A Project Manager’s Book of Tools and Techniques is an invaluable tool for students and professionals alike. This book provides detailed explanations of 100 essential tools such as planning, implementation and oversight that are effective and based in the real world.
Dionisio details comprehensive examples of these tools and in-depth discussion provides expert guidance for project managers all around the world. A Project Manager’s Book of Tools and Techniques will help readers bridge the gap and apply current project management practices.
A Project Manager’s Book of Tools and Techniques
The Project Manager’s Book of Tools and Techniques is an invaluable resource for both students and professionals working in the field of project management. It doesn’t matter if you are preparing for the PMP exam or just looking to improve your project management skills, this book will provide detailed explanations of over 100 essential project management tools as described in The Project Management Institute’s Sixth Edition A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide). There is more to effective project management than theory and concept; these tools and techniques represent the “how” of effective project management, going well beyond theory and concept.
All phases of the project, from planning to implementation to oversight, and beyond, are covered here in order to help you apply critical PMBOK concepts in a more effective manner. The authors provide both new and experienced project management professionals with detailed guidance based on extensive examples and detailed discussions of real-world implementations that are illustrated with real-world examples.
A perfect understanding of the PMBOK Guide does not automatically translate into effective practice; even if you are deeply familiar with the PMBOK Guide, it does not automatically translate into effective implementation. There is a gap in the current project management standards that needs to filled, but this book can assist you in bridging that gap.
- Discover how the PMBOK Guide—Sixth Edition can be used to help you implement a wide range of practical tools
- Detailed examples of effective project management methods are provided as examples to follow
- Become proficient in project management applications in order to prepare for the PMP certification exam
- The key to success is to graduate from theory to practice using powerful tools and techniques
There is only value in concepts when they are applied – and when they are applied, they become a skill set that actually produces results. The PMBOK Guide is considered the ultimate authority on project management concepts, but translating those concepts into skills that can be applied to real-life scenarios requires a detailed understanding of the tools that are used in the field. There is a way to put into practice the essential concepts of project management by using this book of tools and techniques that every project manager should have in his or her toolbox.
A Project Manager’s Book of Tools and Techniques is an indispensable resource for both students and professionals in the field of project management. In this book, you will find detailed explanations of over 100 essential tools described in the Project Management Institute’s A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) Sixth Edition, whether you are preparing for the PMP exam or simply looking to improve your project management skills. As a result of this book, you will be able to apply essential PMBOK concepts to real-world projects. These tools and techniques are the “how” of effective project management. From planning to implementation to oversight, and beyond, all phases of a project are presented here for you to use more effectively. In addition to comprehensive examples that illustrate real-world implementation, there is also detailed discussion that provides expert guidance for professionals who are new to project management as well as those with experience in this field.
The important thing to understand is that knowing what to do is very different from knowing how to do it; even a thorough understanding of the PMBOK Guide does not necessarily translate into effective practice in the real world. It was written in order to help you bridge that gap between current project management standards and how to apply them expertly in this book.
The PMBOK Guide-Sixth Edition provides a wealth of information on practical tools that can be utilized in managing your projects.
Follow detailed examples that illustrate effective project management methods Master project management applications in preparation for the PMP exam Graduate from theory to practice with powerful tools and techniques for success Concepts are only valuable when they are applied–and when they become a skill set that gets results, they become a valuable asset. In the project management field, the PMBOK Guide is considered the ultimate authority on project management concepts, but to translate those concepts into practical skills, you must have a thorough understanding of the tools that are used. Here are some tools and resources that every project manager should know about
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CYNTHIA SNYDER DIONISIO, Project Management Consultant, Issaquah, Washington, USA
Ms. Snyder Dionisio is a well-known project management consultant. She acted as the project manager for the team that created PMI’s PMBOK Guide – Sixth Edition, has authored six books related to project management and is the lead instructor for Wiley Efficient Learning’s Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam Review Course. Ms. Snyder Dionisio has experience in training for the corporate, public sector, and academic environment. She is a Project Management Professional (PMP) certified professional and earned her Master of Business Administration degree from Pepperdine University. She has also earned certifications as an Earned Value Professional (EVP) and is Certified by Microsoft on MS
Project management tools and techniques
The problem statement is that there is a lack of tools and techniques for managing projects that actually work. Our day-to-day work lives in the 21st century are filled with a variety of scenarios and projects that we are faced with on a daily basis. There will eventually come a point where these variables affect us so much that productivity will be affected in a variety of ways. Even if we have a proper strategy or a leader with an effective mindset that is capable of guiding us through this ordeal, it is impossible for us to wrap our heads around such complexity.
It is essential to have these strategies and tools in place so that we can accomplish our objectives without spending a lot of our revenue and manpower on work activities that we do not have any direction in mind in the future, as we will be in serious trouble in the future if we spend all that energy on work activities without any direction in mind.
We are going to help you to examine some effective tools and techniques that can be used in different fields of the organizational culture to assist you in creating an efficient strategy and successfully implementing a top-notch project in this brief article.
There are many techniques and tools that can be used to manage projects effectively, but there is not one technique or foolproof tool that can be used in all projects for all organizations when it comes to project management. In order to determine which option is the best fit for your project, you should take into account the specifics that are outlined in the brief, the complexity level that the project boasts, the nature and qualifications of the team working on the project, and many other factors that are important to you.
The vast majority of project management tools and techniques can be applied to a wide range of fields, but some of them are natively designed for a particular type of activity, and those activities or projects would not be able to function properly without the foundation of those tools.
In this section, I’d like to highlight some of the most noteworthy project management techniques that are currently being used by industry professionals for managing their projects.
1. Classic technique
We often think that completing a project or an assignment in our work-life requires the latest and the most complex tools and techniques in order to achieve tangible results, and for the most part, that is true, but for all those other times, it is more appropriate to use the traditional and simplest techniques when developing projects in order to be effectively developed.
The classical technique involves creating a plan to include all of the upcoming work activities, the tasks to be accomplished, the chain of execution that defines which task should be completed first, allocating resources to the tasks according to their importance, providing and receiving proper feedback from the team, and also monitoring the quality of what is being done and the deadlines being met..
As part of the nTask app, this technique has been incorporated so that you can create simple tasks for your teams and set actual and planned deadlines for them. In addition, it is possible to prioritize the tasks in accordance with their urgency or dependencies.
As a rule of thumb, the Classical procedure is excellent for running projects that are completed by a team of a small size since a larger team with a complex strategy is not necessary in order to run a project.
2. Waterfall technique
In addition to the waterfall technique, there are other traditional project management tools like the Agile method, which builds on the classical approach mentioned above and takes it to an even higher level.
According to the title, the Waterfall technique is a project management approach where all of your project management tasks are dealt with sequentially in order to make sure the next task is only performed once the previous task has been completed to the satisfaction of everyone involved. Similarly, the tasks flow smoothly in the direction you want them to go, but this can only be achieved if they are completed sequentially rather than all at once.
The use of nTask’s Gantt charts makes it easy to manage complex projects that have a lot of dependencies in them, and you can easily handle the management of such projects with ease.
In the process of using this technique, the projects are very properly monitored and all steps are accounted for and evaluated to ensure that the process is seamless and without any issues or worries during the entire process. There are also Gant charts that can be used to display a visual representation of all of the phases that the tasks go through during the project lifecycle, as well as all of the dependencies that are involved in the project.
Where to use: The waterfall method is an interesting technique that is used to handle complex projects that cannot be handled by a classical approach, such as those that are very large and complex. It is because of the fact that there needs to be phasing to ensure a successful development and if you really want to deliver a successful project then a properly rigid work structure needs to be put in place.
3. Agile Project Management
Among the many project management techniques that can be used, the Agile Project Management technique is one of the most famous and has been incredibly successful in its application due to the way in which it deals with projects in a way that’s quite different from other traditional methods.
It is important to understand that Agile method is basically a way of breaking down the big steps of the project into shorter sprints that enable a detailed analysis of the whole process to be carried out at the development stage. In order for the project to gain a proper shape, it is necessary to perform a detailed analysis that allows for effective and adaptive planning in accordance with the changing needs and requirements of the project.
These activities have resulted in a solid continuous improvement during the development stage, as well as the teams become more organized and collaborative to achieve the best possible results during the development process.
Generally, Agile frameworks include a variety of techniques such as Scrum, Kanban, FDD, and DSDM, as well as others.
An Agile project management technique is used in projects whose development unravels in short but precise increments which are carried out by small, but highly collaborative teams, with a high degree of flexibility.
With the popularity of the Agile management procedure, there are now a lot of tools available to help you manage your projects, as well as your team, with ease. These tools will enable you to embed Scrum and Agile into your project, as well as help you complete this development process with ease.
With apps such as nTask, you can easily configure different levels of your work structure which is quite convenient in tough situations, as well as keeping track of long- and short-term deadlines to stay on top of everything and keep your team accountable. During the planning process, they can also show you an estimate of the estimated work strategy for a specific project. It is even possible for them to create a Kanban board which monitors all of the work progress your team has made so far during the planning process.
The main purpose of these software tools is that they provide you with the ability to visualize your project being run using the Agile method and visualize the structure in order to obtain good results from your project.
4. Rational Unified Process (RUP)
RUP is an amazing framework that was specially designed for the software market where the software development teams and the projects they work on, can benefit from this framework and achieve the best results possible.
Rational Unified Process prescribes implementing a sequential or iterative developmental process like the Waterfall technique, but with a slight change as the feedback which is collected for the betterment of the project in all future iterations and modifications, is taken from the direct product users.
Where to use: The RUP procedure is applied to software development projects where the whole process is broken down into pieces and also where the end-user input and satisfaction is a key factors of the project.
5. Program Evaluation and Review Technique
It is well known that Program Evaluation and Review Technique, also known as PERT, is an incredible software management technique that is very widely used in many different sectors and areas. In its simplest form, this technique is able to facilitate the project with quite complex and amazingly detailed planned scenarios that are used by the development team to be able to visualize the whole process and the outcome of the project properly on PERT charts.
It is one of the main features of this technique that it performs an effective analysis of the tasks within the project and then produces a report that will show the progress that has been made so far. With this information, the team can keep track of all of their developmental activities and fix any weaknesses that they may be experiencing.
The US Navy originally developed this technique during the Cold War era in order to increase the efficiency of the work activities that were being performed in the development of new technologies in order to increase its effectiveness.
There are a few situations where the Program Evaluation and Review Technique can be put to best use, such as large and long-term projects in which there are a lot of non-routine tasks with ever-changing stakes that need to be addressed. Additionally, it is also important to keep in mind that the requirements for these projects can change according to the circumstances or a number of factors, but PERT is able to handle these very well.
6. Critical Path Technique
The Critical Path Technique is an amazing process which is used to schedule and plan the work activities, according to the requirements outlined in the project brief, in order to carry out the project and complete its goals. Additionally, this technique is also used in conjunction with the Program Evaluation and Review Technique method mentioned previously.
Using this technique, one can easily detect and confirm the longest path that will allow the tasks to be completed in the most efficient and effective way. In other words, this means that the activities that are supposed to take place on a certain trajectory have their critical importance highlighted, in order that they can be executed individually and not in a sequential manner as they would be in a sequential order.
The critical importance that the technique finds is helpful because then the development teams are able to control the project by playing head-on and completing the critical tasks at the beginning. When the more important work has been completed, they will have more time to work on the project, and once that work has been completed they will be able to complete it with relative ease.
It is more common to use the Critical Path Technique when a project is very complex and has many tasks that must be performed simultaneously. In addition, the development team has no idea what to accomplish first so that they can meet the deadlines and complete the project in a reasonable amount of time without wasting precious time and energy on doing everything at once, which generally results in them not completing anything. There are a number of areas where this procedure is generally used, such as construction, software development, defense, and others.
7. Critical Chain Technique
A Critical Chain Technique is a method of project management that has been developed by deriving from the PERT and Critical Path methodologies of project management. There is a more relaxed approach taken in terms of task orders and scheduling in this document and it suggests that there should be more flexibility in allocating resources to different tasks and more attention should be paid to how the team is spending their time working on various project activities as part of the overall project management process.
A major recommendation of the CCT is that the work should be done on the basis of prioritization and also an analysis of all the dependencies related to the project should be done as well as the optimization of the time spent on the different activities should be made as carefully as possible.
As with the Program Evaluation and Review Technique and the Critical Path Technique, it is used in the context of very complex projects that require a very thorough evaluation and review process. Due to the fact that it sheds a much brighter light on how the team spends their time and revenue, it is best suited to projects where resources are limited.
8. Extreme Project Management (XPM)
It is true that Extreme Project Management has a more loose and optimistic approach to planning a project than traditional project management techniques. It asserts that there should be an open approach, a reduction in the amount of formality in the company’s culture, and the management should not act in a stern and deterministic manner towards the employees.
In large projects, where complexity and uncertainty are high, XPM technique is commonly used to eliminate uncertainty and simplify the project management process. The reason for this is that there are a number of uncertain and unpredictable factors that are involved in the project that need to be addressed as part of the planning process.
9. Kanban System
Using the Kanban System, we can visualize the project management workflows from “Start” to “Done” status columns that are part of the Agile methodology approach. In this application, you will be able to map the workflow and set a limit on how much work is in progress at any given time. It is common for people to use notebooks, or wall-mounted display boards to move cards along the stages of the work, but there are many useful Kanban Tools that can make moving the cards easier and more efficient.
As a project manager, you will be able to fully customize the names of the work stages to make sure that they do not conflict with the use case that is best suited to your project. Users across a range of industries can easily get started with pre-built Kanban Board Templates that are available in project management tools such as nTask.
As another benefit of this methodology is that it does not require a scrum master to manage the work assigned. It is the entire project team’s responsibility to deliver the work in a timely manner.
In terms of where Kanban can be used, it can be used for any project from small gigs to personal task lists, consultant bookings, to even large-scale software development projects. It is more useful to implement this system in any organization that has a lower level of technical staff, so it can be readily adapted to any organization.
Tools for Project Management
In addition to the techniques, you also need specific tools that you can use during the development stage of your page in order to be able to properly implement these techniques during the development phase and obtain the results that you desire. A list of tools that you can use during the project management process can be found below.
1. Organizing Workflow & Planning
There is no doubt that the most important part and practically the beginning of any project is the planning stage, which is the heart and soul of the whole process. In order to ensure the future quality of a project, it is important to define who will be involved in the project and how that project will be implemented so that the desired quality can be guaranteed and achieved.
Companies with a large number of employees tend to use comprehensive solutions, such as MS Project, which are designed for larger teams. The situation is a little different for smaller teams, however. It is important to note that there are many different alternatives that are available on the market that you can equip yourself with and that do not have all the fancy features of the comprehensive solutions, but they still perform the same tasks with their planning and roadmap features, which make them useful for visualizing the progress of a project in the future.
2. Communication
The communication within a project team needs to be frequent and effective in order to achieve success, as it is an essential factor in almost all of the techniques and methodologies being used in the project management context as well as in other areas of the market. As far as formal correspondence is concerned, you can use email to communicate, but you can also use applications like Skype and Slack for impromptu conversations among team members, which will increase your team’s productivity by improving team collaboration.
3. Scheduling and Time Management
In relation to the development of any project, or anything for that matter, money is the most important factor. While you are allowed to spend more resources and time on certain projects quite thoughtlessly, on the other hand, you need to be careful in the projects where you are spending the money that you are earning.
There are several reasons for this. Firstly, due to the limited resources and time available to the project from the beginning and secondly, due to the fact that you should not waste valuable resources on teams and equipment that might not even be available when the project is envisaged. In order to spend all of the revenue on an empty room full of resources but no manpower, you should always schedule ahead and check the dates with all team members before you spend all of the revenue on a room full of resources but no manpower.
The nTask scheduler allows you to keep track of the time spent on specific tasks by the individual team members as well as all of the relevant time stamps inputted by the individuals so that you can adjust the schedule accordingly by keeping track of the time spent on specific tasks by the individual team members. It is essential that you utilize these tools and techniques in order to efficiently and effectively manage your projects.
Basic Project Management Tools
1. Instagantt
If you are looking for a web-based Gantt chart software, this is the way to go. In addition to being designed to work with Asana (which we will be talking about in a moment), it also allows you to import schedules from other sources into the app. Due to this, all of your information will only have to be entered once, and then you will be able to view it on each of your different platforms since you will only have to enter it once. The application allows you to create timelines and tasks, as well as manage and monitor your team’s workload. Moreover, you’ll be able to see everything in a format that works for you and your team at the same time.
In spite of the fact that you might not be using Asana yourself, you can still get a lot out of this system, including monitoring and assigning tasks, assigning due dates, and evaluating progress over time. There are several different price points available for each of these items, so that you will be able to work with the team you already have and keep on top of everything that needs to be done in the company.
Instagantt comes with a number of awesome features, some of which are as follows:
- Gantt and workload view
- The task and its subtasks
- Options for sharing snapshots with the public
- Dates and timelines
- Workspaces and projects with multiple users
- Milestones and their dependencies
- The critical path to success
- Options for team collaboration: notification and task assignment
- Cost estimation and actual cost of the project
- Fields and views that are custom-made
- Custom color options for progress bars
- Risk and priority
- Baselines
- Drag & drop
- Diverse exporting options: Excel, image and PDF
2. TeamGantt
When you use this tool, you’re creating workflows, and you’re doing it in a manner that makes it easy for people to understand and get a grip on what you’re doing. Using the tool, you will be able to create different projects, milestones, and tasks, which can be accessed from any of your devices. In addition to running on iOS, Android, Chrome, and Web, this system also works on iOS. You will be able to access it from anywhere and on any device you want, which means your users and team members will be able to access it no matter where they are. The snapshot view allows you to take a glimpse at just what they’re doing at any given moment, so you can follow their progress.
Using the Task Scheduler, you can assign high, low, and medium priority to tasks, see how your team is doing, and even set up the start and due dates for all your tasks. In addition, you will be able to keep track of everything using a Gantt timeline so you can see the progress at any given time. The whole thing can be tried out for 30 days for free, and you can cancel at any time. Once you have a team, you pay according to how many people are on your team.
Some of TeamGantt Features:
– Drag&Drop
– Guest permission
– Baselines
– Multiple project view in one Gantt chart
– Guest permission
– Baselines
– Tasks & Subtasks
3. Asana
There is no doubt that you want to be able to keep track of what everyone is doing, and that’s where Asana excels. With the help of this program, you are able to create the task list you want, move it as many times as you like and then go back to it when you are done. Furthermore, there is a visual timeline that you can use to keep track of all the activities that need to be performed for the project. In addition, you will be able to arrange your progress, note due dates, and make scheduling and rescheduling a simple and easy process.
One of the best things about this application is that it works with a number of your other favorite applications. There are several ways to link it to your calendars, such as Slack, Outplanr, Google Calendar, and Dropbox. In order to integrate all of these links, you do not have to enter all of your information at once, as they make it easy to do so. There are different fee schedules that you can choose from so that you can find one that works for you. Whether it is free or enterprise, we have it all.
Asana Features:
- Management of documents
- Management of a project
- Keeping track of your time and expenses
- Management information system
- Toolkits for collaboration
- Managing a portfolio of investments
- The management of resources
- The integration of Instagantt with Instagantt
4. Click Up:
If you want to manage your tasks efficiently, including managing your more substantial tasks, full projects, small tasks, and notes, then using this service will be a good idea. There are many customization options available with this system, so you will be able to create a system that works for your needs. Additionally, it is possible to do automatic scheduling with estimated times, and you can choose who is able to see which information on the system, and who does not. By doing this, you are ensuring that your team members will not have instant access to everything in the system when they join your team.
As well as being able to set goals and monitor their progress, you can also change your view to meet your needs, check out the progress of your projects, and find out how these goals are doing. Moreover, you will be able to make use of this system at a low rate since it is based on how many people you have on your team and what the rate is. There is only a monthly fee of $4.99 for each person.
Click Up Features:
- The task tray can be found here
- The notepad program
- Comments assigned to each assignment
- The dark mode is now available
- The integration process
- Comments assigned to each assignment
- Views from multiple angles
Conclusion
Project Management is an amazing field of work as it has a number of different project management tools and techniques which let you effectively analyze and control your project as you want while keeping a keen eye on multiple dependencies and key factors to get the desired results that will benefit your business and impact your business metrics. The article explained the project management techniques that help in project initiation, project execution, project monitoring, and project close stages.
Project management tools and techniques define the workflow and how the project will take shape but it’s always up to the tools to execute those techniques and help you get those sweet results. So, get to exploring and find the right tools and techniques to benefit your project.