Herding Cats

Gantt Charts

A recent post on a Scott Berkun's Blog pointed to a post on the topic of Gantt charts in project management. While the charts of Henry Laurence Gantt (1861–1919) have a long history they also have several flaws for modern... Read more →

IT Project Failure

The core failure mode for IT projects starts with the inability to define the meaning of the word "Done," and to connection it with "Progress" in any measurable manner meaningful to the business Read more →

Pain is Weakness Leaving Your Body

Pain is Weakness Leaving Your Body - Nietzsche A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts - Prefontaine Finished the Buffalo Classic Centruy last weekend, back on... Read more →

Getting a Seat at the Table

A recent thread on New Grange had the statement The operation was a success, but the patient died As an example of how Project Management can be successful but the project fails. By The Way this concept is patently false.... Read more →

Another Killer Book

Started reading another good PM book The Project Management Scorecard: Measuring the Success of Project Management Solutions The reason this book is useful is that it connects tactical processes with strategy through the Balanced Scorecard. The traditional approach to project... Read more →

Agile Information Systems

A recent book Agile Information Systems: Conceptualization, Construction, and Management, Kevin C. Desouza provides a view into any modern IT department's core problem - how to bridge the gap between agile business and agile technology. From the preface ... while... Read more →

The Unwritten Laws of Systems Engineering

David F. McClinton wrote a paper on The Unwritten Laws of Systems Engineering. I thought of these during the recent discussion on Critical Path, in the context of "what other activities are taking place on a software project outside the... Read more →

Critical Path and Estimates - Part 3

Risk is difference than uncertainty. Knowing the difference is critical to the success of any project. Risk Risk stems from known probability distributions. Cost estimating methodology risks result from improper models of cost. Cost factors such as inflation, labor rates,... Read more →

Critical Path and Estimates - Part 2

There are two types of uncertainty on any sufficiently complex program: Technical - uncertainty about the functional and performance aspects of the program's technology that impacts the produceability of the product and creates delays in the schedule Programmatic - uncertainty... Read more →

Critical Path and Estimates - Part 1

A recent post on an agile forum conjectured that the Critical Path Method (CPM) is based on two false ideas: The task duration estimates are accurate; That the plan (derived from these estimates) can be executed in a deterministic manner,... Read more →

Schedule Dates

Dates Are Closer Than They Appear This famailar phrase from the right hand car mirror rings true for project planning as well. Read more →