The Practitioner S Guide To Project Management Simple Effective Techniques That Deliver Business Value

A how to guide for implementing project management techniques; presented simply for anyone who is responsible for delivering to a goal.

A how to guide for implementing project management techniques; presented simply for anyone who is responsible for delivering to a goal.

A practical handbook for career project managers and those involved intermittently with projects throughout their career. Brief and visually led, Managing Project Delivery gets to the point, giving you the knowledge and confidence to manage project benefits and increase the certainty of success. Focused on the needs of engineering and technical Project Managers, but generic enough to support projects in other areas such as business change, IT and product development. Supported by downloadable on-line project benefits management tool templates that enable the techniques developed in the book to be applied in practice. Comprehensive real world case studies demonstrate the use of tools. Successful projects are the basis for the business many successful organisations, but many professionals lack the basic skills required to manage projects successfully. This book shows how to maximise the outcomes of projects and to ensure that the benefits arising from projects -- large or small -- are fully realized by the business. This key outcome can be easily overlooked or sidelined by the need to keep projects on track. Managing Project Delivery provides simple yet powerful tools to ensure that projects deliver on their goals in a controlled and accountable manner. It is the first of four project management titles that separately build skills and together provide a powerful project management resource. * A practical handbook for career project managers and those involved intermittently with projects throughout their career. * Brief and visually led, Managing Project Delivery gets to the point, giving you the knowledge and confidence to deliver projects and increase the certainty of success. * Focused on the needs of both engineering and technical Project Managers, but generic enough to support projects in other areas such as business change, IT and product development. * Supported by downloadable on-line project delivery tool templates that enable the techniques developed in the book to be applied in practice. * Comprehensive real world case studies demonstrate the use of tools. * Project delivery is the third stage of the project lifecycle. This book shows how to maintain control and forecast the project outcome. Provides expert advice, tried-and-tested techniques and a delivery toolkit to address: • Business alignment • Value delivery • Control and forecasting

In today's time-pressured, cost-conscious global business environment, tight project deadlines and stringent expectations are the norm. Project Management For Dummies shows business professionals what works and what doesn't by examining the field's best practices. You can learn how to organise, estimate, and schedule projects more efficiently. Discover how to manage deliverables, issue changes, assess risks, maintain communications, and live up to expectations by making the most of the latest technology and software and by avoiding common problems that can trip up even the best project managers. This adaptation includes: The latest methods to manage resources and stay on track and within budget Coverage for dealing with the pros and cons of virtual teams Tips and information on setting realistic expectations and meeting everyone’s needs Methods and strategies to get tasks done with minimal staff Tips and advice for motivating a project team The latest concepts and fundamentals behind best-practice project management techniques The mindset and skill set of today’s most effective project managers—what it really takes to guarantee a successful project Information on how to involve project audiences by conducting a Stakeholder Analysis Trends and tough project types Assessment tools to determine strengths and weaknesses for everything from choosing software to selecting a project team Tactics for team motivation and the hottest risk management strategies

Organizations are developing project managers from within more and more. Employees who are proficient in their area of expertise are being asked to take on project management.This book explores the basic concepts and fundamentals of project management.Project management processThe first lesson focuses on the project management process: highlighting the importance of effective project management, who's involved with projects, and an introduction to the four phases of the project management process.Project manager roleThe second lesson focuses on the project manager role: highlighting typical roles a project manager must fill to be successful, the value of the project manager, how to deliver the right amount of project management, and how to manage small to medium projects.This book will provide individuals who are not professional project managers with the knowledge required to build a solid understanding of the fundamentals of project management, helping them transition to the role of project manager.Today's business world is a complex and rapidly changing place. Organizations and individuals cannot survive without accepting and embracing change. Change involves your situation: something is different; a bigger office, a new colleague, the reorganization of staff responsibilities.Transition involves a journey; it is the process of disengagement, transformation, and acceptance of change.Put simply, change is the event and transition is the process that takes you there. While it is important to know the terms, concepts, techniques, and skills that are involved in project management, it is even more important to be able to put these to work on the job.A project manager is expected to deal with intangible issues such as human dynamics, establishing authority, and managing people and expectations. This often requires a complex balance of personal and practical skills.Project management is about the management of people, but it is also about managing the way an organization works, and the way the people within it work.As a project manager, you will need to realize that people are inseparable from process. It is not only practical skills, but leadership ability, management skills, and the ability to communicate that are imperative to successful projects.Benjamin Franklin wrote, "For want of a nail the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse was lost; and for want of a horse the rider was lost, being overtaken and slain by the enemy, all for want of care about a horseshoe nail."A small problem overlooked in the early stages of project management can grow to be a critical failure in the later stages.The Initiating and Planning phases of project management are vital to the success of the project. Without the proper tools and information, effective project management is impossible.Imagine what would happen if the head chef of a busy restaurant didn't have the right ingredients for the evening menu. What do you think would happen if she didn't have a plan for efficiently preparing all of the meals during the supper rush?If you don't initiate your project properly, you might not have everything you need to meet your goals. And if you don't plan your project well, you might not meet your goals on time - or at all.This book examines the importance of properly initiating and planning a project, and explores ways to make your initiating and planning efforts more effective.Your project plan is complete. Tasks are clearly outlined, the schedule is in place, and the money is budgeted to the cent. You're getting ready to dig in and start the actual work.You're feeling confident that the project is going to go exactly as planned. How could anything go wrong?Managing is the third phase of project management. You may be tempted to think now that the planning is over the rest of the project will be easy.

This book provides step-by-step directions in preparing for and leading collaborative planning events that result in a shared vision of project success and the project approach.

Why learn project management the hard way? Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Project Management, Second Edition will have you managing projects in no time! Here’s a small sample of what you’ll learn: Key concepts and fundamentals behind best-practice project management techniques The mindset and skill set of effective project managers Project techniques that work in any industry, with any tools The common elements of successful projects Lessons from failed projects The value and importance of project leadership versus project management How to manage growing project trends and tough project types that first-time project managers are likely to encounter How to make better use of Microsoft Project How to respond when project reality does not match textbook scenarios Expert insight on key project management concepts and topics You’ve just been handed your department's biggest project. Absolute Beginner's Guide to Project Management will show you exactly where to start—and walk you step by step through your entire project! Expert project manager Gregory Horine shows you exactly what works and what doesn’t, drawing on the field’s proven best practices. Understand your role as a project manager...gain the skills and discover the personal qualities of great project managers...learn how to organize, estimate, and schedule projects effectively...manage deliverables, issues, changes, risks, quality, vendors, communications, and expectations...make the most of technology...manage virtual teams...avoid the problems that trip up new project managers! This new edition jumpstarts your project management expertise even faster, with all-new insights on Microsoft Project, challenging project situations and intriguing project management topics of the day.

A practical guide for putting PMBOK concepts to work A Project Manager’s Book of Tools and Techniques is an invaluable resource for students and working professionals alike. Whether you’re preparing for the PMP exam or just looking to optimize your project management skills, this book provides detailed explanations for over 100 essential tools described in the Project Management Institute’s A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) Sixth Edition. Going beyond theory and concept to real-world practice, these tools and techniques are the “how” of effective project management; from planning, to implementation, to oversight, and beyond, all phases of the project are represented here to help you more effectively apply critical PMBOK concepts. Comprehensive examples illustrate real-world implementation, and detailed discussion provides expert guidance for both new and experienced project management professionals. Knowing what to do is much different from knowing how to do it; even perfect understanding of the PMBOK Guide doesn’t automatically translate into effective practice. This book is designed to help you bridge that gap and expertly apply current project management standards. Delve deeper into the practical tools described in the PMBOK Guide—Sixth Edition Follow detailed examples that illustrate effective project management methods Master project management applications in preparation for the PMP exam Graduate from theory to practice with powerful tools and techniques for success Concepts are only valuable once they are applied—and then they become a skill set that gets results. The PMBOK Guide is the ultimate authority on project management concepts, but translating those concepts into applicable skills requires a detailed understanding of the tools of the field. A Project Manager’s Book of Tools and Techniques is a practical manual for putting essential project management concepts into practice.