Guild of Project Controls: Compendium | Roles | Assessment | Certifications | Membership

Project Assumptions & Risks

2 years 17 weeks ago

Assumptions and risks are embedded in our daily lives.  We expect the day will unfold as planned, and risks will not materialize.  Most of these assumptions are benign, like thinking the weather report will be accurate; or no major calamities will occur.  

Projects are built on assumptions.  Without them, it would be impossible to proceed.  

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Project Portfolio Management & The Theory of Constraints

2 years 21 weeks ago

Large enterprises struggle to manage their project portfolios effectively.  They fall prey to the fallacy of optimizing resource allocation.  Or simply stated, they focus on making sure everyone is busy rather than getting things done.

Team members are allocated at least 100% to project work, if not more. As a result, people are working on multiple projects—more than

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Microsoft Project Quick Tip: Assign Actual Start & Finish Dates to Tasks

2 years 23 weeks ago

While one can update Actual Start and/or Actual Finish dates in Microsoft Project by displaying these columns, my preferred method is using the Task Details Form which is very similar to the Activity Details Form in Primavera P6.

In this short video, I show how to enable and use the Task Details Form to update actual dates for project tasks.

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Project Frameworks: Understand the Choices

2 years 24 weeks ago

Selecting a project management approach and framework is complicated.  Not that long ago, it was like buying a Model-T Ford; you could have any color you wanted, as long as it was black—our only option was Waterfall.

Today Waterfall is still a choice.  There are also multiple Agile frameworks, or you can mix-and-match and go Hybrid.  So many choices. 

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Flipping the Triple Constraint

2 years 29 weeks ago

Project management theory established the Triple Constraint (aka, the Iron Triangle) as the key to project success.  If the scope is known and fixed, then the schedule and cost must adjust to accommodate scope changes.  

The simplicity of this proposition is appealing.  At the beginning of the project, all requirements are documented, the design is approved, and

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How to use Lumpsum cost in Primavera P6 to generate S-curves data

2 years 33 weeks ago
When it comes to generating Primavera P6 data for use in Excel to plot progress s-curves, the recommended practice is to use Resources as basis for progress measurement in P6, but there are times when it is not possible to use Resources either because of corporate policy, non-availability of resource loading or personal choice. A common alternative method is to use lumpsum cost as weightings
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Busy, But Not Productive

2 years 33 weeks ago

Everyone tells me they are busy.  They are on video or conference calls from morning until evening.  On average, workers receive over 100 emails per day and send at least 40.   A common complaint is, “I spend my entire day meeting and doing email; and have no time for my

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DCMA 14-Point Schedule Assessment

2 years 37 weeks ago
Referred article on DCMA 14 Metrics, from Deltek website, regarding DCMA 14-Point Schedule Assessment: https://help.deltek.com/Product/Acumen/8.6/GA/DCMA%2014%20Point%
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Unlock Potential: Push Decision Making Down

2 years 38 weeks ago

Modern management theory is built on the premise of trust.  If management creates a values-based culture, employees will make the “right” decisions.   Douglas McGregor described Theory X (not trusting) and Y (trusting)managers.   The 1950s were an inflection point where the nature of

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Unlock Potential: Push Decision Making Down

2 years 38 weeks ago

Modern management theory is built on the premise of trust.  If management creates a values-based culture, employees will make the “right” decisions.   Douglas McGregor described Theory X (not trusting) and Y (trusting)managers.   The 1950s were an inflection point where the nature of

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Primavera P6 and Microsoft Project books, on-line video training courses and training material available from an internationally recognised publisher. Teach yourself using on-line or book based learning or run your own in-house or public courses.