against building or purchasing the new training software? There are some specific issues for you to consider when deciding on if you should purchase or design your own educational software because e-learning resources should meet specific requirements to include flexibility, performance, and connectivity. The platform should also be efficient and effective.
Built-from scratch software does have its own appeal because it is custom-made software is designed to fit your specific need. The question to ask though is whether this will save you any time or effort. In order to cut down on your expenses you would have to identify and plan each feature that you would likely need. You would also have to identify which employee or employees in your company should have access to the software. Also, be sure to identify data management and processing, as well as reporting features and functions that should be attended to during implementation and product testing during the development phase. You should also keep data quality in mind. This means that if you are planning to use e-learning you will have to ensure that data tracking is efficient and accurate.
If you decide to buy a learning management system, ensure that the features that you need have already been built into the system. Do not assume that the learning software will meet all your corporate training needs. In fact it might be premature to assume that all the data collection and management is automatic. So, address the following issues before you decide what software you are going to buy:
Try and respond to the following questions as you make your decision? What database outputs will be most important? How will you approach usability testing? What levels of access are important to the different users? How will trouble shooting and debugging be done? What are the important user interface features to have?
Typically, the above questions will generate different answers for each individual company or organization. Therefore a team should work together and have a project manager coordinate the entire process. Usability testing must also be part of the process throughout the design and implementation. Using a small group of learners and instructors, the training platform should be tested out to ensure that it suits both the instructional and training needs of the organization.
It is entirely possible for a custom-built learning platform to be more expensive to build and manage. It is turns out that sometimes the programmers who developed the system leave the company and technical support is not readily available. With this sorts of possibilities arising, some organization choose to buy off-the-shelf software where the company provides standard support, regular software updates, and training. It should however be noted that in many cases this extra support comes at an additional cost.
The disadvantage of off-the-shelf training software is that is may not always meet specific training and instructional needs. The technical support can be costly and may not always be readily available. The support that includes licensing requirements and software upgrades should be part of the discussion even before procurement takes place. Where possible, considering off-the-shelf training software that is flexible and customizable should be considered. Many software vendors provide this option, so be sure to check out their terms and conditions.
So, regardless of the option you or the company decides to go with, remember that you will likely incur additional costs in maintenance, updates, and user training. In the final event what it boils down to is the return on investment for the company. Even more important is the value added to the organization through the training and skill and knowledge advancement of the trainees (employees), instructors and learning management system team.
Be Green Utilize Steel | A Fresh Look At Steel Structures
I know that conservationism has become the hot topic of the decade, it is not shocking that many developers and constructors are turning to building products that leave less of an influence on the surroundings, such as recycled steel.
While steel was once utilized for railroads and building cars it has quickly grown as the favourite option for construction material. Areas in the United States that are prone to earthquakes and forest fires, such as Hawaii and California which are seeing the benefits of utilizing steel for their buildings rather than wood.
In view of the fact that steel weighs significantly less than timber it is a great deal cheaper to ship and store. When it comes to building, constructing with steel puts less strain on workers who normally have to carry burdensome and clumsy pieces of lumber. Pre-fab steel is made with the highest value standards so you don’t have to contend with the imperfections of wood.
Concerning the environment, building grade steel utilizes about 70% recycled content, and little waste is created during the steel making process. When that same steel is demolished and reused it can be up to 100% recycled content.
No other product in the world is recycled more than steel, and any sort of steel may be recycled. One of the most amazing environmental recompense to steel is that it can be recycled for an indefinite period into new products. Recycled steel takes 75% less energy to produce than new steel, and each ton of recycled steel saves the use of 2500lbs of iron ore, 1000lbs of coal and 40lbs of limestone.
A chief advantage of steel products is that they are incredibly durable and will never warp, split or rot. Steel will and in no way grow mould and resists wind, fire and insect infestations.
Although at the beginning it could cost more to build with steel over wood the lifetime expense is alot lower. For instance, because of steel’s strength and resistance to wind, fire and insects you will find that indemnity premiums on a steel construction are much lower. Steel also allows for more intricate designs, which is why it is a favourite building material for foremost designers.
A building built from steel can be more power effective and will require nominal preservation. They are an environmentally aware choice since they are 100% recyclable and already prepared from recycled materials. Steel structures are protected and secure, this is the reason steel is being used more and more these days
Be Green Use Steel | A New Look At Steel Structures
Now that green politics has become the hot topic of the decade, it is not surprising that numerous developers and builders are turning to construction products that leave less of an impact on the surroundings, such as recycled steel.
Whereas steel was one time utilized for railroads and constructing cars it has rapidly grown as the favourite choice for construction material. In the United States there are earthquake and forest fire prone areas, like Hawaii and Colorado which are seeing the benefits of utilizing steel for their buildings instead of wood.
Since steel weighs considerably less than wood it is a great deal cheaper to ship and store. When it comes to building, building with steel puts less pressure on construction workers who in general have to lug around heavy and awkward pieces of timber. Manufactured steel is prepared with the highest quality standards so you are not going to find twist or knots like with wood products.
Concerning the environment, building grade steel uses roughly 70% recycled content, and not much waste is generated during manufacturing. After demolition the recycled steel you receive can be up to 100% recycled.
No other product in the world is recycled more than steel, and any type of steel may be recycled. One of the most amazing ecological recompense to steel is that it can be recycled for ever into new products. Recycled steel takes 75% less power to manufacture than new steel, and every ton of recycled steel saves the use of 2500lbs of iron ore, 1000lbs of coal and 40lbs of limestone.
A primary benefit of steel products is that they are incredibly durable and will never warp, split or rot. Steel will in addition never grow mould and resists wind, fire and insect infestations.
Whereas at the outset it could cost extra to construct with steel over timber the lifetime expense is much lower. For example, because of steel’s strength and opposition to wind, fire and insects you will find that insurance premiums on a steel building are much lower. Steel furthermore allows for more complicated designs, which is why it is a favourite construction material for chief designers.
A structure built from steel can be more power effective and will have need of nominal preservation. They are an ecologically aware option in view of the fact that they are recyclable and by now made from recycled materials. Steel structures are protected and stable, and that is the reason steel is so highly regarded
Dead Projects Walking
Many of us will have seen statistics banding around the Internet illustrating a high rate of project failure. According to a Gartner study, nearly 40% percent of IT projects fail or are abandoned before they reach completion. There are dozens of other statistics quoted on the same subject. But regardless of the figure – it is very high and it is a dark cloud over the project management industry as a whole.
Too many project managers are afraid of being labelled as quitters or failures. It certainly takes more courage for a Project Manager to admit that a project is a failure than to accept it (with no choice) when they finally walk over the edge of the cliff.
To be frank, continuing with a hopeless project is like flogging a dead horse and wasting large sums of money in the process. It does not make very smart business sense.
According to a four-year survey of 672 senior business and IT managers carried out by the Center for Project Management (USA), only around 20% of Project Managers have a process for identifying and cancelling failed projects.
It is natural for most project managers and project teams to have a task-oriented focus. Most project methodologies will anticipate project difficulties and suggest monitoring and controlling processes for the management of change, issues and problems.
But the resulting mindset for the project effort can often be so focused on getting the project back on track that it pays no attention to the fact that the project may very well be a dead horse that is still being flogged. It is wise to be open to the possibility that the project is a like a horse that will never run again. So stop flogging it!
It often takes courage to close a project prematurely because often you are likely to upset someone further up the hierarchy. Closing a project early is not for the faint of heart who are afraid to upset the boss, which is why independent consultants often step up to the mark and do the necessary.
There are many large smelly projects that were the brainchild of a C-level executive still laying in dark corners of companies. They have often become irrelevant, expensive and a complete waste of time and effort. No one has the courage to get the executive in question to face up to the fact that their project was not the best idea after all.
Programme Benefits Management
Benefits management is often light on the ground in many programmes. Not very wise when the fundamental reason for beginning a programme is to realise benefits through change; whether it is to do things in a new way or to do things that will influence others to change.
The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) in London has defined MSP principles that include emphasis on Benefits Management (BM) with the following keys stages:
A Benefits Management Process
The Benefits Management Strategy
A Identification of Benefits
The Quantification of Benefits
Benefit Profiles
Benefit Modelling
A Benefits Realisation Plan
The Review of Benefit Realisation
The Responsibilities for Benefits Managements
As benefits are the result of the change delivered by a programme, these benefits should be used to help direct and make decisions throughout the life of the programme.
In our Programme Management roles we should determine the critical measures and indicators of success and make arrangements to ensure the programme remains appropriate and on track to deliver the intended benefits and outcomes.
Programme Managers should check that:
- The planned outcomes remain realistically achievable;
- The planned outcomes are not changed in scope, relationship or value;
- All the main stakeholders remain committed and confident that outcomes will be achieved when planned;
- The plan for achieving outcomes is being managed effectively;
- The plan is monitored against agreed performance measures/key performance indicators and any problems resolved promptly.
Where key benefits have been properly identified, e.g. more effective service delivery or increased efficiency, these benefits should be properly managed in the same way. We should be able to define exactly what a benefit will deliver in a way that can be adequately measured, using realistic timescales, risks & costs. Every benefit should be linked to planned outcomes and every benefit should be assigned to an owner who is responsible and accountable for its eventual realisation.
In very large programmes of work, a business change manager will often coordinate the benefits realisation on behalf of the business areas owning those benefits.