Why Should A Company Indulge In Web Based Project Management?

Project management entails all the processes that a company has to work on. Right from the initial discussions with the client laying out the ground rules to the completion of the entire project, the task as a whole would have to be managed at a micro and at a macro level. The different teams will obviously be responsible for the micromanagement and there will be a manager or the company should have a system for the macro-management of the entire project. This management system can be web based.

There are many reasons why a company should indulge in web based management. To talk about the basics, here are some advantages.

· The first reason why online project management makes sense is convenience. Imagine having everything associated with a project hosted online which can be accessed at any time, by anyone who has the authorization and from anywhere.

 Not only would the documents or every tool and detail of the project be available online for quick and easy access, the people working on the project would also share the same platform and thus be available in person. At least, they would be reachable if they are unavailable immediately. The convenience of web based management increases productivity, it makes life easier for everyone involved in the project and it also facilitates the project with the help of several tools that any management system should have.

The second reason why web based project management is necessary is the real time synchronization. If your company has ever used an enterprise resource planning software or you have seen one being used then you would know how conveniently and effectively the software allows every system to get updated with one amendment made on any system connected to the network or being synced with the central database.

Such software does not need individual notifications and countless changes or updates. One simple amend, update or clarification fed into the web based project management software will ensure that everyone having access to the software will be notified at the same time. This real time sync is an amazing advantage for all types of companies. There is no room for ambiguity or inconsistent dissipation of information.

Web based project management also ensures effective collaboration, among different teams and between the teams and clients. With real time synchronization, convenient access round the clock and a host of tools at everyone's disposal, web based project management is a quintessential need for your company.

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CMM and Project Management - Scope Management

The PMBOK refers to the business of managing the requirements of a project as Scope Management while SEI refers to it as Requirements Management. This is partly because the SEI narrows its focus on the software requirements of the system or application being built while the PMBOK uses the term Scope to refer to all the work of the project.

This includes administrative activities such as producing and communicating the project progress reports and conducting status review meetings.

The CMMI refers to the group responsible for capturing and recording requirements as the "software engineering group".

This is an entity that the CMMI states should comprise a part of the organizational structure. This group will be responsible for managing software requirements outside of the project, but for the purposes of the project the person or group responsible for gathering the requirements can be someone outside the software engineering group. CMMI organizes its Key Process Areas (KPA, Requirements Management is one of these KPAs for Level 2) into Goals, Commitment to Perform, Ability to Perform, Activities Performed, Measurement and Analysis, and Verifying Implementation.

Requirements Management has 2 goals:

• Systems requirements allocated to software are controlled to establish a baseline for software engineering and management use.

• Software plans, products and activities are kept consistent with the system requirements allocated to software

Goal #1 should be satisfied by a Business Requirements Document (BRD), commercial specification, or other document which captures and identifies the requirements for the system or application being built.

 The PMBOK refers to this document by the generic name of Requirements Documentation (keep in mind that the PMBOK was not written specifically for software projects).

 The first process in the Scope Management knowledge area is Collect Requirements and this is the process that will deliver the Requirements Document.

The people who are responsible for identifying the customer or client's needs are identified in the Stakeholder Register and the requirements gathered using the various tools and techniques described will be captured in the BRD.

They should be uniquely identified as well, so as to establish traceability. Goal #2 is chiefly satisfied by the breakdown of the work required to produce the software which is described in the Create the WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) process.

Your organization is required to govern requirements management with a "written organizational policy". 

Since this policy is outside the scope of any single project, it is not part of your responsibilities as project manager to create it. The PMBOK does make reference to such a document however; mention is made in the input section of many processes, including scope management processes, of "organizational assets".

 A policy that standardizes the activities that must be performed when a software system or application is built will influence the activities in your project plan and may even provide a template for the requirements management portion of your project plan.

Always keep in mind that your responsibility covers all the project work, including administrative work, not just the work of building the software system.

The policy should state that requirements are documented and reviewed by "software managers and other affected groups". These people are the project stakeholders referred to in the Stakeholder Register.

The policy also states that the plans, work products, and project activities must change to be consistent with changes in requirements. Your project should have a Change Management Plan that describes how any changes, including changes to requirements, will be handled by the project.

 This Change Management Plan is described in the Integration Management knowledge area and is what will ensure that appropriate plans, work products, and activities are updated when a change to requirements is approved.

The Verify Scope and Control Scope processes describe how activities called for by these processes might produce a change request.

The abilities that Requirements Management calls for are:

• Analyzing the system requirements and allocating them to hardware, software, and other system components. This ability is provided to the project by the Business Analysts, or Systems Analysts who translate the business requirements (allocated requirements) into system requirements. The PMBOK does not address this activity directly; remember that it is not focused on any specific industry, so your plan must speak to this ability. Simply identify the work to produce the functional specification from the business requirements in the WBS.

• Documentation of the requirements. The documents referred to will be the Business Requirements Document, the Functional Specification, and the Detail Design Document. The BRD should uniquely identify each requirement. Each function in the Functional Specification should support one or more requirements and each requirement should be supported by one or more functions. The same rule applies to the Detail Design Document. This supports tracing requirements through to the finished products. This ability also specifies that acceptance criteria for the products must be specified.

• Adequate resources and budget must be provided for managing the allocated requirements. This refers to your project funding for human resources such as business analysts, systems analysts, programmers, software librarians, etc. It also refers to funding for any tools required to manage requirements such as configuration management tools.

• Project team members are trained to perform their requirements management duties. This refers to the work of analyzing the requirements, managing the requirements, building the software, and managing the configuration.

The first activity called for by the CMMI is the review of requirements by the "software engineering group". Your Verify Scope process describes the various methods for doing this and they include audits, walk-throughs, and reviews by the appropriate stakeholders.

This activity also calls for resources to be allocated for the work of estimating costs, building the system, testing the system, configuration management, QA, contract management/Procurement Management, and documentation support. These activities will be identified by the Create WBS process.

Activity 2 calls for the engineering group to create the plan and build the deliverables. This is simply the execution of the project plans. Activity 3 calls for changes to the requirements to be reviewed and incorporated into the project.

 This activity is covered by the Control Scope process. Control Scope describes how the Integrated Change Control System manages changes and implements approved changes. CMMI describes the process in somewhat more depth and calls for changes to be identified, evaluated, assessed for risk, documented, planned, communicated to affected stakeholders, and tracked to completion. Your Change Management Plan should describe these activities.

CMMI calls for the work performed to be measured so that the measurements can be used to determine the status of the requirements. The Control Scope process describes how work performance information is analyzed (variance analysis) against the plan and any variances discovered are corrected.

CMMI calls for the verification of requirements management activities. The requirements management activities should be reviewed with senior management periodically. The Verify Scope process does not specifically refer to senior management in describing how this process is to be executed so the project manager will have to improvise here.

I advise holding gate meetings, phase exit reviews, or business decision point meetings to review project status with senior management who are represented by the project's business sponsor and/or the steering committee. CMMI also calls for progress reviews with the project manager. The project manager will attend the gate reviews and will run status review meetings with the team on a regular basis.

The CMMI also calls for the Quality Assurance group to review or audit the work. Your organization may or may not have a QA group. If it does, the group may be responsible for project audits which would cover this requirement. CMMI is specific as to who must undertake these reviews and audits so your organization either has this covered or it does not; there is no opportunity for you to cover it yourself. CMMI describes what should be audited at a minimum. This includes requirements reviews, problem resolution, updating of work products and plans when requirements change, and the proper process for deciding on change and implementing the changes.

CMMI Level 2 calls for requirements management to be repeatable. In order to meet this requirement, the plans for managing the project's scope, including its software requirements, must be documented. The schedule and WBS will be captured by your MS Project file. You should also include a written Requirements Management Plan which describes all the activities for capturing requirements, analyzing requirements, designing the system, building the system, and testing the system.

Changes should be managed by a separate Change Management plan. The creation of these two plans, as described above, will meet all the criteria for CMMI Level 2 that a project is capable of meeting.

The best project management practices referred to in this article are described in the PMBOK (4th edition) and are also supported by the PMI's PMP certification and PMP exam. The exam tests candidates on their grasp of these best practices and their ability to put them into practice to solve actual project management problems. Studying with one of the many available PMP exam preparation courses and passing the exam is a good first step towards reconciling CMM practices and project management practices.

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Establishing A Business Intelligence Competency Center

Establishing a successful business intelligence competency center (BICC) depends on right planning and well-managed implementation. Build and empower your BICC as a business or analytical coaching center to support and manage projects from requirements, design and development stages onwards. Assessment of current use of information and how better the information can be used in future should be the BICC's roadmap. It is an ideal way to leverage your investment in a centralized infrastructure. This will also benefit global or regional players, with decentralized IT landscape, to gain from centralized BI support in training and documentation at new sites.

Implementation:

1. Strategy: Have a strong sponsor to support current and future BI projects. Include buy-in from the business as well as IT and lay out the functional areas of the BICC. How those functions will be staffed and where the BICC reports within the organization should be defined.

2. Setting-Up: Managing the center requires strong business management and communication skills. It operates as support and service center for multiple functional departments. The staff should have required skills profiles, service attitude and orientation towards center's internal customers. Prioritize the workload, keep transparency in work and continuously evaluate against identified objects.

3. Sustaining The BICC: Ensure that the business is able to benefit from the services delivered from the center. Have a visible communication and performance based incentive system. Share a common understanding of focus and charter of the center. BICC projects should show manageable and incremental benefits.

4. Operation: Criteria to review and evaluate success of BICC should be established in the planning stages itself. Once it proves its benefits and achievements, it becomes an integral part of the company. A highly visible project will ensure that people in the organization learn about its existence and successful working.

5. The Future: Balance the current tactical needs of the company with the strategy and vision for the future. Focus on managing assets, products, processes, performances and people. Understand long-term implications of business and technical decisions taken in present on the future of the company. Evolve and change continuously to stay with changing needs of the organization. New insights, innovative ventures and necessary adjustments will ensure that the company's meets its goals and objectives.

BICC Services:

Using a mix of practice aids, methodologies, tools and technology, Cognos Consulting guides you to analyze, design, build, deploy and operate a BICC tailored to your specific needs.

1. Readiness Assessment Service: Cognos helps in making a plan to charter and program design that matures with each step.

2. Establishing a culture of Best Practice Service: Build tactical and technical knowledge repository of best practice, and supplement skills and resources with experts' advice.

3. Operating BICC with Extended Services: Cognos Consulting helps make transition from departmental BI to an adaptive BICC based organization to meet your unique need. It ensures self-supported and self-managed operating and growth from an infrastructure and administrative perspective.

Operate your BICC successfully to become self sufficient through knowledge. Establish a culture of transparent and best practices.

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Benefits Of A Performance Management Course

Performance management means a conscious drive to develop an employees competence and growth. Effective project management combines a continuous series of on-going assessments, processes and activities with the aim of promoting employee's proficiency and measuring progress in attaining objectives.

Well defined goals and continuous assessments of individual performance can be helpful in defining the corporate competencies and the major skill gaps which may in turn serve as a useful input for designing the training and development plans for the employees. A good management system can serve two very important objectives:
Evaluation Objectives:

• By evaluating the readiness of the employees for taking up higher responsibilities.
• By providing a feedback to the employees on their current competencies and the need for improvement.
• By linking the performance with scope of promotions, incentives, rewards and career development.

Development Objectives:

The developmental objective is achieved by defining the training requirements of the employees based on the results of the reviews and assessment of the individual and organizational competencies. Coaching and counseling helps in winning the confidence of the employees and in improving their performance, besides strengthening the relationship between the superior and the subordinate.
In a nutshell, performance management serves as an important tool for realizing organizational goals by implementing competitive human resources management strategies. It helps in aligning and integrating the objectives with the key performance index of an organization both vertically and horizontally across all job categories and the levels and thus helps in driving all the activities right from the bottom level towards one single goal.
IMPORTANCE OF A PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT COURSE

For managers, properly managing employee performance and aligning their overall objectives help facilitates the effective delivery of the goals of the business. Researchers agree that there is a direct and positive relationship between using a good performance system and improved organizational results.

Business owners and managers who take a performance management course therefore stand to gain the following benefits:

1. Improved leadership
2. Improved organizational performance
3. Elimination of project overruns
4. A motivated workforce
5. Improved employee retention and loyalty
6. Very clear accountability
7. Conflict reduction
8. Efficiency and consistency in performance.
9. Overcoming communication barriers
10. Cost advantages

If you are a manager, taking a performance management course online will be at a great advantage to you. This is true because you will not be required to leave your managerial duties in order to learn how to properly manage your team.

 One online institution stands out in providing quality performance management education. The best part is that you get to earn incomes as you do. Feel free to click on the link on the resource box below to learn more.

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Microsoft Project Server Vs Microsoft Project

There are a number of project managers today that use Microsoft Project to create and track project plans to keep tasks on schedule. Project is a fine application for small endeavors with one person in charge. However as a project grows and more decision makers are involved, managers need an application that can provide enterprise-wide project management.

On-line Management with Project Server

When coordinating a large venture, basic management tools like Microsoft Project may not serve the manager's needs. It is a standalone application that can be used only on one computer. All project information is in one place and all decisions can be made only at that computer.

Once there is a large endeavor with a management team, this lack of access becomes a problem. What is needed is a project management tool that can be shared company-wide and allow all managers to track their respective tasks without needing to wait for printed reports.

Project Server was designed with exactly that capability in mind. All team members can access the application from anywhere on the company network or over the web.

Coordination and communication is easier when everyone is on the same page.

Each Team Member Has a Role

Just because everyone can access the software, that doesn't mean everyone has the same capabilities. Individuals are given permissions appropriate to their role in the plan and in the company.

Project managers use the basic Project Professional application just like they have in the past. However their updates and changes are transmitted to the server where they can be viewed by other managers and incorporated in their plans.

Team members who don't use Project directly can still access the server to see what their tasks are, what the status of the overall plan is, and can send status reports to be used by managers.

Even interested parties not directly involved in completion of the tasks, such as executives or investors, can be given access over the company network or the web so they can monitor the progress. Comprehensive security settings ensure that each person is given needed access without any excess privileges.

Project Server Training

Even experienced users of Microsoft Project will benefit from training on the unique capabilities of Project Server. The enterprise-level features of the software greatly increase the size of the projects that can be handled but may not be obvious to new users. Tasks such as team building, resource substitution, and information pooling can be used more effectively after taking instructor-led courses.

The transition from Project to Project Server is a major step for any business but with guidance and proper planning, it is a move that can be made with a minimum of complication. The added capabilities will be invaluable to any mid-size to large business.

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SAP Training Courses

SAP is a must training these days if anyone intends succeeding in the IT sector because the technology is growing at a fast pace and every technology somehow has its roots in the SAP training. Some of the very basic SAP training guidelines are:

• Introduction: It is very important for better comprehension of any topic and provides a path way to a sound SAP training.

• SAP Facts: Obviously one can only prosper in the field of IT if he is well conversant with the SAP facts and figures.

• SAP history: Without a proper knowledge of the subject history one is not expected to attain the desired results.

• SAP functioning: One must know the exact and proper functioning of the SAP techniques which are required to be then implemented in the practical field of IT.

• SAP report: Analysis of the report is a major step towards attaining a sound training and if you are not good at it then it would affect your performance in the SAP training itself.

Due to the ever increasing popularity of the SAP, the world's largest ERM software, many online SAP training courses have evolved over the last couple of years. Every aspiring person with an IT aptitude can avail the facility of online SAP courses. There are many SAP training courses available online to learn SAP. SAP has three proficiency certification levels which include the associate/basic, professional and master levels.

SAP consulting requirements is being covered in the associate certification program and also includes various examinations on SAP solutions, knowledge and proficiency skills. Whereas the professional efficiency level requires one to have ample project experience.

 This level also requires a thorough understanding of the SAP solutions and a broad knowledge in business processes. However, the toughest and the hardest level is yet to come; the master level which requires special expertise on specific SAP aspects and great experience with SAP live projects.

However, to take any of the SAP certification exam you need to first undertake a SAP training course. There are many methods by which you can get SAP training i.e. attending lectures, seminars or even reading the books/e-books but no such method could be an alternative to having SAP interactive simulation courses online thus increasing your chances of passing the SAP certification exams and upgrading your SAP proficiency level.

 Learning the SAP courses will make you the most preferred and favourite choice candidate in any well paying job interviews. Undertaking such SAP courses means you could easily make a SAP manager or a SAP consultant. Companies these days are always on the lookout to finding a SAP certified candidate and if you are a SAP certified candidate you will have a large number of career options available to you to choose from.

Seeking for SAP software application, call Alenu IT Today! at (65) 6884 5030.

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Competitive Intelligence Techniques

What are some competitive intelligence techniques? The competitive intelligence unit of any business can use these techniques to make the best strategic decisions when it comes to their business. This involves more than just looking at the various competitors around you. You need to look at market analysis, market intelligence, intelligence reports, intelligence analysis techniques, and even advanced research tool or techniques. If you use various techniques then you can gain a distinct advantage for your business in the marketplace.

The competitive intelligence unit of your company can use two main competitive intelligence techniques. Before you can do this you need to have a great deal of knowledge about the sector that you are in. the intelligence won't mean anything unless you have the knowledge to make sense of it. You need to understand your products that are helping your business do well and the various competitors around you.

Technique One the Non Competitive Approach
To use this technique you will use skills such as predicting, forecasting, looking at your current business assumptions, learning the environment, and seeing where your business has current weaknesses. You'll look to your business to find solutions to your current weaknesses. You'll learn about your company, the environment that you work in and you'll learn a bit about your competitors too. This works more to improve your own form and doesn't focus as much on your competitors.

Technique Two Competitive Approach
This technique looks at the competitors around you. In this approach you look at the market around you and the various competitors that are there. You want to analyze them so you have the advantage and can take the top market share for yourself. You want to use your own products, services, and an optimized strategy to do this. You can get there by analyzing your competitors.

To be successful in this approach you need:

• To know what products that your competitors currently offer
• Why customers buy form them and why they are currently successful
• What they deliver with their service
• How the use marketing
• The reliability of their customer service

These are the basics that your competitive intelligence unit needs to work on when it comes to analyzing your competitors and developing strategies for your company to get the competitive edge over them. For example you may develop new and exciting products or market your products in a different way than your competitors to grab more market share away from them. All of these practices must of course stay legal and by using competitive intelligence techniques you'll be able to do this.

Your techniques will evolve along with your business and you may use several techniques to achieve the goals of your company. You will evolve along with the industry you are in. As a company you must adapt to the changes that occur in your industry and keep that competitive edge. You do this by always working to improve your company and analyzing what you're competitors are doing at the same time.

Determining Your Intelligence Needs
You need to know information on current trends in your industry, information about your competitors, regulatory trends, developments in technology, economic conditions, political developments, international trends and other information. You need to apply this information to your business and to analyze your competitors by using the same factors.

The Competitive Intelligence unit
The competitive intelligence unit will use this information that has been gathered and analyze the data and evaluate what needs to be done in your business. Some data may be analyzed buy an outside contractor but most of it will be done by the unit itself in most cases.

Using the Data
Only through the collection of data and analyzing that data can a business work towards improving itself and staying ahead of the competition. This is an on-going process for any business that wants to be a leading edge business in an evolving marketplace where there's more competition and less market share.

Looking for business intelligence and analytics Singapore, contact Alenu Now! at (65) 6884 5030.

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Visual Project Management

Visual project management can boost company performance throughout your organization. Robotics, telecommunications and computer technology have changed the workplace. Visual cues are the way in which people work together via text messages, instant messenger and webinars.

 Some workplaces have not kept pace with the rapid changes in information-sharing technology and communication. The workplace today is a visual society that depends on modern technology.

Visual management is a system that helps companies create and sustain a competitive advantage in two important ways

. First, management systems ensure an organization's internal structure is aligned with company values and missions.

 Second, it focuses the employee's attention on performance goals that are critical to the organization's success.

Visual management addresses issues such as motivating employees and improving sales results.
The sales team is responsible for bringing in the business. Customer management software helps salespeople manage their sales while storing important customer information. Sales presentations can now be presented to clients by simply logging onto the laptop.

Infographics are an important tool that salespeople can use to present the company's products or services in a straightforward manner that gets the customer's attention.
It is important that companies realize that visual management is a system that is designed to improve performance across all departments in the organization.

 The purpose is to leave customers with a visual impression of their company's products or services. Performance improvement is another goal for visual management teams.

This process drives changes in the structure of the organization, the alignment of operating systems and the actions of the people. These changes are what drivers the performance improvements that are seen in visual management environments.

Part of what makes visual management so dramatically different is the aligned physical, structural and behavioral environment that it creates. The physical environment is coordinated with the mission to make the organization work better.

The investment in visual mechanisms to keep performance metrics visible connects employees to the mission. They share important information to an extent that is new to most companies.

Visual displays also focus on the employees while enhancing their sense of importance and belonging. Keeping employees happy and productive is the best way to achieve success.

A high turnover indicates you may have a problem in the company.

Consider hiring a human resource consulting to improve employee morale and encourage them to stay with the company. It is not cost-effective to continually hire and train new employees. Visual project management is the new way of doing business.

Seeking for project management system , call Alenu Today! at (65) 6884 5030.

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PM Tools Explained in Layman's Terms

If you are involved in project management then by now you most likely have already heard of PH tools and may be wondering if they are something that you can make use of. What exactly do they do and how can they benefit you?

More Information Managed More Simply

In short, the one thing that project management tools can do for you is to make things more complex, while at the same time making them far more simpler. Sound confusing? The read on.

Multi-Tasking Made Easier

For sure you have more than one person or entity that you have to deal with. It may be a client or the project owners, workers or some type of labor pool, suppliers and of course your boss or bosses. All of them have to be contended with, which can at times be difficult.

More Information Provided To More People the Easy Way

PM tools allow you to deal with all of these entities, even simultaneously in a far more comprehensive manner by allowing them complete access to all facets to your project over the Internet.

This means no juggling phone calls or complicated explanations or instructions when all is laid out for them to see by way of online PM tools. More complex information, yet far more easier for you.

Simple Charts and Graphs Eliminate Guesswork

Far more complex and accurate time and labor estimates are also possible with PM tools. This is because all of the information that you input is processed instantly and the results are laid out in easy to view and comprehend charts and graphs. This means that as your project becomes more complex, unwanted surprises are kept to a minimum.

Quicker Access To Production Related information

PM tools also allow you to track your projects progress on a real time basis. This means that you don't have to actually fall behind in order to know that you may be lacking in any certain area.

This is because PM tools allow you to identify and rectify weak areas before they manifest themselves as actual on site production issues.

Seeking for project management tool, contact Alenu Group Now! at (65) 6884 5030.

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Project Management: History and Evolution

Project management, as we know it at present began to stretch its branches only a few decades ago, yet it was mounting around civilization from the beginning of history.

With an objective of maximum productivity with minimum participation, and to breed imagination into realism, human need for an optimal management system that can trigger workforce efficiency to yield product, that is predetermined and objectified was outlining a management system within the growth of human perception though out its evolution.

This stream of development in its respective path also had marked its course from its source, and events in its voyages were observed and registered in the pages of history.

Turning these pages, today we witness a simple endeavor to illustrate and analyze tasks through simple bar charts cultivated seed yesterday, and within a short span of time, it had grown to a gigantic tree of the project management industry we witness at present.

"Henry Gantt" is considered to be the forefather of project management, as his planning and organizing methods with the use of the "bar charts" as a project management tool recognizes him as the foremost precursor for contemporary project management practices employed today.

However, civilization was practicing an anonymous management system for accomplishing tasks carried out by them since the beginning of civilization; as today we can witness Pyramids, Roman structures, etc as one of most exceptional achievements human workforces had ever delivered.

To consider these massive project missions without any proper management scheme would be an unjust platform to write about today for our ancestors. The conception of project management was there in the womb of our civilization from the beginning, but its name is coined and structure is fabricated by our modern world.

As a discipline, project management has evolved from numerous diverse fields, including engineering, construction, military projects, etc. If we have to mark the date of identification for this management system then we need to start not before the industrial revolution, as this revolution sprouted a complex need of organizational management and interaction.

 The need of budget management, workforce utilization, demand and supply scaling, compels to develop the management system that was methodological and goal oriented.

Frederick Taylor, who introduced a scientific approach for understanding productivity measurement through performance leveling, led him as the father of scientific approaches in organizational management systems.

Moreover, his associate Henry Gantt's use of the bar diagram as a gauging process for planning and controlling, acknowledged him as a father of project management tools.
But the 1950's was marked as a date for the beginning of modern project management; as before the 50's projects were managed only with the popular use of Gantt charts and informal tools and statistics.

Furthermore, the immediate launch of the Polaris submarine missile project to fulfill the need of the missile gap with Russia; the US Army systemized a "Program Evaluation and Review Technique" or PERT devised by Willard Fazar and the use of the "Critical Path Method" (CPM) a mathematical technique for management of complex projects, drives project management systems further with advances in scientific approaches.

In 1969, the Project Management Institute (PMI) was formed to professionalize and modernize through formalizing project management tools and techniques.

In addition, today with rapid technological advancement, thriving IT industries, and globalization, project management solutions are in demand throughout the world as a fundamental force to complete projects within a defined scope, time, and within cost constraints.

Management tasks, where few individuals use to manage and memorize before; now require advance systems and methodological approaches for organization decision-making and planning implementation.

At present ultra modern project management systems deliver innovative solutions and its management process possesses the latest tools and techniques, systems and schemes with scientific evidences and statistical explanations.

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Choosing the Right Project Management Software

What makes good project management software? When running a business there are always questions to ask as many software come in various shapes and sizes.

 Choosing a software package can be tricky however this all boils down to the size and complexity of the projects that you will/are running.

As many people do not have time to research what types of software to use, it is always best to log onto the internet and try to find the top tips for finding a good package.

Other ways could be through looking up forums and gaining advice from experienced users, getting an idea of which ones they would recommend.

 Before approaching these places it is best to read up on what makes a good software package, such as whether they contain Gantt charts or Pert Networks, which are basic standard inclusions of all project management software.

This is a key thing to keep in mind and that is being sure that the basic and standard inclusions in these packages are offered with any software you purchase.

Another point to remember is that some packages maybe suitable for American based businesses rather than U.K based businesses, which is why it is important to make sure that you pick a U.K. based package.

 Some software solution categories on the package may not be familiar to U.K. business owners and may only be specific to American based users.

Some U.K. based packages can be found online and even recommended on some forums.

In addition to the above information one can look out for various different functionalities, which can be customizable to your business needs.

 This is what most businesses should look out for as many of them will need basic functions such as record keeping accessible to all members of staff, data input from all staff, monitoring work completed by staff, immediate attention to certain client requests, data information on clients and current projects, and much more.

In order to run this there needs to be a project management office, where by each sector of the project has its own project manager. Developing a staff of project managers will ensure that each individual part of the project will be taken care of and monitored without placing the pressure and emphasis on one person to take over each area.

Furthermore each of the project management tools on the software will need to be set up to the capabilities of each staff. Rather than having everyone use the software in the exact same way, this will need to be programmed so that it performs in a tailor-made way that benefits the staff with specific duties.

Finding a flexible software will enable better work productivity and better results.

Looking for Singapore project management tool, reach us Alenu Now! at (65) 6884 5030.

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Work Breakdown Structure in Project Management

As anyone involved with Project Management knows, Work Breakdown Structure, or a WBS, is one of the key terms used in project management. The WBS is essential for the correct management of a projects life cycle.

It forms an important component of the planning of a project with a particular focal point being put on time management.

The core principle behind having a work breakdown structure is to divide a project into sections. Having this step by step structure in place will enable project managers (PM's) to encompass more control and visibility of their work program.

The WBS has the following objectives:

1. Scope: The WBS will aid in the organisation and function of a project's scope by providing PM's with the elements to precisely establish the work that needs to be done within a particular project.

2. Organization and Management: By interacting with a WBS a Project Manager can assign resources and responsibilities. This gives them the control to manage the project in a way that's structured to ensure project success.

3. Verify that all details are covered in a project. This will prevent change requests being issued.

The development of the WBS is the most important part of the process. If this stage is done poorly it will follow through and affect the cost and time of the project. If done correctly and thoroughly a project should sail through the plan schedule without any changes needing to be made.

The first part of the process is to gather the entire project team and any other individual who will have a part to play in the project. By gathering a wide range of know-how and experience at the one time will allow a project manager to get to the smallest of details within the deliverables of a project.

Once these deliverables have been established they will need to be broken down into manageable tasks. By dividing the deliverable into smaller tasks will give the project manager more control and focus over the management of the time and cost associated with it. In fact the WBS is a foundation for the timeline of projects. Having the work broke down into manageable sections allows a PM to make a relatively close estimation on the amount of time required to complete the project.

 The project breakdown will allow the project manager to identify the time constraint that should be applied to the tasks. Therefore if a PM decides not to go with a WBS they could run a risk of facing project delays. By having a timeline drawn up it will give the PM and team members a visual aid of what the progress of the project should be at a certain point in time.

The Benefits that are connected to the WBS include:

• Clarity: the project team will be encouraged to seek out risk and issues in order to be prepared for it

• Timeline: the abilities of the team can be refined and from there an obtainable timeline can be drawn up

• Resources: The layout of having a work breakdown structure ensures that the project team members are answerable to the work assigned to them by the project manager. Aids in the participation and team work associated with a project.

It must be noted that the work breakdown structure (WBS) isn't without its faults. The process is not always straight-forward and a PM must have the drive to deliver a worthy WBS. Even after the WBS is prepared the structure does require persistent modification.

Looking for project management system, contact Alenu IT Now! at (65) 6884 5030.

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Project Ranking - The Heart of Project Portfolio Management

Project ranking is at the heart of project portfolio management (PPM). A good project portfolio ranking system should not only make the job much easier and faster but also yield a superior result over doing it manually or with simple spreadsheets.

Almost every project portfolio management system comes with its own "twist" on project ranking: some are excellent, some are good, and some are poor or just wrong.

A value-maximizing and clearly understandable project ranking system is an essential part of a project portfolio management system. It should be based in sound, quantitative, and modern decision-science.

Here some key things to consider about project portfolio ranking systems:

Avoid systems that rank based on a financial metrics alone, such as net present value (NPV) or return on investment (ROI). The major limitation of using purely financial metrics is that it can under estimate the true value of projects (e.g., time to market advantages or increased shareholder value). With NPV, higher discount rates selected to account for higher project risk can bias portfolios toward shorter-term projects with faster payoffs because longer-term projects may be overly discounted.

Look for systems that prioritize based on the integration of value-adding criteria into the ranking system. Systems that use multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) or multi-attribute utility theory (MAUT) usually do this. However, make sure you have flexibility in the type of data you can use and that you can adjust the utility or attractiveness curves to reflect your preferences.

Avoid systems that use the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) for project ranking. AHP is one of the more popular project ranking techniques and is appealing by its seeming simplicity; however, it is not a quantitatively sound technique for ranking projects.
Look for systems that let you test sensitivity and understand how the portfolio changes under different scenarios.
 Sensitivity testing can be important in testing the robustness of your ranking. Most systems only let you rank based on a "most-likely" scenario.
Select a system that can handle uncertainty in the data and the ranking systems parameters. Systems that use Monte-Carlo simulations to simulate multiple portfolio scenarios automatically are ideal for this.

Avoid systems that rank projects based solely on pseudo-quantitative methods like "balance" or "portfolio alignment," or other non-value maximizing approach. While these names may sound intuitive and appealing, most are pure snake-oil when it comes to solid project portfolio ranking. They do not create value-maximizing portfolios.

Look for systems that have clear and understandable graphical presentations of the data, but remember that pretty charts are not a substitute for sound data analysis. If you need too many charts to explain your results then you'll likely confuse your stakeholders.

Choose systems that have mathematically and theoretically sound methods. Be sure that you can understand qualitatively how it works and that you can explain it to others (because you'll surely need to later!).

Avoid vendors that will not or cannot show you the underlying mathematics and explain to you in plain language how it maximizes portfolio value.

Before you buy, try the software you have selected on a small portfolio of 12 - 20 real or fictional projects using metrics that you expect to be using. The application should prioritize the projects in a way that is understandable and makes sense to you. If it does not, then there may be something wrong in the underlying logic. A portfolio ranking system is an aid to good decision-making, and should reflect your values and strategies.

In summary, be sure that the underlying ranking methodology is sound and testable. Be aware of tools that use pseudo-quantitative methods for project ranking or do not offer any methodology for sensitivity testing. Make sure that you can test the tool on a small project portfolio so you can be certain you understand the results.

Looking for project management system, contact Alenu Now! at (65) 6884 5030.

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In The Present Economy The Project Management System Is The Best Option For Your Business

At the present moment the global economy is still swimming against the course of the crisis which hit it a couple of years ago. Many have fallen in this hard period, but those who are still standing are companies and firms with a very practical point of view regarding the business world. Efficiency and speed help them keep afloat.

Nowadays when many persons are unemployed because companies try to reduce their costs or because they went bankrupt, there is no room for cutting corners. As a business man or woman you must be careful to make only the right choices. But when the pressure seems to be too high you must consider all the options you have.

One thing which could help your business is a project management system. Your company can benefit from an enhanced speed in operations which would otherwise take hours or days. When you are supposed to manage a project this system can offer you an accurate view of the progress each member of the team is making. At the same time, because they have access to the general image of the progress, your team can finish their duties in a shorter time.

If you need to reduce the personnel you can replace some of the duties of an assistant with the advantages of a project management system. Planning your daily schedule will become your duty, but it will be facilitated by the constant reminders of important meetings or deadlines. This software automatically sends you and the team messages regarding the progress of your project or certain events. With a general picture of the project at hand the collaboration between the team members and its leader becomes very easy.

With a good communication enabled by telephones and internet and by a well-thought project management system you can lead your projects to a successful ending. Your business will only enjoy the benefits of using software with such efficiency. Using appropriately your project management system you will be able to go through the daily routine easier, maintaining a clear view on your duties and you will understand how your project manager features can be improved whenever the case.

Improve Competency in Your Team Using Web Based Project Management

Web based project management system is a software based system. It is designed to facilitate the completion of project in the best possible way. It governs all the processes from team development to team communication. The prominent features include tracking, scheduling, calendar and reporting.

Web based project management system plays an important role in designing a project. The software develops a feasibility report to conduct the project effectively. It analyses the resources and predicts the results based on the analysis. This gives it a direction for proper allocation of resources.

Team development is the major task, performed by the web based project management system. It helps in the selection of right person for the right job. Thus, it is very important in the allocation of the human resources. This automated system combines project planning with project management.

It provides a central platform for collaboration and document sharing. It links the team members scattered at distant locations. They can share files, documents and other project details. It keeps the entire team on the single page so that they can access the data anytime. Thus, it enables the team members to share their work experiences as well as their expertise for the benefit of the project.

It improves the competency in the team by making them accountable. It not only links the members but also links them to the authorities. It enables the team leader to communicate with his team. It enables you to conduct online meetings and conferences. It employs teleconferencing, VOIP, screen sharing and chats to make the conferencing more efficient and effective.

The team manager can check the work progress at any stage of the project. The sense of being monitored makes the workers more competent and responsible. It features scheduling applications. This application is used to check the efficiency of the worker. It compares the progress with the granted time. If any worker is found unable to accomplish the task in the given time, he is replaced by the other competent person. It is important for a smooth and steady flow of the project.

The web based project management system complements the efforts of the team through its tracking system. The tracking system keeps record of the project. It employs charts and graphs to determine the progress. It monitors the progress of the project and prevents it to drift from the right path. Web based project management offers open access to the administration, team members as well as clients. The client can record his objection and suggestion for the fruitful results.

The web based project management reduces the confusion between the team members. It efficiently manages all the issues related to the wages of the workers. It ensures that everything occurs according to the designed schedule. The workers get the reward at the decided time. Thus, all the issues that affect the performance of the workers are automatically vanished. In case of any problem, the team members have the right to access the team manager. Thus, the web based project management improves the competence to obtain the best results ever.

Microsoft Dynamics AX Axapta Brazil Implementation notes

Axapta or now Microsoft Dynamics AX (with the new name for Microsoft Project Green - Microsoft Dynamics) is in the initial phase of requirements mapping for first implementation in Brazil. It is localized to support Brazilian taxation, federal & state reporting and translated to Portuguese. In this small publication we would like to focus on Axapta strong points and how they should fit to Brazilian business requirements

o Supply Chain Management. Axapta supports intra-company orders to fulfill external customer sales order, which allows you to design and implement flexible internal cost and profit allocation within your business group or enterprise.

 Also Axapta supports the seamless link between Service module (repair, preventive maintenance, damage estimation, etc) and on-demand manufacturing order (manufacturing module). Plus nice Axapta flexibility feature is Axapta business logics exposure via web services, which in turn allows repair crew technician to enter replacement parts list into mobile devise and transmit the order to Axapta server via cellular media. This also opens door for barcoding and warehouse management automation

o Manufacturing. Historically manufacturing ERP is divided into two types: Discrete and Process manufacturing. Discrete manufacturing, where you expect fixed number of manufactured items from fixed number of components, labor and machine time is traditionally better automated than process manufacturing, where you do not expect exact outcome: food processing, beverages, mining, oil refinery, etc. 

You should expect excellent discrete manufacturing from Axapta as well as very good process manufacturing via some third party add-ons and custom improvements. Adding into consideration integration with Supply Chain Management gives you very flexible and cost efficient manufacturing automation. On the top of this - Axapta has flexible and intuitive Product Configurator module to enable custom manufacturing, based on customer unique order requirements

o Service Management. Imagine machinery servicing franchise business, when you have to maintain and support machinery fleet across Brazil - replacing parts on unique demand, ordering parts from your franchisor warehouses and production plants worldwide

o CRM . Axapta has its own CRM module, integrated with Sales Order Processing, plus Microsoft Dynamics CRM is on the way to be integrated with Axapta in 2006/2007 enabling you worldwide CRM department functionality

o USA situation. Currently - 2006 - Microsoft Dynamics/Microsoft Business Solutions has its Fargo, ND facility (famous Great Plains Software Dynamics and later on Microsoft Great Plains) to "localize" Axapta financials and humane resources module to US and Canadian market

o Europe. German, Dutch, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian markets have Axapta localized. Axapta also supports Unicode - Chinese & Japanese characters support

o Multinational Company. International Manager is typically speaking English, probably some Spanish or German. The priority for international manager is reporting clarity and transaction level audit (when required). Axapta supports multi-language and seamless transaction audit. We would like to stress that for multinational corporation preferably ERP is the one, coming from world-wide ERP vendors, such as SAP, Oracle, Microsoft to address Brazilian subsidiary control questions

o Axapta Business Portal. Having three tiers architecture, Axapta allows you as a developer to enable business logic object exposure via web service in a simple MS Visual Studio.Net procedure. This in turn gives Axapta additional advantage and flexibility on the Business Portal web exposure level in comparison to such "legacy" products as Microsoft Dynamics GP Great Plains or Microsoft Dynamics NAV Navision.

Communicate With Your Team More Effectively Using a Project Management System

Project Management System is software that works in an efficient manner to help one complete the entire project within an organized way. It helps with communication, arrangement, budget control, scheduling, distribution and data storage. It is software that is widely acknowledged for being multi-purposed and the way companies have been making the completion of their projects much easier with the help of this system.

All it requires is its installation CD that can be fed into the computer that acts as a server to all other computers and the access to internet. This makes it approachable and accessible at any part of the world. Every part that leads or recedes in the completion of a project is constantly updated with the help of this system.

It is major source to amplify the communication with the entire team in a much more efficient manner. The primary benefit of it is that every team member has the access to communication with each other with the help of this software in order to resolve any problems confronted by any of them. Moreover, the team members are required to constantly update each other regarding their progress so that each segment of the entire project is able to work in the same manner.

Also, if any one is lacking behind in the progress or going beyond the limits of the budget, he can be apprehended that very moment regarding his issues. These updates assist the entire team especially the Project Manager to refrain from any future problems.

Also, this software is of immense assistance to the Project Manager himself as he is able to keep an eye on any of the offices of the company that could be scattered all across the globe. 

Project Management system helps keeping in contact with the remaining team on an allocated budget as international calls tend to be of low cost while through local phones, one is likely to set a high budget in order to maintain correspondence with the entire staff.

Also, Web Management System helps with the updating of every step that is being generated by the team working towards the final level of culmination of the project. This is very important is it is able to keep track of what is required and that each fraction is given enough focus in this regard.

Moreover, in terms of communication, all across the globe, time is saved from being consumed on a drastic scale because this one server is connected to multiple networks that are being used by different team members who are able to communicate the supervisor so that any flaws and errors can be eradicated and rectified.

Thus, Web Management Systems are of immense assistance in communicating with the entire team in an effective way because they help with budgeted correspondence all across the world, supervision at any location by the manager, interconnected servers of multiple team members and also the way it helps save time from excessive consumption. Its multi-user feature is the best aspect for the communication to be much more effectual.