Total quality management (TQM) is a strategy that perfectly fits into the culture and lifestyle of the Japanese who are known for their meticulousness, diligence, and customer-centric approach. The concept aims to achieve excellence in all areas of an organization’s operations. TQM is a holistic approach that focuses on satisfying customer needs through continuous improvement of processes and products, involving all employees of the company. Such an approach has the potential to ensure the long-term success of the company.

Key principles of total quality management (TQM)

Japanese companies such as Toyota, Sony, and Honda have achieved significant success in global markets by focusing on improving their products and processes. They have implemented key principles of total quality management in their day-to-day operations, which are outlined below.

1. Customer focus

TQM puts the customer first – it focuses on understanding and, above all, satisfying the customer’s needs and expectations. It means that an organization focuses on studying what is important to its customers and then adapting the products or services it creates to those findings.

2. Continual efforts

TQM promotes the concept of continuous improvement, which means that an organization strives to continually improve its processes, products, and services by analyzing, identifying areas for improvement, and making appropriate changes. It uses a variety of tools and techniques, such as Kaizen, Six Sigma, and Lean Management, to identify and eliminate errors, waste, or emerging problems.

3. Employee involvement

In TQM, all employees of an organization are involved in the process of improving products and services. However, companies not only encourage active participation but also listen to employees’ ideas and promote their initiative.

4. Data analysis

In TQM, organizations focus on collecting and analyzing data to make decisions based on evidence rather than intuition.

5. Partnering with suppliers

TQM promotes building lasting relationships with suppliers and striving for excellence throughout the entire supply chain.

6. Error prevention

TQM emphasizes the prevention of errors and problems, which is more effective and less costly than repairing the consequences.

7. Quality standards and certification

As part of TQM, organizations often strive to meet certain standards and apply for various certifications ( e.g. ISO).

Why to implement total quality management (TQM)?

Above all, total quality management leads to greater customer satisfaction because it focuses on delivering products and services that meet or exceed their expectations, and this is the main reason why organizations implement it. But this is not the only benefit that comes with such a decision. Other positive effects include:

• Enhanced competitiveness – through improvement, an organization becomes more competitive in the marketplace. This is because customers are more likely to choose companies that offer quality products or services, which can lead to an increase in market share,
• Cost reduction – TQM can help reduce errors, eliminate waste, and optimize efficiency, resulting in lower production and customer service costs in the long run,
• Greater employee motivation – TQM involves all employees in the improvement process. Employees who see that their opinions count are more motivated to work for the organization,
• Certifications – Implementing TQM often leads to meeting certain standards and obtaining certifications, which can facilitate access to new markets or secure further business partnerships.

Summary

Total quality management can be implemented in two different ways – some organizations create dedicated teams to introduce such a strategy, while others integrate it into their existing systems. Regardless of the implementation method, TQM requires the involvement of all employees, which can still be a challenge in some countries, especially due to resistance to change. However, the benefits like increased customer satisfaction, improved competitiveness, or cost reductions, have the potential to outweigh the significant implementation costs. For this reason, it’s worth taking a look at this Japanese approach and trying to incorporate it into your daily operations.

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Fast-tracking is a project management technique that involves reducing the duration of a project by working on particular tasks in parallel. In practice, this means that tasks that are not logically related are performed simultaneously. This is the opposite of the traditional approach where they are done sequentially – one task begins after the previous one has been completed. The goal of this method is to accelerate the achievement of project goals by eliminating or reducing delays caused by sequential execution of tasks. You can fast-track a project in two ways:

• by starting a task just before the completion of a previous task that is related to it,
• by increasing the resources or the number of people who are working on a task to speed up the implementation.

The benefits of fast-tracking

One of the main advantages of using this technique is undoubtedly the reduction of project duration, which is especially useful when a project has a tight deadline. This method also ensures better use of resources – performing some tasks simultaneously reduces the need to wait for others to be completed. What’s more, fast-tracking allows for faster achievement of key project deliverables, which can be important when those deliverables are needed to meet other business objectives. This method can be applied to projects in different industries or fields (including construction, marketing, IT, etc.).

Does fast-tracking have any drawbacks?

Although fast-tracking has many advantages, it can carry some risks, such as conflicts between team members or management difficulties that can arise when tasks are performed simultaneously. As a result, the cost of a project may grow, for example, due to the need to hire new people or enhance the resources. Also, the number of errors may increase, affecting the quality of the developed product or service. At the same time, this method reduces flexibility in planning and carrying out the project – simultaneous execution of tasks may leave little margin for adjusting to changes during the project.

How to use fast-tracking?

Fast-tracking can be an effective strategy when you are pressed for time or when you need to shorten the project schedule (for example, in construction projects where any delays generate high costs). However, a few key principles should be followed to ensure that this project management technique produces the desired results. The most important of them we outline below.

• Selection of tasks – not all tasks can be completed using this technique. For this reason, it is necessary to thoroughly understand the dependencies between various tasks and stages of the project and to eliminate those that need to wait for the completion of others.
• Risk assessment – for the reasons outlined above, it is necessary to perform a careful risk analysis and to determine whether using this technique is fully justified.
• Monitoring and controlling – it is necessary to monitor the project’s progress and communicate with the project team to ensure that activities performed simultaneously don’t cause unwanted conflicts or delays.

Summary

In projects where time is a key factor, fast-tracking can prove to be an invaluable strategy, speeding up the delivery date of the intended result, which will undoubtedly satisfy the target audience. However, it should be used with caution to avoid, firstly, increasing costs and, secondly, compromising the quality of the project. For this reason, before you apply this technique, decide which tasks can be performed simultaneously. Then plan them accordingly and continuously monitor their progress to minimize potential negative consequences.

Whether you decide to use the fast-tracking method or the sequential approach, ż­·˘k8Ć콢Ěü will support you all the way through. The system offers numerous features such as Kanban boards, to-do lists, contact databases, calendars, and more. Try ż­·˘k8Ć콢Ěü for free!

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RAG status – table of contents:

1. What is RAG status?
2. Red, amber, green – what are the differences?
3. Using RAG status – what is important?
4. When to use RAG statuses?
5. Summary

What is RAG status?

RAG stands for three colors: red, amber or green, which are traditionally used in traffic as traffic lights. The mentioned hues have found their application in categorizing projects – they indicate at what stage a given project is and what support it needs at a particular moment. Therefore, the colors are important to the company’s management team (owners, shareholders, stakeholders, etc.), to whom the project manager reports on the progress of work. Green usually indicates projects that are going smoothly, while red indicates those that currently need more support.

Red, amber, green – what are the differences?

The specific conditions that must be met for a project to get a certain color are determined individually by every company. However, it can be pointed out that the color red is assigned to projects which are delayed or went over budget. Such a situation may result from insufficient resources, bad project requirements, or the manager’s inability to handle the difficulties that may arise. What about the remaining colors?

• The color green means that the project is being carried out at the right time, within its scope and budget, which means that project managers have everything under control, and there is no need to involve the management team.
• The color amber indicates that the situation is stable at the moment, and the project team is working as planned, but there may be a delay in completing a particular task without affecting the final deadline. Therefore, the management team should expect some problems in the future that will require intervention.

Using RAG status – what is important?

When using the colors described above, it is extremely important to ensure that team leaders are properly trained and understand the definitions of each color, the conditions that must be met to assign a particular color, and what steps need to be taken next. This is the only way to ensure that the project is given the right status. You would certainly want to avoid the situation where a project with a green status needs support at the last minute, as it may be too late to take action. It may also turn out that the problems reported as red were not as serious as initially thought, and you wasted the resources.

When to use RAG statuses?

Color coding is critical for the management team, to whom, depending on a company’s policies, weekly or monthly reports are submitted. However, managers can also assign RAG statuses to the most important elements of the project, such as the budget, the project deadline, risks, and crucial tasks. Having such control over individual parts of the project increases the chance of reacting appropriately and promptly, depending on the indicated status. To this end, you can use color coding in Excel or reach for the proper software.

Summary

Using RAG statuses in project management is a way to have better control over projects and speed up the reporting process. However, it’s essential for the company to clearly specify the conditions that must be met for a project to get a green, amber, or red status. The common saying “better safe than sorry” suggests that it’s a good practice to assign a worse status when in doubt. However, you can’t always be sure that managers will comply with this, so it’s necessary to take care of it individually.

Read also: How to tackle major issues in project management?

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The Kanban method – table of contents:

1. The Kanban method
2. How does Kanban increase productivity?
3. Summary

The Kanban method

The Kanban method is based on three main principles: visualization (the Japanese word kanban means a visual board), single-tasking (reducing work in progress), and workflow management to improve the process.

As part of the first principle, special Kanban boards are used, which are banally simple to make and use, and are divided into three sections: to do (concerning the backlog), doing (covering tasks currently in progress) and done (covering things already done). Each task on the board assigned to a specific employee should go through these three columns to ensure control over the workflow, awareness of what the person is dealing with at a particular time, and the ability to detect bottlenecks (e.g. delays) that could negatively affect business operations.

The Kanban method also assumes that you should limit the number of tasks in progress, as multitasking does not (contrary to what is often believed) bring the expected results. It also relies on constant observation to improve the process and increase efficiency (by spotting blockages or bottlenecks that may jeopardize the achievement of the set results).

How does Kanban increase productivity?

Learning and understanding the elements listed above is essential to answer the question how the Kanban method improves productivity.

Let’s start with the first principle about visualizing tasks. According to research conducted by MIT scientists in 2014, the human brain processes information presented in visual form (image) 60,000 times faster than in written form (text). What’s more, according to a study by the Social Science Research Network, 65% of the people in the world are visual learners, which means that they absorb information more easily by looking at it than by hearing about it. Thus, visualizing tasks increases productivity, as it makes you aware of how many duties there are to be done and motivates you to complete one task after another.

The second principle concerns limiting work in progress. According to John Little, a scientist at MIT, we work more slowly if we try to complete several tasks at once – and we are more productive when we focus on completing one duty, and then move on to the next one. It is believed that each employee should have a maximum of three tasks – when you exceed this, performance problems or bottlenecks may arise. In business, multitasking is considered to be an illusion, as confirmed by a number of studies, including those by researchers at the Kansas State University.

The essence of the third principle can be found in a Dutch study that showed that observation alone can be a driving force for changing human behavior. The study, conducted on households, found that families with highly visible electricity meters used 30 percent less electricity than their neighbors whose meters were out of sight. The researchers say these families received visual feedback on the basis of which they made changes in their behavior – Kanban boards work in the same way. They help you visualize your workflow and improve processes.

Summary

As you can see, the results achieved by Toyota and the research on human behavior mentioned above, show that using Kanban boards helps increase efficiency. The Kanban method has been successful for team members coming from different business areas.

Read also:Is a project management tool really necessary in your organization?

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Project management tool – table of contents:

1. Project management software – when to implement it?
2. Lack of control over the execution of tasks
3. Lack of proper communication between team members
4. Project delays
5. Lack of control over the budget
6. Summary
7. Check out our all-in-one project management system

Project management software – when to implement it?

During the course of a project, problems often arise due to both external and internal situations. While external factors are usually beyond our control, internal factors can be eliminated – provided that we understand that they are a permanent and not just a one-time problem. The 4 most common examples of situations with negative consequences for the entire project – for which the implementation of an appropriate tool could be a solution – are listed below.

Lack of control over the execution of tasks

Can’t you remember when your subordinate is supposed to complete the assigned task? Have you lost the notebook where you distributed tasks for the ongoing stage of the project? Don’t know what your employees are doing at the moment? If you feel in any way that you are unable to maintain control over the project, you should definitely bet on implementing a project management tool.

Adding all tasks along with the people responsible for them, setting their priorities and due dates, status changes (e.g. to do – doing – done) – these are just some of the functions that will allow you to eliminate the problem with the lack of supervision. Constant monitoring is, after all, the best way to achieve the expected benefits.

Lack of proper communication between team members

Do you notice that other team members don’t know what their colleague is currently doing? While it might seem that everyone should only be responsible for their own tasks, this is wrong thinking that leads to inefficient use of resources – and consequently, mistakes. Working in a team on a joint project means that individuals depend on each other, making proper communication necessary. With all the information in the system and everyone having access to it, you can check the status of other people’s work at any time and plan your activities.

What’s more, a project management tool allows you to offer help (after you’ve completed your tasks) to the person who is most likely to fail to meet their deadline. The possibility to store all documents in one place also helps to improve communication between different team members. Providing access to them to every person in one system is the easiest way to cooperate efficiently with each other.

Project delays

Delays can happen for various reasons, and at any stage of implementation – and exercising control over all processes without the help of appropriate software can be significantly difficult. A project management tool will allow you to avoid such situations affecting the end result of the implementation by providing you with a constant ability to control bottlenecks. When you have all the information in one system, and there is a completion deadline next to each task, the possibility of unexpected delays will be minimized.

Lack of control over the budget

Finances are often the biggest pain point of a project, and the lack of constant control over receipts and expenditures can lead to disastrous consequences, significantly worsening the financial situation of the company. Of course, during the course of the project it may happen that we do not meet the original assumptions (due to, for example, significant increases in the prices of the goods we need), but by keeping track of all the information in one system, we can spot the problem earlier and react accordingly. If you’ve ever had a problem sticking to the budget, don’t risk repeating such a situation.

Summary

Think about whether the situations mentioned above ever appeared in your organization, and whether their frequency was high enough to become a problem preventing your company from functioning smoothly. If the answer is yes, you will know exactly what step to take next. Easier scheduling of tasks, making appointments, contacting co-workers, exercising control, keeping track of events in your calendar – if you feel that you need such features, don’t hesitate any longer, just choose the best project management tool for you.

Read also:Best online calendar for project management

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Project management maturity – table of contents:

1. What is project management maturity?
2. From immaturity to maturity
3. How to measure project management maturity
4. Summary

What is project management maturity?

Project management maturity is the ability to manage projects. This ability should change over time – companies want to achieve the greatest possible degree of project management maturity to see such results as:

• more efficient use of available resources,
• avoiding previous mistakes thanks to the experience gathered earlier,
• more efficient organization,
• better results of the carried out activities.

In order to get the benefits outlined above, companies should examine their project management maturity and consider what they can do to ensure growth in this area.

From immaturity to maturity

Companies that are completely immature, make the same mistakes over and over again, and achieve success only with individual projects due to the commitment of the people taking care of them. In this type of organization there is no distinction between project management and operational management.

Mature companies, in turn, implement activities through projects tailored to the needs of the organization and managed in the right way. In such companies, you can see, among other things, a full understanding of what a project is, the division of roles in the team or the use of project management methodologies.

It is worth keeping in mind that each company – due to their various goals, capabilities or basic needs, will have a different degree of project management maturity and strive to achieve different results in this regard. What will matter in the first place is whether project management is the main way of doing business (as in the case of IT companies putting up online stores or NGOs, for example), or whether it is just an occasionally used way of achieving goals.

How to measure project management maturity

To measure project management maturity, models developed specifically for this purpose are used. The most popular of these is the Project Management Maturity Model (abbreviated as PMMM), which derives from a model developed by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI) at Carnegie Mellon University in 1987. There are five levels of maturity included in the PM Solutions Project Management Maturity Model:

1. Initial process – lack of processes and documentation to work together on the project, ad hoc tasks, lack of ways to measure success,
2. Structured process and standards – different project management methods are used in the organization, standardization at the level of specific teams, project success dependent on the team,
3. Organizational standards and institutionalized process – a standardized way of managing projects across the organization, using metrics, implementing new processes when necessary,
4. Managed process – transparent project management processes, the use of documentation, planning how to implement future projects using metrics (analysis of results),
5. Optimizing process –improving project management activities, creating strategic plans for the future, maintaining efficiency.

You can also use other project management maturity models such as:

• Prince 2 Maturity Model,
• OGC Project Management Maturity Model,
• The European Foundation for Quality Management Excellence Model (EFQM),
• PM Solutions Project Management Maturity Model.

Summary

Project management maturity is not something that you gain immediately, but after many years of practical experience, according to the levels outlined above. Special project management software (such as Fimbee, for example) can be helpful in building it and improve the efficiency of the processes taking place.

Read also: How can the project management system help with event marketing?

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Best online calendar for project management – table of contents:

1. Online calendar
2. What functions should an online calendar have?
3. ż­·˘k8Ć콢Ěü’s calendar – features for your needs
4. More control over achieving company goals?
5. Best online calendar – already know what to choose?
6. Check out our all-in-one project management system

Online calendar

Project management involves many challenges, especially related to the number of tasks carried out by various team members. Putting all the relevant issues in a single tool (along with indicating the objectives, priorities, responsible people or deadlines) allows you to control the course of any process. ż­·˘k8Ć콢Ěü provides access to all the information in one place which streamlines the execution of tasks and works well not only for managers, but also for other team members.

What functions should an online calendar have?

Among the basic functions of the online calendar, we will, of course, mention the ability to add relevant events, meetings and tasks (with descriptions) by day and time, and display them within a daily, weekly or monthly grid – depending on your needs.

It is also important to specify whether the matter entered into the calendar is a one-time event or should be recurring within a specific cycle, and (if necessary) to indicate start and end dates. It is also important to be able to create several calendars belonging to one person and share selected ones with colleagues.

However, the described functions are insufficient to allow efficient project management. In this regard, with help comes the solution we have designed, which has been fully tailored to the needs of those managing and implementing a specific project.

ż­·˘k8Ć콢Ěü’s calendar – features for your needs

What makes ż­·˘k8Ć콢Ěü’s calendar (Agenda) different from other tools? It comes with all the features outlined above, as well as the possibility to:

• determine the status of tasks (new, in progress, completed – according to the methodology of Kanban boards),
• filter issues by status, which provides full control over the workflow,
• add files to bookmarks,
• comment issues in the calendar,
• attach colleagues to specific issues (as part of the selection of people who should be granted access),
• log time to control the time spent on each task – such a feature allows you to check the use of resources and provides material that can be analyzed at a later time to study (and possibly improve) the performance of your employees.

There is no doubt that the above functionalities support the process of effective project management, right?

More control over achieving company goals?

It’s also important to note that using ż­·˘k8Ć콢Ěü you can create separate calendars for each of the projects you manage, allowing you to keep your daily work in order and have more control over the processes taking place. What’s more, you can check each calendar both from the dashboard and by clicking on a specific project. In this way, it will be easier for you to check what stage each of your assigned duties is at and whether the ongoing activities will allow you to achieve your goals.

Best online calendar – already know what to choose?

Meetings, events, tasks to-do – things related to project management are unlimited and it is very easy to forget about an important task if you use many tools at once. However, as you can see, when you decide to use ż­·˘k8Ć콢Ěü, you get everything you need in one place – you don’t need to use additional solutions. This is what makes ż­·˘k8Ć콢Ěü a winner among other tools you can use to effectively manage your projects. The availability of all necessary functions within a single solution facilitates the organization of your daily work.

Read also:How to tackle major issues in project management?

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Project management and operational managment – table of contents:

1. Project and operational activity
2. Motivation and commitment
3. Rules of rewarding
4. Types of rewards
5. Proceedings before the court of arbitration
6. Summary

Project management and operational management

The easiest definition of the project states, that it is a venture aimed at the achievement of the expected goal. In the situation, in which we know, what is the result (the solid effects) we wish to obtain within the scope of all activities, we should initially think about the main features that define the project, such as:

• limitation in time – activity within the predefined schedule, ability to indicate the beginning and the end of the project
• project team task realization – there is the leader that runs the project during the whole process of realization
• uniqueness – understood as the lack of repetitiveness, which includes the risk related to the performed activities
• specified budget – within the framework of the provided tasks

Operational activities in business are understood as the constant and repetitive performance of the same tasks. What is crucial, there are no limitations as to how the repetitiveness of those tasks should look like. Those can be everyday tasks, as well as monthly, yearly, or even those performed as required. Those tasks are not unique, which means that they present a low degree of risk.

In which way project and operational activity connect? The easiest way to explain this is to use an example: if we are working on a new product – a face cream – the stage of product development (that includes the goal setting, recipe of the composition, and testing) can be seen as a project. All the subsequent activities, such as production, distribution, or marketing of a new product are operational (repetitiveness, lack of uniqueness).

What is project management?

As was already mentioned, projects are focused on the result. This result can be either a unique product or service or another specific effect. This way projects support the long-term development of the company. Project management will encompass all tasks undertaken to achieve the requirements of the project. As a part of the realization, it is necessary to apply knowledge, skills, and understanding of the different types of techniques and tools.

The manager or leader of the team should possess the qualities necessary for his role. This person is responsible in the area of planning, initiating, performance (monitoring of the product or service development), and closure of the project. Moreover, the managing person has to approach individually every project, because effects, teams, and tasks are different from each other.

Operational management

Operational management is related to the everyday activity of the company – this feature is treated as the highest factor that determines the uniqueness of the given area of functioning of the organization. It encompasses planning, organizing, and control of repetitive processes in the organization, which should positively influence the effectiveness.

The crucial feature of operational management is the pursuit of the stage, where the spendings and income are in balance – which means that operating profit is generated. The person, who controls operational activities is hugely responsible because the effects of production, marketing and finance activities influence the overall right functioning of the company in the short and long term.

Summary

What basic features distinguish a project from an operational activity? Projects are time-bound, unique, and subject to risk, and their realization should allow the company to reach its goal. We can include all activities connected with the everyday activity of the company, which are repetitive, subject to low risk, and result in the same effect as operational activities. It is worth remembering those 3 issues – this way we can be sure that specific types of management will not get mixed up. Good orientation in such differences can be crucial when creating a business strategy, business plans, or budgets – companies are not able to function properly without those documents.

Read also: Global leadership trends in business for 2022 and 2023

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Why get the PMP certification? – table of contents:

1. PMP certificate – prestigious proof of the skill
2. Better work performance
3. Value of an individual for the company
4. Certificate – higher earnings
5. Summary

PMP certificate – prestigious proof of the skill

Passing the certificate and getting PMP certification in project management will prove that you have the right experience, knowledge, and skill, to work as a leader, supervisor, and manager. It will be important both in the present workplace, as in case one wishes to change his employment, because your competitiveness as the employee, will increase.

This way having a PMP certificate will open up many doors for you – both in national companies, due to the global recognition of the document. You can appreciate the effort put into preparation and exam passing, when the company, you wish to work for, will ask for a PMP certificate.

Moreover, this document will become a great element that catches the eye in your CV, and you can be sure, that during the recruitment (even at the stage of initial browsing of received resumes) – as confirmation is required – you will be evaluated better.

Better work performance

The learning of the certification will allow you to acquire new skills (both hard and soft) that can be used in future practice. This should help you to achieve better results, both individually and with your team. The basic processes in management, new trends in the area of project management (the content of the training and exam is being frequently updated to match the situation on the market), useful tools and methodologies – all this you will get to improve your way of project management. If you want to grow, then you cannot avoid the area of certification during the planning of your further professional career. Do your best, study hard and get the PMP certification.

Value of an individual for the company

Your care for the development of the company, you work for? You can be sure, that thanks to the certificate you will become an added value to the present (or future) workplace. The acquired knowledge and skill will result in the fact that you will be able to manage projects better – manage a team in the right way, minimize the risk of mistakes, and diminish costs.

All this will be viewed positively by your employer. Do you wish to reach the results thanks to the good work organization? You can count on it – your company will be grateful. All you have to do is to get the PMP certification.

You can expect that in case of getting positive results from an exam the employer will put their confidence in you and will give you more ambitious projects that are connected with greater responsibility. The preparation for the exam should become a small task necessary to make the next, more serious steps during climbing the career ladder.

Certificate – higher earnings

The very last argument in favor of the certificate PMP is connected to the earrings, which are essential for most managers. Project Management Institute each year carries out the study: Earning Power: Project Management Salary Survey, in which it analyzes the earnings (median gross salaries) among project management specialists at various levels.

The research shows that the salaries of people who possess the certificate (in different countries in the world) are higher on average by 23% than those of individuals, who do not have the certificate. This way – having the right education and experience confirmed by the certification, you can expect and even anticipate higher salaries.

Summary

If you want to increase your competitiveness in the global job market, receive new employment opportunities, negotiate a better salary or develop your skill in project management, don’t hesitate any longer and take the exam. It is not easy to get the PMP certification but it is worth it. Take into consideration that accordingly to the predictions made by the Project Management Institute by 2027 there will be almost 90 million people working on project management – and there are still not enough qualified specialists on the market. You have to seize the opportunity and become more attractive to your potential employees – pass an exam and get the PMP certificate.

Read also: Global leadership trends in business for 2022 and 2023

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PMP certification – table of contents:

1. PMP certification eligibility criteria
2. PMP certification – not for all
3. Criteria for taking the exam
4. Education and experience
5. Why is it worth to get PMP certificate?
6. PMP certification – summary

PMP certification eligibility criteria

What kind of project management certificate is best to persuade the recruitment team that the candidate has the best qualifications to perform his duties? What type of an exam you should pass to be able to call yourself a Project Manager? There is one answer to both questions: the PMP (Project Management Professional) certificate awarded by Project Management Institute. This American institution gathers specialists in project management among its members. The certificate is acknowledged and recognized all over the world, by all types of industries. How can one obtain it? Is it hard to gain this type of certification?

PMP certification – not for all

Taking an exam, that allows achievement of PMP certificate is not easy, as it looks like – even for a person, who is involved with project management during his everyday work. The candidates for the certification have to meet the specific requirements related to their education and work experience. Those standards are set by the organization. The PMP certificate is the oldest, the most popular and the most valuable at the job market. The education is seen as the proof that the candidate has the right theoretical background, while the experience shows that the candidate has acquired in the process of work all the necessary skills, that will allow him to manage project at the highest level.

See the requirements as they are presented in PMP Credential Handbook, which is available to be downloaded free on the website of the organization. The document shows comprehensively all the topics related to the certificate and the exam, that can rise your doubts.

Criteria for taking the exam

Do you have higher education diploma? You need to have at least Bachelors degree. When you have the degree, you can consider taking the exam, but you must prove that:

• you have undertook 35 hours of project management study (cumulatively – there is no requirement that it has to be one continuous course)
• you have 3500 hours of experience in project management

Practically, what is required, it is approximately 3 years (36 months) of employment as the project manager.

• you have undertook 35 hours of project management study (cumulatively – the same way as in case of graduate candidates)
• you have 7500 hours of experience as a leader or a project manager

This all means that if your have not graduated from university, PMI expect you to have 2 years of professional experience more (60 months). What is crucial is the fact, that in both situations the experience cannot cover the period longer than recent eight years.

Education and experience

To gain the required experience in project management will be a challenge (both in situation, when what is needed is 3500 of hour, and in situation of 7500 hours), but how to undergo the required 35 hours of study? The PMP certification authorized issuer can help you with this – all can be done withing the PMP academy, where intensive workshops are offered, that are run on the basis of the newest edition of Guide to Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide). This well-known all over the world document is the basic text that describes how the projects should be managed (no matter the industry).

During the 5 day or 10 day course you will acquire both theoretical and practical knowledge from the best practitioners in the scope of project management, as well as the solid hints related to the PMP certification (for example, how the questions in the test look like). Alle the provided advice should help you with the preparation for the exam.

Why is it worth to get PMP certificate?

PMP certificate is the document that confirms that you have the right hard skills and soft skill in the scope of project management, what should increase your chances on the job market. Undoubtedly this should open the new career paths for you, hence you will be able to manage project in the country and abroad, generally everywhere where the discussed method is used. Moreover, the results of the study carried out by the Project Management Institute concerned on salaries, indicate that certification can help you to reach better earnings, what should be a fact of great importance.

PMP certification – summary

Before you make your decision about the PMP certification make sure that you fulfill all the presented above requirements. Undoubtedly, the possession of the certificate should increase your value on the job market, even if you are sure, that you can prove the right education and experience, try to enroll to the exam. Examination centers can be found all over the world. The acquisition of the certificate is just the beginning of the process, later you will have to be active in project management area to keep the certificate valid. The certificate is a must for all managers that wish to become involved in project management for good.

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Agile vs. Waterfall – table of contents:

1. What is Agile methodology
2. What is Waterfall methodology
3. Agile vs Waterfall
4. Timeline
5. Employee engagement
6. Flexibility
7. Budget
8. Summary

What is Agile methodology

Agile appeared at the very beginning of the 20th century along with the development of new technologies. First, it only referred to the IT industry, in which coordinating tasks in a classic way failed. Often, finished applications became outdated the moment that they were handed over to the customer. It’s not hard to guess that it generated huge losses for software companies.

This iterative approach to project management lets you achieve better results while putting less effort into the project. It helps teams bring benefits to customers faster and with fewer problems. It proceeds in several stages that make up iterative cycles. At the end of each one, you wait for the customer’s feedback and make suggested changes, if necessary. Being in constant contact and receiving feedback allows for regular product improvements.

Agile methodology involves the creation of interdisciplinary teams based on collaboration, whereas in the traditional cascade model, people responsible for specific areas of a project complete their tasks and then “throw the results over the fence” to the next team. Therefore, Agile is distinguished by: open communication, adaptability, and mutual trust. As a rule, the project manager prioritizes the work to be delivered, but it is the team that ultimately decides how it will be done.

Agile is usually used to oversee projects with enormous dynamics and risk. It is an excellent way to manage implementations that are prone to instability. However, Agile methods will not work where there is no room for flexibility. Its implementation should be very well thought out.

There must be adequate staff resources to make the system effective. There must not be frequent changes of personnel. You should bet on a small, close-knit group of people who show maximum commitment.

To make employees feel connected to the company, it is worth providing them with appropriate benefits so that they do not seek employment in competing companies. When implementing Agile, it would be useful to have at least one person on the team who has experience working on similar projects.

What is Waterfall methodology?

Waterfall is also called the cascade model. It was first described by Winston W. Royce in 1970. It has been very quickly adopted in various industries because of its logical consistency and ease of implementation. It’s a classic, linear approach, in which customer expectations and guidelines are gathered at the very beginning, and then a plan is created to implement these requirements.

This model is quite rigid – the project develops quickly, and the deadline and cost are predetermined. The requirements must be clearly defined in advance for this approach to produce a satisfactory result. It is not possible to go back to a certain stage, and testing is done almost at the very end. It would be very costly to make any changes and possible only after the entire project is completed.

In this method all types of documents and instructions are very important. Everything must be written down. Thanks to it, the project is resistant to personnel changes. Team members can come and go during the task, but this will not affect the completion time. The group must be as focused and disciplined as possible to stay within the set plan and complete the project on time without going over budget.

Waterfall is a very simple and understandable model. Work on the project is divided into successive stages. The next stage of work cannot start until the previous one is finished. No stage can be skipped, nor can you go back to a previous stage to change something. There is no iteration which means that there is one common process for creating a product. Identifying and correcting errors is only possible at the testing stage. Once the list of tasks and requirements has been created, the customer is not involved in the creation of the product.

Agile vs. Waterfall

Agile and Waterfall are two methodologies for implementing projects. Agile is an iterative model that involves a cyclical process and is based on collaboration among team members. Waterfall, on the other hand, is a sequential model in which tasks are handled in a more linear way.

Timeline

Waterfall has a predefined timeline. The beginning and end of the project are outlined from the very start. Agile, in turn, has no set timeline. Any deadlines are adjusted as the project progresses.

Employee engagement

In the Waterfall model, the client is involved in setting the end goal, and after that the client is no longer involved in the process of completing tasks. The course of the project is defined from the very beginning, so the customer feedback is not included.

In Agile, however, customers are involved in the process at every stage. That’s why business owners are involved. They check the product as it’s being developed and provide feedback to the team at various phases of the project.

Flexibility

Agile by definition must be flexible. Work on the project is carried out in short periods called sprints. This method involves adapting and incorporating new information even at a later stage of the project. In Waterfall, on the other hand, each phase must be completed before moving on to the next stage. Everything is planned in advance, so this is a management system ideal for teams that have a clear vision of where they are going.

Budget

In projects using Waterfall, the budget is fixed from the beginning. There is no room to change it, for example, in the middle of the work. In contrast, Agile is open to adaptation. This management model encourages experimentation, risk-taking and allows for changes even in the later phases of the project.

Summary

Agile and Waterfall are two of the most popular project management methodologies. Currently, the former is more popular. Waterfall is a linear nature, so it is best suited to projects with a clearly defined end goal. Meanwhile, Agile leaves a lot of room for adaptation and changes as the project develops.

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Agile vs. Scrum – table of contents:

1. What is Agile methodology
2. What is Scrum methodology
3. Agile vs. Scrum

What is Agile methodology

Today, it’s hard to keep up with business dynamics. Therefore, traditional management methods do not always work, especially in the case of software development. At the very beginning of project planning, it is difficult to set all possible goals. In this way, you can miss important changes in the market and end up with a completely unattractive final project. This is why Agile has emerged. What is it?

In 2001, representatives of new ideas met at a resort in the United States. At that time they managed to develop a mutual agreement when it came to running IT projects. They created the “Manifesto for Agile Software Development,” a declaration of principles and values for all agile methods.

The manifesto begins with four brief assumptions:

• people and interactions over processes and tools
• customer collaboration over formal agreements
• working software over extensive documentation
• responding to change over following a plan

Agile is the type of management, the essence of which is maximum flexibility and the ability to adapt to the changing business environment. It assumes that at the beginning of a project no one can accurately plan the entire course of the project.

Therefore, work is divided into short cycles called sprints. One of them usually lasts from 1 to 4 weeks. During each sprint, the team independently plans the work, designs the solution, programs, tests and receives feedback from the client. The iterative mode of work allows for the cyclical delivery of completed parts of the final solution.

Also, the organization of Agile teams looks different from traditional ones, in which management plays a key role. Agile groups of employees are self-organizing and cross-functional. This means that they decide on their own how to do the work, and their members have all the necessary skills and competencies to successfully complete individual sprints. Delegating so much responsibility to the team works great for their motivation, so they show more willingness to work every day.

What is Scrum methodology?

Scrum is a word borrowed from sports terminology, specifically from rugby.This is a very good connotation, because working in Scrum is precisely a team game. There is no hierarchy of importance here, what matters is cooperation. Scrum methodology encourages team members to learn from experience, organize their work independently, and reflect on their successes and failures in order to continuously improve.

Scrum defines a framework for teams executing projects. Earlier, it referred mainly to the IT industry and software development, but now it has a more universal meaning. Its idea is to deliver a product to the customer in parts.

In practice, it looks like this: during regular meetings, held, for example, every month, completed parts of the program, such as individual modules, are presented. The work is done in sprints, i.e. short stages, during which the customer has an overview of the progress of the project.

Scrum framework can be described as heuristic. It comes down to constant learning and adapting to changing factors. The concept is based on an assumption that at the beginning of working on the project, the team does not have complete knowledge, and it will develop as it gains experience. Scrum is designed to help employees naturally adapt to changing customer demands and modification of priorities.

In Scrum, there are three artifacts. These are the product backlog, the sprint backlog and the increment. A product backlog is a list maintained by the product owner or product manager. It is a list of work to be done – features, requirements, enhancements and fixes. A sprint backlog is a list of features or bug fixes that the team has chosen to implement in the current sprint cycle. An increment, on the other hand, is a usable product that is the result of a given sprint.

Agile vs Scrum

Agile and Scrum are two terms that have become part of the managers’ vocabulary, but are still confused and used interchangeably by some of them. Although they have much in common, they are not the same thing. Scrum is the most popular methodology that derives from Agile.

First of all, Agile is a much broader concept. It’s more of a way of thinking about work, and a whole philosophy of how to deliver valuable products. Scrum, on the other hand, is a tool that can be directly implemented and used at work. It imposes a specific framework on how to implement projects. Figuratively speaking, Agile shows you where you should get to, while Scrum shows you exactly where to turn.

Scrum is based on the Agile philosophy. It reflects all 12 principles, including: flexibility, iteration, empiricism or the concept of continuous improvement. The State of Agile report shows that 70% of companies using an agile approach use some version of Scrum. Therefore, for some, Agile equals Scrum, because they are not familiar with other methodologies.

It’s not possible to become Agile right away, because it requires a commitment from the entire team to change its approach to working with customers. However, it is possible to use a procedural framework, such as Scrum, to facilitate the transition to this way of thinking and to implement Agile principles into daily work and communication among employees.

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