'The Project Manager's Toolkit' provides a quick reference checklist approach to drive an IT development project as well as solve issues that arise in the process. It can be used proactively to set a project on the right course and reactively for solutions to problems. It will: * help identify what needs doing next on an IT project * provide quick reference 'to-do' lists for use throughout the lifecycle of an IT project * answer the need for material that can be used to quality-check project deliverables It has been designed so that those on the project team who are facing a problem can pick up the book, turn to a relevant checklist and use it as a "starter-for-ten" to find a solution. For example, how to analyse data for a data-conversion exercise, or how to measure the quality of a project deliverable. 'The Project Manager's Toolkit' therefore provides a fast way to reduce an insolvable problem/issue to a set of smaller solvable ones

Most transformations and large-scale change programs fail, but in a rapidly changing world change is becoming more and more critical for survival. The HERO Transformation Playbook is your step-by-step playbook of EXACTLY how to deliver successful transformations and large-scale change programs with the best chance of success using the HERO Transformation Framework: a clear method to help you design transformation for maximum enterprise value creation and then deliver the outcome in a repeatable fashion. We built our framework through trial and error, learning from our mistakes and successes and solving common issues we came across and pitfalls that we have seen time and again. We then spent many years honing the framework, removing the fluff, distilling the concepts until it contained everything you need to succeed in the challenging world of change. In this book we teach you everything we've learned - including all of the roles, processes, meetings, governance, and templates for you to follow and apply to your transformation today - so that you can crack the code of change and lead successful transformations on your own. The more successful transformations that are delivered, the better the world will be for everyone!

Schedule and cost management are the most essential parts of project lifecycle management and many projects fail as a result of not managing these critical components effectively. The most commonly used tool for project schedule management is Microsoft Office Project, which is designed to assist project managers in developing schedules, assigning resources to tasks, tracking progress, managing budgets and analyzing workloads. The most common technique used for cost management is earned value management (EVM), a project management technique used for measuring project progress in an objective manner that combines measurements of project scope, schedule and cost performance within a single integrated methodology. EVM is becoming the standard across the world for this purpose in both the private and public sector and many organizations are now adopting this technique to manage their projects. In the public sector, EVM is mandated for all government projects in the United States and many other countries are following suit. Earned Value Management Using Microsoft (R) Office Project is the first reference to effectively combine the most widely used scheduling tool with the most widely accepted cost management technique. It is a practical guide to end-to-end scheduling and cost management using Microsoft Office Project that includes a CD-ROM of a limited version of a unique EVM software tool that will help practitioners more effectively manage their projects, track and report the status and progress of projects, and take necessary action before their projects fail beyond repair. This text is an excellent complement to whatever Microsoft Office Project guide that you may be using and a significant addition to the literature on how to use EVM.

Learn Management Information Systems YOUR Way with MIS!

MIS’s easy-reference, paperback textbook presents course content through visually-engaging chapters as well as Chapter Review Cards that consolidate the best review material into a ready-made study tool. With the textbook or on its own, MIS Online allows easy exploration of MIS anywhere, anytime - including on your device! Collect your notes and create StudyBits™ from interactive content as you go to remember what’s important. Then, either use preset study resources, or personalize the product through easy-to-use tags and filters to prioritize your study time. Make and review flashcards, review related content, and track your progress with Concept Tracker, all in one place and at an affordable price!

New to this edition:

• NEW 4LTR PRESS ONLINE: Created through a deep investigation of students' challenges and workflows, MIS Online lets students study how and when they want−including on their devices!
• With the unique StudyBits™ functionality, students easily collect notes and create StudyBits™ from interactive content to collect what’s important. And intuitive tagging and filtering options helps students maximize their study efforts as they make flashcards, take practice quizzes, view related content, and track their progress all in one place!
• Coupled with straightforward course management, assessment, and analytics for instructors, MIS with MIS Online engages students of all generations and learning styles, and integrates seamlessly into your course, setting the stage for thinking critically about Management Information Systems.

"Project management can seem like a daunting endeavor to the untrained and uninitiated. Here is a book that spells out the basics of implementing a project management model and encourages critical thinking about how project management can help a company accomplish its business objectives.

Offering clear, concise explanations of different project phases, " Project Management Step-by-Step" also includes six case studies -- positive and negative, real and fictional -- that show clearly how project management works in the real world. The book is fully consistent with the newly updated Project Management Body of Knowledge, so its observations and recommendations are consistently applicable and thoroughly field-tested. Richman's clear, accessible text is augmented with discussion questions, exercises, diagrams, charts, and a comprehensive glossary. Special passwords to free online information for students, instructors, and project management professionals are alone worth the price of the book.

Written in plain, jargon-free English, "Project Management Step-by-Step" is an incisive and complete guide -- truly a perfect introduction to project management."

Note: This pocket book is available in several languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Dutch. This pocket guide is based on the PMBOK(R) Guide Fifth Edition. It contains a summary of the PMBOK(R) Guide, to provide a quick introduction as well as a structured overview of this framework for project management. This pocket guide deals with the key issues and themes within project management and the PMBOK(R) Guide as follows: - Key terms and definitions in the project management profession - A short overview of the activities of PMI Inc., the organization and its standards: PMBOK(R) Guide, Standard for Project Portfolio Management, Standard for Program Management and other standards. - The essentials of the Project Lifecycle and Organization. - What are the key project management knowledge areas and processes? Main target Group for this pocket guide is anyone with an interest in understanding the PMBOK(R) Guide framework or a systematic approach for project management. The book is also very useful for members of a project management team in a project environment using the PMBOK(R) Guide as a shared reference. A complete but concise description of the PMBOK(R) Guide, for anyone involved in projects or project management, for only 15,95!

Computer science graduates often find software engineering knowledge and skills are more in demand after they join the industry. However, given the lecture-based curriculum present in academia, it is not an easy undertaking to deliver industry-standard knowledge and skills in a software engineering classroom as such lectures hardly engage or convince students. Overcoming Challenges in Software Engineering Education: Delivering Non-Technical Knowledge and Skills combines recent advances and best practices to improve the curriculum of software engineering education. This book is an essential reference source for researchers and educators seeking to bridge the gap between industry expectations and what academia can provide in software engineering education.

Have you ever seen a promising project get abandoned right when it seemed like it was getting ready to launch, or a project that always seemed like it was going to launch "next month," but took many months or even years before it actually launched? Scrum may be the solution to such woes. It is a project management methodology that, when applied faithfully, will increase the rate at which your project is completed, the enjoyment your team has while working on it, and its commercial success. Converting to scrum can be a challenge for any team, but it is particularly painful for part time, virtual, and student teams. Successful Scrumbutt helps teams quickly learn scrum project management and adapt it to their unique situations. Author Noah Dyer illustrates key techniques for maintaining a team's productivity and enthusiasm for a project across its lifetime in fun, engaging, and slightly irreverent ways. Key Features Learn key techniques for maintaining enthusiasm for your project across its lifetime and have the confidence that every hour spent on your project is having maximum benefit. Includes instructions for using Assembla and other popular and free Scrum software. This will save people time identifying and learning a software package to help implement Scrum principles. Activities to introduce people to Scrum and practice Scrum principles. These are fun ways to learn Scrum in a low pressure atmosphere where delivery and execution are not paramount. Soft Skills Sections help readers understand not only the action to be taken and the principle, but how to effectively communicate with others regarding Scrum practices, particularly problem solving. Excel templates, activities for implementing Scrum in a low tech environment and planning cards that make Scrum planning activities easier and feel more official are included for download and easy printing. Do It Now: Tips for integrating the principle in a chapter right away, even if full Scrum is not yet fully understood and achievable.

Have you ever seen a promising project get abandoned right when it seemed like it was getting ready to launch, or a project that always seemed like it was going to launch "next month," but took many months or even years before it actually launched? Scrum may be the solution to such woes. It is a project management methodology that, when applied faithfully, will increase the rate at which your project is completed, the enjoyment your team has while working on it, and its commercial success. Converting to scrum can be a challenge for any team, but it is particularly painful for part time, virtual, and student teams. Successful Scrumbutt helps teams quickly learn scrum project management and adapt it to their unique situations. Author Noah Dyer illustrates key techniques for maintaining a team's productivity and enthusiasm for a project across its lifetime in fun, engaging, and slightly irreverent ways. Key Features Learn key techniques for maintaining enthusiasm for your project across its lifetime and have the confidence that every hour spent on your project is having maximum benefit. Includes instructions for using Assembla and other popular and free Scrum software. This will save people time identifying and learning a software package to help implement Scrum principles. Activities to introduce people to Scrum and practice Scrum principles. These are fun ways to learn Scrum in a low pressure atmosphere where delivery and execution are not paramount. Soft Skills Sections help readers understand not only the action to be taken and the principle, but how to effectively communicate with others regarding Scrum practices, particularly problem solving. Excel templates, activities for implementing Scrum in a low tech environment and planning cards that make Scrum planning activities easier and feel more official are included for download and easy printing. Do It Now: Tips for integrating the principle in a chapter right away, even if full Scrum is not yet fully understood and achievable.

Experience learning made easy-and quickly teach yourself how to manage your projects with Project 2007. With Step By Step, you set the pace-building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Build a project plan and fine-tune the details Schedule tasks, assign resources, and manage dependencies Monitor progress and costs-and keep your project on track Format Gantt charts and other views to communicate project data Begin exploring enterprise project management systems Your all-in-one learning experience includes: Files for building skills and practicing the book's lessons Fully searchable eBook Bonus guide to the Ribbon, the new Microsoft Office interface Quick course on project management in the Appendix Windows Vista Product Guide eReference-plus other resources on CD For customers who purchase an ebook version of this title, instructions for downloading the CD files can be found in the ebook.

This comprehensive study guide delivers complete coverage of every topic on the CompTIA Project+ exam Take the challenging CompTIA Project+ (Exam PK0-005) with complete confidence using the detailed information contained in this highly effective self-study guide. You will get clear explanations of every topic on the test along with special elements that reinforce and teach practical skills, step-by-step exercises, exam tips, and notes. The book serves both a powerful exam preparation tool and an ideal on-the-job reference. Written by an expert in the field, CompTIA Project+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide (Exam PK0-005) offers complete coverage of every topic on the test and features accurate practice questions. You will get coverage of IT project life cycles, project roles, and the skills necessary to effectively initiate, plan, execute, monitor and close a project. Sidebars throughout offer real-world insights and practical applications, and end-of-chapter summaries and review questions aid in retention. Delivers 100% coverage of all objectives for the CompTIA Project+ certification exam Contains a discount code for 10% off of the exam Online content includes 180 practice questions, video training, and downloadable worksheets and templates

Business Process Management Systems: Strategy and Implementation discusses business management practices and the technology that enables them. It analyzes the history of process management practices and proposes that BPM practices are a synthesis of BPR (radical change) and TQM (continuous change) practices. Both business and IT professionals receive an integrated view of how various management practices merge into BPM.

This volume describes the many technologies that converge to form a Business Process Management System (BPMS), illustrating BPMS standards and service-oriented architecture (SOA).

Exploring BPM implementation methodology, it discusses business management concepts, principles, and practices and the technology that enables these practices. The book reviews data integration, messaging-based integration, component-based integration, and workflow technologies, as well as highlights BPMS standards. It also illustrates types of business process management systems, including data-centric, application-centric, and process-centric integration products.

Discover how to successfully apply the advantages of the latest Access database management system and maximize the tools within today's newest version of Excel spreadsheet to analyze and solve real business problems with PROBLEM-SOLVING CASES IN MICROSOFT (R) ACCESS AND EXCEL, 15TH ANNUAL EDITION. Packed with hands-on learning, this edition highlights six individual tutorials designed to build your practical knowledge as they walk you step-by-step through the capabilities of each software application. For the best in real-world practice, this edition offers 12 all-new case studies that present scenarios and problems you are likely to encounter on the job. In addition, a unique emphasis on skill-building integration shows you how to use Access and Excel together to resolve challenges within the cases. You can count on PROBLEM-SOLVING CASES IN MICROSOFT (R) ACCESS AND EXCEL to deliver today's most up-to-date, practical guide for the widely used Access and Excel programs.

The overwhelming majority of a software system's lifespan is spent in use, not in design or implementation. So, why does conventional wisdom insist that software engineers focus primarily on the design and development of large-scale computing systems? In this collection of essays and articles, key members of Google's Site Reliability Team explain how and why their commitment to the entire lifecycle has enabled the company to successfully build, deploy, monitor, and maintain some of the largest software systems in the world. You'll learn the principles and practices that enable Google engineers to make systems more scalable, reliable, and efficient-lessons directly applicable to your organization. This book is divided into four sections: Introduction-Learn what site reliability engineering is and why it differs from conventional IT industry practices Principles-Examine the patterns, behaviors, and areas of concern that influence the work of a site reliability engineer (SRE) Practices-Understand the theory and practice of an SRE's day-to-day work: building and operating large distributed computing systems Management-Explore Google's best practices for training, communication, and meetings that your organization can use

Originally created for agile software development, scrum provides project managers with the flexibility needed to meet ever-changing consumer demands. Presenting a modified version of the agile software development framework, Scrum Project Management introduces Scrum basics and explains how to apply this adaptive technique to effectively manage a wide range of programs and complex projects. The book provides proven planning methods for controlling project scope and ensuring your project stays on schedule. It includes scrum tracking methods to help your team maintain a focus on improving throughput and streamlining communications. It also demonstrates how to: Combine traditional project management methods with scrum Adapt the familiar work breakdown structure to create scrum backlogs and sprints Use a scrum of scrums to manage programs Apply earned value management, critical path, and PERT in the context of scrum Having successfully deployed and implemented scrum across multiple companies and departments, the authors provide valuable insight into how they achieved their past successes and how they overcame the trials involved with the deployment of a scrum environment. Throughout the text they discuss improvisation, creative problem solving, and emergent phenomena-detailing the methods needed to ensure your team achieves project success.

Agile may be the best-kept management secret on the planet and if you want a quickstart introduction, then Agile NOW is essential reading. Agile is a different way of thinking that’s steeped in common sense and produces immediate results. That’s why there’s a quiet revolution going on.

Agile will help you design better products, get faster results, cut down costs, and keep improving as you go. With a simple system called The Golden Triangle - Prioritising, Time Boxing and Change Management - you can hit the ground running and get started immediately.

Agile NOW is slim, accessible and easy to dip into - yet covers all the essential theory and provides practical advice. Agile is for everyone - from one-person start-ups to multinationals – the promise of quicker, cheaper, better has universal appeal. Agile NOW shows you how to get going fast at minimal cost.

In "Large-Scale Scrum," Craig Larman and Bas Vodde offer the most direct, concise, actionable guide to reaping the full benefits of agile in distributed, global enterprises. Larman and Vodde have distilled their immense experience helping geographically distributed development organizations move to agile. Going beyond their previous books, they offer today's fastest, most focused guidance: "brass tacks" advice and field-proven best practices for achieving value fast, and achieving even more value as you move forward. Targeted to enterprise project participants and stakeholders, "Large-Scale Scrum" offers straight-to-the-point insights for scaling Scrum across the entire project lifecycle, from sprint planning to retrospective. Larman and Vodde help you:

• Implement proven Scrum frameworks for large-scale developments
• Scale requirements, planning, and product management
• Scale design and architecture
• Effectively manage defects and interruptions
• Integrate Scrum into multisite and offshore projects
• Choose the right adoption strategies and organizational designs

Repetitive Project Scheduling: Theory and Methods is the first book to comprehensively, and systematically, review new methods for scheduling repetitive projects that have been developed in response to the weaknesses of the most popular method for project scheduling, the Critical Path Method (CPM). As projects with significant levels of repetitive scheduling are common in construction and engineering, especially construction of buildings with multiple stories, highways, tunnels, pipelines, power distribution networks, and so on, the book fills a much needed gap, introducing the main repetitive project scheduling methods, both comprehensively and systematically. Users will find valuable information on core methodologies, including how to identify the controlling path and controlling segment, how to convert RSM to a network model, and examples based on practical scheduling problems.

Lean is a set of disciplines that can result in tremendous savings and profitability for companies. It can significantly reduce cycle times and increase customer satisfaction. Lean, however, must be applied efficiently and effectively to achieve optimum results. This book discusses project management concepts, tools, and techniques as they apply to managing Lean projects. It explains how you can apply the discipline of project management to fully harness the energy and power that Lean offers. Managing Lean Projects begins by discussing the major concepts and techniques that make Lean so powerful. It details the many benefits of Lean, along with the key challenges that must be overcome to fully reap its benefits. The book then goes on to describe the project management tools and techniques you can use to get the most out of Lean. It explains how the structure of each key project management process helps to keep the Lean project on course. The book devotes separate chapters to the project management processes for PDCA (plan, do, check, act) and DMAIC (define, measure, analyze, improve, control) Lean lifecycles. In both chapters, detailed case studies help to demonstrate the concepts presented in a real-world situation. The author includes numerous diagrams, examples, and checklists throughout the book to get you started quickly managing Lean projects. As Lean continues to pick up momentum across many industries, it becomes imperative that project managers learn how to use it to achieve the desired results. With this book, project managers will be well-equipped to lead, not just manage, their Lean projects to success and to the benefit of their organization and the people who work in it.

This pocket guide explains the content and the practical use of ISO 21500 - Guidance on project management, the latest international standard for project management, and the first of a family of ISO standards for project, portfolio and program management. ISO 21500 is meant for senior managers and project sponsors to better understand project management and to properly support projects, for project managers and their team members to have a reference for comparing their projects to others and it can be used as a basis for the development of national standards. This pocket guide provides a quick introduction as well as a structured overview of this guidance and deals with the key issues within project management: * Roles and responsibilities * Balancing the project constraints * Competencies of project personnel All ISO 21500 subject groups (themes) are explained: Integration, Stakeholder, Scope, Resource, Time, Cost, Risk, Quality, Procurement and Communication. A separate chapter explains the comparison between, ISO 21500 and PMBOK(R) Guide PRINCE2, Agile, Lean, Six Sigma and other methods, practices and models. Finally, it provides a high level description of how ISO 21500 can be applied in practice using a generic project life cycle. Proper application of this new globally accepted project management guideline will support organizations and individuals in growing their project management maturity consistently to a professional level.