BPM made simpler
Posted in Change Management, Process Improvement, Project Management on Jan 31st, 2011
Facilitation is one of the more complex, soft skills essential for project managers. It is not easy to document what makes a good facilitator, as there are many varied aspects to this skill. The definition of the word describes it as “the ability to make something easier to do or understand” in fact to simplify. [...]
Posted in Change Management, Process Discovery, Process Mapping, Project Management on Jan 30th, 2011
Monthly Archive for January, 2011 Going green with process mapping Going Green can be simple. Just communicating how to save energy can simply linking all those best practices into a single set of processes. The following maps were created by building best practices and tips from several utilities and environmental organizations. Click on this image [...]
Posted in Change Management, Process Mapping on Jan 29th, 2011
Going Green can be simple. Just communicating how to save energy can simply linking all those best practices into a single set of processes. The following maps were created by building best practices and tips from several utilities and environmental organizations. Click on this image below to see your organization can benefit from communicating your [...]
Posted in Process Discovery, Process Mapping on Jan 28th, 2011
One alternative to using the decision diamond symbol to represent decisions is to use the Task shape itself. The example below shows the benefits of using the Task shape for the decision point in the the process. These are: The Task Link (outcome) is crystal clear All roles and supporting information about the decision are [...]
Posted in Process Mapping on Jan 27th, 2011
Most of us have seen a process map that contains a decision point. In fact that’s one of the main reasons to draw a map in the first place, otherwise an ordered list will do the trick for most instructions. The decision diamond At some point the development of process maps the decision diamond was [...]
Posted in Change Management, Project Management on Jan 26th, 2011
# 10 Chose team members and partners carefully One big factor affecting any projects success or failure is the quality and motivation of those on the team. Choosing your team wisely will reduce risks in the project at a stroke. Why The team and how they work together makes the difference between successful completion and [...]
Posted in Change Management, Project Management on Jan 25th, 2011
#9 Expect and embrace change Change is going to be part of any project; the amount of change will be the variable. Given that is the case we might as well embrace it from the beginning. Why The project that does not have some change included from the beginning is extremely unusual. Unless a repetitive [...]
Posted in Change Management, Project Management on Jan 24th, 2011
Communicate, communicate, communicate There is no such thing as too much communication on a project. Yes, it’s time consuming, might not appear to produce immediate results, but trust me this is the big one. Why Many problems in project management can be laid at the door of poor communication. For whatever reason, many project managers [...]
Posted in Change Management, Project Management on Jan 23rd, 2011
#5 Watch the budget! Watched pots may never boil, but unwatched budgets do. Keeping a keen eye on your budget will save surprises throughout any successful project. Why Once costs are out of control it will become more and more difficult to deliver outcomes from the project with any success factor. Proactive monitoring of costs [...]
Posted in Change Management, Project Management on Jan 22nd, 2011
#4 Watch the clock “Time keeps on ticking, ticking, ticking …..right into the future”. Never were truer words spoken about life and project management. That clock just keeps on running and it’s your job to make sure it does not run out of sand before the project is done. Why Time management is one of [...]
Posted in Change Management, Process Improvement, Project Management on Jan 21st, 2011
Number 3: Make a Plan and then follow through Sometimes the simplest things are the ones we miss, and when we look at some of the problems that arise during a complex project, it is easy to waver from the initial plan and framework in place. Why The project management framework in this book is [...]
Posted in Project Management on Jan 20th, 2011
#2 Lookout for trouble – employ proactive management Assumption is known as the mother of all foul-ups and nowhere is that more true in managing a project. Proactive management of any project will save your project time and time again. Why Whatever the reason, taking your eye off the ball during a project will always [...]
Posted in Change Management, Process Mapping on Jan 19th, 2011
It’s a great idea to keep all your roles up to date and standardized. Failure to do so will cause confusion, duplication and may even assign the role to the wrong staff member. Industry standard lists are often available from associations, and in larger operations, the HR department will likely be able to provide some [...]
Posted in Process Improvement, Process Mapping, Project Management on Jan 18th, 2011
Improving sales processes One of the most popular uses of process mapping software is the communication of sales cycles. Ensuring a common and consistent sales and forecasting process is an essential ingredient to a successful business. I the example below, some best practices have been provided by Salesforce.com and Harvard Computing Group to illustrate how [...]
Posted in Project Management on Jan 17th, 2011
Set achievable goals and objectives There is no way that any project will have the expected outcomes unless goals and objectives have been set and agreed. Sure there will always be the accidental discovery or success, such as Post It Notes or penicillin, but if you want to ensure success then set goals and objectives. [...]
Posted in Process Mapping, Project Management on Jan 16th, 2011
Most organizations have to have a plan to communicate emergency procedures. Sometimes this is done by HR on a regular basis, in other cases facilities management or other dedicated groups do the work. This information needs to be kept current and process maps are a great way of communicating the most up to date versions. [...]
Posted in Process Improvement, Project Management on Jan 15th, 2011
Every industry has it’s own set of standards they follow at a given time. Best Practices are also common from one sector to another. One such example is eTOM or TM Forum in the telecommunications industry. By using a set of approved standards effective communication of how business can be organized, operated and managed is [...]
Posted in Process Discovery on Jan 14th, 2011
If you are an internal Business Analyst or consultant asking the right questions in a Discovery project is a critical skill. While it seems that a 10 or 20 year veteran seemingly gets those answers by some magical power, it’s really not that complicated. The experienced Business Analyst or Project Manager has been there many [...]
Posted in Process Discovery, Process Mapping on Jan 13th, 2011
Where to maintain task and process information is a question with many answers. Typically we use what we have on our desktop or laptop to create and edit the data. For example, MS Word, Excel, Visio, PowerPoint, you name it. Then we store the information on a company server, web site or intranet. Again many [...]
Posted in Change Management, Process Improvement, Project Management on Jan 12th, 2011
We get the question a lot, what’s the difference between a project plan and a process plan? It’s an interesting one, because many view these as completely different, but they are not. Let me explain why. Every project is comprised of one or more processes, so a project is just a set of processes linked [...]
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