LiquidPlanner Ain't Too Shabby

agility, planning, project management, project success, tools

Rich:

What is one of the key differences between an experienced project manager and one just entering the field? I believe one is this - a recognition that uncertainty is an unavoidable part of the gig, and the ability to manage makes the difference between a great PM and merely a good one. It's neat to find a tool that helps PMs to do just that - that tool is LiquidPlanner.

Posted 02/01/2009 - 22:35 // 1 comment

Project Estimation with Unknowns - PERT Model

cost, estimation, pert, planning, project management

Irakli:

Software project estimation is a tough. If you get it right, great; but if you get it wrong - that's an issue. For anything but the most trivial, repetitive tasks there is no simple way. Except, math and the experience of other people. In this blog post we will describe an industry-standard Program Evaluation Review Technique that can help plan projects more realistically and even calculate expected error of estimation.

Posted 07/09/2008 - 18:42 // 2 comments

Building iteratively for the win!

agile, agile approach, planning, project management

Rich:

There is lots of talk about iterations in the world of Agile Software. What does it all mean? Read this post to find out.

Posted 04/29/2008 - 13:52 // 1 comment

Planning Your Content Migration

content, content migration, planning

Rich:

Content entry and migration of existing content can be one of the toughest aspects of a website development project. With the steps outlined, your content migration will be nothing to fear!

Posted 04/17/2008 - 08:10

The rough seas of a website launch

business, CMS, launch, planning

Mike:

So your content management driven website is a shiny new yacht sitting in port. Your vendor just built it. The outside is spit polished, the engine hums, and the navigation tools are state of the art. You imagine yourself as Donald Trump when you step aboard. But wait! There’s no fuel in it. The inside hasn’t been decorated yet. The galley doesn’t have a drop of champagne. And as you peer out into the rough seas of a CMS website launch, there are some mighty big waves. Sound familiar? Sound scary?

Posted 03/07/2008 - 09:27

Business systems analysis tools: the wireframe

analysis, GUI, planning, projects, requirements, wireframes

Dave:

In the age of information overload, no one wants to read through text-heavy requirements documentation. I’ve adopted a strategy of “show don’t tell” which requires less stakeholder effort while improving the quality of feedback and participation in the analysis effort. The cornerstone of this strategy is the wireframe – a universal communications tool that illustrates the user experience while providing implementation details that streamline the transition into the development effort.

Posted 02/01/2008 - 18:00 // 6 comments

The perils of planning

agile, planning, pmbok, process, project management

Rich:

What could be so dangerous about planning, you ask? Most project managers see planning as the first and most helpful step they can take towards getting their projects off on the right foot. Yet, in the process of planning, PMs often miss the forest for the trees. Forgetting to re-plan your project, missing the business case, or building a project plan that is too complicated for the effort it is meant to support can doom your plans to failure. In this blog entry, I’ll talk a bit about each of these risks, and how to avoid them.

Posted 11/14/2007 - 14:45