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Unearthing the PRINCE2 methodology

For developing project managers, one of the most frequently asked questions concerns the nature of the PRINCE2 methodology – what exactly does it involve and how can it better my project management practices?

The give you a little bit of insight into the history of the PRINCE2 course, the concept of PRINCE2 is a derivative of an I.T. project management methodology originating in the UK, which has since been adopted as a general project management methodology. Today, PRINCE2 is considered one of the most powerful and successful project management methodologies used in excess of 150 countries worldwide.

When observed in practice, the PRINCE2 methodology implicates a fascinating and meticulous hierarchical structure that places strong emphasis on process driven project management. The project is divided into manageable and controllable stages, providing an inherent contingency plan for achieving project completion in working under the assumption that not all resources will be producing maximum levels of output from the conception to completion of the project.

In Australia, PRINCE2 is one of two favourable project management methodologies, particularly for larger organizations. The PRINCE2 methodology is deployed across Australian state government bodies as a sturdy framework for controlling the output across a large expanse of organizational resources, and is also prevalent amongst companies with head offices in the UK and Europe. One of the primary advantages of the PRINCE2 framework is that it is highly malleable, so yeah, if you’re a small-medium business owner and you feel like you’re missing out on one of the best project management methodologies known to man – you can tailor your own PRINCE2 framework for your company, hence the warm acceptance and high demand of this methodology!

At PM-Partners, our PRINCE2 training sessions will teach you the mechanics of this methodology and how to effectively apply them in an organization of any size – we’ll also go one further and prep you for all you need to know to get your PRINCE2 certification in less time. With the soon to be released online student website PM Partners students will be able to spend less time in the classroom and more time preparing for the Prince2 Examination.

Thanks for reading! We hope you found this post helpful. Should you have any questions or comments requiring more of an explanation, or you simply want an in-depth discussions, feel free to give us a call on +61 2 9900 1400.

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Posted 15 days ago by Mark 

The Trivialities of I.T. Customer Service - Time to Think Again.

It is prevalent that within the evolution of business models, many IT departments within companies are beginning to be treated as separate business entities, with growing internal expectations to perform as a holistic self-sustaining business unit.

A recent article in Computer World Australia magazine reveals that IT is beginning to function as “a business within the business”, as mentioned by Dennis Drogseth, vice president of enterprise management associates, and IT management consultancy. The article continues to state that treating IT as a service is not as trivial as it may seem to those still adapting to the modern day business model.

The fact is that in a dawn of technological advancement within the workplace, and the concentrated amount of companies looking to take their presence online, there is a growing demand for highly project management oriented individuals with a strong backbone of IT qualifications. When larger organizations struggle to keep up with the fast pace of IT, there needs to be proactive ratification of workflow and leadership provided in order to ensure shapely results and timely delivered projects.

 Like anything in IT, project management is also not very foreseeable and may involve a copious amount of work process restructure and process improvement. This is where the ITIL framework comes in.

A brief history of the ITIL structure

The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) framework surfaced in Britain in the 1980s as a result of the growing dependence of IT within the British and government workforce as solution to cleaning up the messiness of internal information technology projects. The British government recognized that without a standard practices for managing projects, agencies were subsequently created independent IT management practices.

To date, there have been 3 volumes of the Information Technology Infrastructure Library, with the latest version comprehensively outlining twenty six processes and functions, grouped into five project management life cycles. The five process life cycles of the ITIL v3 library are officially listed as follows:

1.       Service Strategy

2.       Service Design

3.       Service Transition

4.       Service Operation

5.       Continual Service Improvement

What effect is ITIL having on businesses?

As a result of ITIL integration into information technology for project management, organizations are traveling down a path of vivid realization in discovering that the way to attaining the status of a customer centralized service organization is included within the 5 tier structure of the information technology infrastructure library framework for project management. What are the known benefits of this? Organizations can make better use of their help desks to manage service requests, changes and IT assets. Downtime is avoided because unauthorized changes are screened, and the end result is higher efficiency and a better delivery of service to their customers.

The notion of ITIL is almost god-like in theory, but simply having this certification does not automatically mean that project managers will transcend the module in their business practice. Project managers need an extensive knowledge of the ITIL structure before it is implemented, where the different ITIL processes can be slotted into their current business model and foresee the cause and effect of each process – which at times can involve a lot of scoping. The onus also lies on the project manager to thoroughly educate the IT department who are directly affected by the project restructure, after all, the staff members are the cogs of the greater machine that will complete the desired project goal. Within the articles referenced earlier in this paper, in an Interview with Computer World magazine, Dennis Drogseth – IT project management professional – speaks objectively of the business-IT model. He continues on in relation to ITIL in his assertion that “The biggest misconception is that all you need to do is become ITIL certified … That’s a sure recipe for failure. You have to figure out what you’re trying to enable. The end has to transcend ITIL.”

The theory of embracing the information technology infrastructure library is fairly elaborate, but in shifting your IT department towards a more customer-centric focus, your company can look to reap the benefits of increasing your project hit rates, and creating a higher profile for the use of technology within your organization.  It can backfire, though, so implementation of an ITIL structure must be done meticulously especially if you’re organization is larger. As an IT project manager, the last thing you want is to have your new customer focused business model to yield under the unrelenting vice of your company’s structural mini-bureau. The primary flaw of IT departments who crumble in their implementation of ITIL is that in amongst the increased service queue stemming from the hierarchy of the company, the pressure turns these IT departments into order takers, rather than business advisers. The notion of ITIL is to instill leadership within the IT department to develop higher levels of customer service. Failure to adhere to a strict following of ITIL will lead you back to the role of a subservient tech-entity within the organizational structure.

Project managers should look to develop their IT departments as a separate internal business entity through ITIL implementation. In adopting ITIL into your business model, and adhering stringently to its processes, your department can reap the dividends of maximized project efficiency and higher levels of customer service.

Trust me when I tell you, the end results will show for your dedication!

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Posted 28 days ago by Mark 

Project Management Monkeys

Sometimes in business you need to just sit back and re-assess the situation... How are your employees interacting and most of all what impact are your team's business practice having on your projects?

Maybe you're handling your projects like monkeys, you're celebrating the highs but not improving on the lows... All businesses have ups and downs, but it's how your team deals with the sporadic changes of business projects that will determine your future performance. Anyway, I found this video (adopted from a superbowl commercial) that basically sums up the short but valid point i'm making here. Is it time to re-asses your project management practices?

Take a look at these crazy little monkeys and see for yourself!

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Posted 1 month ago by Mark 

Stuff Up The Project? ...Take It On The Chin, Man.

I've been thinking a lot lately... And with a first hand insight into the manic activities of big business and large-scale projects, when something goes wrong and things get heated, very few people to volunteer to raise their hands and claim accountability for their actions in fear of reprisal from upper management. It's a scary situation, especially if you're the guy with the guilty conscience. As the old saying goes, if it was an honest mistake, your best course of action is to take it on the chin and be held accountable... But why do they say this? Where did the cliche come from?

I've been reading a project management article outlining the quintessential elements to understanding project management and the steps that need to be followed in order to carry out a project successfully from start to finish. One point that is made explicitly clear is this... If you are to successfully manage a project, you must ensure before you commence business that everyone in the team understands the concept of single point responsibility. This means unambiguous accountability.

The blame game scenario is seen time and time again within the corporate world, and even if you are guilty of a mistake and are terrified of coming clean about it, if you want what's best for the team and for the project - you should come clean as stalling on accountability only stunts the progress of your entire team.

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Posted 2 months ago by Mark 

Obama's New Fly Swatter

Many of you may have seen lately the recent footage of US President Barack Obama staring affixed at a rogue fly that landed on his left hand in a live interview with a CNN correspondant. If you haven't already seen it, then maybe it's about time you YouTubed it. What astounds me about this story, is PETA's reaction to such a petty incident. Apparently, they've actually gone and sent a 'humane' fly catching device, because it cares for 'all creatures big and small'. Read the story here.

They're doing nothing but tarnishing their own repuation, really. I'm a huge advocate of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals - but there really is a fine line separating the just from the completely absurd. But that line doesn't seem to matter to PETA. As of 2009, it is now unethical to kill a fly. Horses swat flies, cows swat flies, dogs and cats kill pesky little flies for fun... and they don't eat them as part of the food chain? I just don't get these guys anymore. 

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PM Partners offer project management training and education solutions for your business. Check them out - they offer ITIL courses, PMBOK courses and PRINCE2 courses all designed to better your project management skills and overall efficiency.

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Posted 5 months ago by Mark