Project Management War Stories

PM War Stories #18 – The Value of Project Management for Professional Service Organizations

Download PMW_0018_Value_of_PM.mp3 (21.5 MB)

If there is any type of organization that can best demonstrate the value of project management, it would be professional service organizations (PSO).  Projects are the lifeblood of professional services.  From the recruitment of the the right talent to the implementation of strong and sound project management leadership, PSOs understand that the difference between their offering and those of their competitors are rarely on the technical skill sets they can deliver but rather on the reilability to deliver a project on time, within specification and on budget.  At the end of the day it is the strong project management soft skills of aligining projects with clients goals, ensuring stakeholder buy in, and leading a project team that ensures a PSO's success. 

In this episode, we will be exploring the unique needs of professional service organizations, the value of project management and the relevant technologies that can impact their success.

Our show is divided into 2 segments.

In part 1, we will be talking to industry insider, Francois Bruneau, who has nearly 25 years of experience in project management and information technology. He is president and founder of JGF-IT Consulting and serves on the board of directors of PMI Montreal. During his career, Francois has managed projects locally and internationally in health care, the public sector, national defense, telecommunications, manufacturing, finance, and aeronautics. In this episode he will be sharing his insights and experiences in demonstrating strategic leadership as a project manager.

In Part 2, the Technology Corner, we sit down with David Hofferberth, Managing Director at Service Performance Insight. David has over 20 years experience and currently specializes in technologies that enable peak performance of people and service organizations. David’s research analyzes the services economy, with particular emphasis on white-collar productivity issues. Tonight he discusses how developing maturity roadmaps can help professional service organizations improve business processes.

Music Notes

1. The opening of the episode – “Values Are My Own” by Dregnote 
2. Interview with industry insider – “Value” by Jimmy Targosz
3. Technology Corner  – “Maturity” by Melting Paper Snowflakes
4. The closing of the episode – “Third Time” by To A Generation

 

PM War Stories #16 – Mitigating Risks in Project Management

Download PMW_0016_Mitigating_Risks.mp3 (21.2 MB)

Uncertainty is inherent to all projects.  Good project managers have developed their own strategies to both manage and mitigate project uncertainties that can have either a positive or negative impact on a project's outcome.  To further complicate matters, project managers must face overlapping or conflicting views of risk by both the business side and the project team.  What separates the good project managers from the bad is the ability not to only plan for project uncertainities, but the ability to manage risk across the entire organization.

In this episode we will examine the evaluation and management of project risk in its appropriate context, as well as how professional services organizations can mitigate risk when selecting an enterprise resource planning system or ERP system.

Our show is divided into 2 segments.

In part 1, we will be talking to industry insider, Dr. Wilhelm Kross, who is a recognized expert in the fields of risk- and project management. Currently he is President of the PMI Frankfurt Chapter and a Senior Vice President with Marsh GmbH, a subsidiary of Marsh - the world's leading insurance broker and strategic risk advisor. During his career, Dr. Kross has focused on IT mega-projects, crisis and turnaround management, and operational risk audits and management assignments in more than 30 countries. In this episode he will be sharing his insights and experiences in the management of complex and troubled projects while mitigating risks.

In Part 2, the Technology Corner, we sit down with David Hofferberth, who has over 20 years experience in the information technology industry. David is the Managing Director at Service Performance Insight, covering the services economy, with particular emphasis on white-collar productivity issues.  His area of specialization is the technologies that enable peak performance of people and service organizations. In this episode he discusses how ERP technology can provide business benefits and how to make effective ERP purchase and deployment decisions.

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 – “Country” by The Videos 
2. Interview with industry insider – “Risk your life” by Flipper Dave
3. Technology Corner  – “Integration is InteGREAT” by Csub1
4. The closing of the episode – “PSA” by DynaMic Produktionz