This is the Third of Episode of Coffee Conversations with Stephen Hayward of Project X. Today we will be talking with Steve Schaefer where we will cover: Fundamentals from a vendor point of view Objectives Information and Business Process Outsourcing Outsourcing as a tool, not the obj

As a follow up to my previous post I thought I would briefly talk about the weapons or tools our SWAT team may leverage.  As we know a wrench can be used as a hammer, but it is better to use a hammer. The discussion below is to overview some of the tools in each are we are using

SWAT – Special Weapons and Tactics we all know the music from the TV show. (image courtesy of the movie SWAT). What I mean in this case is a little less intense and more about an offshoot of the building of innovation value networks.  Just as in the SWAT example this is a t

Never heard about, not surprised – I just made it up. But it really talks to the role that seems to be missing in most organizations.  We seem to find people who are Directors of Business Intelligence both in IT and the Business.  But there is no intelligence without d

The shift from team member to team leader is a difficult step. The right approach can turn project management into a “win-win” situation for you, your team and the client. Even people with years of experience managing people and projects refer to project management as a “no-win” situa

In the IT world, it seems that a project wouldn’t be a project without a crisis along the way. A crisis is a crucial time in which a decisive change is impending, especially one with the distinct possibility of a highly undesirable outcome, according to Webster.   As a proje

Companies build Data Warehouses and Data Marts to answer business questions that cannot be answered with operational systems.  Strategic versus Tactical questions call for different data to be captured but here are ten Guiding Principles to take into account when planning your st

One of the difficulties in the technology world is troubleshooting.  With the various networks, custom and packaged software, PCs, servers, networks and standards it is difficult to figure out where the problem really exists.  Sometimes it is difficult even to know where to

There is no such thing as a fixed price project.  There are time & materials projects and there are projects that start as fixed price but have additional costs added to them as the project unfolds.  A fixed price project shifts risk management to the vendor and provides

Image this scenario: you’re taking over a project that’s in trouble. Money and your firm’s reputation are at stake. Practical project management techniques can make a difference when the heat is on. Eventually in your career, you will hear the dreaded words from your manager, “I would