Project termination is still rather unusual for many companies. In theory, most agree it makes sense not to flog a “dead horse”. Yet, the reality is often different. Even if a project is beyond remedy, it is often seen through to the bitter end against all odds. The reasons for refusing project termination are manifold. In this article, Thomas Brustbauer, a seasoned IT project manager, gives his opinion on why many enterprises refrain from terminating projects and how this could be changed. Look forward to the following chapters: What makes project termination so difficult? – Some reasons Whe ..read more

Are you working as a project manager? Is your company using Planisware Orchestra for scheduling? Do you have only little basic knowledge of how to create a project plan in Planisware Orchestra? Then this Planisware Orchestra tutorial will give you a jump-start. In 11 simple steps, you will learn the most important basics to create your project plan in Planisware Orchestra. Step 1: Define your project type first Step 2: Define the work packages as summary tasks Step 3: Define predecessors and successors for the summary tasks Step 4: Detail each work package by adding activities Step 5: Decide ..read more

Every project provides valuable experience – positive as well as negative. The good news is that you can derive new insights and benefits from both! In the end, every experience can be helpful for future projects – and thus contribute substantially to future successes. Yet, how can you consciously take up this knowledge, channel it and pass it on so that it provides a real benefit? A well-known method for this is Lessons Learned in project management. The following chapters will address this method: Lessons Learned definition Example of a possible approach Phase 1: Informing and building the ..read more

Are you planning a project management implementation for a better overview and increased project success? If so, the right IT system for project, portfolio and resource management (PPM) plays a key role. This article introduces three ways or avenues of project management implementation at your company: via scheduling, via resource management or via project portfolio management. Read below which avenue would match your requirements and how to approach it. The following chapters await you: The PPM Paradise – The prospect for the future Always begin with a central project list Avenue 1: Project ..read more

Are you working as a project manager? Is your company using Planisware Enterprise for scheduling? Do you have basic knowledge of how to navigate in Planisware Enterprise? Then this Planisware Enterprise Tutorial will be just what you need to successfully navigate it. In 11 simple steps, you will learn the most important Planisware Enterprise basics to create your project plan. Step 1: Create a project from a template Step 2: Set the start of the project Step 3: Create activities Step 4: Structure project plan Step 5: Enter task duration and create milestones Step 6: Link activities Step 7: Se ..read more

A well-organized kick-off workshop is an aha experience and the cornerstone of a successful project. The kick-off workshop is the key moment mentioned in the well-known saying: “Show me how your project starts, and I will tell you how it will finish.” This article will give you practical tips on how to design and conduct a kick-off workshop that makes an impact. The following chapters are waiting for you: Why is a kick-off workshop important? What is the goal of a kick-off workshop? The basic outline of the kick-off workshop Practical delivery of a kick-off workshop Dealing with the challen ..read more

In a multi-project environment, the particular challenge is this: resources such as budgets and employees tend to be required by several projects at once. What is more, projects are often interdependent or even mutually exclusive. Good project portfolio management will help you keep an overview and enable you to take control. In this article, you will learn the fastest way to achieve functioning and accepted project portfolio management in your company using our 7-step guide. The below topics will be discussed: Project portfolio management definition Why implement project portfolio management ..read more

There are many methods for risk management in the project environment. However, only few of them are actually used. All the while, the press keeps covering failed and failing large-scale projects. Perhaps, you experience failures in everyday project management yourself which better risk management could have prevented. This article will introduce you to a few techniques from the tool box for risk management in project management. Furthermore, you will find a few important practical tips that you should keep in mind for successful projects. Look forward to the following chapters: Risk manageme ..read more

Like most of us, you have probably been responsible for planning diverse projects involving numerous individual activities in Microsoft Project. As part of your task planning responsibilities, you naturally assigned these tasks to the appropriate people and are now trying to balance the comprehensive project plans with the detailed tasks plans of the teams. Note on the terminology: In this article, task planning and work management are interchangeable terms. For disambiguation, we are more likely to use the term work management in the articles of this blog. This is to avoid confusion with the ..read more

If you are working with Microsoft Project Server / Project Online (PPM), you will already know this. It is a tool for project managers, optimized to plan projects with tasks and work packages in a structured way. But it does not lend itself well to the detailed depiction of many little and personal jobs below tasks. Tools such as Atlassian Jira or Microsoft Azure DevOps Server (former TFS) are much better suited for this. With these tools, detailed issues can also be planned in sprints and iterations. In this article you will learn more about: General Benefits of an Integration Business ..read more