ITIL

p>Requirements gathering activities should be scheduled by your project plan like any other project related activities. If these activities don't track to the schedule, whether because the schedule isn't feasible or some other reason, it will cause all the dependant activities to slip. Once you've chosen your requirements gathering approach and the stakeholders you'll meet with to gather the requirements, you can schedule the meetings, or interviews, or other methods for soliciting the requirements. Remember that the last step in the requirements gathering process is the sign off of the requirements by the stakeholders and the business analysts. The business owners will sign off on the completeness...

Change management is a difficult and demanding process to pursue within an organisational context, not least because employees often find it difficult coping with change. This article seeks to provide some clear practical tips for managing the change management process. Encourage Employee Participation One of the major employee concerns related to organisational change is fear of the unknown. Employees want to know whether their job is safe and how change will physically impact upon their day to day work life. The biggest problem is that organisations regularly fail to recognise these concerns, but a good management team will encourage employees to participate in the process through focus groups and...

Like many internal communications, you may find that communicating change is a very demanding part of your role. In today's environment, change is a fact of life. Companies, resistant to change, risk losing their competitive edge. The process of change is complex. As human beings we often feel threatened by change. But the irony is that without change we might still all be living in caves. We have to admit that change can be exciting as well as challenging as it stimulates innovation and creativity. Good for business and good for us. The question is, "Is it possible to assist in managing change without all the drama?" Before engaging in communicating change, it is important to understand the...

Software Engineering: A Layered Technology S.E is a layered technology. Any engineering approach must rest on an organization commitment to quality i.e. if the quality is good then we can build increasingly more matured project.                                                       Tools                            Methods                            Process                            A quality focus The foundation for software engineering is the process layer. Process defines a framework for a set of key process areas (kpa’s) that must be established for effective...

My son loves the movie "The Fantastic Mr. Fox". I mean he really loves it. We ended up having to buy it and so far he has watched it five times and quotes from it liberally. As I have watched this movie with him my mind tends to wander as it is prone to do to Product Lifecycle Management and what parallels can be illustrated from the movie. In the movie Mr. Fox (voiced by George Clooney) is forced to compromise his true nature and attempt to fit in to a role not suited for him. Originally he is a predator and is very happy pilfering farms and such to maintain his lifestyle but a female fox (isn't it always the case) persuades him to change his wild ways and settle down and raise his family. Mr. Fox...

> Sarbanes-Oxley compliance is a business responsibility. This responsibility is audited for conformance to the business processes defined by the business to ensure that there are no overlapping responsibilities. Most of these requirements are met solely by the business definition and enforcement of its own standard operating procedures and the managed control of responsibility. In some cases, as stated above, the business application software (VISIBILITY.net) can play a major role in facilitating the execution of this compliance requirement. It in combination with the facilities in the database (in both ORACLE and SQL Server) software and business procedures that an organization chooses to deploy...

> Enterprise 21 ERP Software by TGI complies with Sarbanes-Oxley rules According to Rebecca Gill, Vice-President of TGI Ltd., “Enterprise 21 is a fully integrated ERP software package developed in a closed system approach that has built in controls necessary to obtain SOA compliance.” Pertinent sections SOX include: - Section 302 - Corporate Responsibility for Financial Statements - Section 404 - Management Assessment of Internal Controls - Section 409 - Real-time Issuer Discloser Enterprise 21 Supports SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley) Compliance in the following ways: - Secure system log on and tracking - Transactions are recorded and accounted for properly - Online support of corporate policies and...

The Problem: Over the last few months we have published articles with businessprocess improvement ideas from lean, six-sigma and the theory ofconstraints. Many leading organisations have used them to transform their organisations. Yet many more have tried them and failed to obtain the exponential improvements promised. For all the popularity of various improvement initiatives and management fads that have come and gone, the truth is that in majority of the cases the changes made just do not last. Where lies the differencebetween both types of organisation? Seeing one initiative after another start out with loud bombast and end in a fizzle leads to disenchantment and loss of faith inmanagement and...

Firms, and the managers within them, are always looking for that next source of advantage over the competition, while at the same time struggling to address current internal inefficiencies, conflicts, and performance issues. Having one foot in the present to address the issues of the day, while planning and preparing for a successful future, is a constant dilemma facing today's manager. Historically, transparency has been seen more as an ethics practice for third party analysis of an institution's finances and practices; however, the more widespread study of business ethics and organizational behavior is pointing to operational transparency as a management practice that can both address those daily...

When you or your organization needs to make a change, you need it to work - now. But you can't steamroll your employees into accepting it. Here's how to walk the fine line between short-term efficiency and long-term change management. Whether you are the initiator or implementer of what's to come, it's crucial that you, as a leader, understand the change cycle. You must learn how to manage it and overcome the key obstacle to the success of your impending transition: time. The biggest mistake managers make is not allowing enough time for adjustment, at all levels of the organization. Leaders who are involved in making the decision have had time to ask questions and understand the reasoning, to buy in...

Quality Assurance/ Quality Control (QA/ QC): GUIDELINES FOR THE POME QUALITY ASSURANCE PLAN CHECKLIST: This checklist is provided as part of the evaluation process for the Quality Assurance Plan.  The checklist assists designated reviewers in determining whether specifications meet criteria established in POME'S Project Development Methodology (POMEPDM).  The objective of the evaluation is to determine whether the document complies with POMEPDM requirements. Mentioned below is the DOCUMENT REVIEW CHECKLIST.  Its purpose is to assure that documents achieve the highest standards relative to format, consistency, completeness, quality, and presentation. Submissions must include the following three...

In the contemporary business world only thing that seems to be constant is change and the nature of the competition is such that companies need to leverage on the way they manage change to gain a competitive advantage. Moreover, the types of changes the companies experience vary in nature as well, for instance, as industries consolidate, there are increasing number of mergers and acquisitions, the pressures on organisation to compete in a more global arena are leading to different competitive pressures and more strategic alliances (Papers4you.com, 2006). Furthermore, rapid technological changes are forcing organisations to embrace new technologies and change the way they work and interface with...

So, the project is at an end and you have assembled the Team to review what went well and what went not so well. Stop! Why have you waited until the end to capture something as crucial as the Lessons Learned? Do you really think that the Team will remember everything they should at this stage let alone be motivated enough to impart this knowledge? Furthermore, it may be difficult to assemble the Team at the end of a project as they may have been seconded to a new project. Lessons Learned are one of the most overlooked aspects of Project Management. This can be for a number of reasons including: - Lack of time - No suitable infrastructure to store the Lessons - No clear processes in place to capture...

Once you've gotten the elusive CCNA certificate, what's the next step? I'm supposing that you have studied hard for the certification with the objective of finally getting that elusive networking job, or maybe that promotion or parallel transfer into a specialized networking position. Here are 3 tips to improve your chances for a CCNA job. 1. Hands-on networks lab and troubleshooting experience - There are probably a few hundred thousand CCNA certified professionals today. What's going to put you apart from the rest of them is practical hands on experience. In the past, the only way to get such experience would be to already be in a networking related CCNA career, or to buy expensive equipment to...

IT project outsourcing is not about managed hosting or simple application development. Any company can set up shop and do that. This is about protecting your business assets. Determining the value of that depends on how much your customers data is worth and if being up 100% of the time is mission critical. As a CIO, CTO or senior technician, sometimes finding the answers to the value offered by outsourcing is elusive. We explain several of the most important components to keep in mind when outsourcing a specific project. * It Is About Creating More Revenue This is not about eliminating jobs. Most companies think of outsourcing as a bad word. But you are in business to make money. And to do that, you...

The Data center Manager is responsible for computing, network communications, technical maintain and superiority assurance. The position involves and requires service delivery management and hands-on. Data Center Manager (DCM) is an activity division software explanation. It facilitates revelation of your complete data center communications from the data center during the stand to procedure and mechanism within those procedures. Complete records are structure into the system for organization today's complex situation. Demonstration, and limitless "what if" situations are center elements of the software. Data Center Manager (DCM) presents the capability to study data in tabular and graphical layouts...

There were days when companies thought about improving the product alone to enhance sales. In today's hyper-competitive global market, growing sales is typically based on improving the sales process first. Understanding the sales process and how best the sales force is adapting to it will enable companies to focus on the sales resources better. A commitment to quality in the sales process is central to the growth dynamics of any enterprise. Each step in a sales process should be well defined and the action to be performed clearly set. Beginning from researching leads to closing a sale, everything should move in clockwork precision. Apparently trivial things can make a huge difference to the...

p>Underlying the operations of every company is its value delivery system. It is the central processing unit of the entire company. For example, what does it take for a computer manufacturer to receive an order, process the order, produce the computer, deliver it, and collect payment? What are all the steps that a mortgage company goes through in processing a mortgage application and delivering a timely and accurate loan decision? How does Toyota design a new vehicle made up of thousands of component parts, manage the daily flow of orders and shipments with suppliers and assembly plants? Each business operation is different, but all of them share one common trait: all are systems for creating...

Defining and accomplishing performance that will make your company the best to your customers and markets requires a six step road map. These steps are deployed in sequence because the output of each step becomes the input for the next. For example, articulating corporate culture such as defining your competitive market performance before creating your customer value proposition will likely result in ineffective allocation of department resources. The first two steps provide critical information and analysis about external market characteristics, customer requirements as well as competitor performance.  Each of these first two step requires structure elements that must be carefully defined and...

Now, there are many ways a business can achieve this objective, but if risks are to be avoided, then the best option is to use time-tested process improvement tools and techniques such as Six Sigma. By using Six Sigma as a workout tool, businesses can easily shed their excess flab, become lean and gain the requisite muscle mass to take on their competitors. Setting Goals and Objectives Whenever we plan to start a workout regime for ourselves, we have some basic aims and objectives in mind such as reducing weight or gaining a specified amount of lean muscle mass. These are the very things that keep us motivated all throughout the grueling workout sessions. They also act as a beacon, helping us to...

Abstract The strategic planning process can take many paths.  It can require months of preparatory analysis or simply use the collective knowledge of the management team.  Either method requires that the company make decisions on its future course.  In this paper we will show how to use Strategic Filters as a way to sift through the data and make the best decisions.  Then, we will focus these decisions into a few Wildly Important Goals (WIGs) that will be resourced and completed. Strategic Planning: Strategic Filters & Wildly Important Goals 1. Driving Force Filter – The Competitive Advantage you can Prove 2. Emerging Trend Filter 3. Customer Filter 4. Wildly Important Goals 5. Strategy...

Unlike traditional Six Sigma, Lean Six Sigma utilizes the DMAIC method. This stands for define, measure, analyze, improve, and control. These steps will help businesses to reduce and/or eliminate wastes within their processes, thereby improving performance, customer satisfaction, and profits. Utilizing these five phases allows those who embark on Lean Projects to have a clear definition of what they are trying to achieve, how they're going to achieve it, and the path that their business needs to take to arrive at success. The ultimate goal of any Lean Six Sigma project is to reduce or eliminate waste, and utilizing these phases is the path to achieving that goal. While typical projects will...

Last year I released an article on the hottest certs for 2009. The amount of readers is indicative that we are still faced with confusion. I am adamant in telling the student/ IT professional to look at relevance. One should ask: 1. Is it relevant to my present job? 2. Which company is offering the certification? Of course one can never go wrong with Microsoft, Cisco, HP, Planet 3. 3. What is the demand now and in the future? The Gartner Group recently released their top ten technologies for 2010. At the helm is Cloud Computing followed by Advanced Analytics. Also included in the top ten are Client Computing, IT for Green, Social Computing, Flash Memory, Security and Virtualization. I tend to agree...

There are 10 aspects to increase the organization man power and productivity. Step 1: Strategic Business Planning Step 2: Performance Appraisal Step 3: Performance Management Step 4: Balanced Scorecard Step 5: Empowerment Step 6: Change Management Implementation Step 7: Training and Development Step 8: Employee Engagement Step 9: KPI Step 10: Employee Surveys Strategic Planning and performance Appraisal: In an earlier article, I gave you a strategic planning framework, samples, and examples for creating your organization’s mission statement, vision statement, and more. As a result of the strategic planning article, people ask: now that I know what all of this strategic planning should look...

Perhaps you are in the market for an interim expert. In most cases your own networks will only get you so far if you don't know exactly what you're looking for. An interim agency can help the process of selecting an interim, but understanding the types of skills available will mean you can make a more educated decision. The challenges in the role on offer will largely determine what skill set is needed, however, there are a number of generic skills which should be present in any interim to underpin their success in the role. Board Level Experience with a Range of Companies Interim Agencies have standards that they like each of their interims to reach. This is because they know interims who...

On the surface, any Six Sigma training program will look the same because it uses the same statistical tools that have worked before and all the methodologies have same objectives (i.e. focus on the defect reduction and quality improvement). While the tools and techniques may be old, the approach to deploy them always varies depending upon the situation. So then let's see what exactly Six Sigma Training is: Nature Of Six Sigma Training Six Sigma is a strategic approach that works across for any business processes or company functions, and it has both technical and management components. Management focuses more on obtaining the right process metrics and goals, the right project and the right team for...

If you have managed to create a group of individuals that support the common goals of the team over their individual goals and have established interdependence, then congratulations, you have yourself a team. So what's next? It is widely accepted that teams go through the phases of forming, storming, and norming before they start performing. Our approach to building high performance teams helps accelerate the forming, storming, and norming phases. Our intent in describing the journey of team development is to help you understand the natural phases so that you can provide your team with a context in which to view its experience. When team members understand that what they are experiencing is a...

Introduction Several months ago I wrote a white paper titled Stop - Don't be the Next SharePoint Disaster. Judging by the feedback and downloads it was definitely well received, with many readers out there telling us they had come up against some of those problems themselves. However, not all readers were happy, some commented the white paper was too much about what not to do and not enough about actually to do. They knew there SharePoint deployment was a disaster (they didn't need us to tell them that) what they did need was some advice on how to turn it around and make it a success. In response to this feedback I decided to write second white paper to outline the steps needed to take to make your...

Before the book, Now Discover Your Strengths, was published, I discovered first hand the second reason why training of new supervisors or managers fails to be as successful as originally planned. During the first facilitation session for some incoming supervisors and managers, I conducted the following exercise. - On the sheet of paper in front of the participants, I asked them to quickly write down in 3 minutes all the strengths that they bring in their new role as supervisor or manager. Very few pencils were in action except for the President of the firm. - After the time was up, I asked them to quickly write down in 3 minutes all the weaknesses that they bring in their new role as supervisor or...

Among all the tools at our disposal for managing projects, checklists are perhaps the simplest and most productive means of building consistency in work practices. Checklists are useful in almost every field of human endeavor, and in particular where repeatability and systematic action drive performance. Yet they are still much under-used in the planning and managing of projects. Here is a high level twelve-point checklist for use during project planning: 1. Have the needs and concerns of all key stakeholders been considered and resolved? 2. Does the project have an overall approved mission statement defining the scope, schedule and resources/budget? 3. Has the relative flexibility among scope...

<!-- @page { margin: 2cm } P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm } --> A must for those who work with Cisco Wireless equipments, the Cisco Certified Network Associate Wireless (CCNA Wireless) credential demonstrates the foundational level knowledge and skills required to configure,Mobile as well as a fixed crane operation is usually considered to be a daunting task. Recent reports,   Microsoft's MCSE is an ideal network engineer course, in particular, to pass the exam. If a single person, and Microsoft's server experience, and willing to work out the required MCSE exam by an hour, they may be prepared to sit for the examination.   If you thought that handling a mobile crane is a difficult task that...

p>(How to resist the temptation to "boil the ocean") The most common reason for software project failure is not failure to control budget or schedule but failure to control requirements, either at the outset or during the build phase. Software projects are unlike those that deliver a tangible product such as a building, a bridge, or a dam. These projects receive much more attention during the planning phase and tend to be controlled with much more rigor than are software projects. You'll never hear of a plan to build a 20,000 square foot shoe store ballooning into a project to build a 10 acre shopping mall! Yet that's exactly what happens to a lot of software projects. They start off with one...

It is important that project managers are both familiar with and follow established tools and techniques of project management. Good leadership at management level is crucial. Poor management skills will undermine established methodologies. It is very tempting to take so-called 'short-cuts' instead of applying the methodology. This can happen for several reasons: 1 - 'Catching up' when the project is behind schedule 'catch up.' 2 - Costs are over-running budget and some steps are skipped over. 3 - Team members are untrained in the methodology and do notknow they are taking short cuts. Cost overruns: If the scheduling and technical details are too precisely defined before project start then there may...

What's Happening To All Of The CIOs? You and I both know that a well run IT department is what can make one company more successful than its competitors. That must mean that the IT department is important, and therefore the CIO must also be important, right? If that's true, then why are some of the really big companies like News Corp, Harrah's, ConocoPhillips, etc. getting rid of their CIO and then choosing to not replace him / her? What are they thinking? What's The Problem Here? If firms feel comfortable getting rid of their head of IT (the CIO) and not replacing that person, then clearly there must be a crisis here. It sure looks like today's CIOs have not done a good job of advertising just how...

1. Set goals using the SMART goals guidelines: S specific, simple M measurable, meaningful A achievable R realistic, responsible T timed (how will you know when you are there?) With a clearly defined direction, you are able to develop a strategic plan for your business growth. When you operate from a plan, (as opposed to the seat of your pants) you are better able to prioritize your time, make effective and informed decisions and monitor your progress. 2. Time Optimization - Learn to manage the time munchers: - E-mail / instant messaging / text messaging - Phone - Interruptions - Multi-tasking - Boredom with mundane or dreaded tasks, which leads to - Procrastination...

Six Sigma is basically a business process that allows companies to improve their profit margins. Six Sigma stands for Six Standard Deviations. Six Sigma methodology provides the techniques and tools to improve the capability and reduce the defects in any process. (Sigma is the Greek letter used to represent standard deviation in statistics) from mean. The origins of this process lie in Motorola, in its manufacturing division, where millions of parts are made using the same process repeatedly. Eventually Six Sigma evolved and can now be applied to other non manufacturing processes as well. But today it can be applied to many fields such as Services, Medical and Insurance Procedures, Call Centers and...

Without the outsourcing of their software development, there are many international conglomerates which would be facing dwindling profits and angry shareholders. All the software giants, including Microsoft, Oracle, IBM, and Dell have taken to outsourcing software development in a big way, and their favorite outsourcing partners are Indian companies. Wipro, TCS, and Infosys are recognized as IT companies perfectly capable of handling the outsourcing needs of the big software players on the other side of the globe. Outsourcing Software Needs To India In the early days of outsourcing, the typical outsourced business project was a non-core operation which was deemed too insignificant to be done by...

This article is one of a five-part series on the fundamentals of Six Sigma, taken from our Six Sigma training resources website. Six Sigma is a process improvement methodology that uses five phases, known has DMAIC: Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control. The DMAIC approach can be applied to any situation where a process, be it physical (i.e. manufacturing) or transactional, is producing measurable results. Examples of measurable results can include anything from manufacturing process capability to higher level business metrics like customer satisfaction. The D in DMAIC is about selecting high-payback projects and identifying the underlying metric(s) that will measure project success. Leadership...

A story which started with companies like GE, Motorola has carried on strength to strength with many companies adopting the same set of practices which have made their processes variation-resistant and hence effective and efficient. Six Sigma for your Business can be your major cost saver with it saving costs by evolving the set of practices which you have in either developing your products or rendering services. A business owner can decide to reengineer his processes with the Six Sigma approach. The classical DMAIC model allows him to improve the metrics of his processes which would directly or indirectly impact his business objectives. Cases where the business owner feels the need to develop...

The UK Government's initiative to prescribe a security standard to any organization accessing the Government Connect Secure Extranet is a move designed to keep government organisations one step ahead of the inexorable increase in security threats. There have been too many high profile data thefts and losses by Government organizations, highlighting both the risk to, and the importance of, ICT Security and the governance of citizens' data. The result is the Government Connect Secure Extranet (GCSx). HM Government has mandated the way in which public authorities and government departments can securely transfer data between each other. So, for example, how does a local authority needing Housing...

By over-relying on borrowed money, consumers could well find their debt difficulties increasing, an industry expert has claimed. Speaking on BBC One's Lunchtime News programme, Peter Tutton, spokesperson for Citizens Advice, warned of the dangers of consistently funding essential purchases by taking out credit such as personal loans or going into overdrafts. He suggested that by consistently looking to borrow money to see them through periods of financial difficulties, consumers could well see problems in handling their debts rising dramatically. Mr Tutton said: "People generally can afford credit when they take it out, but something can happen as time goes on. That can be quite a small thing like...

Integrated Project Delivery is a project delivery approach that integrates people, systems, business structures and practices into a process that collaboratively harnesses the talents and insights of all participants to optimize project results, increase value to the owner, reduce waste, and maximize efficiency through all phases of design, fabrication, and construction." Many believe that IPD was derived from ideas generated by Toyota Production System. I believe it is the beginning of the next generation of the design and construction process and has far reaching implications. The design and construction industry is a flawed industry and the multitude of processes are outdated and breed a negative...

In today's complex business environment new projects are constantly being developed as organizations seek new ways to reduce costs, improve processes, increase productivity, and build their bottom line. Managing these diverse projects along with their people, resources, technology, and communication is a difficult endeavor for which the risk of failure is often far too high. An effective solution, created to establish a more centralized management structure for large groups of projects, is the Project Management Office (PMO). The PMO provides organizations with an infrastructure of people, procedures, and tools to achieve effective project management by leveraging project management standards...

Many people are stuck on the idea that Six Sigma is all about improving processes and has very little to do with people beyond the actual training. However, there are many different benefits to utilizing Six Sigma to train people. First, you should improve on people's thought processes and their abilities to handle change management, and come up with effective solutions to problems. Then you can utilize those people to create solutions to all of your process improvement needs. No matter how big or small your projects are, this can be effective for just about any company or business. When you start at the roots and change the people it becomes much easier to then change the process. Six Sigma...

DOE helps to access through the vast amount of data collected as part of the Six Sigma project implementation process and in designing experiments that are required to reduce variations and improve efficiency. What is DOE? Design of experiments is a formal statistical tool that helps to ensure that the testing phase of the project produces data that would be beneficial for further improvements to the process. The aim is to maximize return on investment. It is a systematic method to understand the cause and effect relationship among the different factors that affect the process and the variable results achieved thereby. It even brings out the actual existence of any relation in the cause and effect...

Employee resistance is one of the common Six Sigma roadblocks companies experience. Many employees resist to new processes for many reasons. Employees might be resistant because they feel like their job is being threatened. They might be resistant because they are used to doing the exact same thing every day and they don't want to learn something new. Employees often resist when they feel like they have lost ownership of a process as well. The best way to overcome resistance is to involve every employee in the change, even if they have a very small job to do. When employees are involved in making positive changes, they will be more likely to jump on board than if they have no part of the improvement...

The demand for people with Six Sigma expertise is constantly increasing. More and more organizations are discovering the many ways that the Six Sigma methodology can help them grow and improve. As Six Sigma spreads to many different industries beyond its genesis in manufacturing, you can now find many service and government organizations advertising for Six Sigma help. Plus, it is no longer the largest corporations looking for Six Sigma help. Smaller companies also are taking on Six Sigma projects and hiring people as consultants or permanent staff. The need for full-time Six Sigma professionals will only increase. Types of Six Sigma Jobs There are many Six Sigma jobs in many industries at junior...

One of the reasons there is a tightly defined structural hierarchy within a normal 6 Sigma team is because such a structure supports a leader. That individual is at once responsible for the results produced by their team. However the leader's responsibility extends further. He or she sets the focus and direction of the project, and plays a major role in its success (or, lack thereof). Part organizer, part mentor, part forerunner, the individual that meets the leadership role within a six Sigma team is sometimes known as the Champion. Below, we'll take a more in-depth look at their responsibilities. I should explain the importance of the selection and training drill, and what occurs if the job is...

The debate over whether or not to choose Six Sigma over ISO 9000 is getting more interesting with each passing day. In an attempt to determine which of these is the better of the two, it is highly pertinent to discuss that in the context of applicability of them to industries. And there exists a huge amount of difference between the approaches of these two methodologies in tackling the issues. Six Sigma - A Critical View Six Sigma utilizes a multi-faceted approach to doing business with total improvement of the end product being the goal. In doing so, Six Sigma defines and analyzes the processes critically almost always focusing on process improvements. The statistical tools used in Six Sigma help...