Statistical Uncertainty
8 years 51 weeks agoStatistics drive decisions in every walk of life, including project management. One of the applications of statistics we’ve been exposed to more than once recently is answering the question how many meals to load on a Qantas flight?
Qantas economy cabin seats roughly 300 passengers, dinner has 3 choices on the menu, should the flight load 300 meals distributed by the expected
The Effect of Randomness and Luck
9 years 3 weeks agoIn our last article You are probably wrong about probability we looked at probability[1]. Randomness is a key ingredient in probability, contributes to luck, affects statistics, and can easily be confused for skill or competence!
Luck and
You are probably wrong about probability
9 years 7 weeks agoThis is the first of four articles based on Leonard Mlodinow's book, The Drunkards Walk; looking at probability, in the next article we will look at randomness, and then how this affects everything in project controls and business. For example, does the Rugby
PMP Questions – getting a second opinion.
9 years 11 weeks agoMost people when faced with a painful decision such as having a leg amputated seek a valid second opinion! Sitting for the PMP exam is no different – regardless of whose course you have completed testing your knowledge against a different set of reputable questions developed by another person is always a good idea.
Course developers tend to write questions that are answered by
PBS -v- WBS, is there a difference?
9 years 15 weeks agoI was recently involved in a virtual discussion on the Association for Project Management (APM - UK) website around the use and differences between a Product Breakdown Structure (PBS) and a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). The resulting briefing document produced by the APM is summarised here
What’s the message??
9 years 19 weeks agoA couple of conversations in the last week or so has highlighted the importance of effective communication if you want anyone to take notice of the project information you have carefully gathered and analysed. Good data, good analysis and good information are useless if no one gets the message.
Far too many project controls professionals and project managers think they have done
Measuring Culture - a new dimension for PMOs?
9 years 23 weeks agoOn many occasion we, and others, have defined good governance as balancing the needs of stakeholders and the objectives of the organisation to achieve long-term, sustainable value for the majority, if not all, stakeholders (see: Mosaic’s governance archives). From these considerations, Dr. Lynda Bourne
Why do so many organisations and clients accept bad schedules?
9 years 26 weeks agoThe need for effective planning and scheduling has been recognised for well over 100 years. Projects fail when they overrun the allocated time and budget and overrunning on schedule is a great way to make sure you also overrun on cost.
The elements needed to enhance the probability of project success are also well known, starting with a skilled project manager and team, with the
Stakeholder’s Don’t Understand Numbers
9 years 35 weeks agoProject controls processes and project reports are full of numbers and calculations and one would think that most project stakeholders, particularly senior managers, would see and understand the numbers in the same way. Unfortunately resent research
