Method123

Moving Project Management Process Licenses So you download our project management process included in our product, and you want to move it from one PC to another. How does this work? Like other software products, such as Microsoft and Adobe, your product is licensed to your PC and typically you can't move it around when you wish. The reason is that if this were possible, then you could install a single user license on multiple PCs and breach your Project Process license agreement. Luckily if your hard disk crashes or you reformat your hard drive, the software will allow you to reinstall it on your existing PC without the need for our involvement. But if you have a unique situation and you need to move it from one PC to another, then contact we and we'll take your case into account.

It’s often said that to define the scope of a project, you need to be a mind reader. The reason is that early on in the project, no one really knows what the scope is and everyone has a different opinion when asked. But if you don’t define the scope early on, it will change during the project. You’ll have moving goalposts which make it impossible to succeed. So read this newsletter to find out... How to Scope your Projects through Change Management Templates The “project scope” is all of the things that must be produced to complete a project. These ‘things’ are called deliverables and you need to describe them in depth as early in the project as possible, so everyone knows what needs to be produced. Take these 5 Steps to scope your projects: Step 1: Set the Direction Start off by setting the direction for the project. Do you have an agreed Project Vision, Objectives and Timeframes? Are they specified in depth and has your customer agreed to them? Does everyone in the project team truly...

Merging a Project Management Process When you take your content and merge it with ours, then you can create a generic Project Management Process perfect for your organization. But who owns the content? How it works is that we own the original content that came with the product. This is called the "originating content". And you own the content that you created, which is called the "Derived Content". This means that if you took our project process and you customized it, then we own the original project management process and you own the customizations. It's that simple. So at the end of the day, you and we jointly own the content.

Licensing Project Management Methodologies How can you license the methodologies you create? Copyright is a tricky thing, but it works like this. If you use content included within MPMM out of the box, then this content is copyrighted to Method123 Ltd. In short, we own it and you can use it, but you can't license it - or charge for its use. However if you use itto create new unique and novel content yourself, then you can license and charge for this content as you wish. That way, it can become a vehicle for creating, publishing and selling a Project Management Life Cycle to your clients.

You may not realize it, but to be a successful Project Manager you need to do more than “deliver projects on time and under budget”.  You also need to deliver the business benefits expected by the customer. Read this newsletter learn how, by... Creating a Project Business Case The purpose of a Business Case is to justify the project expenditure by identifying the business benefits you’re going to deliver. Here’s how to create a Business Case in 4 simple steps: Step 1: Identify the Business Problem Usually, projects are undertaken to solve a particular business problem or opportunity. So you need to investigate that business problem or opportunity and describe what it is, how it’s come about and the timeframes in which it needs to be addressed. Only with this knowledge, will you truly understand the purpose of the project and the timeframes for delivery. Without this knowledge, it’s like building a house without a solid foundation. Step 2: Identify the Alternative Solutions Now that you...

Project Management Methodology Diagrams Many customers ask how they can edit the diagrams included within MPMM. The answer is that you can't currently. They have been custom created using high quality design tools and imported back into MPMM. That's why they look so good. In the future, we're considering integrating with Microsoft Visio so that you can edit the diagrams in place. In this way, you will be able to edit the diagrams to add your own brand and terminology etc. However there is nothing to stop you removing the diagrams and inserting diagrams of your own. Remember, it's perfect for creating fully customizable project management methodologies .

Later this year, we plan to integrate our project management methodology offering, with Online Project Management software at ProjectManager.com - so you can use templates, as well as the likes of Change Management Software. In this way, you will be able to create customized methodologies for projects, and then implement those methodologies using online project software. The software allows you to create project plans based on your customized methodologies, and then track and report on those projects, using a graphical dashboard. Your teams can login from anywhere in the world, anytime to see the real-time status of their projects. And you will be able to store all of your project documentation, such as a Communication Plan ,  within the document store provided.

Are you interested in using project standards and best practices for your projects? It’s not as easy as you might think. While there are a variety of standards on the market, they are usually published as a book which makes it harder to implement. So read on, to find out: Tips for Adopting Project Standards A Project St andard is a documented set of guidelines to follow for undertaking projects. The two most popular Worldwide Standards are PMI® and Prince2®. They provide generic guidelines for all types of projects, regardless of the industry. These two Standards use different terminology and have different Project Life Cycles , so we suggest choosing only one standard to follow for your projects. To help you choose which standard to follow, we suggest the following. As the PMI® Standard was written initially with the American target market in mind, we suggest using this Standard if you are an American-based culture. Whereas Prince2® was written initially with the UK market in mind, s...

Q: What is the progress of our other methodology products? Are you considering building Issue Management Software ? A: We originally set out to build 4 unique methodology products for project management. They are MPMM.com (the Method123 Project Management Methodology) MPOM.com (the Method123 Project Office Methodology) MPGM.com (the Method123 Program Management Methodology) MPFM.biz (the Method123 Portfolio Management Methodology) While we still plan to release the 3 other methodologies, we’ve spent the past 12 months on building another product – which is Online Project Management Software. This software helps you plan, track and report on projects online. You can also use a Project Plan template. In 12 months time, when this software (ProjectManager.com) is complete from a features point of view, we’ll return to our plan and complete the 3 other methodologies to complete our methodology offering.

What is the future of MPMM, our customers often ask us? Are you considering getting into Risk Management Software? Currently, we have the highest market penetration of any product in the project management methodology space. So we won’t be leaving the industry in a hurry. Instead, we’re going to branch out by partnering with other solutions to help you manage projects from end to end. For instance, later this year, we will integrate the solution with online project management software (at ProjectManager.com) to allow you to implement your methodologies by planning, tracking and reporting on projects. In this way, you will be able to login to your projects online, manage them according to a set process, as well as monitor and control delivery. You will be able to track your proejcts, as well as create a Project Charter Template for instance. This dual solution offers the best of both worlds.

So you’ve landed a new project. What do you do next? How do you start up the new project quickly and efficiently? We’ll tell you how. Read on to find out tips and hints on ... How to Start New Projects - Using Project Management Tools Every time you’re given a new project, take these steps to ensure you’re on the right track from the outset: 1.  Taking Responsibility : Before you agree to take on the responsibility of managing a project, make sure there is adequate sponsorship, and that you have adequate funding and resources to complete it on time. Your gut feel should be that the project is achievable and that whatever happens, you’ll have the full support of your Sponsor through the project. If it’s not feasible or you lack support, then solve these two problems first, before you start out. 2.  Clarifying the Scope : Great, so you’ve agreed to take responsibility. The next step is to review the scope of the project to ensure that all of the deliverables to be produced during the pro...

We are often asked how MPMM is aligned with the two worldwide standards for project management; PMBOK and Prince2. They are unrelated to Time Tracking Software . The reality is that the two standards describe the project life cycle completely differently, each using its unique project terminology and processes. So we set out to try and align with both standards. After working closely with both standards providers, we were able to comprise our own Project Life Cycle which matches both standards as closely as possible. While the standards appear to be quite different, they are based on the same principles and guidelines for project management and it’s those principles and guidelines that we followed to the letter. A Feasibility Study is an example of a template that matches both standards.