- Project Management 2.0: Andrew gives an analysis of how Enterprise 2.0 technologies influence project management. Categories include enterprise and project management 2.0, collaboration, social project management, and collective intelligence.
- Project Shrink: Bas de Baar has over a decade of experience as a Software Project Manager within the publishing, financial, and public sector. In addition to his popular blog there is also an informative video podcast.
- Paul Pondering: He blogs about time management with Outlook, Gmail, Lotus notes, and Groupwise. Project management topics such as benefits and risks are also discussed.
- Learning Leader: Patrick is the founding director of Pearcemayfield, a training and consultancy business. Read his blog for help with vision, stories, Prince2, and more.
- Technology, Strategy, People & Projects: Eric has over fifteen years of experience in corporate and consulting environments specializing in technology and business. Along with posts, every week he links to the best in project management.
Every Business needs Project Management training
Business success depends on the ability of management to competently complete company goals. Goals begin with a concept, and with project management, this concept should become a reality. The company can then move forward in the direction of profits. Any good Project Management Training will give you the skills to achieve this. Prince2 training is simply a quality controlled and standardised method of using project management to achieve company goals.
After successfully completing an accredited Prince2 training course employees should be able to deliver goals within time, within budget, and within scope.
Company Leaders need a strategy to build their business and management need the skills to implement these plans. Prince2 training is a world recognised structured methodology for coordinating efficient project management within a defined framework.
If a business need to manage risk to the investment within the project, it is preferable to take Risk Management Training along with Prince2 training.
All managers and project leaders who achieve Prince2 accreditation will have a common language which will enable each team member to understand their roles and responsibilities necessary in reaching the project goal.
All steps in the Prince2 system are interchangeable for the specifics of the project at hand, but they all begin with planning.
Next is initiating, and directing the project.
Management will control all stages and manage stage boundaries for product delivery.
Practical management successful programs (MSP training) can also be beneficial to business.
Silicon Beach Training are one of the UK’s leading providers of PRINCE2 Foundation Training and PRINCE2 Practitioner Training, with PRINCE2 Training courses now in Birmingham as well as Brighton.
Now you can test your knowledge of PRINCE2 with our interactive PRINCE2 Quiz!
Silicon Beach Training are one of the UK’s leading providers of PRINCE2 Foundation Training and PRINCE2 Practitioner Training courses, with PRINCE2 Training now in Birmingham as well as Brighton.
What is Product Breakdown Structure (PBS)?
A product breakdown structure (PBS) is a fundamental part of project management and the PRINCE2 methodology. A PBS is a tool used to assess, plan and display the outcomes required of a project. It is part of a product based planning technique, and attempts to break down all components of a project – in as much detail as possible, so that nothing is overlooked.
It is important to note that products may be physical or conceptual and may include tools required to manage the project e.g. test documentation, requirement specifications or safety certifications.
The image taken from Wikipedia demonstrates an example of breaking down the required components of a computer; as you see a PBS offers a clear, exhaustive and hierarchical structure of all deliverables.
Read the rest of "What is Product Breakdown Structure (PBS)?"
How is Programme Management different form Project Management?
Whilst Project Management is about controlling a project, Programme Management is concerned with controlling a group of related projects. (If the projects are not related then this becomes portfolio management)
When a project is to large to manage as a single entity it needs to be split up into smaller more manageable projects, often with multiple project managers.
These smaller projects should all be designed to achieve a single long-term objective or benefit for the organisation. It is the Programme Managers role to make sure all projects run on target and achieve their objectives. Silicon Beach Training offer MSP training (Managing Successful Programmes) and PRINCE2 training courses.
If you’ve attended our PRINCE2 Foundation or PRINCE2 Practitioner course (we hold PRINCE2 training in Birmingham as well as Brighton) and want to start a project using PRINCE2 back at work, you’ll need somewhere to start.
Here you can download PRINCE2 project templates to help you to manage your project effectively.
Use the link below to download a zipped folder containing all of the PRINCE2 templates:
Folder contents:
- Benefits Review Plan
- Business Case
- Checkpoint Report
- Communication Management Strategy
- Configuration Item Record
- Configuration Management Strategy
- Daily Log
- End Project Report
- End Stage Report
- Exception Report
- Highlight Report
- Issue Register
- Issue Report
- Lessons Log
- Lessons Report
- Project Plan
- Product Description
- Product Status Account
- Project Brief
- Project Initiation Documentation
- Project Product Description
- Quality Management Strategy
- Quality Register
- Risk Management Strategy
- Risk Register
- Work Package
As we always make clear on our PRINCE2 training (we hold PRINCE2 training in Birmingham as well as Brighton), PRINCE2 is a toolkit. Whilst you need to learn the whole toolkit to pass your PRINCE2 Foundation or PRINCE2 Practitioner exam, when you come to run PRINCE2 projects back in the workplace, you’ll use the parts of the methodology that suit your situation most, and not necessarily all of the tools on every project.
If you’re building a business case for implementing PRINCE2 in your organisation, or have attended one our PRINCE2 Foundation or PRINCE2 Practitioner training and want some more information about how other organisations have implemented PRINCE2, these case studies provide useful insights in to how PRINCE2 2009 is used in the real world, and the benefits it can bring.
Click on the links below to download case studies about how the British Council and Suffolk County Council have implemented PRINCE2
PRINCE2 (PRojects IN Controlled Environments) is a structured method for effective project management. It is a de facto standard used extensively by the UK Government and is widely recognised and used in the private sector, both in the UK and internationally. PRINCE2, the method, is in the public domain, offering non-proprietorial best-practice guidance on project management. PRINCE2 is a registered trademark of the Office of Government Commerce (OGC).
We provide instructor-led training courses for the PRINCE2 Foundation and PRINCE2 Practitioner qualifications – with regular PRINCE2 courses in Birmingham and Brighton.
What makes projects different?
A project is a temporary organisation that is created for the purpose of delivering one or more business products according to an agreed Business Case.
There are a number of characteristics of project work that distinguish it from business as usual:
- Change
- Temporary
- Cross-functional
- Unique
- Uncertainty
There are six variables that project managers wish to control and manage effectively:
- Costs
- Timescales
- Quality
- Scope
- Risk
- Benefits
The key features of PRINCE2 are…
- Its focus on the existence of a justified business case
- A clear defined organisation structure for the project management team
- A product-based planning approach
- Its emphasis on manageable, controllable stages
- Scalability and flexibility to be applied at a level appropriate to the project.
Benefits of using PRINCE2
The benefits of using the PRINCE2 methodology are:
- PRINCE2 embodies established and proven best practice and governance for project management.
- It can be applied to any type of project – and can easily be implemented alongside specialist, industry-specific models (’engineering models’ or ’development lifecycles’).
- PRINCE2 is widely recognized and understood, and therefore provides a common vocabulary for all project participants – promoting effective communication.
- PRINCE2 provides for the explicit recognition of project responsibilities – so that participants understand each other’s roles and needs.
- Its product focus clarifies (for all parties) what a project will deliver, why, when, by whom and for whom.
- PRINCE2 plans are carefully designed to meet the needs of the different levels in the management team, improving communication and control.
- It is based on a ’management by exception’ framework, providing for the efficient and economic use of management time (whether at corporate, programme, Project Board or project management levels).
- PRINCE2 ensures that participants focus on the viability of the project in relation to its Business Case objectives – rather than simply seeing the completion of the project as an end in itself.
- It defines a thorough but economical structure of reports.
- It ensures that stakeholders (including sponsors and resource providers) are properly represented in planning and decision making.
- Adopting PRINCE2 promotes learning and continual improvement in organizations.
- PRINCE2 promotes consistency of project work and the ability to reuse project assets; it also facilitates staff mobility and reduces the impact of personnel changes/handovers.
- PRINCE2 is an invaluable diagnostic tool, facilitating the assurance and assessment of project work, troubleshooting and audits.
- There are scores of accredited training and consultancy organizations (ATOs and ACOs) operating worldwide, who can supply expert support for PRINCE2 projects or for organizations planning to adopt PRINCE2.
For senior management, PRINCE2 uses ‘management by exception’. The Project Board are kept fully informed of the project and stage status without having to attend regular, time-consuming meetings by way of planned controls, regular reports and exception situations which are brought to the Boards attention at appropriate points.
They are also able to delegate some duties to Project Assurance who will act on their behalf to verify and check at predetermined points in the project.
PRINCE2 may be used for any type of project in any type of environment; however it remains flexible enough to be applied to all sizes of projects and can be tailored to suit a project dependent on the circumstances.
PRINCE2 projects are focussed on delivering specified products to an agreed Business Case.
The Business Case is a key document which is reviewed constantly throughout the project and progress is measured against expected and achieved benefits.
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