Effective Software Project Management

A practical and accessible guide to managing a successful project Effective Project Management is based around an activities and action check list approach to project management. It provides a guide to the basic principles and the disciplines that managers need to master in order to be successful. The author’s check lists approach (based on his years of practical experience on projects) ensure that project managers are following valid processes, helping them to be innovative in their approach to developing plans and resolving problems. In addition, the author’s check list pick and mix format is designed to be flexible in order to meet the individual needs of the reader. Effective Project Management also contains some information on the theories underpinning project management. Knowledge of the theory helps in the understanding of how project management works in practice. In addition to the book’s check lists of what activities need to be performed, the author offers suggestions on how tasks could be carried out. This important resource: Covers a wide range of project management topics including the project management process, programme and portfolio management, initiating and contracting a project, personal skills and more Offers a highly accessible guide to the author’s verified check list approach Presents flexible guidelines applicable for a wide range projects Includes guidance for project managers at all levels of experience Written for project managers working on engineering or construction projects, Effective Project Management reviews all aspects of a project from initiation and execution to project completion together with the specialist topics and personal skills needed to manage projects effectively.

Unlock your potential and achieve breakthrough performance in project management If you're looking for a more robust approach to project management–one that recognizes the project environment and adapts accordingly–then this is the perfect resource. It not only guides you through the traditional methods, but also covers the adaptive and extreme approaches as well. You'll gain an in-depth understanding of each one and know exactly when and how to use them. You'll also be introduced to the Adaptive Project Framework, which arms you with a new project management methodology. And with the help of two new case studies, you'll be able to put these ideas into practice and experience some of the contemporary nuances of projects. This definitive guide to project management shows you how to: Take advantage of new variations on traditional project management methods, including risk assessment and control Decide the best method for managing specific types of projects by analyzing all of the pros and cons Apply the Adaptive Project Framework to the world of fast-paced, high-change, and complex projects Create a war room to successfully manage multiple team projects Determine how project portfolio management approaches can help companies achieve a greater return on investment Utilize all nine Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®) standards advocated by the Project Management Institute (PMI®) (PMBOK and PMI are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.)

The increase in project outsourcing has forced traditional programmers to take on the role of project managers and quickly learn how to manage software projects The author discusses all of the essentials in widely accepted project management methodology, from managing programmers to assessing and eliminating risk The book covers the iterative development model, using Microsoft Project 2003, as well as a variety of methodologies including eXtreme, open source, SQA testing, software life cycle management, and more The companion Web site contains tools, case studies and other resources to help even novices get up and running

Boost your performance with improved project management tactics Project Management ToolBox: Tools and Techniques for the Practicing Project Manager, Second Edition offers a succinct explanation of when, where, and how to use project management resources to enhance your work. With updated content that reflects key advances in the project management field, including planning, implementation, control, cost, and scheduling, this revised text offers added material that covers relevant topics, such as agility, change management, governance, reporting, and risk management. This comprehensive resource provides a contemporary set of tools, explaining each tool's purpose and intention, development, customization and variations, and benefits and disadvantages. Additionally, examples, tips, and milestone checks guide you through the application of these tools, helping you practically apply the information you learn. Effective project management can support a company in increasing market share, improving the quality of products, and enhancing customer service. With so many aspects of project management changing as the business world continues to evolve, it is critical that you stay up to date on the latest topics in this field. Explore emerging topics within the world of project management, keeping up to date on the latest, most relevant subject areas Leverage templates, exercises, and PowerPoint presentations to enhance your project management skills Discuss tips, reporting, implementation, documentation, and other essentials of the project management field Consider how project management fits into various industries, including technology, construction, healthcare, and product development Project Management ToolBox: Tools and Techniques for the Practicing Project Manager, Second Edition is an essential resource for experienced project managers and project management students alike.

…Project management is surely one of the most important professions in the IT industry today. This collection of tips, techniques and guidelines helps IT project managers improve their project management skills on a daily basis. This project book highlights (1) Project Strategy, (2)Life-Cycle Development of a project and (3) Testing of an IT product....

Praise for Project Management Accounting «Let me start with what the Second Edition of Project Management Accounting is not....it is not an inch wide and a mile deep. Instead, it provides multiple lenses to anticipate both intended and unintended consequences through sound principles of Project Management and accounting as well as inquiry focused on both risks to the project and reputational capital. It should be on every decision makers bookshelf to pick up and remind them of their essential foundation when they face a major project or the risk of mental myopia.» —Barry van Dyck, PhD, Recruiting and Admissions Director, EMBA, Mendoza College of Business, University of Notre Dame Acquire the accounting knowledge and skills to become a top-performing Project Management professional Project Management accounting involves much more than just understanding how project income and expense impact the general ledger. To truly succeed in today's competitive business environment, project managers must also understand how to budget resources, determine ROI, and track costs and expenses for projects as well as become adept at strategy and executive decision making and portfolio management. With its focus on accounting, Project Management Accounting: Budgeting, Tracking, and Reporting Costs and Profitability, Second Edition is designed to enhance the business skills of project managers at all levels of experience. Now in a fully updated second edition, Project Management Accounting clearly explains step-by-step how project expensing (for both internal projects and outside vendors) should be capitalized or expensed in order to keep the budget on track and improve profitability. The proficient author team of Callahan, Stetz, and Brooks culls their decades of experience to show readers how to achieve the greatest tax/cost savings by helping them determine what portion of the project can be capitalized. This Second Edition of Project Management Accounting includes current case studies and sample checklists to help professionals hit the ground running by immediately applying concepts to their own business scenarios. Here, CFOs, controllers, project managers, and accounting managers will discover how to: Understand risk assessment from an accounting and auditing perspectiv Maximize project outcomes by leveraging accounting and financing tools and principles Improve each project's profitability by understanding its costs and benefits Analyze their business's financial information to choose the right project, every time Apply proper accounting principles to a project Develop a project budget based on a company's financial performance and needs Project Management Accounting provides the knowledge and skills to become proficient in Project Management and maximize the profitability and ROI of any project.

Get connected and improve outcomes with a more modern approach to project management Project Management 2.0 tackles the new emerging approach and toolset for practicing project management in a virtual world. Author Harold Kerzner is recognized as the thought leader in project management, and in this book, he shows how PM 2.0 offers better outcomes with a focus on new tools, better governance, improved collaboration, and more meaningful reporting using KPIs, metrics, and dashboards. This full color guide explores the impact PM 2.0 changes are having on organizations around the world, and provides a detailed comparison with PM 1.0 to help practitioners adopt new techniques and tools to use within their existing project management approach. At its core, PM 2.0 recognizes that a new generation of workers grew up in a Web 2.0 world of web-based project management tools that allow virtual or distributed teams to work together much more closely than in the past. Advances in technology and information flow have shown that traditional project management techniques are ineffective for many of today's projects. This book offers an alternative with PM 2.0, an updated approach that aligns more closely with the modern workflow. Discover the new project management tools that are changing the workflow Learn how to improve collaboration with stakeholders Explore new ideas and processes for better project governance Achieve more meaningful information reporting with traditional tools Project management is an integral component of successful business operations. With today's technology, teams are no longer limited by distance or time zones – so why are they being managed with approaches that are? This book provides a framework more relevant to the way people work today. For the project manager looking to increase efficiency and improve outcomes, Project Management 2.0 provides the information and tools that can make it happen.

Project Portfolio Management (PPM) goes beyond the typical project management approach to offer a set of proven business practices that can help executives, program managers, and project managers bring projects into alignment with the strategies, resources, and executive oversight of the overall enterprise. Step by step, this book shows how to take a project from the inception of a vision to the realization of benefits to the organization. Project Portfolio Management draws on project management expert Harvey A. Levine’s years of research and distills the knowledge and best practices from dozens of leaders in the field to show how to select and implement the projects that will garner the best results. Throughout this important resource, Levine tackles the many challenges associated with PPM, including Ranking value and benefits Determining the size of the portfolio pipeline Assessing the impact of uncertainty on projects and portfolios Understanding the benefit and risk relationship Establishing a portfolio governance capability Managing the portfolio to maximize benefits Implementing PPM

Today’s new breed, eXtreme projects are different. They feature high speed, high change, high complexity, high risk, and high stress. While traditional projects follow the classic model of ready, aim, fire, eXtreme project managers succeed by shooting the gun and then redirecting the bullet while not loosing sight of their moving target. eXtreme Project Management provides a practical guide for leaders working under high risk and high pressure while producing the desired bottom-line results. Based on Doug DeCarlo’s extensive experience in working with more than 250 project teams, his eXtreme project management model is built around an integrated set of principles, values, skills, tools, and practices proven to consistently work under conditions of rapid change and uncertainty. eXtreme project management is based on the premise that you don’t manage the unknown the same way you manage the known. It’s a people-centric approach to high performance that makes quality of life a fundamental part of the project venture.

Dispels the confusion between project management success and project success, showing how project sponsors can govern their projects to succeed in delivering the strategic benefits originally envisaged  Project management success does not automatically lead to project success. Many large projects fail to live up to expectations, with between half and two-thirds of large projects either failing to deliver or delivering few strategic benefits. Traditional project management resources focus on delivering a project on time and on budget, yet they fail to supply top managers, many of whom find themselves in the role of accidental project sponsors, with guidance on how to govern their projects to succeed.  Project Benefit Realisation and Project Management: The 6Q Governance Approach  bridges the strategy to performance gap by providing boards, senior managers and project sponsors with the six critical questions necessary to diagnose the health of any project. Presenting a systematic framework developed from research cases of successful and unsuccessful projects in various types of organisations, this practical guide enables those in top management to determine if their strategy or policy is on track and to assess whether a project is likely to deliver the expected benefits. The text features real-world examples illustrating how concepts can be applied to different types of projects in engineering, construction, information technology, business transformation and many others. This must-have guide is designed to help top managers and other stakeholders:  Clarify the link between business outcomes, benefits, and strategy to evaluate where effort should be directed Assess how much behavioural change is required to effectively implement strategy and realise desired benefits Select a project sponsor committed to influencing key stakeholders to make necessary changes and intercede to resolve issues as they arise Establish how success will be measured before a project begins, to gauge sponsor commitment and ensure project goals are not changed to match whatever is achieved Ask if the right culture is in place to ensure all relevant information is being reported Determine teams’ ability to adapt and change plans in response to issues arising in the project Monitor if the project is on track to realising the benefits and have a process in place to cancel failing projects  Project Benefit Realisation and Project Management: The 6Q Governance Approach  is an indispensable volume for board members, project sponsors, project advisors and those in senior positions who find themselves in the role of accidental project sponsors.