#PWWCBA Speaker Spotlight: William J Purpura of The Boeing Company

This November at Project World and the World Congress for Business Analysts, William J. Purpura, MSME, MBA, PE, & PMP; Senior Project Engineer at The Boeing Company will be presenting "Earned Schedule (ES), Correcting Earned Value Management’s (EVM) Errors in Cost & Schedule Predictions on Complex Projects"

Over his 35 year career, (including 28 years at Boeing), Purpura has served in both Senior Project and Senior System Engineering roles on a widely diverse range of programs. Bill has been awarded BS and MS degrees in Mechanical Engineer, an MBA, as well as four post graduate Certificates in Software Engineering from California State University Fullerton. He is Project Management Professional (PMP) certified, a registered Mechanical Professional Engineer (PE) in the state of California, and a SEC certified Registered Investment Advisor.

Bill is currently supporting Boeing’s Strategic Development & Experimentation organization, focusing on the creation of next generation Net-Enabled architectures and environments as well as development roadmaps for technologies critical to Boeing’s new business thrusts. Bill has been awarded 13 US patents (2 more pending), 3 International patents, and one Boeing trade secret. He has also authored/presented scores of papers and training courses within Boeing as well as workshops at Project World in 2006, 2007, 2008, & 2009.

This year's session will focus on Earned Schedule (ES). Called out in the 2005 PMI Earned Value Management Practice Standard as an “emerging practice”, Earned Schedule provides analytical tools to address known EVM errors in predicting cost & schedule for complex projects. Drawing on the same data underpinning EVM systems ES Schedule Performance Indicators (SPIs) are calculated based around time, not cost. This allows management to better understand the true progress being made on complex systems in terms aligned with today’s most important project constraints; time-to-market and/or contracted product delivery. This one day workshop will provide attendees with the essential understanding of the theory of ES as well as a working knowledge of the tools and process required to implement it on current/future complex projects.

To learn more about Project World and the World Congress for Business Analysts, download the brochure here. Readers of our blog receive an exclusive 15% discount off the standard registration rate with code PW11BLOG. Register here.

Friday Flicks: Get Inspired by Peter Gruber, author of Tell to Win

Sometimes getting a team on-board with a project, or inspiring those around you is all about finding the right story to tell and the right way to tell it. Peter Guber, Founder & CEO, Mandalay Entertainment, Author of Tell To Win has made his career by finding success through storytelling. Guber will present "Connect, Persuade, and Triumph with the Hidden Power of Story" this November at Project World.

In this session, you’ll hear how this entertainment industry executive has achieved success through purposeful story telling to motivate, win over, shape, engage and sell. After listening to his speech, you’ll know how to craft, deliver – and own – a story that is truly compelling, one capable of turning others into viral advocates for your goal.

Get some quick inspiration this Friday with Guber's Winning Voices video series. In these videos, Guber sits down with influential guests such as Magic Johnson, Tony Robbins and Deepak Chopra to talk about telling stories and gleaning insight into the most important skills we have at our disposal.


View more videos like this on Guber's website here. To learn more about Guber's presentation and the Project World and World Congress for Business Analysts, download the brochure here.

Register for the 2011 Project World & World Congress for Business Analysts event and receive an exclusive 15% discount off the standard registration rate as a reader of our blog with code PW11BLOG. Register here.

Don’t Miss Your Chance to Save on PW&WCBA

Can you believe it's already the second week of August? Summer sure goes by fast, and so is your chance to register for the premiere conference brand in project management and business analysis ProjectWorld® & World Congress for Business Analysts® at a substantial discount. So if you haven't already checked out PW&WCBA in Florida this November, download the brochure today here. It's a summer read that may excite you, inspire you and even help advance your career.

The PW&WCBA Difference:
MORE VALUE
• Earn up to 36 PDUs/CDUs plus earn your way toward the new Agile certification
• Learning year round with a continuing education series of on-demand web seminars, offering you up to 12 PDUs/CDUs
• Continuous networking through an exclusive networking site

SUPERIOR CONTENT
• 90% session led by corporate practitioners
• All new keynotes, sharing enterprise-wide leadership
• 4 immersive tracks with 90-minute in-depth sessions
• Newly expanded and customizable Agile Summit
• Advanced PMO Summit

MORE TOOLS
• 45+ new tools from each speaker
• Pre-event Agile kit to help maximize training time
• Proprietary corporate matchmaking tool to connect you with your peers

See for yourself why PW&WCBA has consistently garnered near perfect satisfaction and referral scores and the highest company retention rates over any other event of its kind. Whether this will be your first time or you are a veteran attendee, you will have an experience incomparable to any previous events you have attended

Join us November 14-16 at Disney's Contemporary Resort in Orlando, register now to secure your spot, receive an exclusive 15% discount off the standard rate as a reader of our blog with code PW11BLOG. Register here.

We hope you will join the leading PM & BA community at the industry's annual gathering. All the best,
The ProjectWorld® & World Congress for Business Analysts Team
Visit the ProjectWorld® & World Congress for Business Analysts webpage.
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Friday Flicks: Three Project Management Videos

This week I came across a number of interesting videos on the Project World twitter account. Here they are in case you missed it.

First, I found this video about the program that Disney Institute offers.

Disney Institute will be presenting "The "Magic" Behind Great Teamwork: Disney's Approach to People Management" on Monday, November 14th at Project World.

Next, check out this new program "RedCritter Tracker."

RedCritter Tracker - Agile Gamification from Mike Beaty on Vimeo.

We've been discussing the influence of social media on project management software recently and this software takes that to a new level with Foursquare-style badges and a rewards store. What do you think, would you ever use a program like this? (If so, check out our track on "The New Era of Social Communication, Leadership & Collaboration.")

I also came across this video of PW&WCBA keynote speaker Carlos Dominguez, Senior Vice-President, Office of the Chairman and CEO, Cisco discussing collaboration tools and Cisco technology.



Like this content? Follow us on twitter for more or register for the 2011 Project World & World Congress for Business Analysts event. Receive an exclusive 15% discount off the standard registration rate as a reader of our blog with code PW11BLOG.

Does a BOK impede innovation?

Yesterday marked another installment of the Project World and World Congress for Business Analysts 2010 webinar series. Part of our year-long-learning initiative, which you can learn more about here, the topic of the day was "Putting Business and Analysis Back in Business Analysis" with featured speaker Robin Goldsmith of Go Pro Management.

During the presentation Robin mentioned an article he had written entitled "Should BABOK Include Shorthand?" The article raises an interesting point, "a body of knowledge (BOK) and related certifications can institutionalize bad ideas along with good ones."

What do you think? Does attempting to codify Business Analysis knowledge unintentionally stifle innovation and true analysis? I highly suggest you read the whole article here.

To enjoy year-round learning benefits such as the webinar series throughout 2012, register for the event today. Readers of our blog receive an exclusive 15% discount off the standard registration rate with code PW11BLOG.

Exclusive 15% discount on ProjectWorld® & World Congress for Business Analysts®

ProjectWorld® & World Congress for Business Analysts® is vastly different from any others because it is designed to be transformational.

This year's PW&WCBA pays particular attention to accelerating core leadership competencies. In the wake of all the revolutionary change - there's a clear need to elevate the discipline from manager to definitive leader. That's exactly what PW&WCBA is built to do.
The PW&WCBA Difference:
More Value than Any Other
Unlike any other event, PW&WCBA offers continuous learning and networking year-round. For one investment fee, you will receive:
• One pass to the annual conference in November
• The opportunity to earn up to 36 PDUs/CDUs, plus credits towards the new Agile Certification
• Year-Round Learning: A continuing education series of on-demand web seminars running bi-monthly following the event, offering an additional 12 PDUs/CDUs
• Continuous networking through an exclusive networking site where you can connect with your peers before, during and after the event
• Download the brochure for full conference details.

Superior Content
The high-level content stretches far beyond the fundamentals to provide you with the skills, techniques and practices to succeed in today's high-pressure business environment.
• NEWLY EXPANDED Agile Summit, customizable for your maturity level
• NEW Agile Certification, earn credits onsite
• Advanced PMO Summit - Your Roadmap to PMO Success
• All NEW Keynotes, sharing enterprise-wide leadership
• Four Immersive Tracks with 90 minute in-depth sessions
• Back by Popular Demand: YOUR Space
• 90% of sessions led by corporate practitioners
• No commercialism from the podium

More Tools, More Value
• Every speaker will provide one tool or template, that's 45+ new tools
• Pre-event Agile kit includes terminology and quizzes to maximize the training time together
• Proprietary Corporate Matchmaking to connect you with folks you are most likely to benefit from meeting
Attend PW&WCBA and you will return to your organization with the most crucial skills for success, and the tools and techniques you need to get the job done.

Join us November 14-16 at Disney's Contemporary Resort in Orlando, register now to secure your spot, receive an exclusive 15% discount off the standard registration rate as a reader of our blog with code PW11BLOG. Register here.


We look forward to seeing you in Orlando this November!
All the best,
The ProjectWorld® & World Congress for Business Analysts Team

The PM Podcast on Web 2.0 Tools for Project Management

Have you subscribed to the PM Podcast yet?

The most recent episode of the program (which qualifies for PDUs from PMI incidentally) featured Dennis Brooke, a Senior Program Manager for GE Aviation, discussing web based project management communications tools and specifically Enterprise 2.0 project management tools.

Given our recent features on different options for communicating as a project manager, I found the episode to be especially timely. Check it out here, where you can read a partial transcript and listen to the whole episode for free.

Michelle LeBlanc is a Social Media Strategist at IIR USA with a specialization in marketing. She may be reached at mleblanc@iirusa.com.

6 Reasons Why PW&WCBA is the premier project management and business analysis conference

The 2011 Project World & World Congress for Business Analysts event is vastly different because it's designed to be truly transformational. That's precisely why PW&WCBA is the premier project management and business analysis conference in the world.

What makes PW&WCBA different from the rest?
• NEWLY EXPANDED Agile Summit, customizable for your maturity level
• NEW Agile certification, earn credits onsite
• All NEW Keynotes, sharing enterprise-wide leadership
• Four Immersive Tracks with 90 minute in-depth sessions
• Back by popular demand: YOUR SPACE 2011
• LEARNING YEAR ROUND, a continuing educations series of on-demand web seminars will run bi-weekly following the event, offering you up to 12 or more PDUs/CDUs
• CONTINUOUS NETWORKING through an exclusive networking site where you can connect with peers before and after the event
• That's not all, download the brochure for the full event details.

Join us November 14-16 at Disney's Contemporary Resort in Orlando, register now to secure your spot, receive an exclusive 15% discount off the standard registration rate as a reader of our blog with code PW11BLOG. Register here.

We look forward to seeing you in Orlando this November!
All the best,
The ProjectWorld® & World Congress for Business Analysts Team
Visit the ProjectWorld® & World Congress for Business Analysts webpage
Follow us on Twitter

Project Management Software Embracing Social?

In the last issue of ProjectNews, our post visited on the ways in which a successful project manager communicates with their team. Do you email, text, or call? Do you prefer in person meetings? Do you rely on a project management software to document communication and tasks?

I put the question to our LinkedIn group and also posted on Quora to get some more opinions on the subject. Many who weighed in agreed that their is a certain level (over three emails?) where in-person or phone communication is necessary. However, there is also the sentiment that written communication using email or a portal provides back-up documentation of the process, tasks assigned and decisions made.

With this in mind, I was interested to read about the recent integration of CA Technologies Inc.’s project and portfolio management (PPM) software with Salesforce.com’s Chatter collaboration tool.

As reported in IT World Canada, this integration may help with the adoption levels of PPM software, and allow more stakeholders to view project progress. Ken Jochims, senior product marketing manager for PPM software at CA Technologies reasoned that "the integration means non-PPM users, such as stakeholders who are not part of the project team, can also monitor the project’s progression." Brian Bell, CA's general manager of service and portfolio management was quoted in this piece on enterprise APPS today as saying "Integrating Chatter with our PPM solution helps manage collaboration across the innovation life-cycle."

Similarly, this article in The Brainyard explored the evolution of Liquid Planner 3.0 and Mendix's Sprintr specifically and the rise of social streams as part of project management software in general.

Regarding Sprintr, a tool built around agile development concepts, the following feature sounds particularly useful "More specific modules like a tool for creating project "stories" (a technique for gathering requirements) also have a wall-like feel to them, including the ability to make comments on stories and sub-stories." Sprintr is currently only available in private beta, but it will be interesting to see the tool on its full launch.

Are you using any sort of social-style tools to manage projects? Do you find traditional project management tools to clunky for agile projects? Share with us in the comments, or go social and join the discussion on our LinkedIn group or twitter @Project_World.

If you're interested in learning more about social-style collaboration for project management, consider checking out our track on "The New Era of Social Communication,
Leadership & Collaboration" at this fall's PWWCBA conference. To learn more about this track, and the conference, download the brochure. Save 15% off the standard registration rate as a reader of our blog with code PW11BLOG.

Michelle LeBlanc is a Social Media Strategist at IIR USA with a specialization in marketing. She may be reached at mleblanc@iirusa.com.

ProjectNews - Keep it Simple to be Successful

I remember when Air Mail was the only option for sending mail quickly. Today, we communicate with a few keystrokes and the push of a button. Digital communication, such as email, instant messaging and texting allow us to stay connected and get things done quickly. But do communication devices help or hinder our business relationships?

Today's business landscape requires us to communicate with team members and business partners who are spread across town, the country, or around the world, raising new challenges for maintaining healthy, productive relationships.

Here are four simple email practices to keep virtual relationships focused and productive:

1. Be Concise. Do not make the message longer than it needs to be. Keep to the 1-minute rule. If your reader can't get through your message in 60 seconds, you are likely to lose his or her attention.

2. Deliver Quality. Use proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation; errors will discredit you in a heartbeat.

3. Use Structure. Since reading from a screen (and especially a tiny device) is more difficult than reading from paper, structure is very important. Use succinct sentences and short paragraphs.

4. Be Emotionally Clear. Email does not convey emotions as well as face-to-face or telephone interactions. Are you serious, kidding, frustrated, or euphoric? Always re-read your email before hitting the "send" button to make sure it represents your tone.

Need to capture someone's attention immediately? Send a text message. It commands attention and produces results. Texting is the only way I get the attention of my teenagers these days - imagine the possibilities in business!

Keep it simple to be successful.

Now its time for you to join the conversation - Share your ideas, suggestion and thoughts on what the successful project manager looks like on our LIVE discussion on LinkedIn.

Contributor: Lisa DiTullio (Lisa DiTullio & Associates)

If you have not yet subscribed to our complimentary ProjectNews newsletter, please click on the following link to subscribe: http://www.iirusa.com/optin. To catch up on old issues, or learn more about our PWWCBA conference, click here.

Researching Requirements?

Yesterday, the 2010 Project World and World Congress for Business Analysts webinar series presented "Better Requirements through Better Requirements Validation" featuring Tony Higgins, VP of Product Marketing at Blueprint Software Systems.

For a glimpse at some of the content covered in the presentation, check out this video Blueprint Software Systems uploaded to youtube previewing one of their products.



You can also read a great blog post from Tony Higgins here. In this post he addresses some of the same topics that were covered in the webinar. For example, moving beyond text documents to describe your requirements through images or models. A key takeaway from both the webinar and this post can be found in the following quote:

"using diagrams tends to be far more expressive than using text-only, helping people expose errors in the requirements early and improve communication."

For access to our exclusive year-round learning webinar series, join us this Fall at ProjectWorld® & World Congress for Business Analysts® 2011.

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

To learn more, download the 2011 brochure here, or register for the event here. Save 15% off the standard rate as a reader of our blog with code PW11BLOG.

Plus, follow us on twitter for updates @Project_World.

The 2011 ProjectWorld & World Congress for Business Analysts Program is Unveiled

We are excited to announce your exclusive preview of the 2011 program and full speaker roster for ProjectWorld® & World Congress for Business Analysts®. PW&WCBA will deliver exactly what you need to accelerate success and create value for your organization.

This year's theme pays particular attention to accelerating core leadership competencies. In the wake of all revolutionary change - there's a clear need to elevate the discipline from manager to definitive leader. That's exactly what the event is built to do.

Join us November 14-16 at Disney's Contemporary Resort in Orlando, FL. Download the brochure for full event details.

ProjectWorld® & World Congress for Business Analysts® 2011, Transforming a Role: Accelerate Core Leadership Competencies, November 14-16, 2011, Orlando, FL

Earn up to 36 PDUs/CDUs with one pass
Featured speakers include:

• • Peter Guber, Founder & CEO, Mandalay Entertainment & Author of best-selling book Tell to Win
• • Carlos Dominguez, SVP, Office of the Chairman and CEO, Cisco
• • Brett Roberts, Senior Project Investment and Change Management Manager, The Boeing Company
• • Terri Dickson, PMP, Program Manager, External Mandates & Compliance Implementation, CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield
• • Special Presentation by The Disney Institute, The "Magic" Behind Great Teamwork: Disney's Approach to People Management
• • And more - Download the brochure for the full speaker line-up and complete agenda.

The Content Has Been Organized to Help You Achieve More:
• From Project Manager to Project Leader
• Mastering the BA Role
• The New Era of Social Communication, Leadership & Collaboration
• Tools, Techniques & Trends
• Advancing Your PMO
• Adopting & Implementing Agile Practices
• Being an Evangelist for Portfolio Management
• Enterprise Business Analysis - Moving from Tactical to Strategic
• The Risk of Ignoring Culture in Projects
And don't miss pre-conference activities, workshops and summits, including a newly expanded all-day Agile Summit with breakout options for all maturity levels, the Advanced PMO Summit and all-day topic intensive workshops for the BA & PM.

PLUS - Earn up to 36 PDUs/CDUs and master the people, leadership and facilitator techniques you need to succeed. Download the brochure for the complete program.

Register now to secure your spot and receive an exclusive 15% discount off the standard rate as a reader of our blog with code PW11BLOG.

We look forward to seeing you in Orlando this November!
All the best,
The ProjectWorld® & World Congress for Business Analysts Team
Visit the ProjectWorld® & World Congress for Business Analysts webpage
Follow us on Twitter.

How do you develop openness to change?

Encountering resistance to change within your company?

Check out this great video produced as part of Fast Company's 30-Second MBA program featuring Mark Langley President and CEO of Project Management Institute.

An ongoing video “curriculum” of advice from the trenches from business leaders, the 30-Second MBA series is a treasure trove of quick, inspirational ideas.

The gem in this video? "Change happens, and it's going to happen with you or without you."

Agile Resources Abound

Are you thinking of pursuing the new Project Management Institute - Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) certification?

I recently came across two great resources for those looking to build their body of Agile knowledge.

Find an excellent reading list and a great visualization of what is expected to be on the PMI-ACP exam on InfoQ here.

Plus, Agile Scout recently compiled a top 200 list of the best Agile blogs. Ranked by content and influence, this list is truly worth checking out.

What resources have you been turning to in researching Agile certification?

The 2011 ProjectWorld® & World Congress for Business Analysts® conference will provide more information about the new PMI-ACP certification. Opt-in for updates as they become available here.

New York City's CityTime Project

In our most recent issue of the ProjectNews newsletter, we explored New York City's CityTime Project. The original goal for the NYC CityTime project was to streamline the timekeeping system for public employees, making the government accountable for its employees and prevent employees from getting paid for time not spent working.

The project was estimated to cost the city $68 million and be completed within 5 years, however the project has now cost over $740 million.

Meanwhile, this article in the Wall Street Journal acknowledges that "To date, 163,388 employees in more than 60 agencies are now on the electronic payroll system," progress that some are seeing as a victory for the beleaguered project.

In that same article Deputy Mayor Stephen Goldsmith "said the administration 'learned some valuable lessons' and plans in the comings weeks to release a report that details how the city will better manage these types of IT projects."

While we wait to see the results of that report, share your own experiences and ideas. Have you ever worked on a project that ran far over budget and time estimates? What lessons were learned in the process?

View ProjectNews and other industry resources here.