Project Management War Stories

PM War Stories #34 - How PMOs can Provide the Necessary Visibility for Success in Consumer Goods Companies - Part 2

Download PMW_0034_PMOs_in_CPG_p2.mp3 (14.7 MB)

Although it is true that Project Management Offices (PMOs) need to adapt to the unique needs of the businesses they serve, it is more important that the leaders of PMOs gauge the true function of their existence.  In many cases, PMOs get lost in a siloed role delivering their value to solely the group(s) or department(s) they serve without taking into consideration their impact on other overlapping entities that may affect the business as a whole.  In this episode we continue our look at the unique character of the role of the PMO in consumer goods companies and how the highly competitive nature of this industry can leverage its value. 

Today we are continuing with the second part in a two part series examining how project management offices provide the necessary visibility for success in consumer goods companies.  To do this we continue our conversation with Hugh Woodward.

Hugh Woodward is an industry insider, who has over 35 years of project management experience in manufacturing, construction and IT.  He served two terms as Chair of the Project Management Institute and almost six years as a member of PMI's Board of Directors. Today Hugh will be sharing with us his insights and experiences of using project management offices in the consumer goods industry.

Many thanks to everyone who participated in the first drawing to win a netbook.  Due to its success, we are pleased to announce that we will be giving away more netbooks between January and June of 2010. To register for your chance, please go to our website, www.pmwarstories.com and click on the hyperlink for the Netbook Contest displayed in the sidebar. Members are limited to one entry per month so don’t forget to visit our site and complete an entry form today. Good luck and thank you for listening.

If you would like to learn more about PMOs, project offices, Oracle Primavera, or managing projects in a manufacturing environment, then check out our monthly internet radio show available at www.pmwarstories.com or through apple itunes.

Music Notes

1. The opening of the show – “Investigation”
2. Interview with the industry insider – “Kickflip”
3. The closing of the show – “Yearbook”

PM War Stories #33 - How PMOs can Provide the Necessary Visibility for Success in Consumer Goods Companies - Part 1

Download PMW_0033_PMOs_in_CPG_p1.mp3 (14.3 MB)

Project Management Offices (PMOs) have been traditionally viewed as a horizontal discipline that can be applied to any project-centric organization.  Although the basic principles a PMO can deliver are universal, each and every PMO needs to look at the unique requirements and challenges of the vertical industry they are serving in order to fully deliver the value of its role to an organization.  In this episode we look at the unique character of the projects implemented by consumer goods companies and how the highly competitive nature of this industry views the role of a project management office. 

We are pleased to announce that this is the first podcast in a series on project management offices, sponsored by Oracle Primavera.  Today we are examining how project management offices provide the necessary visibility for success in consumer goods companies.  To do this I’m sitting down with my friend and colleague, Hugh Woodward, in a two part interview.

Hugh Woodward is an industry insider, who has over 35 years of project management experience in manufacturing, construction and IT.  He served two terms as Chair of the Project Management Institute and almost six years as a member of PMI's Board of Directors. Today Hugh will be sharing with us his insights and experiences of using project management offices in the consumer goods industry.

Additionally, I am pleased to announce that we are giving away a netbook to one lucky member of our community. To register for your chance, please go to our website, www.pmwarstories.com and click on the hyperlink for the Netbook Contest displayed in the sidebar. Members can only enter once per drawing and entries must be received by 11pm eastern standard time on Thursday, December 17, 2009.

If you would like to learn more about PMOs, project offices, Oracle Primavera, or managing projects in a manufacturing environment, then check out our monthly internet radio show available at www.pmwarstories.com or through apple itunes.

Music Notes
1. The opening of the episode – “Two Seater”
2. Interview with industry insiders – “East Ender”
3. The closing of the episode – “Electric Rodeo"

PM War Stories #7 - Project Portfolio Management: Finding the balance between finishing scheduled projects and pursuing new ideas

Download PMW_0007_PPM.mp3 (20.5MB)

Many organizations are faced with the reality of balancing their portfolio of projects.  Depending on the level of investment of time and money, both projects and their associated stakeholders are continuously competing for face time to meet their own agendas.  Interestingly enough, senior project managers have expressed concerns comparing the ROI calculation of new projects versus those later into their lifecycle.  In fact, new projects at the beginning of their cycle are calculated at the 75%+ ROI in contrast to the more mature projects estimated at a 10%-15% ROI.  It’s no wonder that project portfolio management as a discipline and the emergence of PMOs have gained momentum in recent years in project-centric organizations. 

For industries in which the development of new products is the life line of their organizations, PPM methodology has always been a critical component to their business.  This is especially true for organizations in Consumer Packaged Goods industry that may have dozens of products at one time at different stages in their development.  Every product is treated as a project, and with the complexity of each product the time and resources invested have challenged organizations in their ability to separate the good from the bad that lies within their portfolio of projects.

In this episode, we look at new product development in the CPG industry and we will feature a new segment entitled “Technology Corner.”  Based on emails from listeners Technology Corner will feature IT project case studies and provide insights to their successful delivery. Initially the Technology Corner will make periodic appearances in our monthly shows. If it is well received, we will add it as a regular installment.
                           

Our show is divided into 3 segments:

In part 1, we will go Roaming with the Salty Dogg and explore whether new really is better by exploring a case study in new product development.

In part 2, we will be talking to industry insider, Hugh Woodward, who has over 35 years of project management experience in manufacturing, construction and IT.  Hugh will be sharing with us his war stories and insights of project portfolio management in the consumer packaged goods industry and the challenges of choosing between investments in scheduled or existing projects and new ideas.

In part 3, we will talk with Randy Banks in our first installment of the Technology Corner. Randy is a Chartered Accountant and a Certified Project Management Professional with over 20 years of business experience. Today Randy will be sharing his experiences in rescuing an Enterprise Resource Planning systems or ERP project.

We hope you enjoy the show and encourage you to send your questions, issues, and war stories.

Music Notes

1. The opening of the episode – "montreal stand up" by Lil JJ
2. Interview with industry insider – "Soda Pop Bop" by ItchieCat
3. Technology Corner – "CORNER" by Alex Cebe
4. The outro and closing of the episode – "Troubled" by Mark Haney and The Buzzards

PM War Stories #4 – New Product Development: Customer Impact on Projects

Download PMW_0004_NPD_Client.mp3 (17.2MB)

New Product Development projects often focus on the successful creation of a product that will be well received by their intended audiences.  What many project managers learn quickly is that finding that perfect product that will make their organization millions of dollars is only half the battle in
winning the war.  The reality is it's people who determine a product’s success and not necessarily innovation alone.  The manner in which project managers manage the product team, project stakeholders and customer demands will impact the ultimate fate of a product’s destiny.

In this episode, we look at how an online retailer, a technology company in the aviation industry, and a steamboat builder managed project stakeholders and customer demands in their new product development endeavors.

Our show is divided into 3 segments:

In part 1, we will go Roaming with the Salty Dogg and explore how harnessing one's customers can drive success. To illustrate the customer’s impact on a project’s success, Wayne Thompson shares the experiences of an online retailer and their incredible journey to success through crowdsourcing.

In part 2, we will be talking to industry insider, Michael Kamel, who has nearly a decade of experience in engineering management. He worked as a Project Manager at a major Aviation company before joining the professional services firm Deloitte & Touche where he works as a Manager in the Corporate Strategy Consulting practice. His areas of specialization include technology management, enterprise risk management, global strategic sourcing and strategic management. Michael sits on the board of directors of PMI Montreal and today he will be sharing his insights on project management and new product development in the aerospace and engineering arenas.

In part 3, Willie Maykett, our in-house project management specialist, will sound off in Painfully Honest with Willie Maykett. This episode’s target is Robert Fulton – the “Father of the Steamboat,” and his strategic alignment with the right people and stakeholders leading to his success where many before him failed.

We hope you enjoy the show and encourage you to send your questions, issues, and war stories.

Music Notes
1. The opening of the episode – “Montreal” by Glass Rose
2. Intro and Outro to Roaming with the Salty Dogg – “T-Shirts” by Witt's End
3. Intro to Painfully Honest with Willie Maykett – “Your Honesty Is Killing
Me” by Pete Krason
4. Outro to Painfully Honest with Willie Maykett – “Boat without a Sail” by Sheldic Productions
5. The closing of the episode – “Flyer” by Andre Donawa