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
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
22 June 2011 1:55 pm

Whatever happened to Smith Corona? A Hard Lesson in Product Development and Innovation

Time and time again we see dominant technologies come and go.  History has seen the automobile replace the horse and buggy as the vehicle of choice, the DVD replace the video cassette, and the PC replace the typewriter.  Although the shift in new technologies is unavoidable, there is a choice in the path of the companies that produce these products.  Some organizations have the foresight and vision to remain leaders in innovation, while others remain stuck in a “tunnel vision” mentality and continue on a path where the inability to change results in their demise.  An excellent example can be  Read More

Written by Neil Stolovitsky
on 22 June 2011 1:55 pm

Posted in Information Technology, Manufacturing, PM Best Practices  |  No Comments
4 March 2011 5:28 pm

The Power of Demand in Project Management

The other day I read an article on how Charlie Sheen set a new Guinness World record by reaching 1 million followers in the shortest amount of time.  With the power of technology, Sheen opened a Twitter account and hit the “1 million” milestone in 25 hours and 17 minutes.  My first thought was – it is amazing the incredible appetite people have to be connected to latest news covering their topic(s) of interest.  Although the Sheen example is an extreme scenario, it does provide insight into the cyclical nature of humanity and the dynamic between people’s wants and needs  Read More

Written by Neil Stolovitsky
on 4 March 2011 5:28 pm

Posted in Manufacturing, PM Best Practices  |  No Comments
26 October 2010 3:21 pm

Project Analytics: “It is the Real Thing”

it's the real thing coca-cola

One of the biggest challenges in the project management world is for professionals in the field to prove the value project management can deliver to the organizations they serve.  The reality is most organizations have a very difficult time evaluating and assessing the project management activities their project teams and leaders are delivering.  Are these project activities impacting the bottom line?  If so, what contribution are they having on the overall success of an organization?  Most of the difficulties of project team and activity assessment stems from the fact that the majority of organizations have poor visibility and analytics into  Read More

Written by Neil Stolovitsky
on 26 October 2010 3:21 pm

Posted in PM Best Practices  |  No Comments
19 August 2010 3:41 pm

Defining Project Success: The Best Project does not mean the most Successful Project

Traditionally project success tends to focus on the successful delivery of a planned project by meeting deadlines/timelines, adhering to specifications/requirements and working within allocated budgets.  Although from the project manager’s and team member’s perspective this is true, there are many high quality projects that have met all these requirements and ultimately failed.  In fact, the technology sector has been infamous in delivering mediocre solutions that have quickly dominated their product categories.
You just have to dial back to the late 70s and when the Sony Betamax and the Apple computer dominated their product categories only for a short time.  Both of  Read More

Written by Neil Stolovitsky
on 19 August 2010 3:41 pm

Posted in Famous Projects  |  1 Comment
4 June 2010 11:23 pm

The Pet Rock Made Sense: NPD Projects Need to Benefit from the Entire Value Chain

Pet Rock

In 1975 Gary Dahl was sitting at a bar listening to his friends complaining about their pets.  This mundane incident led Gary to inventing the Pet Rock that would make him an instant millionaire in a span of 6 months.  At face value, it would seem Gary had a stroke of luck with coming up with the right idea at the right time.  But the reality was, Gary Dahl did more than just come up with a clever concept. As an Ad Exec by profession, Gary understood that there was much more to his project’s success than just executing on  Read More

Written by Neil Stolovitsky
on 4 June 2010 11:23 pm

Posted in Manufacturing  |  No Comments