Lean Project Management Can Make Or Break Project Success

Though lean project management isn't new, it can make or break the success of your projects. Canadian Blood Services has recently launched a series of Lean strategies into their day-to-day operations resulting in new process efficiencies, improved service for consumers and $125 million in savings.

Hear firsthand how Canadian Blood Services executes large-scale, complex projects, completing them both on-time and within budget. Later this month, join Canadian Blood Services' Todd Campbell, PMP, Project Manager, National Public Cord Blood Bank at ProjectWorld & World Congress for Business Analysts as he presents:

Complex Projects: Our Gated Marathon to Save Lives
When the project team at Canadian Blood Services set out to establish a national, public cord blood bank, they knew it would be a long, complex project involving many stakeholders. And, as the marathon progressed, it became clear that any challenge could be overcome, even a mountain.

Learn how the project team collaborated with stakeholders and managed change/expectations, using the phase-gate project model, and yes, even climbed a mountain. The key motivation for building a national, public cord blood bank is to provide stem cell transplant opportunities for both Canadian and international patients, to help save more lives.

Download the brochure to view the complete agenda: http://bit.ly/18eTuO0

PW&WCBA East

March 23-24, 2015

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort

Lake Buena Vista, Florida

Mention code PWEASTBL and save $100 off the current rate: http://bit.ly/18eTuO0

In addition to Todd's session, hear from PM & BA leaders from PMI, Verizon, Starbucks, Farm Credit Mid-America, Daimler Trucks NA, Associated Bank, Boeing and more.

It's the can't miss event for your project management and business analysis needs. Don’t forget, PW&WCBA EAST delivers 24PDU/CDUs.

All the best,
The PW&WCBA Team

@Project_World

#PWEAST

pwwbcablog.iirusa.com

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Earn a FREE Pass to PW&WCBA East in Disney World - Become a Guest Blogger

Earn a complimentary all-access pass to ProjectWorld & World Congress for Business Analysts East 2015 by serving as a Guest Blogger at the event. As a Guest Blogger, you’ll have access to PW&WCBA's comprehensive agenda attracting the best in insights from around the world, right in Lake Buena Vista, Florida this March.

You'll get a free pass to the annual PW&WCBA event plus exclusive access to a networking community and on-demand webinars, to help you grow and learn throughout the year.

Guest Blogger responsibilities will include submitting one post per week to the PW&WCBA blog between now and the conference and attending specifically assigned sessions at the event and blogging live or same day.

By participating as a Guest Blogger leading up to and at the event, you’ll receive an all-access pass for the entire event, taking place March 23-24, 2015at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort in Lake Buena Vista, FL. In addition, Guest Bloggers are responsible for their own travel and lodging. Learn more about the event by visiting our website: http://bit.ly/1zzJ9Cn 

Apply today by sending your name, title, company, short biography and links to your blog or writing samples, along with a few sentences about why we should choose you to be our 2015 Guest Blogger to Amanda Ciccatelli at aciccatelli@iirusa.com. We will review your submission and contact the chosen Guest Bloggers directly with more details.

All readers of our blog receive an exclusive discount of $100 off the current registration rate with code PWEAST15BL. Register here:  http://bit.ly/1zzJ9Cn

We hope to have you join us in Orlando!

Cheers,

The PW&WBCA Team

#PWEAST

Communication and Proactivity Make You a Better Project Manager

Project managers often have the difficult job of dealing with projects having inter-team disputes, being over budget and missing deadlines. However being able to avoid problems and potential pitfalls before they even arise is something that can put the better project managers head and shoulders above the rest.

A recent article by CIO Magazine has pinpointed key areas and scenarios that may arise for project managers and how best to deal with them. The key elements that are prevalent are communication and proactivity. By keeping a stream of communication between manager and team helps to check in on progress in order to make sure problems aren’t a surprise and can keep the team focused and happy. By building a good relationship with the team will create trust and increase productivity, as workers are more likely to put in more effort for a manager they trust and enjoy working with.

Communication with higher management is also key for keeping a strong team; by being pro-active and making sure you know if a key member of your team could be taken away for something else could be the key to keeping them. A good project manager will be able to show facts and data that can back up the need for the member which can be the way to keep them. By showing in data form that without a certain member a project could potentially go over the deadline day or the time and effort to train a new member could push the budget up past the quota creates a much stronger case for keeping the team intact. If the communication with higher management is there it can give time to gather evidence instead of arguing a case with nothing to back up the claims.

The proactivity of pre-empting issues like that can be useful for other potential project setbacks. Communicating with the team and making sure they understand their specific roles and setting a number of mini deadlines will keep the project on track. Setting specific roles for each member keeps the team from potentially overlapping and doing the same thing twice which is inefficient. By setting early smaller deadlines can mean if there are problems along the way they can be dealt with quickly to make sure they overall deadline is kept to.

The final point on communication is that sometimes members may be in different countries or time zones and have difficulty accessing each other’s work. However new technology such as EMC Syncplicity allow members to be able to collaborate easily to share their work with each other to make sure the project keeps flowing.

The project manager is not just there to set schedules and crack the whip; they are there to keep the team together and on course by creating an atmosphere of trust and keeping good inter-team communication. Pro-activity is also critical for anticipating and averting potential difficulties that may arise in the project. These assets are paramount for a project manager to succeed and move forward in their company and gain the trust of peers and management.

About the Author: Harry Kempe, a marketing intern at IIR USA, who works on various aspects of the industry including social media, marketing analysis and media. He is a recent graduate of Newcastle University who previously worked for EMAP Ltd. and WGSN as a marketing assistant on events such as the World Architecture Festival, World Retail Congress and Global Fashion Awards. He can be reached at hkempe@IIRUSA.com.

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