Essentials Of Strategic Project Management

Get a high-level overview of project management with this strategically focused book. You'll find practical guidance, useful advice, and valuable tools and techniques for navigating project management. The authors demystiy project management by defining many terms that project managers use that may not be familiar to you as an executive. They also equip you with the critical knowledge and background to implement sound project management methods, as well as gain a better understanding of project management and increase the success of existing projects. Order your copy today.

When Fortune Magazine estimated that 70% of all strategies fail, it also noted that most of these strategies were basically sound, but could not be executed. The central premise of Strategic Project Management Made Simple is that most projects and strategies never get off the ground because of adhoc, haphazard, and obsolete methods used to turn their ideas into coherent and actionable plans. Strategic Project Management Made Simple is the first book to couple a step-by-step process with an interactive thinking tool that takes a strategic approach to designing projects and action initiatives. Strategic Project Management Made Simple builds a solid platform upon four critical questions that are vital for teams to intelligently answer in order to create their own strong, strategic foundation. These questions are: 1. What are we trying to accomplish and why? 2. How will we measure success? 3. What other conditions must exist? 4. How do we get there? This fresh approach begins with clearly understanding the what and why of a project - comprehending the bigger picture goals that are often given only lip service or cursory reviews. The second and third questions clarify success measures and identify the risky assumptions that can later cause pain if not spotted early. The how questions - what are the activities, budgets, and schedules - comes last in our four-question system. By contrast, most project approaches prematurely concentrate on the how without first adequately addressing the three other questions. These four questions guide readers into fleshing out a simple, yet sophisticated, mental workbench called "the Logical Framework" - a Systems Thinking paradigm that lays out one's own project strategy in an easily accessible, interactive 4x4 matrix. The inclusion of memorable features and concepts (four critical questions, LogFrame matrix, If-then thinking, and Implementation Equation) make this book unique.

Turn your strategy into business reality with proven project management and leadership best practices According to Harvard Business Review, IT project failure costs businesses $3 trillion dollars annually. That’s just IT. For the full scope this issue, increase that number exponentially. If you expect more from strategic planning and don’t think projects should decimate budgets and professional reputations, you’re in good company. CEO of UltiMentors Duane Petersen has dedicated his career to helping business leaders transform their companies by turning their strategic vision into portfolios of successful projects. Now, Petersen shares his winning method with you. Transforming Project Management takes you beyond envisioning a great strategy and into the realm of implementing it―with skill, care, and expertise. Petersen explains how to break down a strategic plan into key objectives and project portfolios to make sense of all the project “parts”—then successfully lead the execution of the plan. You’ll learn how to evaluate where you are versus where you want to be, develop plans to move your vision forward, translate strategic plans into action plans with tangible efforts, budgets, and schedules, and guide and inspire the individuals and teams tasked with implementing their plans. Knowing precisely how much a major project will cost before it begins and having processes and tools to monitor how well it’s meeting benchmarks along the way should be standard business practice. Clearly, it’s not. With Transforming Project Management, you have everything you need to tie strategic planning directly to project management—and lead your company to the head of your industry.

′This is a fantastically well written text which incorporates the latest thinking on strategic management. Striking a balance between theory and application, it is extremely readable and loaded with a wide range of case studies. An essential source for undergraduate, postgraduate and professional courses on strategic management.′ - Dr Tahir Rashid, Lecturer in Strategy and Marketing, Salford Business School, University of Salford This exciting new textbook is built on the belief that strategic management principles are more straightforward than they seem. Unlike other textbooks, it does not overcomplicate the discussion with enigmatic layers of theory or irrelevant perspectives from other disciplines. Instead you will find focused, clearly articulated coverage of the key topics of strategic management, encouraging critical reflection and deeper exploration on your own terms. Fully developed to cover the essentials of any strategic management course, this textbook not only creates understanding of the principles of strategy, but shows you how to apply them constructively in the face of real-world practicalities. Throughout the text, these principles are put into context with illustrations and examples drawn from all over the world and from all kinds of organization - from Shell, Airbus and Tesco to small and non-profit enterprises. With an emphasis on topical, distinctive and engaging features, this text offers: Over 120 short, topical case studies drawn from every type of organization across more than 20 countries Worksheets for strategy analysis that can be used to tackle real-world situations Learning outcomes, key points and summaries to focus your reading on what matters Chapter-by-chapter exercises for further study and discussion Suggestions for further reading to deepen your understanding of the theories underpinning the chapters The book is complemented by a companion website featuring a range of tools and resources for lecturers and students, including PowerPoint slides, teaching notes, links to journal articles and an interactive glossary.

Tools and techniques for planning, decision making, and implementation. This new book examines and documents methods for developing and employing critical project management skills. The emphasis is on providing both novice and seasoned project managers with insight into real-world, practical applications. The techniques are proven, the approach sound, and the results measurable and significant. Case studies presented in the book illustrate the application of various project management strategic and tactical tools. The book follows a step-by-step approach, supported by tools, techniques and examples to illustrate each important aspect of project management. Among other topics readers will learn how to establish result-oriented project performance metrics to guarantee measurable results, exercise fundamental process control techniques that will help keep a project on budget and on schedule, accurately assess project support systems and address deficiencies early, plus many more.

In today's challenging commercial environment, many business projects are now categorized as strategic investment with the primary concern being value impact on an organization's bottom line. This title equips project managers with the skills necessary to effectively manage projects as strategic investments.

Learn to plan and execute projects in any organization with this practical and insightful resource The comprehensively updated and revised edition of Strategic Project Management Made Simple cements this series’ status as the leading resource for anyone looking for step-by-step guidance on project design and action initiatives. Written by celebrated management consultant Terry Schmidt, this book fully covers the necessity of systems thinking and the logical framework approach to solve today’s challenging problems. Strategic Project Management Made Simple also includes: An expanded section on turning ideas, problems, and opportunities into projects A newly created chapter on managing your “inner game” to achieve project excellence Fresh case studies that cover how to pivot your business to meet changing needs A new approach, Iterating to Excellence, to create your Minimum Viable Project and produce solutions smoother and faster Strategic Project Management Made Simple, Revised and Updated is an indispensable volume for leaders and workers seeking to transform their approach to planning, driving, and executing projects in their organizations.

The Essentials of Project Management is designed specifically for college students enrolled in a business program including business accounting, administration, supply chain and human resources. It describes the project management process and the role of the project manager in implementing such a process. The book is designed to help students build understanding of the importance and applications of project management.