Managing Information Technology Projects: Building A Body Of Knowledge In It Project Management


Book Description

Information Technology project management has changed dramatically over recent years. Drawing on the experiences of successful project management beyond the IT industry and synergizing cutting edge research with well-established practices in the IT industry, this book prefigures the 'next normal' in IT project management.As a milestone publication, this book augments and boosts the specialized body of knowledge in IT project management by capturing and consolidating key elements of this knowledge base. Chapters are presented in four distinct sections, each examining a different aspect of IT project management which includes — generic project management methodologies; teambuilding in relation to stakeholder management; the Iron Triangle of Time, Cost, Quality, and Risk; and new and innovative technologies and software for improved project management. Substantiated case studies and practical guidelines are designed to be of value to practitioners at all levels of IT project management: from novices' to experienced practitioners, while collectively elevating the body of knowledge and skills needed. This book aims to upgrade and update the knowledge of current practice to novices; offer pointers to experienced practitioners on potential areas for improvement; and provide innovative insights to undergraduates, researchers and other academics on the development, appreciation and application of IT project management knowledge.




Critical Chain


Book Description

This fast-paced business novel does for project management what The Goal and It's Not Luck have done for production and marketing. Goldratts novels have traditionally slain sacred cows and delivered new ways of looking at processes which seem like common sense once you read them. Critical Chain is no exception. In perhaps Elis most readable book yet, two of the established principles of project management, the engineering estimate and project milestones, are found wanting and dismissed, and other established principles are up for scrutiny - as Goldratt once more applies his Theory of Constraints. The approach is radical, yet clear, understandable and logical. New techniques are introduced, and Project Buffers, Feeding Buffers, Limit Multitasking, Improved Communications and Correct Measurements make them work. Goldratt even handles the complicated statistics of dispersed variability versus accumulated variability so deftly you wont even be aware of learning about them - theyll just seem like more common sense! Critical Chain is critical reading for anyone who deals with projects. If you use block diagrams, drawings or charts to keep track of your activities, you are managing a project - and this book is for you.




Project Management


Book Description

The landmark project management reference, now in a new edition Now in a Tenth Edition, this industry-leading project management "bible" aligns its streamlined approach to the latest release of the Project Management Institute's Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMI®'s PMBOK® Guide), the new mandatory source of training for the Project Management Professional (PMP®) Certificat-ion Exam. This outstanding edition gives students and professionals a profound understanding of project management with insights from one of the best-known and respected authorities on the subject. From the intricate framework of organizational behavior and structure that can determine project success to the planning, scheduling, and controlling processes vital to effective project management, the new edition thoroughly covers every key component of the subject. This Tenth Edition features: New sections on scope changes, exiting a project, collective belief, and managing virtual teams More than twenty-five case studies, including a new case on the Iridium Project covering all aspects of project management 400 discussion questions More than 125 multiple-choice questions (PMI, PMBOK, PMP, and Project Management Professional are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.)




Agile Project Management


Book Description

Best practices for managing projects in agile environments—now updated with new techniques for larger projects Today, the pace of project management moves faster. Project management needs to become more flexible and far more responsive to customers. Using Agile Project Management (APM), project managers can achieve all these goals without compromising value, quality, or business discipline. In Agile Project Management, Second Edition, renowned agile pioneer Jim Highsmith thoroughly updates his classic guide to APM, extending and refining it to support even the largest projects and organizations. Writing for project leaders, managers, and executives at all levels, Highsmith integrates the best project management, product management, and software development practices into an overall framework designed to support unprecedented speed and mobility. The many topics added in this new edition include incorporating agile values, scaling agile projects, release planning, portfolio governance, and enhancing organizational agility. Project and business leaders will especially appreciate Highsmith’s new coverage of promoting agility through performance measurements based on value, quality, and constraints. This edition’s coverage includes: Understanding the agile revolution’s impact on product development Recognizing when agile methods will work in project management, and when they won’t Setting realistic business objectives for Agile Project Management Promoting agile values and principles across the organization Utilizing a proven Agile Enterprise Framework that encompasses governance, project and iteration management, and technical practices Optimizing all five stages of the agile project: Envision, Speculate, Explore, Adapt, and Close Organizational and product-related processes for scaling agile to the largest projects and teams Agile project governance solutions for executives and management The “Agile Triangle”: measuring performance in ways that encourage agility instead of discouraging it The changing role of the agile project leader




Project Management with Dynamic Scheduling


Book Description

The topic of this book is known as dynamic scheduling, and is used to refer to three dimensions of project management and scheduling: the construction of a baseline schedule and the analysis of a project schedule’s risk as preparation of the project control phase during project progress. This dynamic scheduling point of view implicitly assumes that the usability of a project’s baseline schedule is rather limited and only acts as a point of reference in the project life cycle. Consequently, a project schedule should especially be considered as nothing more than a predictive model that can be used for resource efficiency calculations, time and cost risk analyses, project tracking and performance measurement, and so on. In this book, the three dimensions of dynamic scheduling are highlighted in detail and are based on and inspired by a combination of academic research studies at Ghent University (www.ugent.be), in-company trainings at Vlerick Business School (www.vlerick.com) and consultancy projects at OR-AS (www.or-as.be). First, the construction of a project baseline schedule is a central theme throughout the various chapters of the book, and is discussed from a complexity point of view with and without the presence of project resources. Second, the creation of an awareness of the weak parts in a baseline schedule is discussed at the end of the two baseline scheduling parts as schedule risk analysis techniques that can be applied on top of the baseline schedule. Third, the baseline schedule and its risk analyses can be used as guidelines during the project control step where actual deviations can be corrected within the margins of the project’s time and cost reserves. The second edition of this book has seen corrections, additions and amendments in detail throughout the book. Moreover Chapter 15 on "Dynamic Scheduling with ProTrack" has been completely rewritten and extended with a section on "ProTrack as a research tool".




Supply Chain Management For Dummies


Book Description

Everyone can impact the supply chain Supply Chain Management For Dummies helps you connect the dots between things like purchasing, logistics, and operations to see how the big picture is affected by seemingly isolated inefficiencies. Your business is a system, made of many moving parts that must synchronize to most efficiently meet the needs of your customers—and your shareholders. Interruptions in one area ripple throughout the entire operation, disrupting the careful coordination that makes businesses successful; that's where supply chain management (SCM) comes in. SCM means different things to different people, and many different models exist to meet the needs of different industries. This book focuses on the broadly-applicable Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) Model: Plan, Source, Make, Deliver, Return, and Enable, to describe the basic techniques and key concepts that keep businesses running smoothly. Whether you're in sales, HR, or product development, the decisions you make every day can impact the supply chain. This book shows you how to factor broader impact into your decision making process based on your place in the system. Improve processes by determining your metrics Choose the right software and implement appropriate automation Evaluate and mitigate risks at all steps in the supply chain Help your business function as a system to more effectively meet customer needs We tend to think of the supply chain as suppliers, logistics, and warehousing—but it's so much more than that. Every single person in your organization, from the mailroom to the C-suite, can work to enhance or hinder the flow. Supply Chain Management For Dummies shows you what you need to know to make sure your impact leads to positive outcomes.




Project Management


Book Description

Projects continue to grow larger, increasingly strategic, and more complex, with greater collaboration, instant feedback, specialization, and an ever-expanding list of stakeholders. Now more than ever, effective project management is critical for the success of any deliverable, and the demand for qualified Project Managers has leapt into nearly all sectors. Project Management provides a robust grounding in essentials of the field using a managerial approach to both fundamental concepts and real-world practice. Designed for business students, this text follows the project life cycle from beginning to end to demonstrate what successful project management looks like on the ground. Expert discussion details specific techniques and applications, while guiding students through the diverse skill set required to select, initiate, execute, and evaluate today's projects. Insightful coverage of change management provides clear guidance on handling the organizational, interpersonal, economic, and technical glitches that can derail any project, while in-depth cases and real-world examples illustrate essential concepts in action.




Advanced Project Portfolio Management and the PMO


Book Description

Advanced Project Portfolio Management is a comprehensive book which presents a roadmap for the achievement of high value enterprise strategies and superior project management results. It provides methods for best project selection, faster completion, optimal project portfolio management, and how to explicitly measure the PMO for rapidly increasing project ROI.




Project Management


Book Description

The author's masterly exposition of the principles and practice of project management has been pre-eminent in its field for four decades. It was among the very few early books to treat project management holistically, rather than as a collection of separate techniques. It thus explains the entire project management process in great detail, demonstrating techniques ranging from the simplest of charts to sophisticated computer applications. Everything is reinforced throughout with case examples and diagrams. The text has been completely restructured and largely rewritten for this ninth edition, so that the sequence now follows even more closely the life-cycle of a typical project from its earliest definition to final close-out. Case examples and diagrams have all been reviewed, updated, augmented or replaced.




Agile Project Management with Scrum


Book Description

The rules and practices for Scrum—a simple process for managing complex projects—are few, straightforward, and easy to learn. But Scrum’s simplicity itself—its lack of prescription—can be disarming, and new practitioners often find themselves reverting to old project management habits and tools and yielding lesser results. In this illuminating series of case studies, Scrum co-creator and evangelist Ken Schwaber identifies the real-world lessons—the successes and failures—culled from his years of experience coaching companies in agile project management. Through them, you’ll understand how to use Scrum to solve complex problems and drive better results—delivering more valuable software faster. Gain the foundation in Scrum theory—and practice—you need to: Rein in even the most complex, unwieldy projects Effectively manage unknown or changing product requirements Simplify the chain of command with self-managing development teams Receive clearer specifications—and feedback—from customers Greatly reduce project planning time and required tools Build—and release—products in 30-day cycles so clients get deliverables earlier Avoid missteps by regularly inspecting, reporting on, and fine-tuning projects Support multiple teams working on a large-scale project from many geographic locations Maximize return on investment!