Services
Leadership of IT- and Organizational Projects
„We have so many ventures that we cannot assign competent project responsibility…“
Leading a project means responsible supervision. The general responsibility is held by the project leader who acts for his client in a close cooperation, accounting for this work. The project leader has competences towards the other members of staff which have to be defined. He consults experts and coordinates the different interest groups. Transparent communication is most important.
A professional project leader does not only have practical experience, but also a fundamental theoretical knowledge, for example by obtaining a certificate. He or she should have a command of the following domains:
- Keeping the project together and controlling changes
- Management of the project scope
- Time and Schedule Management and especially the planning of milestones
- Cost Control
- Quality Management
- Communication
- HR-Management
- Risk Management
Crisis Management and Project Rescue
„The project is going through a crisis, there has to be a way out…“
A project is going through a crisis when
- Deadlines cannot be met
- Costs explode
- The progress is way behind the plan
- The delivered quality does not meet the requirements
- The left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing
- The milestone trend analysis predicts that the project will not be achieved like that
- The scope is permanently growing
- Clients complain
- …
Despite all efforts a project can reach a critical point. An unbiased project manager then might have to take severe measures to make the best of a bad job. You then need a project manager with a strong personality who can show assertiveness as well as empathy. In such situations the team’s morale is in a bad condition. What is needed for motivation (and new movement) is a new spirit together with steady professionalism.
Your project doesn't need to get to this stage!
Interim Management
„We are planning a rigorous restructuring, and we cannot burden one of our directors with this…“
The interim management is temporary leadership on the level of executive or managing director. From that perspective there is no big difference to project management: there is a time frame and there are clearly defined aims. All corporate plans and the normal operations are under one leadership. It realizes the company strategy and therefore is very close to the program and portfolio management.
If the strategy leads to a reorganization, resistance has to be mastered. New ways have to be found to get back on the right track. Members of staff must be invited to follow and cooperate. The interim manager needs to prove the competences of a managing director to master all aspects of the restructuring. He must be able to carry through all necessary measures without harming existing management personnel.
Program and Portfolio Management
„We have to master the dependencies between our projects…“
The frequently used notion of “multi project management” does often not explain precisely enough the context. That is why we better distinguish between programs and portfolios.
Program
A program is a group of projects belonging together with regard to contents, which have to be managed in a coordinated way. Programs are mostly major projects of strategic importance. Overall dependencies or conflicts are a challenge for the Program Manager which he will have to solve on behalf of the superior strategic aim.
Portfolio
A portfolio includes all projects or programs of an organizational unit or a company.
There is not necessarily a content dependency, but nevertheless an overall management is needed. Often the resources or the budget are not sufficient to realize all project requests or ideas. Which projects should be integrated into the portfolio? What is needed here is a consequently benefit-oriented priority clinging to clear processes.
A portfolio matrix shows the dimensions and priorities of the projects (fictitious example)
„No plan outlives the first hostile confrontation!“ are Clausewitz’ words.
This means for the portfolio manager, that the real problems start when it comes to the realization of the accepted portfolio. Unpredictable requirements of the normal operations or the daily business, changing decisions, unsettled plans of singular projects and much more, lead to shortfalls with overstrained resources. One of the most crucial points will be the manpower planning.
We have gathered broad experience in this field and would like to share it with you.
Project Management Procedure Model
„Our projects need strictly professional proceedings, we cannot always start from the scratch…“
Each project is a new and unique procedure. Nevertheless it is reasonable and common to standardize the structural environment of the project as far as possible.
This standardization may include (among other things):
A PM-procedure model offers many advantages:
The last item can only be reached when the procedure model can be tailored in a flexible way. A small project would easily be overloaded with a complex body of regulations.
We offer procedure models on the basis of PMI® and PRINCE2™
PMI® represents complete internationally acknowledged standards for project management. It is a framework in which we develop concrete procedure models for single companies in consideration of the existing corporate project policy.
PRINCE2™ on the other hand is already a concrete procedure concept. It is appropriate for companies which require binding and easy to learn guidelines for projects within a short period of time.
Both standards are equally eligible in an appropriate field and can be adapted in a flexible way. Our certified Project Managers develop the ideal model with you.
PMI®
Since 1996 the PMBOK Guide has been published. The Project Management Body of Knowledge" represents the entire know-how in Project Management and has become the most used standard worldwide.
The PMBoK Guide includes the following main parts:
1. The Project Management Framework
Comprises amongst others basics and context.
2. The Standard for Project Management of a Project
Comprises amongst others the process groups represented on the right and detailed descriptions of the 42 processes.
3. The Project Management Knowledge Areas
Comprises the essential fields of knowledge for a Project Manager:
- Project Integration Management
- Project Scope Management
- Project Time Management
- Project Cost Management
- Project Quality Management
- Project Human Resource Management
- Project Communications Management
- Project Risk Management
- Project Procurement Management
Beyond the consideration of a single project PMI® offers standards concerning Program and Portfolio Management. The maturity of a company’s Project Management is evaluated by means of the OPM3™-standard (Organizational Project Management Maturity Model).
The process groups follow the cycle: Plan – Do – Check – Act
PMI® defines 5 process groups (44 single processes):
Initiating Process Group: defines and authorizes the project or project phase.
Planning Process Group: defines and refines objectives and plans the required workflow to reach the goals and ensure the aspired project scope.
Executing Process Group: integrates people and other resources to realize the project plan.
Monitoring and Controlling Process Group: controls and supervises regulary the progress to identify deviations from the project plan. Like that correcting measures can be taken in time to reach the project goals.
Closing Process Group: Formates the inspection of the product, the service or another project result and enables the regular completion of the project.
PRINCE2™
The first version of PRINCE was developped in 1989 by the British CCTA (Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency) as a project management standard for IT services.
In 1996 the CCTA published a revised standard version. PRINCE2™ then did not only refer exclusively to IT-projects, but represents moreover a general project management method that can be applied to all projects.
The CCTA turned into the OGC (Office of Government Commerce). After several new editions in the years 1998, 2002 and 2005, it introduced the totally revised version of PRINCE2:2009 Refresh.
This freely applicable method nowadays belongs to the worldwide leading project management methods. It is being used not only in Great Britain, but in over 50 countries.
PRINCE2™ – 7 Principles, 7 Themes, 7 Processes
PRINCE2™ differs from other methods by its distinct application of the basic principles:
Throughout the whole term of a project there are controls whether the realization is still profitable. For that reason the Business Case is updated and evaluated at every transitional phase.
The collected experience is documented over the entire term of the project and is at the disposal of succeeding projects.
All stakeholder groups are represented in the project structure. They are assigned to clear roles and responsibilities.
The project is divided into management phases, a final stage is always a control point for the executive committee.
Each management level delegates authority to the next lower level. The lower management level is authorized to act independently according to definite margins of time, costs, quality, extent, risks and benefits, it only turns to the higher management level in case of a violation of the margins.
The product is result-oriented, not activity-oriented, definition and delivery of products are in the center of interest.
The method can be adapted flexibly due to the size, kind, organization, geographical position, culture or complexity of a project.
Furthermore PRINCE2™ comprises:7 Processes
- Starting up a Project (SU)
- Directing a Project (DP)
- Initiating a Project (IP)
- Managing Stage Boundaries (SB)
- Controlling a Stage (CS)
- Managing Product Delivery (MP)
- Closing a Project (CP)
7 Themes
- Business Case
- Organization
- Quality
- Plans
- Risk
- Change
- Progress
Project Management Office
„We have to keep our project leaders free from administrative work which however, has to be done…“
Project Management Offices have been established in many enterprises during the last years, although with very different specifications.
We distinguish between the following levels:
- Simple Project Office (PO)
- Project Management Office on department level
- Strategic PMO on company level
The requirements are accordingly different.
Project Office
The function of a simple Project Office is the administrative support for the single projects, e. g.:
- Reporting system
- Support of the project controlling
- Providing infrastructure
- Supervision of PM information systems and tools
Project Management Office (department level)
In addition to the mentioned tasks a PMO has coordinating tasks in multiproject, resp. Program Management. Examples:
- Consolidated project controlling
- Resource management (manpower planning)
- Methodical support
Project Management Office (company level)
In companies with an important project portfolio it is appropriate to centralize the PMO’s activities. A central PMO is held responsible for the operational management of the entire project portfolio.
Project Controlling
„We have to control our project costs more severely…“
Project Controlling covers the cost control for a program or project. It usually works with the following key figures:
- Planned Value: planned final costs at an appointed date
- Earned Value: actual completion value at an appointed date
- Actual Cost: actual amount of costs at an appointed date
- Budget at Completion: forecasted budget at time of completion
- Cost / Schedule Variance: variances in cost or time schedule
- Performance Index: due to costs and time schedule indicators can be calculated which allow statements concerning the ‘performance’ of the project
These key figures enable estimations on how the actual costs of the project will develop until completion, where the cost drivers are and how this can be influenced.
In addition to that project controlling means to organize the process of cost calculation in a professional manner: who estimates with which method up to which level of details of the Work Breakdown Structure?
And of course, together with the project plan coordinated budgets have to be determined and reserve funds for known and unknown risks have to be placed.
Project Controlling in a broader sense includes the following tasks:
- control and influence positively project progress
- control changes
- inspect project results
- control project scope
- protect time schedule
- review quality of results
- motivate project teams to maximum performance
- provide significant status reports
- manage interest groups (stakeholders)
- face risks offensively
- manage suppliers
The Earned Value Analysis creates transparency, enables to detect trends and provides forecasts likeEstimate At Completion - EAC.
Analysis / Assessment of Project Management Processes
„How mature are our projects, also compared to others…?“
To evaluate the maturity of an organization we focus on the Organizational Project Management Maturity Model of PMI®. This allows a classification of the processes on the following levels:
- processes are standardized and repeatable
- processes can be measured and have key performance indicators
- processes are controlled, nominal and actual value of the key performance indicators are coordinated and communicated
- processes are improved continuously
Like that, not only single projects can be analyzed but program and entire portfolios. For a rapid evaluation there is a so-called „Quick Check“ at our disposal.
PM-software and other tools
„We should back up our projects with software technology and need more routine…“
Software follows processes. The best fitting software for a project and a company depends on a number of factors:
- What are the members of staff used to?
- What shall be achieved with the software?
- Is the assignment of activities more formal or informal?
- Are only single projects to be managed or entire programs and portfolios?
- Is there a need to buy extra licenses?
- Are the members trained to use a specific software?
You should not „crack a nut with a sledgehammer“. The applications must be coordinated between users and PM-professionals. The choice of software is independent from the providers. Implementation and configuration can be an opportunity to increase the users’ competence and acceptance to ensure that the expensive software is actually used. Important is the methodology in the heads!
Training
„I want my staff to do it on their own…“
We like to pass on our complete knowhow to our clients. Our training units combine personal experience with internationally accepted „best practice„.
Our offer:
- Keeping the project together and controlling the changes
- Management of the project scope
- Management of the schedule and milestone planning
- Cost control, earned-value-analysis
- Quality Management
- Communication
- HR Management
- Risk Management
- Supplier and procurement management
- Program and portfolio management
- MS Project
- OPM3®
Depending on the issue, the target group and the time frame, trainings can be organized individually with practical case studies, exercises and role plays.
Procurement and placement of experts
„We need an expert for that…“
Our own network enables us to provide other experts from many business domains:
- IT-Architects
- Business Analysts
- IT-Sourcing Specialists
Software Developers, e. g. for
- Information Management Systems and Security Technologies
- Operation Systems
- Databases
- Internet Technologies
- Data migration
- Telecommunication Technologists
- Engineers
- Network Specialists and Administrators
We will be happy to receive your inquiry.
General contractors for complex projects
„To establish a new line of business we need a partner who also takes over entrepreneurial responsibility…“
You are an enterpriser and have a business idea, but no capacities to realize it?
We are able to perform as a general entrepreneur because of our project-oriented procedures, our willingness to take management responsibilities and our widespread network. We are a match for success.
Discuss the matter with us.