No project runs its course without some project team issues or concerns. Any time you have a group of highly-skilled and highly-focused individuals working closely – yet often individually – on a team working toward a common project goal, you're bound to have conflicts and issues. Usually small, sometimes big. But you will have them – probably on every project to some degree. What I'd like to do here is discuss four tips you can use on each project going forward to help get the most out of the team and therefore also realise the best success and performance on each project you manage. Consider the following...
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Artificial intelligence holds promise as a way to improve IT project management, but there are some hurdles to overcome.
In the tech world, it's common for the DevOps team to be responsible for the project management aspect of software development. DevOps workers have a strong reliance on analytics, so it's not surprising that there is a push toward using artificial intelligence — which does analyses of its own — in project management. This trend has both pros and cons — here are two of each. Pro: AI could be ideal for handling large amounts of data One task in which AI excels when compared to humans is processing vast amounts of data. There are countless examples of how teams applied AI to their work and achieved the desired results in days when it would otherwise take months...  Agile methodology includes various methodologies in itself. Agile methodologies like Scrum, FDD, etc. are all part of the agile manifesto, which was introduced in the year 2001. Agile methodology is often compared with the waterfall model in the software development industry. However, agile approach is considered to be better.
It uses an incremental approach where a sample prototype is discussed with the customer. The prototype helps in understanding the key aspects, including the requirements. The consecutive prototypes reflect the changes done in the previous prototypes. This keeps happening till the customer is satisfied, providing better end-product to the customer. The idea is to maintain product’s quality in the entire phase of development. In the year 2001, several agile principles were discussed and agreed upon under the Agile alliance. The principles were to be followed for agile software development. While comparing the Waterfall model and the agile methodology, Royce concluded that:
Why Agile?
You may also like: Is Agile Project Management the Right Way to Go?  In the risk-filled world of cryptocurrency, "sorry for your loss" has a very specific meaning. In the case of Canadian crypto-exchange QuadrigaCX, it's become a rather grim double entendre.
The exchange's founder, 30-year-old Gerald Cotten, died unexpectedly in December 2018. According to a Jan. 31 affidavit filed by his widow Jennifer Robertson and dug up by Coindesk, it also just so happens that Cotten had sole access to most of the exchange's $190 million worth of crypto held in cold storage. Or, rather, what looks to be the exchange's customers' $190 million worth of crypto. And no one appears to be able to access it. Because when he died, it seems Cotten took the keys with him... Are you ready to take that next step in your project management career and get PMP certiified, become a better leader, and start earning your full potential - up to $20,000 more per year? The PM PrepCast can get you there.
Learn by watching video-based training to master the Knowledge, Skills, Tools and Techniques that are not taught in regular project management classes... but which you’d better know if you want to pass the Project Management Professional (PMP)® exam. Understand how concepts from A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) work and know them like they are second nature. Approximately 75% of questions on your PMP exam use the guide as their primary reference. Your in-depth knowledge and understanding of these concepts help you spot the correct answer. This gets you ready for the next step: Prepare with 1,000+ Realistic PMP Exam Sample Questions. The PrepCast Elite comes with 90-Day Accessto The PM Exam Simulator, which gives you the most realistic and up-to-date exam sample questions on the market. This is just like on the real exam. Re-Imagined to Ensure You're Ahead on Exam Day. The PM PrepCast Sixth Edition is completely redesigned and rebuilt from the ground up with the current exam specifications in mind. Get over one-hundred brand-new video lessons with the course. Achieve the deep conceptual understanding of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) that is required for the exam. Everything is Designed From the Ground Up for Fast Online Learning and Maximum Ease of Mastery and Retention. Unlike other "online courses", this is NOT rehashed classroom training – it's designed from the ground up as an online course to get you studying exam concepts as much as possible from day 1. The professionals behind the PM PrepCast did this so you don't have to read a dozen books. Track Your Progress Throughout the Lessons. The Learning Management System (LMS) will automatically track which lessons you have/have not visited and a progress bar shows you where you are. It’s easy to return and refresh your knowledge whenever you need to do so. Jump back (or forward) to any lesson you want at any time. Download All Lessons to Your Phone or Tablet. As a modern project manager, you are always on the go and need to be able to use every available minute to study. That's not a problem because The PM PrepCast is a full-featured podcast: Just install a podcast app on your phone and then download every single video lesson right into your pocket! Certificate for 35 Contact Hours. After completing the course material, you’re eligible to take a Final Exam. Once you pass the quiz, you’ll receive a Certificate that satisfies the PMI requirement for 35 Contact Hours of formal project management education. But more than that, you are now also a better project manager. The PM PrepCast Comes in Three Versions: Basic, Elite, and Executive:The PM PrepCast was first launched in 2008 with the goal of providing high-quality but low-cost training to project managers preparing for their exam. The professionals behind the PM PrepCast have continuously updated it to stay in tune with the latest in available technology as well as the ever-increasing difficulty of the PMP exam. They invest a lot of time and effort into helping you pass, and you can select from one of three versions: PrepCast Basic The PrepCast Basic is our flagship exam training program. Watch best-in-class training lessons as you confidently prepare for your PMP exam. PrepCast Elite In addition to the training lessons, this package gives you 90-day access to The PM Exam Simulator so you can practice what you have learned. PrepCast Executive Need personal coaching? On top of training and online simulation, the executive package gives you access to their team of coaches. But it comes at a much steeper price because you'll work with your own personal coach. Are you ready to make the leap? Contact PM PrepCast now for more information and to get started on the road to PM certification and excellence. If you are a project manager looking for advice to successfully manage and lead your projects, I have the perfect place for you to start.
The PM Podcast is for both beginners and experts. At PM Podcast, they interview project managers from around the world to learn what makes them successful, so that you can apply their lessons to your own projects and copy their success. Leading projects isn't easy -- their advice difinitely will help! If you are just getting started with The Project Management Podcast, please read through this page for the basics. Below is a guide that will help you get around the website. Subscribe to The PM Podcast The PM Podcast offers both a Free and Premium (paid) subscription. Start with the free one first: Free Subscription: Includes access the ten latest episodes Premium Subscription: Includes access to all episodes Recommended Episodes Here are some of PM Podcast's best interviews to get you started. Click on a category of interest: For PM Beginners
For PM Experts
PM Career Advice
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Here is the list of all podcast episodes. There are over 300 and most are free to play. Here is the list of podcast episode details. Here is a Google spreadsheet with episode titles and duration. Considering a Free or Premium Subscription? Go here. We are now one year away from 2020. Like 20/20 vision, will we be able to look back on 2019 with perfect hind sight? So, I’m thinking that maybe I could look ahead to the year with perfect “foresight.” To do that, how about just pretend that today is Jan. 2, 2020 and I’m looking back at all the projects I pursued in 2019. Did they “pencil?”
In my context – “Pencil” is an Engineering term. A quick search on google though shows it as a “finance” term. What it means is the project or idea economically viable?... You can certainly wing it if you want to. It’s not recommended to manage your complex project engagements without the use of a solid project management software tool. That means we spend lots of money on several site licenses and start training, reading and the long learning curve to productive PM engagements and efficient management of project tasks and delivered projects, right? Not so fast.
There are now literally hundreds of tools out there – some good, some excellent, and some you probably shouldn’t bother even trying…a few of those come to mind. There are free ones, expensive ones, and everything in between. I am always intrigued by those I have never heard of. Those are the ones I tend to investigate. I’ve chosen 14 of those to share with you today because I’ve discussed the products with their creators and I know they are good people who are passionate about their products and stand behind them. Please read about these PM related software products that may be new to you…and give them a try. You won’t be sorry. Then feel free to comment and tell me – and all your fellow readers and project managers – what you thought of them... Cheetah Learning was the first company to offer Accelerated PMP Exam Prep over 15 years ago. Cheetah Learning has a consistent 98% pass rate and 95% of their business is referrals from their large and very successful alumni base. Cheetah Learning students and the companies they serve become the top performers in their industries. They offer PMP, PMI-ACP, CAPM, and CCPM prep courses as well as continuing education classes in a variety of project management, negotiations, and accelerated learning topics. Oh, and you WILL pass the PMP - it's guaranteed by Cheetah!
Use code BRADPMP for a discount AND 60 FREE PDUs Feeling lost on what to do with PMP and certification?? Download and check out the Cheetah SmartStart Guide to get on the "Fast Track" to the PMP. Are you a project manager who is tired of going through the motions or tired of experiencing small pay raises with little or no career advancement? Want to take control of your career and your life? It will be an adventure, but a very rewarding one. With you go from zero to certified in just 5 days. Yes... 5 days. Train, test, pass. Oh, and guaranteed to pass. I can't make this stuff up. Cheetah Learning is not like the other training and certification programs or organizations. What they give you is more of a full life plan. It will seriously change the way you live in other aspects of your life. You will find yourself approaching, planning, living and succeeding differently than you ever have before. You won't be Superman, but you will accomplish more in a more efficient and effective manner and you will see it as it's happening - and others will, too. Remember "Be like Mike" from the 80's? That, of course, was Michael Jordan. Now it will be "Be like Jeff" or "Be Like Nancy" or whatever everyone calls you. You will be changed. Trust me. Success will carryover to other parts of your life. But don't just take my word for it. See for yourself - you won't be sorry. And it's guaranteed... remember. Cheetah wants you, to want them. And you should.  Use The Tools Available Two things primarily facilitate Big Data: cloud computing—which provides a variety of infrastructurally enhancing applications—and the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT technology is everywhere. Smartphones, tablets, laptops, smart cars, and even city utilities like traffic lights or parking meters utilize this technology. It’s additionally used in many corporate atmospheres for a variety of purposes. As an example, consider production. IoT can help manage machinery such that you get the greatest lifespan out of it, and avoid having it break down in a way which stalls production. In terms of office management, IoT can manage physical utilities proactively, you can use it to more efficiently heat or cool a building, you can track employees, and when IoT is applied to the cloud, it can even be used to outsource your office. Cloud computing surrogates an internal network. This can be done on a public or private cloud, and there are also hybrid solutions available where sensitive information is stored on the private cloud, while that which isn’t so integral to operations is on the public option. Altogether, you can “float” your network such that is decentralized; perpetually available online. This allows BYOD, or Bring Your Own Device, solutions. BYOD has been shown to yield increased employee productivity for a number of reasons, and because it utilizes remote devices accessing the network through proper credentials and a secure connection, data can be collected which increasingly reveals secrets about your operation. Big Data’s Part All of these things working in concert yield Big Data. Big Data works on a level where terabytes can be processed in real time—and the speed at which such datasets are processed is increasing as technology blooms outward at Moore’s Law intervals. What this means is if you, for example, had a supply chain across several continents, Big Data utilizing IoT and the cloud to process information in real-time could reveal trends to you that have never been visible to large-scale companies before. Application monitoring via the cloud is possible, but likewise, supply chain management is possible. You can navigate a fleet of vehicles around road construction and weather patterns. The most optimal routes can be calculated using data coming from fuel consumption and vehicular wear and tear. The potentiality is billions in savings with no loss of operational quality—in fact, there can be an increase in infrastructural efficiency and output. Certainly, the scope of savings will depend on the size of your operation, but one thing is beyond doubt: Big Data represents a substantial solution for many businesses and failing to utilize it is akin to leaving money on the table. Managing BYOD Solutions As a brief hypothetical case study, let’s look closer at BYOD solutions. Desktop as a Service (DaaS) can be used to get remotely operating employees on the same page. You can either allow them to use their own device, or you can use another DaaS protocol--Device as a Service—to ensure all employees have the same end-user tech. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantage of essentially “renting” devices for your employees is that there is a higher cost. The disadvantage of always allowing workers to use their own tech is that some software may not be aligned with that in management, and there could be malware which enters the network. Untrusted connections can also initiate malware, meaning you’ve got to have MDM solutions in place. Mobile Device Management ensures that end-user portals acting as IoT nodes and interacting via the cloud aren’t threatening your network. There are many software packages you can use which can help collect MDM data and lessen the management load. For example, with SolarWinds’ software, you can automate user rights management through Access Rights Manager, simplifying management of a large infrastructure with many diverse employees working remotely.  Conserve Assets And Optimize Infrastructure
So say you had a hundred employees that you transitioned to a BYOD model utilizing DaaS for the network, and DaaS for devices. You essentially eliminate the cost of the servers for the network, the cost of individual user portals internally, the cost of “unknown quantities” from personal user portals that have a different software configuration, and the real estate cost of office space. Altogether, that could result in savings of tens of thousands—or even hundreds of thousands—a month. In addition, you get more productive employees who continuously produce data pertaining to their operational activities. This data can be managed using Big Data protocols to determine trends, and help further optimize your business such that it is at its highest operating potential. When such Big Data protocols are additionally applied to marketing, production, distribution, damage control, core operations, and R&D, suddenly the potentiality for exponential forward development is on the table. In today’s world, technology has continued an exponential doubling of itself about every eighteen months since Gordon Moore observed the trend in the sixties. The next technological innovation is on the horizon, and you’ve got to keep the most viable, sustainable pace you can with IT in order to maximize your operational ability. Utilizing Big Data and infrastructural management software is key. |
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Brad Egeland
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