Featured Papers - October 2006
- Using Stakeholder Analysis in Software Project Management - by Bas de Baar
- "Don't Buy Any Green Bananas!" - by Rob Zanfardino
- Cyclic Stochastic Alternative Network Models for Project Management -
by Vladimir I. Voropayev and Yan D. Gelrud - Why Companies Fail On the Way to Implementing
Project Management Methodology
by Florin Gheorghiu, PMP - Churchill the Project Manager (Part 5) - by Mark Kozak-Holland
Using Stakeholder Analysis in Software Project Management
by Bas de Baar
Every software professional that has been part of more than one project knows for sure: no two projects are the same. Different circumstances make most software projects unique in several aspects. And with different situations come different approaches to handle project life effectively: there are mutliple ways to “do” a project. Different circumstances require different approaches.
Although a project is to a large part defined by the required end results and technology used, the main determining factor of what makes a project different from another is people. The entire process of software project management is strongly stakeholder-driven. It’s their wishes, fears, dreams—their stakes—that determine the course of the project. You have to handle a project to really grasp the impact of people on your endeavor. You have to “live” a project to know the force of political games and power trips. You have to lead a team to deliver a project under time pressures to appreciate the constructive power of motivated people or the destructive power of demotivated team members.
Read the full text of Using Stakeholder Analysis in Software Project Management
About the Author:
Bas de Baar
Bas De Baar works as a Project Manager within the publishing industry. Since 2001, he has been the editor of www.SoftwareProjects.org, a popular website dedicated to Software Project Management. He holds a masters degree in Business Informatics and currently lives with his wife in the coastal town of Zandvoort, The Netherlands. His latest book, “Surprise! Now You’re a Software Project Manager”, was published in September 2006 and is available from www.mmpubs.com or from most book retailers. Mr. De Baar can be reached at basdebaar@gmail.com.
"Don't Buy Any Green Bananas!"
by Rob Zanfardino
I know what you are thinking. This is one of those tricks used by writers to catch your attention, as described to you in my last article: The Price is Right. To be completely honest, when I first heard the phrase, “Don’t buy any green bananas”, I did not like the sound of it. However the news turned to the positive and I had a chance to reflect upon my life. This quote served two purposes: The first being to remember to pay my term life insurance premium because I would still need it, and second, it would solve an immediate problem of what to write about in my next article.
This quote was told to me by a medical technician while I was having a medical procedure performed. As you may know most technicians cannot release the results of tests until the doctors have had a chance to review them. Being the examinee on the table, wearing funny robes and exposing my best assets, I wondered if this may be the final curtain call. I thought I would at least show the technician I was somewhat interested in the events taking place, so I tried to extract some information out of her regarding the test results.
Read the full text of "Don't Buy Any Green Bananas!"
About the Author:
Rob Zanfardino
Robert J. Zanfardino, Senior Project / Program Manager, has worked with multi billion dollar
corporations such as IBM, Gentiva Health Services, CompuCom, and Bristol-Myers Squibb, as well as smaller
midsize companies while managing his own consulting company. This deep range of experiences over the years
developed Rob into a Senior Advisor playing pivotal roles by identifying new strategies and methodologies
within corporations as they effect the project life cycle. His ability to envision long term solutions
combined with structuring sensible implementation plans have made Rob a valued asset and "Go To" resource. As an Adjunct Professor focusing on Business Process Management methodologies, Rob has devised
quality strategies used to streamline processes that focus on the customer's needs. Rob is currently
consulting with corporations enhancing their IT/IS projects, project management offices, and business
process methodologies. Rob can be contacted at: 845-226-6074 or email: zanfardino4@earthlink.net.
Cyclic Stochastic Alternative Network Models
for Project Management
by Vladimir I. Voropayev, Yan D. Gelrud
Abstract
Project implementation process modelling is the main active methodological body of the Project Management discipline [1]. The efficiency of decisions made and the whole functioning of the PM system is determined by the adequacy of models for real processes and their meeting the requirements of project management tasks and goals.
The high degree of complexity and laboriousness of drawing up timing schedules for numerous activities performed by many project members using a great range of resources, strict requirements for the quality of plans, the need for regular control of their fulfilment and adjustment call for the proper methods of solving problems of such sophisticated nature.
Today world market of Project Management Software[11] presents products with network models and methods of scheduling based on the researches of the end of 50th- beginning of 70th [2],[7] with very limited possibilities. At the same time the current mathematical methods of modelling project processes (classical network models [2], generalised [3, 4, 5], probabilistic [6] and stochastic [7] network models) do not always appear adequate to the complex reality of the modelled process. It should be noted that it refers to each method taken separately and to some combinations of these methods.
Read the full text of Cyclic Stochastic Alternative Netwrok Models for Project Management
About the Authors:
Vladimir I. Voropayev
Professor Vladimir Voropajev, PhD. is President and Chairman of the Board of the Russian Association of Project Management, SOVNET. Dr. Voropajev is professor of Project Management at the State University of Management, Moscow, Russia. He is also Head of the Program and Project Management Faculty for the Russian State Academy’s Program for Professional Retraining and Professional Skill Development for Executives and Specialists in Investment Fields. He is a full member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences on Information Science and Cybernetics, and of the International Academy of Investments and Economy in Construction. From 1991 to 2001, he was Vice-president and a member of the Executive Committee of the International Project Management Association (IPMA), the global federation of national PM associations based in Zurich, Switzerland. He is an honorary Fellow of the Indian Project Management Association and a past member of the Global Project Management Forum Steering Committee. During his 40 years of engineering, scientific, teaching and consulting activities, he has published over 250 scientific research works including 7 monographs and 5 textbooks about the organization and planning of construction, information systems, and project management. Vladimir serves on the editorial boards of several international project management journals, is a frequent participant in PM conferences worldwide, and provides ongoing counsel and support to PM professional leaders in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Yugoslavia and other countries. Professor Voropajev can be reached at voropaev@sovnet.ru
Yan D. Gelrud
Gelrud Jan is professor and department chair for "Enterprise and management" at the South Ural State University in Chelyabinsk, Russia. His teaching disciplines include: "Mathematics", "Theory of probabilities and mathematical statistics", "Econometrics", "Economic and mathematical methods", "Mathematical methods of decision making", "Bases of methodology of decision making", "Economic evaluation of investments", "Mathematical methods and models of governing projects", and "Studies of managerial systems". Professor Jan has more than 100 publications and appearances at seminars and conferences. During the last 5 years, he has published 15 scientific works, 8 scholastic allowances, and a monograph entitled "Project management in conditions of risk and uncertainty". Born in 1947 in Birobidjan, Khabarovsk, he finished physicist-mathematical school at Novosibirsk in 1965 and graduated from the mathematical department of the University of Novosibirsk in 1970. From 1970 until 1991, he worked in the Research institute of automatic managerial systems, managing the mathematical division. He participated in the creation and introduction more than 100 automatic managerial systems for different branches of Russian industry. During 1991 – 1997, he was the general director of "URAL-ASC„O-SERVICE". Mr. Jan resides in Chelyabinsk and can be reached at E-mail gelrud@mail.ru
Why Companies Fail on the Way to Implementing Project Management Methodology
by Florin Gheorghiu, PMP
Project Management (PM) has now become an extremely fashionable topic for discussion and it seems that this trend will increase even further in the future. The Project Manager as a professional individual has gained sustained and strong credentials throughout the world. Practitioners today are struggling everywhere to keep their standing up and to get nationwide certification from reputed institutions.
Like individuals, organizations tend to adjust and upgrade their behavior for better representation in the market. They are also keen to embrace methodologies, procedures, rules, and tactics in order to become prevailing actors in certain fields of PM application and in the marketplace. There are some major problems, however, with how companies try to implement project management methodologies. This paper discusses three major problems that I have noticed in how organizations implement PM.
Read the full text of Why Companies Fail on the Way to Implementing Project Management Methodolog
About the Author:
Florin Gheorghiu, PMP
Florin Gheorghiu, PMP, has more than 10 years of experience in Project Management methodology and process implementation covering the entire project life cycle. His applied expertise is centered on “turn key” Engineering-Procurement-Construction projects in the power sector. His experience includes large power plants rehabilitation projects financed by the International Bank for Reconstruction & Development (IBRD) and the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD). He has worked for Parsons Power (Gilbert Commonwealth), Lahmeyer International and Pennsylvania Power & Light (PP&L) as a project Consultant.
Recently he joined UTI Group, a holding of company in the field of large public buildings rehabilitation projects and building complex security systems. Mr. Gheorghiu is acting now as a Professional Project Manager for his company. His current assignment is a large complex hotel rehabilitation project owned by a globally reputed hotel chain operator. Mr. Gheorghiu lives in Bucharest, Romania and can be reached at fgheorghiu2001@yahoo.com.
Churchill the Project Manager (Part 5)
by Mark Kozak-Holland
Most people are very familiar with Winston Churchill but may not be familiar with his approach to project management and his PM skills. Parts 1 and 2 introduced the series and how Churchill acquired a project from hell, and why the skills that he brought to the project made him so uniquely qualified. Part 3 looked at his actions up to 1939 that made him a real alternative, and part 4 looked at how technology impacted the Allies “First World War” frame of mind. This article looks at how Churchill acquired the project in May 1940 and took immediate actions, and compares this to the act of project acquisition in today’s world, and the importance of setting expectations.
The May 1940 the U.K. faced a desperate situation as Chamberlain had stalled for peace hoping he could manage his way out without declaring war. The U.K. was hopelessly unprepared for a modern war (Part 4). On May the 8th the British Parliament questioned his handling of the Norwegian campaign with the loss of about 4,000 British troops and the occupation of the country. In a vote of confidence his majority crashed as politicians lost faith in his failed leadership. A “coalition” government was desperately needed but the opposition parties, senior Labour figures, opposed forming this under Chamberlain. They firmly believed that the only leader credible enough to take over was Churchill, and made this a condition.
Read the full text of Churchill the Project Manager (Part 5)
Read the full text of the entire series.
- Churchill the Project Manager (Part 1)
- Churchill the Project Manager (Part 2)
- Churchill the Project Manager (Part 3)
- Churchill the Project Manager (Part 4)
About the Author:
Mark Kozak-Holland
The latest book in Mark Kozak-Holland's the Lessons-From-History series is titled “Churchill's Adaptive Enterprise: Lessons for Business Today”
It draws parallels between events in World War II and today's business challenges. Mark is a Senior Business Architecture with HP Services and regularly writes and speaks on the subject of emerging technologies and lessons that can be learned from historical projects. He can be contacted via his Web site at http://www.lessons-from-history.com or via email to mark.kozak-holl@sympatico.ca
Express your views on any
PM World Today Featured Paper!
Visit the PMFORUM Discussion
Center
Editorial Policy: The PMFORUM® has no connection to any national or international project management organization nor does it reflect the policy of any project management professional or commercial organization. The PMFORUM® maintains an objective and impartial view of project management affairs. In the interests of advancing professional project management the PMFORUM® will publish contending and objective views on issues that reflect collegial differences and perspectives