Project Management World Today Viewpoints
Feburary 2006

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Viewpoints are submitted and invited editorials intended to promote discussion on issues of importance to project management. The views expressed in articles published in Viewpoints are those of the authors alone. They do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of pmforum.org or its staff.

"Sort This Out!"

I just recently finished reading "The World is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman. I thoroughly enjoyed this book as it applies to my personal business and to my personal hobby.the MetSIG, where I find personal satisfaction in pursuing innovation through metrics within my profession while I help others achieve the same value.

As if we did not know already, the world economy is changing and now changing very dynamically with the pace of change seemingly occurring overnight in some areas. The cause and effect of these dynamic changes in our world can make countries rich one day and poor the next. Technology, leading edge in an instant, obsolete in another. The same is true for companies, organizations within these businesses, and the people that work there.

Businesses that use to have a corporate home "country" now are truly more global with all the changing dynamics they have merged with other companies in other countries that has resulted in a senior management team that represents both countries (or more). In some cases, the brick and mortar that use to be part of the business has changed. It is gone, diminished, replaced with the speed of light through fiber-optics and broadband technology as an example. Companies that use to act big and work big are finding that they need work small to gain access to untapped markets and they are doing so successfully. The opposite is also occurring, small companies can act big because the "flattening" phenomena. Just ask Wal-Mart and UPS with the business they are winning with the supply management chain services they offer. But what does this all mean to metrics and more importantly to you?

As the author, Thomas Friedman states simply, the world is becoming "more flat." This "flattening" has become an catalyst for the need for rapid decision making that requires data learned rapidly from constantly changing work flow processes. Those that can harness the speed of change to provide essential data that enables faster decision making will do well. Today, India and China are winning the front end of this new enablement. They are winning because the cost of business favors companies that provide least cost resources and this has been companies operating in India and China. Companies in these countries have adapted to business demand and there is a lot of demand. They are more agile, more flat. The distance between work results and decision making is much less and as a result much more collaborative for them than it is for most other businesses because they have become so "flat."

The project management profession has been well documented in its cost-benefit value to innovation initiatives. It has been learned that standardization of rigor and discipline can result in less risk, less time of effort, more speed, and can improve the "flatness" of "getting it done." The PMI® Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) has become the standard against which we all measure project management value.

Since May of 2004, the MetSIG has been on a march to support the business world through Metrics. As a result of the Board of Directors and their aggregated efforts, the MetSIG is on the cusp of positively changing the value proposition of metrics to every business professional in the world today. We are growing new content every day and the volume is slowly incrementing.

Today we offer several items to select from. Soon more MetSIG offerings will be available to you and to businesses around the world that offer commodities in metric related content, product, services, consulting, or training. You will be able to make money through business lead registrations. Simply put, the MetSIG will become the eBay of Metrics on the Internet. This is our vision, our mission.our passion. The opportunity to become rich and/or famous will be available to you because of the content you upload to our "Knowledge Center" depending on whether you charge a fee or provide it free. If your knowledge is good enough, the flat world will come to you. We are your vehicle to reach the world market in metrics.

Today, we are expanding towards launching the MetSIG "Congress" soon where every country and every significant company will be represented to help form best practices and "flatter" Return on Investment. Can you imagine the attraction this business model will bring to potential business vendors wishing to acquire market penetration through the MetSIG business model?

I encourage you to consider how you can add value to "flat world" by finding some way to participate in this flat business evolution. Contact me today, I will help you get started in the MetSIG journey (Chair@MetSIG.Org). Knowledge can be a wonderful asset. To know that you know is far better than not knowing that you do not know. In a "flat world", where you sit in this knowledge can be the difference in your personal success or your personal failure. Where else can you today find this same value in Metrics reference and content value? We know the way. Help us help you. We know that we know. The question is how valuable is this for you.or your replacement in another country?

I encourage you to get involved with metrics. You will never regret it. In Friedman's book, he provides significant insight to many paradoxes that have developed because of the globalization of our economies. Sorting the value of the opportunities into the correct order is the challenge for all of us but it depends on which world you desire to live or work in or move towards?

If you are not persuaded by this short article about the coming of the flat world, get a copy of Freidman's book and read it several times. You will need to just "Sort this out." Once you can comprehend the message, I hope you see what I see regarding what this means in metrics value. The value proposition of metrics is about to sky rocket. Professionals and businesses that become recognized for their ability to apply this knowledge will be in very high demand. The journey has begun. We as an open knowledge community of practitioners now know what we are fighting for. Best-in-class Metrics! We are so close!

About the Author

Steven C. Rollins is the CEO of the ALLPMO Network Inc., in which organization governance through project and program management is applied for effective throughput optimization. ALLPMO Network provides high-level training seminars and consulting that brings out the value proposition of portfolio management, speed to market project delivery project fraud management and PMP certification training that enables the project manager to be their best.

In addition, Mr. Rollins is a global subject matter expert in PMO development, implementation and improvement. Mr. Rollins has co-authored PMI best selling "Advanced Project Portfolio Management and the PMO: Multiplying ROI at Warp Speed", "Essential Project Investment Governance and Reporting: Project Project Fraud and Ensuring Sarbanes Oxley Compliance" and will be releasing "Value Based Metrics: An Enterprise Toolkit" in 2006 all through J Ross Publishing (www.JRossPub.Com).

Mr. Rollins can be contacted at Steve@PMOUSA.Com.

 

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