The Milestone-Kanban Schedule (MKS) is a hybrid project scheduling and management technique that combines traditional and agile best practices. The technique is well-suited for simple and complicated projects where the required deliverables are clea...
While Microsoft Project does not have a straight of the vbox Level of Effort activity type like primavera P6, you can still add Hammock or Level of Effort tasks to your Microsoft Project schedule, using one of 2 workarounds. The first workaround is t...
Construction planner and scheduler Frank Lee was at it again. He was in the process of creating and developing another phantom project schedule for the Project Control Manager. The initiative started when the Project Manager complained to the Project...
For a thief, a good security system is a threat. To a security guard, that same system is an opportunity to lessen the risk of robbery and to increase the chance of catching the thieves.A person’s perspective depends on which side of the fence he is ...
Fed up with adverts from software companies and consultancies that are going to change the world of Planning and solve all your project problems? This series of occasional articles promises nothing but thought provoking questions on how well we under...
It is a common phenomenon. Something happens, usually something bad. Daily meetings are organized. Anyone connected with the event is there—from senior executives to junior staff. There is incredible focus. Then, the triggering issue is resolved...
1. Problem or Opportunity StatementThe PMO has been assigned the supervision of two hospitals, and they have to produce a Class 3 Estimate for the projects as a single estimate, as part of the internal assurance process. As part of a bilateral agreem...
Go to Boston. In the Beacon Hill neighborhood, you will find the Paramount Restaurant. The Paramount is both a great eating experience and a fine example of Lean production. The restaurant was opened in 1937. Its unusual service policy that is pr...
Construction planner and scheduler Frank Lee was at it again. He was in the process of creating and developing another phantom project schedule for the Project Control Manager. The initiative started when the Project Manager complained to the Project...
Mark is boarding a plane and heard one passenger in front remarked in jest that the chance of the aircraft reaching its destination is 50%.It is just a joke to him because he is a serious risk practitioner. The statement demonstrates the probability ...
Recently, my wife and I took a trip. We were at the airport. Our flight was delayed. She was sitting with her back to the window and checking the flight’s status on her iPhone. She said that we should start boarding in 5 minutes. I looked out the...
I spent most of my career in management, leading teams in fast-paced, ever-changing companies. I have a lot of experience with organizational change. I led teams through reorganizations. I have also been reorganized. Change is often necessary. To...
What are we doing? And why are we doing it? These are the first two critical questions that must be asked at the start of every project. However, they often go unanswered!The nominal “what” is often provided. Implement a new system. Launch a new prog...
A picture is worth a thousand words. Projects can generate a lot of data. Large, mature organizations generally have the tools to capture, store, and analyze this information effectively. However, small and less mature organizations and those leadin...
Changes to the Baseline must be accommodated so that the baseline accurately represents the current plan. Timely incorporation of changes is necessary so that managers are not tracking to obsolete plans and generating "false" variances.Baseline Chang...
Balancing our work and home lives is a challenge that nearly everyone faces. I was a single parent for many years and managed large teams and projects in Fortune 100 companies. It was not always easy. Recently, I was talking to an old friend and f...
Agile seems like a mystery to many. It has an unfamiliar vocabulary and practices. To outsiders, it feels like an exclusive club. However, when we step back and inspect agile, we see that it follows common, recognizable patterns from our daily live...
We have all been told that time equals money. Even, time is money. But what does any of that truly mean? Time and money separately are highly debatable subjects. The combination of the two can certainly be a conundrum. However, it is this author’s be...
Operational Excellence, the alignment of organization’s culture and climateBy Arash Dowlatshahi, Director of Project Services, Aegion[[wysiwyg_imageupload:7067:]]Operational excellence in an organization is a dependent of the alignment of organizatio...
It is wrong from the moment you print it on paper. This is true in all aspects of life, as life happens every minute, and there are always things that you couldn’t possibly be aware of before you finalize your plan.Still, the first step of any projec...