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Showing posts from June, 2009

Developing a Project Plan

Template Tips: Developing a Project Plan The first activity within the Planning phase is the creation of a Project Plan.  To create a Project Plan, you should first identify the ‘Work Breakdown Structure’ (WBS) which is a hierarchical set of phases, activities and tasks to be undertaken on the project. After the WBS has been agreed, an assessment of the effort required to undertake the activities and tasks is made. The activities and tasks are sequenced, resources are allocated and a detailed project schedule is formed. This project schedule will become the primary tool for the Project Manager to assess the progress of the project. The Project Plan should include: A detailed description of the project scope A list of the project milestones (descriptions and dates) A list of the project phases, activities and tasks Resources/effort allocation against phases, activities and tasks A project schedule depicting when the tasks will be undertaken A list of planning dependencies,

Support in implementing the project methodology

A question from customers: Please help me with support in implementation of the methodology . - I've read the "terms of reference" document, part of initiation phase. - I've seen that the document includes also a schedule with all the phases of the project life. - That seems that I have already a general baseline plan and doing tasks from initiation phase, I'm also in the tracking process ? - When I establish a baseline plan and how many (after ending of each phase - initiation, planing, execution  - if there are many changes) ? Answer: the process of establishing a baseline is quite complex. Firstly, you need to have your project plan in a state that correctly reflects the planned view of your project fo rthe road ahead. You then need to set the baseline and then compare planned and actual progress against it.

Project Management Methodologies for Customers

Customer: I'd like to ask you to help me present the project management methodologies of PM using MPMM within my company at top management level.  Is it possible to have the images in an customizable format? I'd like to translate in Romanian language also the images witch I'm referring to. Answer: Sure, we can help you with your presentation of these project management methodologies. We can custopmize the methodology for you, so that it is directly relevant to your customers project management methodology environment.

Building a Successful Project Office

Template Tips: Building a successful Project Office A Project Office is the physical environment within which the team are based. To successfully build a project office, undertake the following steps: - Find a suitable location (near staff, with a flexible lease, onsite fit-out and facilities)- Procure office equipment (such as computer hardware, project planning and financial software, projectors, fax machines, printers, scanners, copiers)- Install communications equipment (such as computer networks, email, internet access, remote network dial-up software, mobile phones, laptops and hand-held devices) - Implement project tools (such as planning, time recording and financial tools)- Define project roles (for the Project Director, Manager, Leaders and team)- Document standards and processes (for change, risk, issue and quality management)- Establish project templates (for Initiation, Planning, Execution and Closure)- Communicate the Project Office function to the project team and key st

Project Management Training for MPMM

Question: I would appreciate if you could provide us a trainer, his credentials and training experiences and the fee for 2 days. We would be selecting the best trainer from different training providers, so please reply to this message immediately. Your kind and immediate response would be highly appreciated. Looking forward! Answer: Actually, we don't offer services for our products. As can give you project management training directly, for a few hours to gain an understanding of the product if you wish.

Branding a Project Methodology

Customer email: While evaluating the product for my own consulting firm I wonder about the following: 1.Can the project management methodology be branded to reflect my company? 2. Can I market and deploy my own project management methodologies if I was considering this avenue? Support team: Sure. To answer your questions, yes MPMM can be branded to reflect your company. You can add your own banner, as well as a logo at the top.

Building a Project Charter

Project Tips: Building a “Project Charter” Interested in building a successful Project Charter ? Here are some helpful hints from our Method123 Project Charter template: A Project Charter is a document which outlines the purpose of the project, the way the project will be structured and how it will be successfully implemented. Document your Project Charter in 4 easy steps: Project Definition: Document the Vision, Objectives, Scope and Deliverables of the project. This section describes what the purpose of the project is and what must be delivered to meet the customer requirements. Project Organisation: Define who will take part in the project and the reporting relationships between these parties. This includes defining the roles and responsibilities for each project resource, supplier and in some cases even customers Project Plan: Provide an overview of ‘how’ the project will be undertaken by inserting a high level Project Plan, Resource Plan, Financial Plan and Quality Pla

Changing the Project Methodology Templates

Can I change the templates included in your project methodology and if I do, then who owns the copyright? This is a good question. Essentially, we own the copyright, otherwise known as the intellectual property, to the original content included within our project management methodologies. And you own the changes to that content. This means that for every letter you type in your keyboard that’s different to our content, you own it. It’s that simple. If you do change our templates to customize them for your projects, then we suggest that you add your copyright notice to them, alongside ours.

Project Methodology Editions

Which project methodology editions will best suit me? To answer this question, we really need to know what your role is and how you intend to use these project management methodologies within your business. For a person who is responsible for implementing project management methodologies within their organization, the Professional edition is definitely the most suitable. However if you just want to follow an existing project management methodology step-by-step, without needing to customize it, then the Standard edition will be fine.

How to create a Project Financial Plan

If you want to deliver projects on time and under budget, then you need a Project Financial Plan to help you do it. Creating this plan is not an easy task, but by reading this newsletter you can find out how to do it in 4 simple steps. How to plan finances using a Financial Plan Template Step 1: List the Financial Expenses The first step taken when defining a Financial Plan and setting a project budget, is to identify all of the types of expenses that are likely to be incurred throughout the Project Lifecycle. Typically, most projects spend the majority of their budget on purchasing, leasing, renting or contracting the resources to the project (e.g. labor, equipment and materials). However other types of expenses incurred may include those related to the: Procurement of resources from suppliers Establishment of a Project Office Administration of the project Step 2: Quantify the Financial Expenses Once you have identified a detailed list of expenses to be incurred throughout the p

Which Project Methodologies are Suitable

One favorite question our customers have is whether the MPMM Project Management Methodologies are suitable, or the Method123 project management template set. The answer is that it totally depends on your needs. If you just need a series of documents that help you create project deliverables, then the Method123 template set is the best product for you. However if you need a more comprehensive solution which tells you step-by-step, which activities to undertake to manage your project, then MPMM is the best product for you.

Multi-User Project Methodology Licensing

We’re frequently asked how the multi-user licensing works for our project management methodologies . It’s simple. You pay a single license for each user of the methodology. The license allows you to use the software, methodology and templates included on your desktop PC. If you wish other users to obtain access to the content, then they too will require a license. So in that regard, it’s just like using Microsoft Office software.

How to Create your Project Charter

One of the most critical steps in the Project Life Cycle is the creation of the Project Charter. Without this document, your project is like a ship without a rudder. You have nothing to steer you in the right direction. So read this newsletter to learn... How to create your “ Project Charter ” The Project Charter describes the project vision, objectives, scope, organization and implementation plan. It helps you to set the direction for the project and gain buy in from your stakeholders as to how the project will be organized and implemented. It will also help you to control the scope of your project, by defining exactly what it is that you have to achieve. To define a Project Charter, take these steps: Step 1: Identify the Project Vision Vision: The first step taken when defining a Project Charter is to identify the project vision. The vision encapsulates the purpose of the project and is the defined end goal for the project team. Objectives: Then based on the vision, list three to fi

Reinstalling Project Management Methodologies

We are often asked what steps do you need to take to uninstall and reinstall your project management methodologies . Here are the steps: The first step towards solving your problem is to uninstall and reinstall MPMM on your PC, so that you're using a fresh version. Here's how to do it in 3 simple steps: If you have Windows XP If you currently have MPMM open, then please close it now. Open this link ( http://www.sendspace.com/file/sk8vi5 ) in your browser and click "Save" to save the file to a folder on your PC (make sure you remember the folder you're saving it to). Go to the folder on your PC that you have saved the file to. Double click on the file "MPMMCleanup", select "Run" if prompted, and then select "Start" to remove MPMM from your PC. Note: This means that you will lose any customizations you've made to date. Also note that even if you have previously removed MPMM from your PC yourself, you still need to complete this