Project Management PMP » Need

Project Managers – Why You Need to Plan the Project Before Delegating Tasks

Project Manager — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 23:19:14 +0000

Project Managers – Why You Need to Plan the Project Before Delegating Tasks

Our Parallel steps to effective delegation of project management tasks are:

Step 1 Define the Scope of the Project

The first and most important step is to define what the project, and perhaps more importantly, which is excluded from the scope. A practical approach is to all the activities that have to think to be completed in the project. The challenge each of them, are they in or out. Be very explicit about what is excluded from the scope of your projects. Some of them, external dependencies that must be covered.

Step 3 Group the Tasks into Sensible Work Packages

To delegate tasks they need to be organised in to self contained work packages which match the skills and capability of team members. Ideally each work package should have minimum dependency on other work package and be a chunk of work worth while completing with a clearly defined deliverable. Think hard about how the activities can be be best grouped make sure that they fit together well and nothing is left out.

Step 4 Build Commitment and Gain Ownership of the Work Packages.

Delegation requires the work package owners to take on responsibility for the completion of the activities and the quality of the final product. This no only include a commitment to the completion of the work but also time scales in with the work will be completed. For each work package get agreement to the time and resources needed to complete the work.

Step 5 Identify the Dependencies Between Work Packages.

For each package you will need to identify how it relies on the other packages in the project. Without this understanding then people will be unable to meet there commitments. These dependencies may not be clearly identified at the start of the project. Communication and commitment between work package managers will be needed to ensure that everyone has the information that they need to complete the project. You can use formal project management planning to help with this process, but even simple flagging of the dependencies and agreeable of target dates will help.

Step 6 Think About the Risks

Things are bound to go wrong during the project. If you can identify the potential risks in advance they you may be able to avoid them, or at least have a contingency plan ready. Discuss with the work package managers in advance what these risks might be and how they can be overcome.

The steps are best completed as part of a project planning start up workshop. This up front investment in delegation of project tasks can pay dividends during the completion of the project.

A Project Management Overview. Answers the question what is project management and how to apply it to your next project.
Video Rating: 4 / 5

What you Need to Know About Web Based Project Management

Project Manager — Tue, 25 May 2010 07:01:27 +0000

Project management is the task of setting and achieving targets while optimizing the use of different resources such as time, money, people, materials, energy, space, among other things over the course of an entire project. With the growing popularity of the internet, the world of project management has witnessed a dramatic change Web based project management creates a real time picture for project managers and management. This type of web management allows these people to anytime and anywhere monitor their company’s functioning. No longer will a team leader or project manager have to leave their work area to inquire about various team members. With web based project management and its real time updates , leaders can always know what is going on.

Web based project management is designed to work by centralizing complete project information onto a single server which tracks all the work being done. In addition, every member of a team can access this link and know exactly where everything is. With web based project management, the manager can easily set deadlines and targets online for the team members who then just need to log in to view their assigned tasks. Team members can then send reports online when they are finished with their assigned tasks.

Another useful feature of the web based project management is the automatic e-mail notification system. This system allows the moment the scheduled task is finished or needs an update, an automatic email is sent to the concerned person. This means that there is no lost time in between periods and work can always be going on.

Project management software has always been used as easy an effective way to guide projects along towards there completion. With web based project management, this concept has been taken to another level. By making things even simpler and having real time updates, time will no longer be lost and work can always be done. Web based project management will definitely make life more convenient for you and your entire team.

Written by Josef Westgate. Get the latest information on project management and Web-based software project management

Project Managers Need To “Manage The Boss”

Project Manager — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 06:57:55 +0000

Most people have one. Yet attending to their demands and idiosyncrasies can be nerve-wracking. Wise people engage good boss management strategies. After all, bosses are not exalted and invincible gods. They are human beings with special roles and authority as well as the requisite levels of human weaknesses, problems and pressures.
Assess Leadership Style
Recognize leadership skills inherent in your own boss. This assists you to better understand your boss. You also benefit by becoming a better manager.
Leader #1: The Press Leader
These leaders pretend to be drill sergeants. Low self-esteem and a strong fear of failure drives them. They are impressed by outward displays of project management and busyness. rather than by results. The leader treats people as expeditors who obey orders. They tolerate no mistakes. Trivial details snare their energies and attention. They oversupervise and manage by punishment.
How to handle The Press Leader: Quickly discover on-the-job limits. Determine whether your boss is simply tough or ruthless. The tough leader precisely delegates authority balanced with appropriate responsibility. The ruthless one disregards human factors. If you choose to resist the press leader, do it privately, not within view of colleagues. This way your leader will not lose face. Support your position with plenty of evidence. Otherwise you lose.
Leader #2: The Laissez-Faire Leader
This leader abandons staff. These leaders provide little or no support in tough times. They stipulate little of what is expected of employees. They provide virtually no project management guidance on how to accomplish tasks. While the Press Leader may hover over an employee’s shoulder, this leader does nothing to train or guide. The Press Leader overmanages. The Laissez-Faire Leader overlooks.
Managing The Laissez-Faire Leader: The individual who is self-motivated and needs little praise will work well under this type of leader. This leader craves facts such as costs, statistics and research findings. Provide these facts and figures for your boss, while at the same time trying to stress some human elements. Encourage your boss to clarify exactly what is to be accomplished.
Leader #3: The Participatory Leader
The Participatory Leader is adept at communication procedures. Under this type of boss, employees are given precise feedback and recognition when deserved. The Participatory Leader strives to involve employees in the assessment process. He or she is inspirational and innovative. The Participatory Leader customizes the type and amount of feedback required for each employee.
Managing The Participatory Leader: The most effective way of dealing with the Participatory Leader is to feed back the same techniques that he or she uses with subordinates. Keep them informed of what does and does not work. Since this type of leader is interested in results, your opinions will be heeded.
Leader #4: The Develop Leader
This leader goes a step beyond the Participatory Leader. The Develop Leader fosters staff self-esteem, autonomy and competence. Techniques for success are isolated and taught to subordinates as the need arises. The Develop Leader empowers staff and nurtures a feeling of reverence, not in the boss, but in employees themselves.
There is often a high staff turnover rate for employees of develop leaders. But it is a good one because it is upward. Because this type of leader creates such a high level of competence amongst the ranks through professional development and project management, there is always someone to take over when someone moves up.
Keep Your Boss Happy
Learn what your boss expects and values.
Strive for high quality results.
Solve as many problems as possible without the help of your boss.
Keep your boss informed.
Be your strongest critic.
Get regular feedback from your boss.
Differ with your boss only in private.
Save money and earn revenue.
Be a good leader yourself.
Promote only valuable ideas.
After all. Your boss is not interested in the storms you encountered, but whether you brought in the ship.

Harry Mingail has taught/teaches Basic Project Management, Project Management for Administrative Professionals, Information Systems, and Senior Project Management seminars for Canadian Management Centre. http://www. cmctraining. org/projectmanagement. asp

Construction Accounting Software – Why You Need To Have Specialist Construction Project Management Software

Project Manager — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 07:03:25 +0000

There is no shortage of general accounting packages available however if you are in the building and construction industry you should seek out a specialised solution designed just for your industry. Why? â¦â¦â¦Because construction is so different and it’s so easy to fail.

The issues start with the construction projects themselves. These can often involve large value contracts and what concerns the business is that changes in the scope of works (called variations) are often greater than the project’s planned âgross profitâ.

Unless variations are managed properly the viability of the business is at risk. Purpose builtÂ Construction Accounting Software will include facilities to highlight these and to produce the required paperwork through the various stages a variation goes through before it is approved by the client. This ensures that should either the Head Contract or Subcontract be disputed then the required paperwork is in place to help the business justify its claims in a court of law.

With construction project varying in their scope of works; the corresponding changes to the value of contracts and subcontracts; and payments being made out of sync with deliverables, it is easy to see why the stakeholders strive to clearly recognise their position in all projects and to implement corrective actions to avert liquidity issues downstream.

Construction companies generally fail for liquidity reasons – therefore, Construction Accounting Software will focus on providing tight liquidity management with the current status for all projects always available. To complicate matters, good project managers will aim to maximise, under the terms of the contract, the income from their projects. This will result in an influx of funds however funds received prior to expenditure should not be confused as “profit”. They are “project prepayments” and should be clearly reported as such.

Profit reporting is another unique feature of the industry. Traditional accounting assumes that the client is only invoiced for work provided. However construction projects are typically executed over a number of financial periods and depending upon the contract this could mean that the client is invoiced in advance. Using general accounting software, companies would then overestimate their profits and pay tax on them. Later they would have to do reversals when all the activities required to complete the project required payment. A proven approach is to report on current “earned value” by projecting both Income and total project costs to completion.

Construction Accounting Software needs to take a wider view of the world than standard accounting systems. For example, the projects themselves involve considerable risks that can cause cost increases or time delays or both. Firms need to manage these risks and ideally the construction project management software would feature an integrated operational risk management software system. This would ensure the key items of work, decision or verification are properly managed and account for the value of the identified risks.

The Taxation Laws (of Australia and probably elsewhere) are another reason why construction accounting is different. Tax treats certain construction specific transactions in a special way. For example:

* Goods & Services Tax (GST) on Progress Claims

* Retentions

In summary, Standard Accounting Systems, fail to provide what the industry requires; namely a package that mitigates disputes, manages risks, conforms to industry Taxation requirements and accurately reports liquidity and profits. These functions can only be effectively met through specialised Construction Accounting Software.

Ron has extensive management experience on major construction projects. He established Muli to develop an integrated construction accounting software solution with an emphasis on construction project management software and job cost software.

Ron knows from first-hand experience that Construction and Building companies need to focus on liquidity and profitability and so has adopted a strong management accounting approach to software design and process management.

The flagship product, Muli, is an integrated software solution comprising job cost accounting software, work order management software, operational risk management software, project accounting software and earned value project management.

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Project Managers – Why You Need to Plan the Project Before Delegating Tasks

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