This volume is a guide to developing superior project-manager skills and competencies. Effective project management is becoming a critical mission skill for individuals and organizations in every industry. Faster product life cycles, the widespread adoption of cross-functional teams, and the increasing demands of customers are all contributing to the growing need for professional managers who know how to marshal resources, make decisions, and ensure the smooth flow of projects from idea to launch. In this work Robert Wysocki and James Lewis offer a highly practical handbook for anyone who aspires to achieve superior project-manager skills. Featuring self-assessment tools, showcasing best practices from the field, and drawing on their own experience in training project managers around the world, the authors provide a comprehensive program for crafting a career development plan and putting it into action.

Today's project manager has more to manage than just project scope, deliverables, communications and teams. They are also expected to manage large volumes of project-related data. And the expectation goes beyond just managing the data. It extends into creating great visualizations that allow stakeholders to fully digest that large volume of data in a manner that is quick, effective and clear. They are also expected to serve as facilitators in the use of visual thinking tools as a method for working through project issues, risks and problems. These new expectations require new skills. The era of multi-page, text-based project status reporting is over. The era of visual project management is here. Time to "skill up!"

By bringing together various current directions, Software Project Management in a Changing World focuses on how people and organizations can make their processes more change-adaptive. The selected chapters closely correspond to the project management knowledge areas introduced by the Project Management Body of Knowledge, including its extension for managing software projects.

The contributions are grouped into four parts, preceded by a general introduction. Part I Fundamentals provides in-depth insights into fundamental topics including resource allocation, cost estimation and risk management. Part II Supporting Areas presents recent experiences and results related to the management of quality systems, knowledge, product portfolios and global and virtual software teams. Part III New Paradigms details new and evolving software-development practices including agile, distributed and open and inner-source development. Finally, Part IV Emerging Techniques introduces search-based techniques, social media, software process simulation and the efficient use of empirical data and their effects on software-management practices.This book will attract readers from both academia and practice with its excellent balance between new findings and experience of their usage in new contexts. Whenever appropriate, the presentation is based on evidence from empirical evaluation of the proposed approaches. For researchers and graduate students, it presents some of the latest methods and techniques to accommodate new challenges facing the discipline. For professionals, it serves as a source of inspiration for refining their project-management skills in new areas."

This volume goes beyond the theory of team dynamics and project management to present real world applications. The culmination of years of experience and research, the book describes practical techniques for building successful high performance project teams using actual examples from high tech companies. A concise guide for both new and experienced managers, this resource enables the reader to: select the right projects for an organization; reduce the time needed for team development and productive operation; learn motivational and retention strategies for technical project personnel; avoid project management pitfalls; and inject quality into current and future projects. The book examines the typical life cycle of team development and the general mechanics of team and project formation in today's project management setting. It scrutinizes both successes and failures in nurturing and developing a team, offering techniques and suggestions on building better teams in the future.

This book explores coordination within and between teams in the context of large-scale agile software development, providing readers a deeper understanding of how coordinated action between teams is achieved in multiteam systems. An exploratory multiple case study with five multiteam systems and a total of 66 interviewees from development teams at SAP SE is presented and analyzed. In addition, the book explores stereotypes of coordination in large-scale agile settings and shares new perspectives on integrating conditions for coordination. No previous study has researched this topic with a similar data set, consisting of insights from professional software development teams. As such, the book will be of interest to all researchers and practitioners whose work involves software product development across several teams.

Current technological, demographic and globalization trends are not only leading to intensified competition; they also indicate that new business models are rapidly emerging but only to disappear again just as quickly. Timely recognition of the new changes, jettisoning of old approaches and rapid implementation of the currently required changes within a company are now decisive competitive factors. Those who best survive (and thrive) in the future will be those who dramatically increase their success rate within this change process. Building on his best-selling book 'The Strategy Scout' Matthias Kolbusa explains the decisive principles in this rapidly changing business environment.

Technology breakthroughs in sustainable renewable energy and energy conservation technologies require that there be a strong institutional ecosystem in place which supports innovation, but the nature of this foundation and how it works is not well-known. Becoming a leader necessitates new forms of cross-sector cooperation.

Understanding governance as it applies to portfolios, programs, and projects is growing in importance to organizations, because appropriate governance is a factor in the success or failure of strategic initiatives and portfolios, as well as an organization's programs and projects. Implementing an effective governance framework can be challenging due to factors such as increasing business complexities, regulatory requirements, globalization, and rapid changes in technology and business environments. Many organizations do not have a consistent approach to portfolio, program, and project governance. PMI's Governance of Portfolios, Programs, and Projects: A Practice Guide, developed by leading experts in the field, provides guidance to organizations and practitioners on how to implement or enhance governance on portfolios, programs, and projects. This practice guide provides definitions for governance in an effort to distinguish the different levels of governance and to identify their common elements.

Addressing a topic of critical importance to every business, this book provides managers at all levels the tools to conduct a successful cost-cutting and productivity-improvement program. Cost cutting and improving productivity are objectives that have always been-and continue to be-critically important to businesses. Today, being efficient isn't simply "best practice;" it's essential to preventing layoffs and facility closures. In Cutting Costs: Successful Strategies for Improving Productivity, a certified management consultant with nearly four decades of experience presents his highly relevant and extensive knowledge to help businesses make significant improvements and be more successful. Providing a practical progression of information that is simple to understand and easy to put to use and benefit from, Fred H. Neu's advice and insights will be invaluable to all business owners, managers with budget responsibility, business finance and accounting professionals, management consultants, business school instructors, and business school students. Presents many topics applicable to all businesses, both manufacturing and nonmanufacturing Describes examples of successful cost-cutting and productivity-improvement projects written by the consultants and managers who implemented them Explains how to measure results of a cost-cutting and productivity-improvement program and reward positive efforts

The problem of allocating scarce resources over time to perform a given set of activities - that is, project scheduling - appears in the vast spectrum of real-world situations. Over the last forty years project scheduling problems have been carefully studied, resulting in a considerable body of knowledge. Recently, however, the power and ubiquity of the computer has had a pronounced effect on research in project scheduling and project scheduling models. As a result, considerable progress has been made in all directions of modeling and finding solutions to these problems. This volume is a state-of-the-art treatment of Project Scheduling in general and of recent developments in particular. Part I deals with classical models. By classical model' we mean the deterministic problems involving discrete resources only and the evaluation of schedules on the basis of a single criterion. This term covers a wide variety of problems, including (discrete) resource-duration interaction, i.e. multi-mode models. Part 2 deals with heuristic algorithms for these models. It is complemented by chapters treating such important problems as benchmark instances, interval capacity consistency tests, and the evolution of software quality for (classical) project scheduling problems. In Part 3 the most important new or non-classical' models are considered. These include probabilistic and fuzzy models, and continuous resources as well as multi-criteria formulations and knowledge-based systems. Part 4 contains some important extensions and/or applications of the project scheduling problems considered in the previous chapters.

This unique guide and professional reference presents a structured framework for practitioners and students of project, program, and portfolio management to enhance their strategic and analytic capabilities in the evolving discipline of project portfolio management (PPM). It provides a practical, step-by-step approach to building competencies in categorizing, evaluating, optimizing, prioritizing, and managing an IT, pharmaceutical, biotech or other complex R&D-oriented portfolio of investments.

The primary aim of Project Management is to facilitate the successful completion of projects. For this reason it puts particular emphasis on the importance of careful preparation and strategic co-operation within the project team. The first part of this new textbook offers a description of the project-based approach to the work environment, an analysis of when such an approach is appropriate and an account of how to make projects work. In addition, this part of the book discusses the role of planning software within the project environment. Part Two of the book describes the practical tools and skills needed to tackle projects. A number of the skills outlined in Part Two are also relevant to learning contexts other than projects. This new edition offers additional material on the life-cycle of the project: from setting up to completing a project. New sections deal with skills such as brainstorming and decision making in the project group. The text makes for required reading for project management students everywhere.

This book presents the proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Engineering, Project, and Product Management (EPPM 2017), highlighting the importance of engineering, project and product management in a region of the world that is in need of transformation and rebuilding. The aim of the conference was to bring together the greatest minds in engineering and management and offer them a platform to share their innovative, and potentially transformational, findings. The proceedings are comprehensive, multidisciplinary, and advanced in their approach with an appeal not only for academicians and university students but also for professionals in various engineering fields, especially construction, manufacturing and production.

In this third edition of Managing Projects in Organizations, J. Davidson Frame updates and expands on his classic book to provide an accessible introduction to the field of project management. Drawing on more than twenty-five years of consulting and training experience, Frame's most current edition of his landmark book includes a wealth of new topics, including:

• Managing virtual teams
• The evolving concept of the project manager's role
• Comanaged project teams
• The project office
• Project portfolios
• Web-based project management
• International project management

No longer restricted to the engineering industry, project management has at long last crossed over to mainstream business. Project Management for Business Professionals is the definitive reference on the essentials of contemporary project management.

Featured here are some of the foremost practitioners and researchers from academia, consulting, and private industry, sharing their various areas of project management expertise and providing a wide range of perspectives on everything from risk management to resource planning to ethics management.

Focusing on both the technical and human sides of the field, this unique resource follows the main points of the "project management body of knowledge"–the certification standard of the Project Management Institute. The experts address the procedures and processes for planning and managing projects and explore project team/group dynamics, examining the interpersonal relations and the political and organizational considerations that can impact a project.

The project has become fundamental to international development and humanitarian practice, playing a key role in defining objectives, funding streams and ultimately determining what success looks like. This book provides a much needed overview of the project in international development practice, guiding the reader through the latest theoretical debates, and exploring the core tools and stages of planning and design. The book starts with an overview of the role of the project through development history, before taking the reader through the stages of a standard project management cycle. Each chapter introduces the stage, the most common tools used to support that phase of planning, and the critical debates that exist around it, with examples to illustrate discussion from around the world and a range of development fields. The book explores the challenges to working effectively in contemporary aid conetxts, including the role of politics and the pressures wrought by the demands to demonstrate quantified results. Throughout, the book argues for the need to see the project as a form of governmentality that arranges resources and people in time and space, and which extends neoliberal forms of managerial control in the sector. Ending with suggestions for innovation, this book is perfect for anyone looking for an accessible and engaging guide to the international development project, whether student, researcher or practitioner.

Run every project smoothly, successfully and on time This book contains a range of essential checklists for busy project managers, each one of which has been developed, tested and proven to work. Brilliant Checklists for Project Managers quickly provides hundreds of practical tips, techniques and strategies, based on proven insider knowledge and expertise to help you to deliver brilliant projects. Complete your projects successfully, on time and within budget Understand and master all aspects of any project Run any type of project, no matter what size Quickly find the answers you need just when you need them Everything you need to know, think about and do to run your project successfully and efficiently.

Recognizing the importance of selecting and pursuing programs, projects, and operational work that add sustainable business value that benefits end users, the Project Management Institute (PMI (R)) issued its first Standard on Portfolio Management in 2006. In 2014, it launched the Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP (R)) credential-which several of the experts who contributed to this book earned-to recognize the advanced expertise required of practitioners in the field. Presenting information that is current with The Standard for Portfolio Management, Third Edition (2013); Portfolio Management: A Strategic Approach supplies in-depth treatment of the five domains and identifies best practices to ensure the organization has a balanced portfolio management that is critical to success. Following PMI's standard, the book is organized according to its five domains: strategic alignment, governance, portfolio performance management, portfolio risk management, and portfolio communications management. Each chapter presents the insight of different thought leaders in academia and business. Contributors from around the world, including the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Australia, supply a global perspective as to why portfolio management is essential for all types of organizations. They provide guidelines, examples, and models to consider, along with discussion and analysis of relevant literature in the field. Most chapters reference PMI standards, complement their concepts, and expand on the concepts and issues that the standards mention in passing or not at all. Overall, this is a must-have resource for anyone pursuing the PfMP (R) credential from PMI. For executives and practitioners in the field, it provides the concepts you will need to address the ever-changing complexities that impact your work. This book is also suitable as a textbook for universities offering courses on portfolio management.

Computer Science Project Work: Principles and Pragmatics is essential reading for lecturers and course designers who want to improve their handling of project work on specific courses, and deans and department heads who are interested in strategic issues and comparative practices. It explores working practices within the curriculum and provides a resource of guidelines and practical advice, including tried and tested "good ideas" and case studies of innovative practices.It looks at different approaches to key aspects of project work such as:- Allocation- Supervision- Assessment Integration with the curriculumand allows readers to "mix and match" approaches to create a system which suits their individual needs."Computer Science Project Work: Principles and Pragmatics is passionate, well-researched, and well-written...I wish I had this book from the beginning of my teaching career, and you will too."Susan Fowler, Professor of Technical Communication and Usability, Polytechnic University, Brooklyn, New York"Sally Fincher and her colleagues have assembled a cornucopia of practical advice and case studies, solidly referenced. This is the source book on using projects in computer science education."David Baume, Director of Teaching Development, Centre for Higher Education Practice, The Open University, UK"...very well-researched, it covers all the aspects, from the allocation of projects and teams, to managing the project process, assessing projects, and so on.....It will prove invaluable to all lecturers involved in teaching computing...."Professor Mike Holcombe, University of Sheffield, UK

On the evidence of the authors of Advances in Project Management: Narrated Journeys in Unchartered Territory, there is a sea change coming. That change will affect the way projects are perceived, lead and governed, particularly in the context of the wider organisation to which they belong; whether that is in the public, private or not-for-profit sectors. Many organisations have struggled to apply the traditional models of project management to their new projects in the global environment. Anecdotal and evidence-based research confirms that projects continue to fail at an alarming rate. A major part of the build-up to failure is often the lack of adequate project management knowledge and experience. Advances in Project Management covers key areas of improvement in understanding and project capability further up the management chain; amongst strategy and senior decision makers and amongst professional project and programme managers. This collection, drawn from some of the world's leading practitioners and researchers and compiled by Professor Darren Dalcher of the National Centre for Project Management, provides those people and organisations who are involved with the developments in project management with the kind of structured information, new approaches and novel perspectives that will inform their thinking and their practice and improve their decisions.

Formally validated training material to pass Microsoft certification Exam 70-178: Microsoft Project 2010, Managing Projects! Designed for the busy, practicing project manager, Dynamic Scheduling With Microsoft Project 2010 will help you get up to speed quickly with the new features of Project 2010 and enable you to create effective schedules more efficiently using best practices, tips & tricks, and step-by-step instruction. Through the use of helpful screen shots, hands-on exercises, illustrations, and review questions, this guide instructs you on how to build dynamic schedules that will allow you to explore what-if scenarios and dramatically decrease the time you spend making static schedule changes. ""A must read, re-read, and use daily for all project managers"" is what PMI's Project Management Journal had to say about the previous edition. This updated version is even better.

Discusses the usage, debate, and conceptual and theoretical issues of e-collaboration support of distributed project management.

In his ground-breaking book, Reinventing Communication, Mark Phillips shows how even the most mature organization can fail to deliver successful projects - and worse, how this can lead to an organization's demise. With clear examples, Mark reveals the underlying principles at work and introduces a revolutionary new technique for harnessing the power of communication to ensure long term success. For organizations of all sizes, this book changes the way we think about management and leadership. Mark makes his case by looking at teams and individuals that set out to deliver ambitious achievements in complex and challenging environments. We meet the leadership team that built the F-18 Super Hornet fighter jet, one of the US Navy's most successful programs. We discover the untraditional approach to risk used in building a new terminal at London's Heathrow airport. We draw lessons on corporate survival from the cat and mouse fight against IED's in Afghanistan, and are introduced to a website where online video gamers solved a critical piece of the AIDS puzzle using their gaming prowess. Reinventing Communication is about creating the conditions for performance and attaining long term success. Whether a start-up, a global enterprise or a government agency, this book shows us how to deliver ambitious achievements by getting communication right. It is a book that no manager, leader or innovator should be without.