Tag Archives: project management

Should have gone to Spec wavers..#pmot #in

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product specHow many times have you worked on projects where the product spec is not defined?

This leads to all sorts of issues as the customer tweaks the product spec and the designer responds accordingly, trying to keep the customer happy but at the same time disappointing her because the timescale keeps getting extended to accommodate the changes.  A vicious circle develops leading to frustration on all sides & a perception of incompetence which can lead to loss of all important business.

This can be fixed by adopting the following practice:-

1)      A milestone MUST be put in the plan, somewhere in the design phase, for product spec sign off by both parties.

2)      It should be clearly communicated and understood that any changes following this milestone will be under change control, approved by Senior Management and will impact the timing plan & probably have a cost impact.

This practice is good for both customer & supplier. It forces the customer to clarify what they want and leaves the supplier with no excuse for not meeting planned deliverables once the spec is fixed.

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project managers and business consultants

The difference between price & cost…#in..#pmot

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price & cost

How many times have you inherited a project and had major problems with a supplier who was selected because they were cheap !

This perception of “cheap” is normally based purely on price and takes absolutely no account of the total cost of ownership of the product or service.

Selecting suppliers purely on price is never a good idea.

Here are some great tips from Businesslink:-

What you should look for in a supplier

There are a number of key characteristics that you should look for when identifying and short listing possible suppliers. Good suppliers should be able to demonstrate that they can offer you the following benefits.

Quality and reliability

The quality of your supplies needs to be consistent – your customers associate poor quality with you, not your suppliers. Equally, if your supplier lets you down with a late delivery or faulty supplies, you may let your customer down.

Speed and flexibility

Being able to place frequent, small orders lets you avoid tying up too much working capital in stock. Flexible suppliers help you respond quickly to changing customer demands and sudden emergencies.

Value for money

The lowest price is not always the best value for money. If you want reliability and quality from your suppliers, you’ll have to decide how much you’re willing to pay for your supplies and the balance you want to strike between cost, reliability, quality and service.

Strong service and clear communication

You need your suppliers to deliver on time, or to be honest and give you plenty of warning if they can’t. The best suppliers will want to talk with you regularly to find out what needs you have now and how they can serve you better in the future.

Financial security

It’s always worth making sure your supplier has sufficiently strong cashflow to deliver what you want, when you need it. A credit check will help reassure you that they won’t go out of business when you need them most.

Always remember the difference between price & cost

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So what’s the plan…….#pmot #in

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project-planningAs a rough guide a Project Manager should put 70% effort into planning a project and 30% running it.

At first glance this statement may appear to be the wrong way round but experience shows that the planning phase of a project is by far the most critical one.

Here are some attributes of a well developed plan:-

* It should flow from start to finish.

* There should be a series of linked tasks from start to finish.

* Each task should have a named resource assigned to it.

* Everyone assigned to a task should have agreed and committed to the timescale.

* There should be a clearly identified Critical Path.

* The plan should be visible to key stakeholders in the organization.

* It should be reviewed and updated regularly.

Once all of the above has been fulfilled the management of the project becomes a relatively easy task.

If you need help planning your key project get in touch now

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Nokia upwardly mobile….#pmot…#in

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  • “We poured gasoline on our own burning platform. I believe we have lacked accountability and leadership to align and direct the company through these disruptive times. We had a series of misses. We haven’t been delivering innovation fast enough. We’re not collaborating internally. Nokia, our platform is burning.” – Stephen Elop, CEO Nokia.

nokiaThe recent internal memo “leaked” from Nokia & published on technology website Endgadget.com demonstrates the need for any corporation, but particularly those in the Technology arena, to have a continuous stream of new product developments flowing to the market. This is the direct result of a new product routemap which clearly identifies Customer needs, market trends and technology requirements.

New Product Development should not be a haphazard process but one which is planned years in advance. It should also be adaptable to allow flexibility in the case of new technological or market developments.

Not so long ago Nokia held pole position in the mobile phone market with huge market share. Now they are languishing behind Apple & others in the
Smartphone arena and are struggling to compete with Chinese manufacturers at the bottom end of the market.

However, all is not doom and gloom. The new CEO Stephen Elop obviously
recognises the problems and is keen to address them. This is the key important step in any recovery. Rather than just bury his head in the sand he is tackling the issues head on which is good news for Nokia empoyees and shareholders.

If you need help with your product development process get in touch NOW!

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project managers and business consultants

10 tips to get that problem project back on track #pmot #in

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1)       Create Space – nothing clouds judgement more than pressure to create a fast solution. Tell stakeholders you are assessing the situation and will provide an update in 1 weeks time.

2)       Talk to everyone involved in the project and get their perspective. Make it an informal chat, reduce the pressure and you will get more honesty.

3)       When you have identified what the problem is get the team together to Brainstorm possible solutions. Try an Ishikawa diagram to clarify whether the problem is with men (people) , machines, method, materials or environment (external factors)Ishikawa Diagram

4)       Pick the top three possible solutions and start experimental work to evaluate success.

5)       Implement the solutions in the timeline to evaluate timescales.

6)        Agree with the Team a primary solution and a contingency plan.

7)       Inform stakeholders of the revised timescale.

8)       Execute the plan, keep a close watch on progress and issue daily updates if required.

9)       On completion hold a “lessons learned”  meeting to minimize the chances of repetition.

10)    Celebrate Success – take  the team for a beer  or a sticky cake 😉

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project managers and business consultants

#Zen & the Art of Project Management* #pmot #in

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buddha Don’t ask me what “Zen” is.

I am not qualified to answer such a question. All I can say is that anyone who studies Zen applies it to their daily lives and work.

As a project manager I apply Zen in the following ways:-

1) When constructing a project plan  I think of the plan as a river flowing to the sea.  It never goes uphill and avoids major obstructions. It has a natural rythym to it with everything happening in the right order.  I check it once, twice, thrice then I get the Team to review it.

2) When allocating timescales I ask the person who is actually doing the task. I might push them to do it quicker but I need timescales which are aggressive but realistic. I need that person’s commitment.

3) I never lie to the customer. I always keep them appraised of progress even if its bad news. Once trust is lost it’s gone forever.

4) I always offer the customer options. If my timescale has slipped I offer alternative solutions.

5) I am neither overly optimistic nor pessimistic.

6) I tell Senior Management the bad news. They dislike obfuscation even more.

7) I never allow myself to be bullied into giving unrealistic timescales. What’s the point, I will only look stupid when we can’t meet them.

8) I am open & honest with my team and expect the same in return.

9) “Best laid plans of mice & men gang aft agley” – say no more!

10) Calmness in the eye of the storm is either a sign of great leadership or incredible stupidity.

* Recommended reading: Robert M Pirsig – Zen & the art of motorcycle maintenance.

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10 ways to succeed as an Interim…#pmot #in

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consultants5Operating as an Interim Project Manager requires a different skill set to that of a regular employee. Here are 10 ways to guarantee success as an Interim….

1) Be flexible – the more flexibility you can exhibit in terms of daily rate, location and job role the more opportunities will come your way.

2) Put the Client first – always act in a professional manner and put the needs of the client first. This will pay off to your benefit in the long term.

3) Make a great impression – find something which needs fixing early on and do it, then tell everyone you’ve done it. A good impression early on reassures the client they have made the right choice.

4) Fit in  to the Culture – If everyone wears a suit and a tie do likewise, if its casual dress on a Friday adopt this code. If you can fit in to the culture you will become “part of the furniture”

5) Avoid politics – this is one of the many benefits of interim work, you really don’t need to get involved.

6) Add Value – whatever the role make sure the client is getting their money’s worth.

7) Get on with everyone – it’s not that difficult, you’re not going to be there forever so don’t make enemies.

8) Act as a guest – you are a guest of your client, act like one.

9) Know when its time to g0 – don’t prolong your term for monetary gain, when your job is done leave. The client will appreciate this more than anything and seriously consider you for a future role.

10) Network – take the opportunity to expand your network and get some referrals.

Do you have any more tips for interims ?

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Are you earning your value ? #pmot #in

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earned-valueEarned Value is a term which allows us to determine where we are in a project in terms of progress against plan. If we talk about expended cost at a particular moment of time we have no idea whether we are ahead or behind the plan unless we measure the amount of work done and the time expended doing it.

Earned Value allows us to make a measured judgment and may be defined as “The value of work performed expressed in terms of the the approved budget assigned to that work for a scheduled activity” – PMBOK

Earned Value Technique integrates the time, cost and work done.

EV = Earned Value – Estimated Value of the actual work completed.

AC = Actual Cost – Actual cost charged for the work done so far.

CV = Cost Variance – Difference of Earned Value minus Actual Cost.

CV = EV – AC

A positive value means UNDER budget.

A negative value means OVER budget.

Earned Value Technique is a useful tool for measuring progress against plan and for helping to control budget effectively.

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A Merry Christmas to all……….. #pmot #in

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projectsguru-santaPrior to volume launch of a product it’s always a good idea to review the project paperwork.

Check the risk log to ensure all have been mitigated against.

Check the project plan, no outstanding tasks to be completed.

Check Design and Process FMEA’s to make sure all concerns have been addressed.

Review Project costs, making sure they are they on track.

Then call the Chinese Elfish subcontractors and thank them for their efforts. The adoption of Lean manufacturing techniques certainly helped  to reduce costs and improve efficiencies and the product quality is certainly a damn site better, with SPC now in place on key processes we should expect ppm level failures on all toy manufacturing lines next year.

OK, the Reindeers are now fed and watered, breath visible in the cold still air, hooves pawing the frozen ground in anticipation, antlers glistening  and clanking together.

The sledge is loaded, harnesses in place. Presents and parcels of every shape bulging  out like walnuts in a sack.

The air is still and crisp, the stars twinkle in the deep, deep blackness of night. A faint tinkling of bells.

A last puff on the pipe, the long beard as white as the virgin snow against the deep red of the cape.

A crack of a whip and the sleigh begins to move across the hard ground, faster, faster increasing pace as the icy breath of the wind rustles through fur and fleece.

At last the hissing of the sleighs runners fades as it lifts into the air, the white landscape recedes and the sky gets even blacker, the stars shine like crazy diamonds.

“Now, Dasher!  Now, Dancer!  Now, Prancer,  and Vixen!  “On, Comet!  On, Cupid!  On, Donder and Blitzen!”

A faint cry echos across the frozen landscape…….

“A Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night !”

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1o ways to invigorate teamworking #pmot #in

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teamworkMost people involved in New Product Development agree that best results are obtained when people work effectively in teams so here are 10 guaranteed ways to improve teamworking:-

1) Locate the team together in the same room. – If people sit together they work together. It is essential that the primary form of communication is face to face. There should be some allowance for privacy but any cubicle walls should be below head level.

2) Locate the Project Manager in the same room – As the Project Manager there may be a tendency to remain distant or aloof from the team. This is counterproductive and wrong. The Project Manager should be located in the same room as the team. If She has her own office the door should be left open to allow ready access. If She sits with the team there should be a private office available for personal discussion.

3) Hold regular team meetings – although there may be some resistance to this (too much work etc) it is essential that the team meet at least once a week to discuss project status.

4) Issue meeting minutes – It helps communication if everyone knows exactly what is expected of them following the team meeting. The minutes also act as a good crib for next weeks meeting.

5) Promote a democratic culture – environments where people feel free to speak their minds openly and honestly lead to faster problem solving and decision making.

6) Promote team activities – 5 a side football or similar activities are great if everyone is  fit and active but be careful to choose something EVERYONE can take part in otherwise you will alienate some team members and defeat the purpose. I have always found bowling to be a great choice which just about everyone can do.

7) Eliminate the Blame Culture – resist every opportunity to blame others and take responsibility for your own decisions. Blame Cultures are endemic in some organizations and will take time to be eradicated but the changes in performance will be immeasurable.

8) Listen twice as much as you talk – we all know the old saying about empty vessels making the most noise and no where is this more true than in Project Management.  Try really listening to people and see their reaction.

9) Put the Structure in place – whether its based on PRINCE2, Project Management Institutes PMBOK or some alternative combination, Teams are more effective when they no what the rules are.

10) Keep a sense of humour – as the Project Manager nothing upsets or disorients the Team more than a panicky Manager. Keep a sense of perspective, enjoy the fun bits and lead by example.

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