08/21/2014 by Jackie Dembinsky Tags: Date Range, FastTrack Schedule 10, Range, Timeline Ranges, Tips and Tricks
Projects have the ability to greatly range in size and scope. While some projects are “short and sweet” others can extend to 100’s and even 1000’s of tasks. Because of this users need to be able to easily control what portion of the data is being displayed graphically at any point in time. FastTrack Schedule 10 allows users to make use of the Timeline Range in order to precisely control exactly what section of data is graphically displayed.
FastTrack Schedule 10 offers numerous predefined range options, the ability to customize ranges, as well as the ability to set the Timeline Range on the fly. To access Timeline Ranges go to Project > Timeline Ranges. Here we can see numerous predefined ranges which allow users to view work in current time periods such as: Current Day, Current Month, or even 90 Day Look Ahead. When we apply a range the Timeline Graph will automatically update to show only that chosen period of time.
For example if we select to view the Current Month, the Timeline will update to graphically only show the current month; in this case August 2014. When we apply a range only the Timeline will change what is visible. Data in all rows and columns will be retained even if the data occurs outside of the selected range.
Continue reading “Working with Timeline Ranges”
08/20/2014 by Brad Egeland Tags: before the project starts, potential project customer issues, project kickoff questions
Sometimes the scariest part of the project is what you don’t know. We can be warned about all the potential risks, issues, technology roadblocks, end user concerns and customer concerns, but those unknowns that loom concerning the environments we are entering into can often be the most problematic and are not for the faint of heart. Project managers…prepare to enter the cave of darkness…or start asking questions fast so you aren’t caught off guard by cultural, social, political and physical environment issues concerning your project customer. You certainly can’t control all of them – or even most of them – and you certainly can’t prepare for everything, but you can work hard at being aware and keeping your team aware before you jump headfirst into the project.
Virtually all projects are planned and implemented in a social, economic, and environmental context, and have intended and unintended positive and/or negative impacts. The project team – starting at the top with the project manager – should always consider the project in its cultural, social, international, political, and physical environmental contexts. Perception of the project from these standpoints will help the team prepare for issues, plan for risks, and better understand that factors at work around, and possible even against, your project.
Continue reading “Know What You’re Getting Into Before the Project Starts”
08/12/2014 by Brad Egeland Tags: manage project issues, managing project risks and issues, project issue management, project risk management
Issues and risks…wouldn’t it be wonderful if we can manage a project without either of these creeping up on us? But the reality is they can…and they do. Both of them, in fact, show up on every project we manage, and we need to have a process in place to identify, recognize, document, track and report on these throughout the project engagement or our project will be filled with fires that we continue to fight week in and week out. The tracking and management of these two critical entities on your projects is an absolute must when you’re trying to ensure the long-term satisfaction of your customer. And it’s also something that we often easily overlook – or at least we don’t do a very good job at it.
Continue reading “Managing Project Risks and Issues”
08/07/2014 by Jackie Dembinsky Tags: Exceptions, Resource Management, Resource Work Calendars, Resources, Tips and Tricks, Work Calendar
Managing the calendar of a project can be pivotal in ensuring the project occurs as close to the schedule as possible. When working with calendars we can define how each day will function and even account for individual exceptions throughout the project, such as holidays or delays. When working with resources on our projects it is often crucial to account for their individual calendars. Resources may have periods of non-work throughout the schedule that vary from the overall calendar or you may want a resource to follow an entirely separate calendar than the rest of the project.
In FastTrack Schedule 10 we can easily define unique exceptions for every resource in our project or assign them to “blanket” calendars. Managing our Resource Work Calendars will ensure that we account for every possibility of non-work throughout the schedule, allowing us to plan our projects as precisely as possible.
To modify a resource’s work calendar we first need to open the Resource Information Form. To access the Information Form while in the Resource View click in the Information Action Column beside the resource’s row number.Once the information form is opened select the Work Calendar tab. This will allow us to view and modify the resource’s work calendar.
Continue reading “Defining Resource Work Calendars”
08/05/2014 by Brad Egeland Tags: project time management techniques, slotting time on project, time management strategies for project managers, time management tips for project managers
We often make tasks – or series of tasks – more monumental than they need to be. We have a tendency to get stuck working on the same thing over and over again in pieces broken out here and there and we can end up doing this over the course of a week and still never finish that task that should have been accomplished in one hour.
The solution – really look at your project in one hour increments. What can be accomplished in an hour? What can we pound out in 60 minutes in order to move on to the next item (or move on to lunch)? Is it possible to really think this way? I say yes…let’s examine this further…
Continue reading “Slotting Your Time on the Project”
07/22/2014 by Brad Egeland Tags: project customer, project customer relationship management, project customer satisfaction, project end user
Your customer is critical. And from most project managers’ perspectives, that is the person sitting across from him at the table or the one on the other end of the phone on the status call. That’s right… that is the customer. But what about the customer’s ultimate end user? Where do they fit in? When is the end user part of the project? On many projects the end user is the one who needs the solution.
I ran across this quote and it troubles me – partly because it is often true and because we are all guilty sometimes of overlooking end users as a central point of reference and information for the project. Here it is… “A user is somebody who tells you what they want the day you give them what they asked for.” This can be taken to mean that the user often does a poor job telling us at first what they want and the gives us a better definition once the project is over and the solution doesn’t really meet their needs.
Continue reading “Who is the Real Project Customer?”
07/15/2014 by Brad Egeland Tags: lack of resources, lack project resources, lack resources project managment, project resources
This has surely happened to every experienced project manager in the world. The project is going along fine – maybe deep into a critical task or phase – and suddenly you either lose a key resource or can’t onboard the right resource as planned for the project. What do you do? How do you re-act? And equally important – how do you tell your customer?
The Escalation Process
It’s always frustrating when your organization lacks the right amount of skilled resources to fully stock all the projects that are active at any given time. This has happened to me at just about every company I’ve worked for and it’s probably happening to you right now. As the PM there are a few things you can do to combat it, but there’s no guarantee of success with any of them – unless your organization is well equipped to handle the situation. Here’s what you can do:
07/10/2014 by Jackie Dembinsky Tags: Classic, FastTrack Schedule 10, Ribbon, Ribbon vs. Classic Interfaces, Tips and Tricks, Windows
Whether updating from an older operating system to a more recent one, or making the switch to a completely different software there can sometimes be a bit of learning curve when you start in the new environment. The same can be said when upgrading from different versions of products, or using them in a new environment. FastTrack Schedule 10 helps to lessen that learning-curve on Windows by allowing users to easily switch between two unique interfaces. By default FastTrack Schedule 10 will launch and run in what is known as the Ribbon Interface. This interface offers a system of contextual menus that will change based on the current section of a program you are working in. For example, while working in FastTrack tools automatically change based on which of the three views you are in: Schedule, Calendar or Resource. This means you won’t have to go hunting for similar tools in different locations, resulting in a more streamlined workflow.
Continue reading “Windows Ribbon vs Classic Interfaces”
07/08/2014 by Brad Egeland Tags: missing leadership, project leadership, project leadership tips, signs that leadership is missing
In Part 2 of this two part series on signs leadership may be missing from a project, we’ll look at five more indicators – in no particular order of importance. The idea is if you recognize any of these…either run or fix them…quickly.
Team members are trying to be heroic. That is, they try to do everything themselves and be all things to all people. They eventually start to over control and in the end, as many experienced project managers know, control very little, even themselves. They fail, for example, to delegate.
Hard skills rather than soft skills are being emphasized. Hard skills are scheduling and statistical analysis; soft skills are active listening and writing. It is not uncommon for project managers of technical projects to disparagingly refer to soft skills as “touchy-feely.” Yet time and again, studies have shown that soft skills can prove as critical, indeed more so, in a project’s success.
The selection of the project manager seems to be a popularity contest. Senior managers often select people they like or who are like themselves, who may or may not have the attributes of a project leader. Getting the right person in the role – a true leader – can make all the difference in the world. If the PM is selected as a favor or as a personal favorite, disaster may ensue.
Continue reading “10 Signs that Leadership is Missing – Part 2”
07/02/2014 by Brad Egeland Tags: missing leadership, project leadership, project leadership tips, signs that leadership is missing
Leadership, not just project management, is critical on all projects. Whether it comes just from the project manager – where it must be prevalent – or from others on the project team … leadership is very important.
And by leadership, of course, I mean true leadership. Not somebody to lead meetings, produce status reports, update the project schedule and send off a few emails every week. No, I mean true leadership. Make key decisions. Lead a skilled team. Engage the client. Negotiation strategic issues. Handle key financial situations. Network and connect as needed for the project. True leadership.
The problem is, true leadership is often lacking on some of the projects that need it the most. The reasons for this are many, and are worth noting…
Senior management is starting to micro-manage. They treat the project as a pet, smothering it with attention, thereby killing any initiative by the project manager or the team. An example is requiring any action, even the smallest, to have approval from senior management. Such an oppressive atmosphere makes it impossible to exercise project leadership.
Continue reading “10 Signs that Leadership is Missing – Part 1”
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