Cost forecasting is almost never 100% accurate. If it were, the field of cost control would be significantly less difficult. There are elements however, that do contribute to a quality cost forecast. In this article I offer some high-level details about these elements. Forecasting is the critical focus of cost control. Work package forecast evaluation […]
How to Fix Poor Project Status Reporting
PMOs often take an active part in project status reporting. They consolidate reports from project managers, chase project managers for updates and it can feel like managing reporting it a huge time drain. But are you actually getting anything of value out of your project reports? Are managers are still asking questions you think they […]
How to Build A PMO Maturity Model
How mature is your PMO? And does it matter? We would say that it doesn’t matter where you are, as long as you know where you are. And that’s where a PMO maturity model comes in. What is a PMO Maturity Model? A PMO maturity model is a way of assessing how good your PMO […]
Best Practices Bring Project Success
Best practices can bring project success. There isn’t a single term used to describe any thriving business, but you’ve heard them all: global, fast-paced, decentralized. That’s because successful businesses aren’t a single, strategic project; they have multiple initiatives leveraging each other to meet their over-arching business objectives. Not only are there multiple projects, but these […]
3 Simple Steps to Setting Up a PMO
Setting up a PMO (Project Management Office) for the first time can seem like a daunting step. In this article we’ll show you the 3 simple things you need to do when setting up a PMO up, keeping it running, delivering value, as quickly as possible. 1. Build Trust First, you need to gain the […]
Project Initiation Problems and How To Fix Them
One of the core functions for a PMO is to get involved with new project initiation. In businesses without a PMO, this process is often haphazard. It can feel chaotic, because no one has a clear view of what initiatives the company is working on. And worse, it’s almost impossible to find out because everyone […]
Schedule Validation – Areas You Should Consider
Those performing a schedule validation should consider some common checks to confirm and validate the quality of the schedule. Even contractors working in good faith may submit a schedule that in some way is misleading and/or overly optimistic. Yes, the schedule may be well intended but not true to reality. It is the role of […]
A Guide To Schedule Updating in Project Management
Schedule updating is basically the task project managers carry out that relates to updating the project schedule. It involves: Updating the project management software with actual work completed Recording new estimates in the software Updating the state of play with resources, for example adding in any holidays that a project team member is taking so […]
How to Manage Task Groups in Project Schedules
Do you use task groups? Many of the project schedules we see run to hundreds of tasks, and it’s not uncommon to see project schedules with thousands of lines. While it’s great that projects are being planned in detail and that all these activities can be adequately managed, it’s not easy to read a Gantt […]
10 Killer Interview Questions for PMO Roles
Sooner or later, you’ll need to hire staff for your PMO and need the relevant interview questions. Part of PMO implementation planning, is ensuring that you have enough staff to carry out the functions that are required. Many PMOs are created from internal team members who want to move across from project management into a […]