16 December 2011 8:48 am

A Project Selection Strategy is Critical, Unless you can go “Back to the Future”

For many project-driven organizations, especially those in new product development and innovation, one of the toughest challenges is managing a pipeline of potential projects and making an objective and well-informed decision on which project to place your bet on.  A strategic project selection process will ensure that the right metrics, experts and stakeholders are involved in the assessment and prioritization of your pipeline.  The right project selection strategy allows for an organization to maximize its potential for success and improvement across its current and future portfolio.

Written by Neil Stolovitsky
on 16 December 2011 8:48 am

Posted in About PM box  |  No Comments
28 November 2011 9:15 am

Get your Pair of Adidas for $1! Process Improvement in your Projects is about the Journey, not the Destination

In our current global economy consumer products are dropping in price due to the maturity of organization’s that are schooled in the ability to leverage the best and cheapest resources around the world every point in the manufacturing process.   In recent years we have seen remarkably low priced items seen with the launch of Tata’s Nano car retailed at $1900 and now Adidas’ recent announcement of launching a $1 running shoe aimed at India’s growing population.

Written by Neil Stolovitsky
on 28 November 2011 9:15 am

Posted in Famous Projects, Manufacturing, PM Best Practices  |  No Comments
18 November 2011 2:35 pm

Just Ask Angie! Quality Project Information Will Lead to Better Decisions

There have been many major successful IPOs in 2011.  From Groupon to Linkedin and Pandora, in a shaky economic climate these major internet players have proven that the Web still has much room for growth.  One of the more interesting IPOs in 2011 that sheds light on what businesses and consumers seek to gain from each other is “Angie’s List.”  Founded in 1995 (a dinosaur by internet standards), despite still being in the red, Angie’s IPO has increased its valuation by 25% pegging it at approximately $900 million.  Not bad for a company that started in Ohio by Angie Hicks  Read More

Written by Neil Stolovitsky
on 18 November 2011 2:35 pm

Posted in PM Best Practices  |  No Comments
28 October 2011 8:17 am

Better Project Collaboration does not Necessarily Mean Standardizing Solely on a Common Web Platform

In a world where the average knowledge worker communicates with his or her stakeholders via email, intranets, extranets, smart phones, and a host of social media and enterprise applications available over the Web, the meaning of “collaboration” can be as useful as it is confusing to project teams that live and die by the information they ingest.  With so many options and means to communicate, developing a collaboration strategy is critical in today’s project environment. You just have to dial back ten years ago and realize collaboration options were quite basic in comparison to today’s world.  Most information was shared  Read More

Written by Neil Stolovitsky
on 28 October 2011 8:17 am

Posted in IBM Lotus Notes and Domino SaaS, Information Technology, PM Best Practices, PM Software in the Software Market  |  No Comments
19 October 2011 12:41 pm

The Power of the Plan: Why 1% of the Population Controls 40% of the Wealth

The recent news of the “Occupy Wall Street” grassroots movement in which demonstrators are congregating around the world expressing their defiance against the financial establishment and its impact on the “Average Joe” has brought to light the age old reality that money and power lies in the hands of a few who understand the power of the plan that keeps this inequality afloat.  Throughout history kings and monarchs have exploited the majority by creating meticulously planned structures of power, wealth and governments to ensure their positions.  Although the Occupy Wall Street movement is a modern phenomenon, similar strategies employed centuries  Read More

Written by Neil Stolovitsky
on 19 October 2011 12:41 pm

Posted in PM Best Practices  |  No Comments
27 September 2011 2:28 pm

5 Questions Project Leaders Need to Ask to Avoid the Damaging Effects of “Broken Telephone”

For many avid “social networkers” there is panic in the air!  There is a story circulating the internet that claims Facebook will be charging its members a monthly fee.  In a world of constant connectivity and the instant access to information rumors can go viral at the drop of a hat.  Facebook and its powerful platform that has the capabilities to deliver real-time information to an immense user base of 800,000,000 members is an excellent example of the available vehicles to quickly disseminate damaging information. Although the rumor has been discounted by Facebook, the reality is today’s online platforms have  Read More

Written by Neil Stolovitsky
on 27 September 2011 2:28 pm

Posted in PM Best Practices  |  No Comments
19 September 2011 9:07 am

Are you getting the most out of your project documents? Top 5 reasons why you need a document management strategy

It’s incredible how low the cost of memory has dropped!  I recently purchased an 8GB mini SD card for my Blackberry for under $20, when considering I paid over $1000 for a PC back in 1999 with an 8GB hard drive.  With today’s amazingly affordable access to cheap storage, organizations are increasingly drowning in the data they gather.
In today’s project environment capturing and storing project information is limitless.  On the flip side, extracting and accessing relevant information quickly and efficiently has begun to pose a growing problem to stakeholders and project managers that are required to make informed decisions impacting  Read More

Written by Neil Stolovitsky
on 19 September 2011 9:07 am

Posted in PM Best Practices  |  No Comments
25 August 2011 2:06 pm

Project Vision: The “Apple” Never Falls Far from the Tree

With yesterday’s announcement of Steve Jobs stepping down as Apple’s CEO, the first thought that crossed my mind is the critical role leadership plays in any organization.  As the story goes… after building Apple into an industry giant, Jobs was ousted as its leader in 1985.  Following his departure, the company slowly deteriorated and by 1997 the company Jobs’ built was running at a loss of $1 billion on its $7 billion in revenue.  Almost 15 years later, under Jobs’ leadership Apple has not only transformed its own DNA, but has revolutionized the music industry, the smart phone and the  Read More

Written by Neil Stolovitsky
on 25 August 2011 2:06 pm

Posted in Information Technology, PM Best Practices  |  No Comments
12 August 2011 12:49 pm

Poor Stakeholder Management: Dangerous Politics will Yield Undesirable Results

In recent weeks, the media has been inundated with stories about political turmoil in the US and Western Europe.  We have not only seen the recent news of the US’s downgrade in its credit rating and its mounting budget deficit but we have also seen unprecedented social unrest in the UK, the French economy at a standstill and the Euro taking a hard hit due to Greece’s recent instability.  Although a lot of these events are partially due to poor planning by governments, the reality is (and this should not be ignored) partisan politics, self-interest, and poor communication among stakeholders  Read More

Written by Neil Stolovitsky
on 12 August 2011 12:49 pm

Posted in PM Best Practices  |  No Comments
20 July 2011 3:05 pm

The Model T Ford Project: A “Model” for Product and Process Innovation

Up until the early 20th century the world viewed the automobile as a luxury item built for the elite of society.  Cars were complicated in their use and required a significant investment that the average person could not afford.  Then in 1908, Henry Ford introduced the Model T Ford that did not only revolutionize the world’s perspective on personal transportation for the masses but also re-invented the manufacturing process still applied over 100 years later.  Although we have seen improvements to his original process, with the development of lean manufacturing, JIT, Six Sigma, Kanban, and others, the core philosophy of  Read More

Written by Neil Stolovitsky
on 20 July 2011 3:05 pm

Posted in Famous Projects, Manufacturing, PM Best Practices  |  No Comments
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