PMAGILEIDEAS

When balancing the triple constraints of a project, have you ever felt like you had superpowers❓ The triple constraint, commonly referred to as the project management triangle or iron triangle, illustrates the interdependence of three crucial project components: scope, schedule (time), and cost. Because all three of these components have an impact on quality, quality is regarded as the core theme. Now let's see what these components are: 1️⃣ The term "scope" describes the work that must be completed as part of a project. It outlines the project's goals, deliverables, tasks, and features. The project's budget and schedule may be impacted by any scope adjustments or additions. 2️⃣ The project's "schedule" (time) entails establishing precise due dates for various project tasks and milestones. The project's scope and cost may change if the schedule is shortened or lengthened. 3️⃣ "Cost" is the sum of money needed to finish the job. Costs li...

Have you heard the quote of Dwight D. Eisenhower , 34th president of the United States, "I have two kinds of problems, the urgent and the important. The urgent are not important, and the important are never urgent."  ✍️   ✅ The Eisenhower Matrix (also known as the Eisenhower Box) , which is his most well-known productivity technique , allows you to prioritize your most critical work by grouping jobs according to their urgency and importance. The time management matrix and the urgent-important matrix are also some names for this Matrix. This tool assists you in categorizing your jobs into the following four groups: those you'll complete first, those you'll schedule for later, those you'll assign, and those you'll discard. 🎯 Let's go in detail about these four quadrants of Eisenhower Matrix . 1️⃣ Quadrant 1: Do Urgent and significant tasks are positioned in this "do" quadrant. These are urgent tasks that have effects that are obvious and have an...

Quality Management is an integral part of Project Management as it ensures that a project is successfully completed through its four phases - concept, development, execution, and finish - without deviating from the predetermined project requirements. To do this, a supportive atmosphere must be created, with an emphasis on high-quality policies, plans, processes, programme, and specifications. The industry relies on the seven essential quality tools, often known as the 7QC Tools , to efficiently solve quality-related issues within the context of the PDCA Cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act) . 1. Cause-and-Effect Diagram : Also referred to as a Fishbone diagram or Ishikawa diagram, shows the many inputs into a process or product, making it easier to see potential problems by pinpointing the sources of such defects. 2. Control Charts : These graphical representations compare data over time to predetermined control limits, with a center line to identify patterns of plotted values edging closer to c...

Have you heard the claim that despite using Scrum , we failed❓ Today Scrum has evolved as the go-to methodology for majority of product/software development projects and the answer to many issues in any organization. Scrum is the perfect structure for many organizations because it promotes collaboration, transparency, and adaptability. Nevertheless, despite its benefits, there are times when Scrum may fail to deliver on anticipated project goals. Let's look at five typical factors you may want to take into account on why Scrum fails. 1. Scrum is not half-baked: When team members are unclear on the Scrum framework and Agile principles, it might be difficult to apply Scrum effectively. They frequently put into practice what they already know, which might interrupt process. The team should receive thorough Scrum training before beginning any project to close this gap. The Scrum framework, the functions of Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Developers should all be covered in this. Ear...

Monte Carlo Analysis  is a potent risk management tool that is used to conduct a quantitative study of risks in project management . Project managers can evaluate the possible impact of risks on their projects using this mathematical technique, which was created in 1940 by the renowned atomic nuclear scientist Stanislaw Ulam. In essence, it aids project managers in comprehending how particular risks may impact project budgets or deadlines. Project managers can assess the possibility of various situations by using Monte Carlo Analysis to acquire useful insights into a range of potential outcomes and probabilities. Consider a situation where you don't know how long a project will take. The time required to complete each project activity is, however, roughly estimated in your possession. In this circumstance, you may use Monte Carlo Analysis to provide both a best-case (optimistic) and worst-case (pessimistic) scenario for the length of each work. Let's consider these combination...

FDD is a customer-centric software development methodology that is known for its short iterations and frequent releases. Like Scrum, FDD places the customer, referred to as the project business owner, at the center of the process, requiring their input in the initial design meeting and iteration retrospectives. By prioritizing client requests and responding promptly to their needs, developers ensure client satisfaction through an incremental approach to feature releases. To accomplish this, developers identify feasible features, break down complex requirements into smaller sets of features, and devise a plan to achieve each objective over time. Jeff De Luca and Peter Coad developed FDD while working on a banking project in Singapore in 1997. The FDD process comprises five key steps. First, the chief architect or project leader defines the system's scope and context to establish the overall model. One way to effectively use Feature-Driven Development (FDD) is to generate a list of ...

Lead time refers to the amount of time it takes for a project to be finished after it has been initiated. This can be estimated, but unexpected issues or changes in objectives can cause it to deviate from the initial projection if proper measures are not taken. For instance, a customer is on leave and we need an important input from him to proceed further. In project management, lead time refers to the duration required for completing an entire project or a significant phase of it. In Kanban workflows, lead time encompasses all three columns labeled "To Do," "Work in Progress," and "Work Waiting for Next Steps" once the task is added to the board. However, please note lead time is different from cycle time in Kanban project management, as cycle time measures the time taken to complete a task once work has begun on it. Cycle time starts when work on a task begins, not when it is added to the board. Lag time refers to delays that occur between tasks, like ...

Did you know about the fascinating "3 P's" of Project Management ? Each one is distinct yet closely related to the others: Projects, Programs, and Portfolios. 1. Projects are temporary endeavors taken on by companies or organizations. These could involve creating a new product, service, or achieving a specific result. 2. Programs are groups of related projects managed together as a cohesive unit. 3. Portfolios encompass various programs and projects within an organization. These can be related or unrelated, but they align with the company's overall strategy. So, essentially, multiple projects make up programs, and multiple programs constitute portfolios. The Project Management Institute (PMI) defines project management as "Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements." For Project Managers , the key task is to strike a balance between project scope (deliverables), ava...

Do you know what is the most important topic in Project Management ? No doubt, it is Stakeholder Management . The reason behind its significance lies in the complexity of understanding, capturing, and documenting project requirements. To truly comprehend these ideas, it becomes imperative to align them with the needs and expectations of all involved parties. And that's where the concept of stakeholders plays a crucial role. Stakeholders encompass individuals, groups, or organizations with an interest in the project, capable of influencing its outcome through resource mobilization. According to the PMI®, stakeholders are "individuals and organizations who are actively involved in the project or whose interests may be positively or negatively affected as a result of project execution or successful project completion." To effectively manage stakeholders, a thorough analysis is indispensable. This process involves gathering information about them and categorizing them based o...

Tuckman’s Stages of Group Development , proposed by psychologist Bruce Tuckman in 1965, is one of the most famous theories of team development. It describes four stages that teams may progress through: forming , storming , norming , and performing (a fifth stage was added later: adjourning ). This model describes the evolution of a team's dynamics and leadership style as it progresses through these developmental phases. Does Scrum Team also follow Tuckman's model? Yes. All teams, according to Tuckman's approach, must move through each stage before either dissolving or operating at their highest level of effectiveness. The team's maturity is a key factor in determining how quickly it moves through these stages. In Scrum, without proper coaching, not all teams can inevitably progress to the norming or performing stages so quickly. Accelerating the team's transition to the performing stage is one of the main goals of organizations when using Scrum or any other agile m...