May 2018 – Management POC

Features Your Project Management Software Must Have

Posted on May 28, 2018 by blogger

Managing a project can be a very exhausting task, considering one has to manage different modules of all the projects, read large amounts of files, check each minute detail and bring out the relevant information. This is where project management softwares come to your rescue. However, it is important to know that for efficient management, a software that possesses some key features should be wisely chosen. Here are a few of those:

1. Flexibility

Whenever you start with a project, there are some requirements you enlist. However, these requirements keep changing from time to time and thus you will have to add or subtract a few things from your planned schedule. It is also important that all of these changes are conveyed to your employees, and the project management software you use, should be able to involve the whole team.

2. Easy usability

The software you use should be simple. You would not want your employees to waste their time on first understanding every minor detail of the software and then working on it. It should not require formal training, before the employees can actually start working on it. Anybody who has basic computer and software knowledge should be able to work with it.

3. Multi user login

A project is not handled by one person. It requires the inputs from your employees, clients, vendors etc. Therefore, it is important that the software you buy or develop, has multi-login functionality. However, you should be able to grant them access points, ensuring the security of the project. Each and every one should not be able to access all the modules of the software, and be given accessibility to only those modules, on which they need to work.

4. File sharing:

A lot of people are involved when work is being done on a project. This means each and every person has their work-station, where they complete their designated job. However, it is important that each and every change made by one employee, is reflected in everybody’s copy. This implies that the software should be centralized. A good idea is to have a -check in- and -check out- feature in the software. If a person tries to access a document which is already being used by another user, then the former would be alerted for the same; the document would be given a -checked out- status.

5. Platform Independence/Not Operating system specific:

The software to be developed should be able to work on any simple operating system. This will make it more popular amongst a lot of users, owing to its ease of being able to work on any OS.

6. Internet enabled:

Having an internet-enabled software is extremely important for a well-coordinated project. One should never take the risk of taking an offline project management software. It does not allow one to reflect changes in the entire system and is a complete failure.

These are some of the main features a software should have; apart from the ones listed, a calendar which reminds you of the set deadline, automatic e-mail notification, Gantt charts are other important features.

Investing in a business financial software becomes necessary with the growing needs of the company. For more information on other business softwares, check this website.

eWF 2011 – Information Management and Security – Dr. Rabindra Narayan Behera

Posted on May 24, 2018 by blogger

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Elets Technomedia is a technology media and research company that focuses on ICT in government, education, healthcare, agriculture and rural development sectors. Our mandate is to provide effective information on latest development in different ICT tools, techniques and their applications across our verticals through premier print publications, online portals and premier events, seminars, conferences and summits. Elets has created a name for itself as a technology media and research vendor of choice.

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Elets provides an unmatched versatility for working with multiple partners and consultants to mutually share knowledge. With a vision to provide effective information on latest development in different ICT tools, techniques and their applications across various verticals with focused reference to governance, education and health, we

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Organizing Your Employees through Workforce Management

Posted on May 20, 2018 by blogger

The most important resource in a company is the human resource, which is considered to be the heart and soul of an organization. Efficiently managing your workforce will assure higher productivity in your business. The increasing need for cost-effective processes and methods to resolve the inefficiencies in an organization has made businesses realize that the need of the hour is workforce management.

Workforce management is all about assigning the right people with the right skills to the right task at the right time. The amount of work may vary from day-to-day; therefore, balancing work volume and resources to achieve a desired quality of service is the essence of workforce management.

In todays day and age, technology has made our lives much easier. The introduction of workforce management software has helped in automating tasks such as maintaining accurate time records as well as organizing, planning and delegating work to employees. It tracks resource allocation and deadlines, allows employee feedback on projects and assignments, manages contact information and notes, retrieves stored information, and analyzes and monitors entire projects, allowing you to remotely manage your company and maximize your business output.

Workforce management systems can include field Service Management Software (also known as field force automation), which optimally plans and dispatches field service technicians and their well-stocked vehicles to a customer’s location in a timely manner in order to achieve their service commitments. Field service management forecasts work orders, optimally allocates resources (people, parts, vehicles) within the predefined zones and enables easy communication among the resources in real time.

Many field service management software integrate with other software and accounting programs like QuickBooks, SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, etc. The solution mainly acts as a mobile system that connects the field worker with the back-end.

These solutions provide performance-based tools to support corporate management, frontline supervisors, store managers and workers across manufacturing, distribution, transportation, and retail operations. It ensures that your workforce is as productive as possible, and it reduces labor costs, improves customer service, computes incentives and resolves issues faced by employees.

A few years ago, industry analysts predicted that the market for these types of software would experience dynamic growth. Today, workforce management has become an important strategic element in corporate management. It helps finds the right balance between cost-efficiency, employee satisfaction and customer service.

IT Project Management Whats Coming in 2013 and Beyond

Posted on May 18, 2018 by blogger

What got you here wont get you there. Its a simple, catchy line that over the past several years has become part of our business lexicon. The phrase was popularized by Marshall Goldsmiths best-selling book of the same title in 2007 and it essentially means the skills and behaviors that you possess today may prevent you from being more successful tomorrow.

Nowadays you hear the phrase used often in many contexts: sports, business, politics, and international affairs. And for project managers, especially IT project managers, Goldsmiths axiom is especially true. It wasnt so long ago that a PMI certification and expertise in waterfall project management made you a hot commodity in the job market.

But the times are changing. And considering several of the current trends in IT project management, what got you here in 2012 may not get you far in 2013 and beyond.

Agile Evolution

Since its introduction in 2001, the Agile development framework has seen incredible growth in popularity. Agiles flexible, iterative approach has gained steady approval in the marketplace as a more collaborative, real-time methodology than the more traditional waterfall model (for more on software development methodologies read our recent series on the topic).

What many industry insiders are now seeing, however, is that as Agiles use becomes more widespread, some organizations are favoring a hybrid approach that encompasses aspects of Agile as well as their own traditional methodologies. This may be a more practical approach for IT departments who may not be ready to make a big leap into Agile.

In a recent article, Jon Arnold of Centresource Interactive Agency explains his companys blend of traditional waterfall and Agile methodologies. The standard waterfall approachs main drawback, Arnold writes, is that youre never truly done with each phase. Despite the best laid plans, reality always sets in: a design decision needs to be amended to fit within a development environment; a forgotten interior page element suddenly becomes a necessity; or a developer needs a consult with a designer to work out an animation or visual transition.

Arnold says his teams love the iterative approach of Agile for development-intensive projects, but some clients can be a bit intimidated by what can be viewed as a frenetic, stressful schedule (though I suspect Agile purists might refer to this as cost-effective delivery). By combining some of the traditional planning and communication aspects of traditional waterfall with an Agile approach to development, Arnold has found a hybrid approach that works for many clients, and some industry watchers believe this best-of-breed approach may become more common in the future.

Show Me the Money (And Not Just the Cost Savings)

As more organizations take a portfolio management approach to their projects, the pressure to rationalize project investments via quantifiable business results will continue to increase. In todays tough economic climate, PMO heads face higher scrutiny than ever from organizational stakeholders, and more and more PMO heads are seen as portfolio managers, ensuring that projects meet or exceed a broad range of business metrics.

Cost savings, increased employee productivity, and higher application availability are just a few of the ways that PMOs have traditionally measured IT projects success (or lack thereof). For the most part these metrics are reflect a cost-based criteria for project justification (by lowering existing costs or avoiding costly failures and inefficiencies). And in a larger sense, the cost argument underwrites the organizational justification for the PMO itself. In other words, PMOs exist first and foremost to help an organization run more efficiently, not necessarily contribute directly to the bottom line.

Theres a growing point of view, however, that PMOs should make the leap from cost center to profit center. Simply said, a PMO must justify its existence and its collective project portfolio by directly contributing the organizations bottom line. While this may not sound revolutionary on the surface, it represents a fundamental shift from a passive PMO that prioritizes and implements projects as directed from organizational leaders to an active PMO that identifies and sells projects to internal stakeholders, emphasizing projects that materially impact business results. The PMO becomes, in effect, an internal, self-funded consulting organization. And within this new PMO paradigm the impact on project metrics is clearthe days of measuring project success based solely on a cost-based approach may be over.

PMP Certification, Not What It Used To Be (But Still Worth Having)

Over 470,000 people have earned the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, and it remains easily the most well-known and valuable credential in the project management profession. But in a recent article discussing major industry trends, UK-based project management training firm ESI claims, Internal certifications in corporations and federal agencies will eclipse the PMP. This is quite a bold prediction.

And this may prompt some to ask if a PMP certification is worth having.The answer is (even if ESI turns out to be 100% correct) almost certainly yes. Even while many Fortune 500 companies and government agencies may have their own internal, proprietary credentials that are undoubtedly important inside the organization, those credentials lose much if not all their relevancy (and market value) once an individual leaves the company. Will the IT department at Ford care if youre a certified Bank of America project manager? Its hard to say, but theres little doubt the folks at Ford would fail to recognize the value of someone with a PMP credential.

The significance of ESIs prediction isnt necessarily what it says about the relative value of a PMP credential. What we should take away from the statement is that the skills and certifications organizations value can and will change over time. And for project managers, this underscores the importance of keeping current with their organizations and, in a larger sense, the marketplaces requirements.

The Future Is Change

For IT project managers the adage what got you here wont get you there seems especially apt. The profession continues to evolve, not only in terms of the skills needed to be successful, but also in light of a market place with an ever-increasing bottom line emphasis.

So what other factors or trends do you think will shape the future of project management? Id love to hear from you.

One-On-Ones The Most Powerful Management Tool

Posted on May 13, 2018 by blogger

The regularly scheduled one-on-one (O-o-O) has been called the most powerful management tool available. Yet many managers are not having regular one-on-one meetings with employees, and it impacts the work environment.

To make the O-o-O effective, it should be regularly scheduled (every other Tuesday at 9AM or every Monday at 4PM or whatever works). It should be rarely missed and its primary focus must be on the employee and their performance. Notes should be taken by both the employee and the manager. The meeting will likely last no more than 30 minutes with 10 minutes for the employee, 10 minutes for you, and 10 minutes to focus on the employee’s development.

To prepare for your next O-o-O with an employee, ask yourself a few questions:

What positive feedback can I give the employee? What commitments did I make at the last O-o-O that I need to follow up on? What commitments did the employee make at the last O-o-O that we need to follow up on? What information have I received from outside sources that I need to share with the employee? What is currently on my plate that I can delegate to the employee that might be helpful to their development?

Some managers use a standardized form to track the outcomes of each O-o-O. The format might include notes you take from the employee’s update, notes you prepare for your update to the employee, and a list of agreements or follow-up items. The fundamental goal of the O-o-O is to maintain an ongoing dialogue with each employee about:

performance expectations resources the employee needs to meet the performance expectations feedback on the employee’s progress development opportunities the employee is pursuing

The O-o-O meeting is notably the most powerful management tool available. It is a no-cost, personal way to boost morale, enhance engagement, and improve performance. So when is your next O-o-O?

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