This Podcast covers the APM BOK topics 4.7 Configuration Management. It includes a description of the configuration management process and the reasons for requiring configuration management. It is part of the Parallel Project Learning System and is ideally used in conjunction with the APMP Study Guide.
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This Podcast covers the APM BOK topics 1.3 Portfolio Management. It includes the difference between portfolio management / project management and a discussion of situations in which portfolio management would be appropriate. It is part of the Parallel Learning System and is ideally used in conjunction with the a APMP study guide
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This Podcast covers the APM BOK topics 3.6, earned value management.
This podcast covers the principles of earned value management, planned cost, actual cost, earned value, cost and schedule variances, cost performance and schedule performance, forecasting cost and schedule performance.
It is part of the Parallel Project Learning System and is ideally used in conjunction with the APMP Study Guide.
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This Podcast covers the APM BOK topics 1.2 programme management.
It is part of the Parallel Project Learning System and is ideally used in conjunction with the APMP Study Guide.
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We have been very busy since forming Parallel Project Training in October 2009. We have:
| Achieved APM accreditation We were delighted when the APM awarded us accredited training provider status just before Christmas. This means that we will be able to offer APMP qualifications as part of our innovative portfolio. |  |
| Launched our APMP study Guide on Amazon It’s a course in a book, designed to help individuals preparing for the APMP qualification fully aligned with the APM Body of Knowledge including numerous exercises, case studies, mini quizzes and opportunities for reflection on practice in your organisation. All for £47 |  |
| Launched our Podcast Channel on iTunes To accompany our study guide, we have recorded pilot pod-casts. These are in a number of different formats but a designed to integrate closely with the study guide. You can study as you go. They are available free of charge in MP3 format from the Parallel web site or via iTunes. |  |
| Launched our Website and Public Training Courses Everyone loves our website, with its on-line e-learning, community of practice and exam prep forum. Dates for our public training courses are easy to find on the home page. For corporate clients with groups who require a training course we offer transparent pricing om all our courses directly on the website. |  |
| Launched our Branding “We’re with you all the way” is our commitment to you throughout you project management journey. We are proud our new innovative approach to project management development, please get in touch if you have any comments suggestions or would like to engage our services. |  |
As we enter the Teens (if that’s what this decade is called), what will future hold for project management?
A little look at history might help predict the trends of the future, but what do you think? Vote in our poll on the Parallel Project Training website here: What will be the project management trends in the teens?
50’s Conception
The 1950 were the start of project management with the application of Taylor’s scientific management to the management of projects. Project management was based on the marriage of the Henry Gantt’s time based chart and Fayol’s five principles of management planning organising, commanding, coordinating and controlling. These principles still form the foundation of our modern bodies of knowledge.
60’s Learning to Walk
The value of project management was demonstrated on major projects. Many of these projects have attained mythical status in project management including the Polaris missile programme, b DuPont Corporation and Remington Rand Corporation development of the critical path (I bet they wish they had patented to method). The decade finished with the formation of the International Project Management Association (IPMA) in 1967, the PMI in 1969, forerunner of the APM, called Internet (another good name) in 1972.
70’s Slow Growth of Early Adopters.
Project Management saw slow growth in recognition during the 1970, along with the birth of IT systems, Apollo space programme project management and the application of project management to the development of cold war defence systems. The membership of the APM reached 1000 by the end of the decade.
80’s Gantt chart for the masses and a decade of unconscious incompetence.
The development of microcomputers in the 1980 saw the explosion of the project management for all, with its ubiquitous symbols the Gantt chart. Some adventurous people even implemented earned value management. During the 1980 every organisation and government department had its own approach to project management, with the expected chaos.
90’s Codification and certification.
1989 saw the launch of PRINCE (followed by PRINCE2 in 1996) following the PMI PMP certification launched in 1984. The 1980 became the decade of codification, standardisation and with growing acceptance that a common approach to project management was beneficial.
Noughties the decade of certification, globalisation and information overload and the credit crunch.
For project management the Noughties as were decade of globalisation for project management with the connectivity of the internet leading to teams outsourced across the world, increasing recognition for project management certification across the globe be it PRINCE2 or the PMI’s PMP. Towards the end of the decade management in general including project management discovered the Blackberry and all of a sudden we struggled with information overload. What had been manageable communications channels became frenetic with ongoing 24 hour activity to suit the new global projects.
What will be the project management trends in the teens?
They say the past is no predictor of the future but what will the up and coming trends for the teens. Will
I’ve finished so I’ll start
A critical look at critical Path Analysis
John Bolton, Programmes Director, Parallel Project Training
For a large number of years students of project management have been taught to undertake precedence diagramming as a mechanism for determining the end date of a project and as a guide to the optimisation of resource usage. It is probably the most recognisable aspect of modern project management techniques, culminating as it does in the production of the ubiquitous Gantt cart. It is enshrined in the deepest darkest fundamentals of planning software systems and as such has become widespread it its application, albeit often invisible to the person driving the software. This sometimes blind devotion to software as a one stop shop leads the unwary into the production of poor plans, not fit for purpose. Whilst PDM is a perfectly viable technique there are other variations on a theme using other methods and techniques such as agile and critical chain etc. that are dismissed (knowingly or unknowingly) in the belief that PDM is all you need. These other techniques for manipulating plans have a lot to offer as supplementary mechanisms or even as wholesale alternatives to achieving the best result. The need to consider some other form of planning rigour is further substantiated due to the inherent challenges when deploying the PDM. In this article we look at the limitations of it and of critical path analysis with practical tips on how these challenges can be overcome.
The principles
The theory of PDM is well understood by all project managers and requires that an analysis of the lowest level of work package or activity be undertaken and that they become connected together as in Figure 1.
Figure 1 A simple precedence diagram
The normal relationship between the ‘nodes’ in the network are those of finish to start. This means that any subsequent tasks can only start once the predecessor has finished. The subsequent task does not have to start immediately after the predecessor but merely that it can. Any gap between the predecessor and successor is termed float and can appear either after the predecessor (free float) or before it (independent float). Once the whole network has been analysed the critical path will be determined as the longest path through the network thus determining the end date. The network above has an end date of period 9. The use of this simple approach has a number of limitations and challenges when trying to predict plans for projects. Practitioners need to be aware of these challenges so they do not compromise the plan and so that the project can perform effectively. These challenges are illustrated below.
This Podcast covers the APM BOK topics:
It is part of the Parallel Project learning system and is idealy used in conjunction with the APMP study guide
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The Podcast contains all the trainers’ secret hints and tips for passing the APMP Exam. These include using the syllabus as revision notes, the style of questions and exam technique.
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The benefits of purchasing this Association for Project Management (APM) accredited study guide for the APMP exam, are that you will have access to a fast track way of achieving the qualification, enhancing our career prospects and delivering successful projects.
Designed to help individuals preparing for the APMP qualification it is fully aligned with the APM Body of Knowledge and includes numerous exercises, case studies, mini quizzes and opportunities for reflection on practice in your organisation.
The study guide can be used stand alone or as part of the Parallel Learning System which includes online e-Learning, podcasts, fast track workshops and support on our on-line moderated forum.
On sale from mid Jaunary, pre-order now!