No matter how perfect a project plan may be on paper, it is worthless if nobody actually uses it. This truism is an everyday reality for too many project managers who muster all their expertise writing the ''perfect'' plan only to watch the project fall off course as team members jettison the plan to follow their own agenda. This book culls the best practices from CMM (Capability Maturity Model) and PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge), the de-facto standards for process improvement and project management, to show project managers how to ensure that their project plans are not only perfect on paper but also perfect in practice. Professionals learn how to identify the underlying reasons why projects fall to progress as planned and discover the steps to creating a solid process improvement program that leads to project success.
Author(s): Robert K. Wysocki
Series: Artech House Effective Project Management Series
Publisher: Artech House Publishers
Year: 2004
Language: English
Pages: 249
Cover......Page 1
Table of Contents......Page 6
Introduction......Page 12
1 Introduction to the Process Improvement Life Cycle......Page 15
1.1.2 Standish Group Chaos Report......Page 16
1.1.3 Balancing People, Project Management Processes, and Technology......Page 22
1.1.4 Process Improvement Versus Practice Improvement......Page 23
1.2.1 Project Reviews......Page 25
1.3 Definition of the Process Improvement Life Cycle......Page 26
1.3.1 Where Are You?......Page 27
1.3.4 How Well Did You Do?......Page 28
1.4.3 Managing Performance Data Against Standard Processes......Page 29
1.5 Effectively Dealing with the Obstacles......Page 30
1.6 Points to Remember......Page 31
2.1.1 Purpose......Page 33
2.1.3 Application......Page 34
2.2.1 Level 1: Initial Process......Page 39
2.2.4 Level 4: Managed Process......Page 40
2.3.1 Project Integration Management......Page 41
2.3.2 Project Scope Management......Page 46
2.3.3 Project Time Management......Page 51
2.3.4 Project Cost Management......Page 56
2.3.5 Project Quality Management......Page 61
2.3.6 Project Human Resources Management......Page 64
2.3.7 Project Communications Management......Page 68
2.3.8 Project Risk Management......Page 72
2.3.9 Project Procurement Management......Page 78
2.4 Points to Remember......Page 84
3 Assessing and Reporting Maturity Level......Page 87
3.1.1 Design of the Survey......Page 88
3.1.2 Defining Maturity Level Penetration......Page 89
3.2.1 Kiviatt Charts......Page 91
3.2.2 Box & Whisker Plots......Page 96
3.3 Reporting the Project/Process Maturity Gap......Page 97
3.3.1 PP Below PD Baseline......Page 99
3.3.3 PP Above PD Baseline......Page 100
3.4.1 Process Maturity Matrix......Page 101
3.4.2 Closing the Maturity Gap......Page 106
3.5 Points to Remember......Page 108
4.1 Project Level......Page 111
4.1.1 Cost/Schedule Control......Page 112
4.1.2 Milestone Trend Charts......Page 115
4.1.3 Project Reviews......Page 120
4.2.1 Ranking Improvement Opportunities......Page 121
4.3 Points to Remember......Page 125
5.1.1 Definition......Page 127
5.3 Fishbone Diagrams......Page 130
5.4 Force Field Analysis......Page 131
5.5 Pareto Diagrams......Page 132
5.6 Process Charts......Page 133
5.8.1 Scheduling Improvement Initiatives by Knowledge Area......Page 134
5.8.3 Scheduling Improvement Initiatives One at a Time......Page 136
5.10 Points to Remember......Page 139
6.1 Characteristics of an Improvement Program......Page 141
6.1.2 Multiproject Approach......Page 142
6.1.5 High Kill Rate......Page 143
6.2.2 Multiphase Approach......Page 144
6.2.4 High Change......Page 145
6.3 Setting Maturity Goals......Page 146
6.4.1 Evaluating Improvement Opportunities......Page 147
6.5 High-Level Planning of the Initiative......Page 149
6.6.1 Define Performance Metrics......Page 150
6.7 Redirecting the Initiative......Page 151
6.8.2 Reprioritize Improvement Opportunities......Page 152
6.9 Points to Remember......Page 153
7 Case Study: B. Stoveburden Trucking Company......Page 155
7.1 Case Study Background......Page 156
7.1.1 Project Overview Statement......Page 157
7.1.2 Fishbone Diagram to Identify the Reasons Why Projects Fail......Page 159
7.2 PD and PP Maturity Levels for Selected Knowledge Areas......Page 161
7.3.1 Scope Management Processes......Page 162
7.3.2 HR Management Processes......Page 169
7.3.3 Time Management......Page 172
7.3.4 Cost Management......Page 173
7.4 Results of the Improvement Programs......Page 175
7.5 Points to Remember......Page 177
8.1 Implementation Challenges......Page 179
8.1.3 Sponsorship......Page 180
8.2.1 Major Program Initiative......Page 181
8.2.2 Project Initiative......Page 182
8.3 Points to Remember......Page 183
Project Integration Management......Page 185
Project Scope Management Processes......Page 189
Project Time Management Processes......Page 193
Project Cost Management......Page 200
Project Quality Management......Page 206
Project Human Resources Management......Page 211
Project Communications Management......Page 216
Project Risk Management Processes......Page 219
Project Procurement Management Processes......Page 226
About the Author......Page 235
Index......Page 238
Technology Management and Professional Development Library......Page 247
