
So often people come up with great product ideas but imprison them in their dreams instead of making them a reality. Why? Because too often women in particular find the process too intimidating and so don’t create their passion product. But manufacturing or product creation is really just a series of steps that need to [...]

Does the idea of calculating your product costs set off your gag reflex? Almost everyone hates having to deal with the numbers part of our businesses, but it’s too vital to ignore. If you don’t know what it truly and completely costs to get your product to your warehouse – or garage, as the case [...]

W hile out and out mutiny may be rare on project teams, lackluster performance and disconnects between the project manager and the team happen more often than they need to. Observing some of the actions and attitudes of the cold, hard Captain William Bligh can provide you with a measure to use against your own behavior as a project manager.

All projects are brimming with details, and success lies in executing the details successfully. Even if the project is small such as an outdoor deck, permits need to be obtained; blueprints must be drawn; and supplies and labor must be purchased and managed. What seems like a small project can quickly balloon into a large [...]

The goal of any business is to make money. Whether or not a project is going to make money or lose money is often decided in the planning and beginning stages of a project. When calculating profit an estimate is key. To come up with an estimate, a project manager usually speaks with the client [...]

A travel agency decides about the services it would make available to the customers. Therefore product mix is a step ahead of product design. In product mix, services designed individually are clubbed together. A travel agency has to decide the length and breadth of the product mix. An example would make this clear. Suppose a [...]

With any good luck and a good amount of hard work, you’re having the same problem many business owners today are facing. Your business is growing rapidly and you’re having problems controlling your finances. Time and time again, that Microsoft Excel spreadsheet you’ve been using just isn’t getting the job done for you. So, you’ve [...]

The PRINCE2 Manual has been updated in June 2009. There are no major differences between the 2005 and 2009 versions of PRINCE2 methodology. The PRINCE2 methodology has been refreshed and not re-written. PRINCE2 keeps its core value of being a universal method that can be applied to any project regardless of type, scale, culture or [...]

Good environmental performance and sustainability are important elements in modern development projects. Careful planning is essential to ensure that the requirements are met in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Therefore sustainability should be considered in an early stage of the project with the support of a sustainability expert. In response to client and industry calls [...]

Increasingly local planning authorities in the UK require an energy statement to be submitted as part of a planning application. This is often combined with a requirement to provide a reduction in carbon emissions from the energy use of the building through onsite generation of energy using low or zero carbon technologies (often referred to [...]

Tactical Project Management presents: In this October 22, 2009 issue: Assessing Troubled Projects : Schedule Assessment Nightmare on PM Street Project Estimation: How to use project data to develop a better estimation matrix Book Recommendation: Managing Complex Products: A New Model Assessing Troubled Projects : Schedule Assessment I was recently asked to join a troubled program as a program management consultant. The program has 8 major workstreams and the team recently developed an integrated Microsoft Project schedule with new launch dates. The program launch date had several times before and this was the final attempt to deliver the program with the new round of funding. The project team was confident the project schedule for 3500 tasks was realistic and on schedule to deliver. In order to assess the project’s schedule status, I wanted to review the integrated project schedule to answer 3 key questions. You can read about the 3 key questions and how I quickly assesses the troubled projects status at: http://www.tacticalprojectmanagement.com/project-management-tips/troubled-project-schedule-assessment.html Nightmare on PM Street Have you ever been on a nightmare project? I think we all have experienced one or two projects that make you shudder when you remember them. Here is my recent article on one of my key project nightmares and what could have been done better.

I was recently asked to join a troubled program as a program management consultant.