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Breaking News in the Project Management World
Saturday, October 07, 2006
The Third Wave Revisited - Pells Predicts Continued Global Growth for Professional Project Management
Delivering the primary keynote speech on Friday afternoon, 6 October 2006, at the 6th International Project Management (PM) Seminar in Sao Paulo, Brazil, David Pells predicted continued growth in the demand for professional PM worldwide for at least the next 50 years. David’s presentation was entitled “The Third Wave Revisited – How current trends in society are propelling the growth of modern project management.”
In his presentation, Mr. Pells referred the audience to the three waves of human development described in Alvin Toffler’s 1980 classic book, The Third Wave. David suggested that many of the global trends that we have seen in the last ten years were predicted by Mr. Toffler nearly 25 years ago, and are completely consistent with other third wave predictions for technologies, industries, economies and society.
Pells went on to suggest that many trends in the world of professional PM can, in fact, be directly correlated to some of those broader “third wave” trends. The following examples were highlighted in the speech:
Based on these and other global trends that are increasing the number of projects in all industries worldwide, Mr. Pells predicts a continued growth in the demand for modern PM for the foreseeable future.
David L. Pells is managing editor of www.pmforum.org and the monthly PM World Today e-Journal. He is also the president and CEO of iWorld Projects & Systems, Inc., a public business development company in the USA. He is a past director and a Fellow of the Project Management Institute (PMI®). More information about David Pells can be found at http://www.pmforum.org/pm forum team
Click here to see a copy of his presentation "The Third Wave Revisited"
The International Seminar on Project Management is an annual 3-day conference sponsored by the Sao Paulo chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI-SP). The 2006 International PM Seminar, held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, was the 6th annual event sponsored by PMI-SP and the largest one to date with over 700 paid attendees and 20 corporate sponsors. PMI-SP is the largest PMI chapter in South America and one of the most active. For more information, visit http://www.pmisp.org.br
Reported by Alcides Santopietro and David Pells in São Paulo, Brazil.
Mr. Alcides Santopietro is an International Correspondent for www.pmforum.org in São Paulo, Brazil. Mr. Santopietro is also founder and managing partner for Proage, a project management consulting and training company based in São Paulo.
An Industrial Engineer and PMP, with post-graduate diplomas in Marketing and Project Management, Alcides is an active volunteer leader in the PM profession. Additional information about Mr. Santopietro can be found at www.pmforum.org/pm forum team/index.htm#Santopietro. Mr. Santopietro can be contacted at alcides.santopietro@gmail.com.
Pells went on to suggest that many trends in the world of professional PM can, in fact, be directly correlated to some of those broader “third wave” trends. The following examples were highlighted in the speech:
- Informationalization – of enterprises and industries, represented by massive investments in IT, has resulted in rapid increased demand for PM for IT projects, in IS/IT industries, and in enterprises worldwide.
- Economic globalization – leading to global competitive pressures and increased emphasis on efficiencies and productivity, resulting in more projects & higher demand for PM.
- Globalization of Communications – had led to more global projects, more global PM, and increased demand for both PM credentials and project communications skills.
- Virtual projects & virtual teams – brought on by economic globalization, information technologies and global communications capabilities, has led to more emphasis on global PM & multi-cultural PM and a demand for improved communications skills for project managers.
- Mass customization – reflected by more custom designs and manufacturing of products, for both consumers and industrial organizations, has increased both the number of projects & the demand for PM among more organizations, especially traditional manufacturing and operations-oriented enterprises and industries.
- Just-in-time (J-I-T) deliveries – increased emphasis on J-I-T supplies, manufacturing and deliveries of finished products, leading to more projects throughout the supply chain with increased demand for PM in more organizations, especially in the logistics, shipping, transportation and manufacturing industries, as each supply chain becomes a “chain of projects” in different organizations.
- Cross border migrations – labor movements across borders as low-skilled labor moves into industrialized nations seeking 1st and 2nd “wave” jobs, with technology workers doing the same in search of 3rd wave IT project work; but also reflected in the migration of “projects”, programs and portfolios of projects to developing countries where low cost but highly educated workers live.
Based on these and other global trends that are increasing the number of projects in all industries worldwide, Mr. Pells predicts a continued growth in the demand for modern PM for the foreseeable future.
David L. Pells is managing editor of www.pmforum.org and the monthly PM World Today e-Journal. He is also the president and CEO of iWorld Projects & Systems, Inc., a public business development company in the USA. He is a past director and a Fellow of the Project Management Institute (PMI®). More information about David Pells can be found at http://www.pmforum.org/pm forum team
Click here to see a copy of his presentation "The Third Wave Revisited"
The International Seminar on Project Management is an annual 3-day conference sponsored by the Sao Paulo chapter of the Project Management Institute (PMI-SP). The 2006 International PM Seminar, held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, was the 6th annual event sponsored by PMI-SP and the largest one to date with over 700 paid attendees and 20 corporate sponsors. PMI-SP is the largest PMI chapter in South America and one of the most active. For more information, visit http://www.pmisp.org.br
Reported by Alcides Santopietro and David Pells in São Paulo, Brazil.
Alcides Santopietro
International Correspondent Brazil Based in São Paulo
Mr. Alcides Santopietro is an International Correspondent for www.pmforum.org in São Paulo, Brazil. Mr. Santopietro is also founder and managing partner for Proage, a project management consulting and training company based in São Paulo.
An Industrial Engineer and PMP, with post-graduate diplomas in Marketing and Project Management, Alcides is an active volunteer leader in the PM profession. Additional information about Mr. Santopietro can be found at www.pmforum.org/pm forum team/index.htm#Santopietro. Mr. Santopietro can be contacted at alcides.santopietro@gmail.com.
