A project management office (PMO) can take different approaches to mitigate risks and maximize opportunities for ongoing and upcoming projects. These approaches collectively form a PMO methodology. There are different methods that PMOs can use to keep their projects on track, and your PMO doesn’t have to use one exclusively. Consider incorporating Event Chain Methodology into your project management strategy. This method helps you plan against possible threats and evaluate the likelihood of success in meeting deadlines and budgets.

What Is Event Chain Methodology in PMO?

A Useful Approach Within PMO Methodology

Event Chain Methodology, as its name implies, aims to plot out a chain of events that could occur throughout the lifetime of the project. It starts with the expected chain of events; these are the individual steps and processes you will execute in sequence. You will need to plan out your project carefully before attempting to build an event chain. Once the ideal sequence is clear, you’ll proceed to identify variables that could disrupt the event chain.

These variables represent threats and opportunities. For example, suppose your project currently has 10 people assigned to it. What would happen if one or two people quit their jobs and abandon the project? How would that impact the time it takes to complete certain steps? Conversely, what would happen if a client dropped a particularly complex feature from the job description? How much faster could you finish the project? Event chain methodology encourages you to consider these variables.

Calculating the Domino Effect

Each variable in the event chain needs to be given a probability of occurring. With this probability set, it’s possible to run the entire event chain through a computer to crunch the numbers and determine how likely the project is to finish on time and on budget. Depending on the complexity of the project and the number of steps involved, these calculations can take a while to complete.

Once your project has been processed, you’ll be able to identify the most likely disruptors. You can also see which adverse events would trigger the biggest problems in your event chain. Some inconveniences may be minor and only require minimal work to correct. Others may stall your project for months. Identify the biggest threats and make mitigation plans. These contingencies can be included in your event chain so that if an issue arises, your mitigation plan goes into action.

Visually Representing the Event Chain

Event chains are best presented through a multi-layered Gantt chart. Each step in the project is laid out in sequence with bars that represent the time each step should take. Event chain diagrams use downward arrows to signal an adverse event. Downward arrows should point to actions in a mitigation plan or an alternate version of the next step, perhaps with a longer bar to reflect the additional time needed to resolve the issue. Conversely, upward arrows represent positive events.

With the right help, you can minimize the risk of setbacks and make it easier to overcome obstacles with solid contingency plans. Contact Project Genetics to speak to a project management expert and learn more about how we can keep your projects on track.

Mergers and acquisitions are exciting times for a company. However, when not managed properly, they can produce more problems than benefits. A project management office (PMO) can take a leading role in integrating a new organization into your company while also making sure that projects from both businesses continue to run smoothly. PMO advisory during M&As is essential. Consider four best practices that PMOs should employ during M&As.

4 PMO Best Practices to Use During Mergers and Acquisitions

1. Separate Internal and External Projects

Both businesses in a merger or acquisition likely already have several external projects underway. External projects are customer-facing activities: new products or services, customer support projects, or sales and marketing initiatives. However, M&As also call for new internal projects. You have to integrate filesystems, unify the software that teams from both companies will use, and bring your new staff together. The PMO needs to keep external projects running while organizing internal projects to solidify the new company.

Consider creating teams with members from both organizations for internal projects. This minimizes the potential for resentment from team members of the company that’s been absorbed. It also eases fears of massive layoffs after a merger. Keep external project leads in place to avoid disruption. However, you may want to add a few experts from the recently acquired company to provide a fresh perspective and leverage their knowledge of the market.

2. Focus on Change Management

M&As mean change for everyone. Unfortunately, most workers are resistant to change. When people become proficient with your company’s processes, they worry that change will affect their performance or possibly add to their workload. It’s important to manage these changes and communicate clearly to everyone in the organization. Help people understand what changes will take place, when they will occur, and the benefits that will come from them.

The more you can get teams involved in change, the better the results. Set up pilot groups for testing so that you can get employee feedback. Listen to complaints and take suggestions into consideration. Allocate time to make adjustments to new processes; don’t expect to redesign everything perfectly on paper on your first attempt.  

3. Adjust Deadlines and Stay Vigilant

Speaking of time, you may need to adjust project deadlines across the board. M&As are complex and can create unforeseen challenges for both internal and external projects. Trying to impose original deadlines may only lead to frustration. It’s important to keep expectations realistic.

Monitor project progress more frequently during M&As than you normally would. New problems can arise quickly, so it’s vital that you stay in communication with project leads and immediately address any issues that appear.

4. Call for Additional PMO Advisory

Your existing PMO team may not be large enough to handle the extra demand brought on by your merger or acquisition. If your PMO is at capacity and is struggling to keep up with the additional tasks at hand, consider bringing in expert assistance. PMO consultants can help you stay on schedule and streamline the integration of both teams.

Contact Project Genetics to speak to PMO professionals and learn more about how we can help your M&As stay on track.

Businesses of all kinds are always looking for ways to improve the customer experience. CRM technology provides tools that help to improve that experience so that clients walk away completely satisfied. However, implementing a CRM system presents some unique challenges. Here are some of the most important aspects of successful CRM implementation.

5 Key Success Factors for CRM Implementation

1. Clear Vision and Goals

One crucial part of successfully implementing a CRM system is having clear reasoning for using the system that your entire team understands. From top to bottom, your entire organization needs to understand what the goal is behind making the change. When everyone has the same vision in mind for the future, it will be easy to keep everyone on the same page throughout the implementation process.

2. Adoption Across the Board

No matter how good your CRM system is, it won’t matter if your team isn’t utilizing the system. While some long-standing team members may have a certain attachment to their older tools, it’s important to get over this hurdle. You need your entire team on the same page to fully gauge the effectiveness of the CRM system and to provide your customers with a consistent experience.

3. Effective Training Methods

Change can be difficult for many people, especially when it comes to work tools they’ve been used to using for years, so it’s important to do everything you can to help your team through the transition process to a new CRM system. Comprehensive training on the new CRM system for your whole team is vital. While you may need to shift your resources around to achieve this training, the benefits you’ll get later make the process worth your while.

4. Gathering Data

If you aren’t able to measure meaningful statistics related to your CRM system, you won’t be able to determine whether or not you’ve successfully achieved the goals you set out to reach. Having tools in place to gather data related to your customers’ experience and the ease with which your team is able to use the tools, as well as other critical data points, will put you in a position to effectively refine the CRM strategy based on what works.

5. Choosing the Right Partner

Having the right help on your side throughout the implementation process will help to make the transition to your new system as smooth as possible. Expert advice from professionals who have been involved in implementation projects before will give you a solid base of knowledge to work from. The guidance you receive will help you achieve the goals you set out to tackle when you decided to adopt a CRM system.

Ready to take your business to the next level? Our experts are ready to work with you to develop a strategy that is specifically suited for your business. Contact Project Genetics today and let our experts assist you in getting your business on the road to success!

Efficiency and adaptation are crucial to maintaining an optimal business environment. Read on to learn more about one of the drivers of these cornerstone goals: ERP implementation.

ERP Defined

The term ERP stands for Enterprise Resource Planning. An ERP system consists of software that enables the automation of business or project processes into one central platform. As a result, aspects such as supply chain operations, financing, human resources, manufacturing, and sales can be linked and managed from an integrated system.

Phases of ERP Implementation

During the first step of implementation, a project team will gather important data about what different groups within the business or project need and what problems persist. After defining the ERP system’s requirements and planning for its framework, the team will evaluate currently existing processes and determine how these processes can best be redesigned and software customized so that seamless migration of data onto a new system or into the cloud can occur.

For the development phase that follows the planning and design phases, software will be configured and data import will commence. In addition, documentation and training manuals will be prepared. Then, the testing phase will begin so that major issues can be addressed and corrected before the system is deployed and goes live. Once the ERP is deployed, the support phase focuses on acclimating users to the system, fixing emergent problems, and upgrading software as needed.

Why ERP Matters

An organization may choose a new enterprise system because it wants to improve, modernize, and streamline an existing system, because the system is nonexistent or needs a complete overhaul, or following a merger and acquisition.

A successful system will yield many benefits. Consolidated data can be more easily assessed, analyzed, and compiled into insightful reports that are invaluable in making good data-driven decisions. Furthermore, departments that otherwise may have no meaningful coordination or interaction become more cross-functional and adaptive and benefit from a more comprehensive base of knowledge. As a result, overall workflow improves exponentially, and time and money are saved. Long-term, agility, optimization, and impact are the rewards.

 

The Value of Smooth Implementation

Every step of the implementation process is of tremendous consequence. Planning helps underpin an organization’s central goals, whether it be changing cost structures, technological advancement, increased operational efficiency, or another consideration. Understanding these aims helps outline a budgeting and scheduling plan while laying the foundation for deeper goals, such as innovation and growth.

The development phase builds on planning and requires a team of experts that can merge all of those plans into a sustainable system that considers company culture and risk tolerance. Gaps in documentation or delays in migration will complicate the testing and deployment phases, where the true markers of a system’s viability occur. The system will only be as efficient as the individuals who use it, which is why the support phase should never be overlooked or downplayed.

For the most current ERP solutions delivered with precision, customization, and expert commitment, contact Project Genetics Management Consultants, where success every step of the way is in our DNA.

Developers are constantly under pressure to meet deadlines with a polished product ready to launch. However, as most developers can attest, projects often fail to launch as planned. They may end up released with fewer features or be delayed altogether. What causes this problem, and how can you solve it? Better technical project management is key. However, it’s not the technical side that you should be worried about. Learn what really makes your projects struggle to meet deadlines.

Technical Project Management FAQs: Is Your Project Struggling With Unrealistic Deadlines?

The Most Common Cause of Delayed Projects

Delayed launches not only increase the cost of a project, but they can even lead to cancellation entirely. Almost one-third of projects die before launch due to repeated delays. What causes this problem? A UK study surveyed and interviewed 40 software-developing companies to identify the most common causes of delays. The study found that poor coordination and unrealistic expectations were among the highest-ranked reasons. Interestingly, technical difficulties were rarely the reason.

Respondents also cited conflict between members, which stemmed from the aforementioned planning problems. Clearly, managerial issues have the most potential to disrupt a project’s success. When there’s a disconnect between management’s expectations and a team’s capacity to deliver, problems will arise, and delays become more common. If you’ve been struggling to meet deadlines, it could be a sign that your expectations are off the mark. It may be beneficial to bring in a third-party consultant to review your project.

How Do You Know If Your Deadlines Are Unrealistic?

Several signs point to a problem with your deadlines. First, if your team regularly needs to go into crunch time to meet deadlines, they’re probably unrealistic. Crunch time not only exhausts your team, but it also costs more in overtime and turnover as employees often leave after finishing highly stressful projects. Another red flag is when your deadlines haven’t changed despite making significant changes to the project’s scope or features. Changes take time to implement; your deadlines must change, too.

Nevertheless, some factors don’t neatly align with deadline viability. For example, you might be tempted to hire additional staff to accelerate project development. However, without a clear need and assignment for new hires, you may end up creating more conflict or disconnect with your team. The same UK study noted that “more is less” in many cases, and additional hires usually failed to make deadlines more realistic. Adding another wheel to a car doesn’t improve velocity; it just adds friction.

How to Meet Your Deadlines Consistently

If you regularly have to push back your deadlines, the most likely culprit is management. Communication is vital to ensuring accurate, viable deadlines. If you don’t discuss the scope of a project with your team and get their input, you may overpromise to a client and underdeliver. However, you may be able to optimize your staff’s performance and improve your delivery times with better strategies and organizational tools.

At Project Genetics, we specialize in getting projects back on track. Contact Project Genetics to speak to one of our representatives.  

We’ve all been there before. A project is going south, fast. The client is unhappy, the team is demoralized, and you’re staring down an ever-growing list of tasks with no end in sight. Project Genetics can help you turn things around and get your project back on track. Whether you’re facing scope creep, unanticipated challenges, or simply need a fresh perspective, we can help with project recovery.

When Is It Too Late to Recover a Struggling Project?

With Project Genetics, it’s never too late to recover a struggling project. Red flags that indicate you should contact us include missed deadlines, lack of communication between stakeholders and team members, cost overruns, or insufficient resources allocated for the completion of a task.

In order to recover from a struggling project, the right support mechanisms need to be put in place. This can include providing additional resources, mitigating risk factors, and ensuring that all goals are achievable within budget constraints.

Identifying Risk Factors

There are many potential risk factors that can contribute to project failure, but some of the most common include:

Scope Creep

Scope creep is an insidious risk that occurs when the scope of the project expands beyond its original bounds. This can happen for a variety of reasons, but often it is the result of poor planning or changes in stakeholder expectations. Scope creep can quickly lead to cost overruns and schedule delays, so it is important to be vigilant about identifying and addressing it early on.

Unrealistic Deadlines

In many cases, deadlines are set without adequate consideration for the resources available or the complexity of the task at hand. As a result, projects often fall behind schedule, leading to frustration and wasted effort. To avoid this pitfall, it is crucial to take a realistic assessment of what can be accomplished within the available timeframe.

Inadequate Resources

Without the right people, materials, and equipment, it can be impossible to meet deadlines, stay within budget, or achieve the desired results. If a project is already failing due to insufficient resources, there are a few things that can be done to try and recover.

First, assess the situation and determine exactly what resources are needed. Then, reach out to stakeholders and other interested parties to see if additional resources can be obtained. Finally, it may be necessary to revise the project plan in order to account for the lack of resources.

Implementing Digital Solutions for Project Recovery

Digital tools can help with recovery in a number of ways. First, they can provide visibility into what’s going wrong and where corrective action is needed. They can also help to streamline communication and collaboration among team members, which is essential for getting a project back on the rails. Additionally, digital solutions can help to automate tasks and processes, making it easier to get things done quickly and efficiently.

With our industry knowledge and extensive network of contacts throughout many different fields, we’re able to effectively leverage resources and expertise to offer practical solutions to recover a failing project. Contact Project Genetics today for more information on how we can help bring your struggling project back from the brink!

Recently, it was estimated that 36% of business projects fail. Trillions of dollars are invested into projects every year, so that’s a lot of money being wasted. Most projects run into trouble towards the end of the project and it becomes challenging to right the ship. When it’s realized that a project is going off track, how do you recover it? Read on to learn the important steps for project recovery!

Back on Track: 4 Steps to Project Recovery

1. Create a Special Team

The first step is to create a special team tasked with recovery. This is a team composed of folks outside of the current project. Think of this team as an internal audit. Their goal is to do an independent evaluation of the project, conduct critical assessments, and execute the recovery process. As they will be stepping on toes, it’s important to have a good mix of personalities to minimize personnel issues. Buy-in from the current project team is key.

2. Start From the Top

Projects that follow the methodologies outlined by the Project Management Institute generally have a project charter with an outlined mission, objectives, and success criteria. These project artifacts must be reviewed and validated. It’s expected that some elements may need to evolve to match any new learnings since the project started. It’s also anticipated that any modifications will require approval.

3. Perform a Critical Assessment

A well-thought-out assessment is efficient, accurate, and minimizes project distractions. During the assessment, all critical project artifacts will need to be reviewed and project team members will need to be interviewed. Project artifacts in this step usually include the project plan, budget and associated metrics, estimate and pricing details, contract, and project organization chart.

The employees critical to the interviews include the project manager, sponsor, stakeholders, members of the project management office (if applicable), contractors, vendors, customers, and project team members. The goal of these interviews is to determine the exact status of the project, as well as any risks, issues, and opportunities. Interviews should emphasize confidentiality and open-ended questions.

Once the assessment is complete, the data should be analyzed and a list of findings and action items must be created. Then answer the most important question: is recovery possible? If so, move on to the next step.

4. Plan and Recover the Project

Once recovery is deemed possible, an extended team will need to be curated and the recovery process will start. It’s expected the focus now is on not failing. In addition, the recovery process will be subject to intense scrutiny, tight controls, and higher frequencies of communication and monitoring. The recovery plan must also take into consideration employee morale, personnel problems, and leadership issues. Patience, constant monitoring, and regular feedback are significant events during recovery.

Failing projects are recoverable. However, experience is necessary to turn them around. Do you need assistance in getting your project back on track? Check out Project Genetics today and meet with seasoned experts who can recover your troubled project! We help customers every day with project delivery. We are 100% committed to project success and can help you get your project back in line with your organization’s goals.

With the increasing use of cloud-based technologies, there has been a heightened focus on data security, and Project Genetics helps organizations understand and mitigate any potential risks associated with implementation of digital solutions. Consider taking these steps in order to protect data security during ERP implementation.

Protecting Data Security During ERP Implementation

Risks can come from internal or external sources, ranging from malicious actors looking to gain unauthorized access to confidential information to mistakes made by personnel within the organization who do not have sufficient knowledge about data privacy laws and regulations.

To ensure proper protection of this sensitive information, organizations should conduct a security audit of their current system before embarking on any new implementations. This audit should include identifying existing weaknesses and vulnerabilities as well as assessing whether existing IT infrastructure can handle the new requirements adequately.

Plan and Implement Appropriate Data Security Measures

Once any potential risks have been identified, organizations need to plan and implement appropriate data security measures for their specific needs. Such measures could include two-factor authentication for all users accessing critical resources, using strong passwords that are regularly changed, and creating encryption algorithms for stored data.

Businesses should ensure that only authorized personnel have access to confidential documents. Additionally, organizations should consider implementing an identity management system that allows them to easily control user access levels and track user activities on a granular level.

Train Employees on Data Security Best Practices

As part of the training process, there should be an emphasis on topics such as understanding data privacy laws and regulations, recognizing common social engineering tactics used by malicious actors, and avoiding suspicious links or emails.

Employees should also be enlightened on the importance of backing up files regularly, properly disposing of confidential documents, avoiding writing down passwords, and never leaving computers unlocked or unattended. Additionally, they should be taught how to respond when confronted with a data breach so that they can take necessary precautions in order to minimize any losses incurred from it.

Regularly Test Data Security Measures to Ensure They Are Effective

Organizations also need to keep checking if their implemented data security measures are effective enough by regularly testing them against different attacker scenarios and evaluating their results accordingly. By doing this, organizations will reduce the chance of becoming the victim of sophisticated cyberattacks, thus ensuring that all confidential, business-related information remains secure at all times regardless if deployed on-premise or hosted remotely over cloud platforms.

Additionally, keeping hardware and software updated is another key component in reducing the risk of cyberattacks. These updates usually contain critical patches which address known vulnerabilities in systems or applications that malicious actors could exploit otherwise.

By taking steps to harden endpoints and ensuring that technology infrastructure is secure, you can help protect your business from potential attacks. At Project Genetics, we help businesses integrate technology solutions with best practices to streamline their digital transformation implementation. Contact Project Genetics today to learn more about how we can help keep your data safe during and after software implementation.

With the pace of technological growth rapidly increasing, businesses need to be agile. However, traditional project management approaches often put projects on rigid rails that don’t allow for flexibility. The solution is to integrate modern technology into your project management office. Enterprise Project Management systems make it easier for your team to collaborate on projects while helping upper management measure progress and address obstacles. EPM also boosts your data analytics capabilities. To implement EPM, you’ll first need a roadmap.

Enterprise Project Management: Determining Your EPM Roadmap

Start With Pain Points and Goals

Before you rush to buy a license for the top-rated EPM software, pause to consider what you’re trying to accomplish. A roadmap is not only meant to plan out the steps to deployment. Roadmaps include objectives and measurables so that you can determine if you’re on your way to a successful deployment. So consider your pain points when it comes to project management and execution. What obstacles do you routinely face?

Then, set goals that will help you determine whether your EPM implementation is actually benefiting the company. We recommend targeting specific KPIs so that you can measure performance using data. You may also set some larger goals, like increasing the number of projects successfully executed or reducing the overall time it takes for projects to reach completion.

Choose the Right Tools

Knowing what you want to accomplish with your EPM system is vital since it will guide your next and most important decision. What EPM tools should you acquire for your company? There are many options on the market, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. They also vary wildly in terms of pricing. Some operate on a per-user subscription basis, while others may charge based on the volume of activity on the platform or the specific features you select.

Choosing the right tools for your specific needs and goals will help you keep your implementation from going over budget. In addition, your staff will have an easier time using a system that was acquired with their specific needs in mind. Furthermore, the time it takes to implement an EPM system also varies from one product to the next.

Set Deadlines and Start Implementation

The next step is to focus on deadlines. Implementations take time, so don’t try to rush. However, you still need to have reasonable deadlines to ensure the deployment arrives on schedule. Systems engineers will be most involved in the early stages. Set a date for when the first working version will be ready so that you can then start testing the software with key team members. Expect changes during testing. Set another deadline for the final release.

Pilot and Perfect

Once your EPM system is ready for use, have your PMO draft a pilot project using the system. This first project will help you find possible problems that can be fixed before asking everyone to use the platform. The pilot group can also put together a list of best practices to help their colleagues adapt faster.  

An EPM implementation can be a complex process. At Project Genetics, we make it simple by providing expert assistance every step of the way. Book an intro call with Project Genetics to meet with one of our representatives face-to-face.

Customer relationship management (CRM) refers to the process companies use to administer interactions and relationships they have with customers. There are many CRM software and hardware options available today, and among these options, there is an ongoing debate about whether to implement cloud-based or on-premise systems. Let’s take a deeper look at whether cloud or on-premise CRM implementation is better for your company.

Cloud vs. On-Premise CRM Implementation: Which Is Best for Your Organization?

Cloud CRM System Characteristics

Cloud-based CRM systems typically use the software as a service (SaaS) model, where a company pays a subscription fee to a software provider for access to its CRM software. This means your company data is stored online rather than using an on-site server, and users access the data they need through the internet. Cloud-based solutions are often designed with integration features that make them easy to blend with existing software and platforms.

Cloud CRM is typically less expensive as the provider manages all updates, backups, and maintenance. You won’t have to pay for expensive equipment, and plans can be scaled according to your budget. Another benefit is your team members can work from any location with an internet connection, providing great flexibility for today’s mobile workforce. Since everything is online, you’ll always be working with the most current versions of all documents.

On-Premise CRM System Characteristics

On-premise CRM requires on-site hardware and servers to store and provide access to company data. Software is installed either on the servers or on individual user machines, meaning the system can function without an internet connection. With the on-premise model, companies typically purchase a license that gives them ownership of the CRM software. This means it can be customized to suit the unique operational needs of each business.    

Since on-premise CRM is completely contained offline, there are some inherent security advantages. This is particularly true when it comes to system updates and maintenance, as performing these offline avoids the threat of bugs and cyber attacks. On-premise CRM does, however, require a company to perform frequent backups to a physical server to avoid potential data loss.

Comparing Cloud vs. CRM

When it comes to deciding between cloud-based and on-premise CRM, it mostly comes down to three factors: cost, customization, and security. Other key variables include the size of your organization, whether or not you have remote employees, and how vulnerable your company is to cyber threats. Large companies, for instance, are sometimes more concerned with maintaining internal control of potentially sensitive data, which favors on-premise CRM.

Purely on a cost basis, Cloud CRM systems are typically less expensive, as they charge on a per-user basis that can be scaled up or down as your company evolves. You’ll also avoid the personnel costs associated with maintaining IT personnel to manage servers and system infrastructure.

These are some of the factors that will help determine whether cloud-based or on-site CRM is a better fit for your organization. Contact Project Genetics to learn how we can help implement CRM and other solutions to help maximize your company’s potential.