The following tips and techniques have been picked up from the front lines of project management and might be helpful to both seller organizations and project managers in their efforts to get the most from their contracted project work and business relationships:
Tips for Buyers
The following tips and techniques have been picked up from the front line of project management and might be helpful to both buyer organizations and project managers in their efforts to get the most from their outsourced project arrangements:
Ten Proven Principles of Vendor Management
The following ten fundamental principles will guide your efforts in managing vendor relationships:
First, Let’s Clarify a Few Terms
For the sake of clarity and brevity, let’s review a few terms and touch on the focus. By vendor, I mean the seller organization—the organization that is contracted to provide product or services. I generally refer to the client organization—the organization purchasing the services—as the buyer. The use of buyer and seller terms here is consistent… Continue reading First, Let’s Clarify a Few Terms
Introduction
As more and more organizations look to focus on their core competencies and reduce their fixed operating costs, while simultaneously attempting to execute more projects, it is very likely that your project, even your first one, will involve collaboration with other organizations. Although the specific process for establishing working relationships with other organizations depends largely… Continue reading Introduction
Proven Techniques for Leading Virtual Projects
Any project that consists of team members not in the same physical location is a virtual project to some degree. The more geographically dispersed the team members and the more interaction that is done with non–face-to-face communications, the more virtual the project is. With the continued advances in communications and information technology, and the common… Continue reading Proven Techniques for Leading Virtual Projects
Proven Techniques for Leading Cross-Cultural Projects
With the prior principles understood, let’s review a few proven tips and techniques specific to leading cross-cultural projects that I have either confirmed or realized over the years. Keep in mind that a project does not need to be global in nature to be a cross-cultural project. Many times, projects with stakeholders from different parts… Continue reading Proven Techniques for Leading Cross-Cultural Projects
Proven Techniques for Leading Cross-Functional Projects
With the prior principles understood, let’s review a few proven tips and techniques specific to leading cross-functional projects that I have either confirmed or realized over the years:
Five Key Principles
No matter the situation, there is a common set of principles that you can apply to better manage any project where there are significant differences in the composition of the team. The differences can include location, business function, or cultural aspects. Let’s take a look at the five fundamental principles that will guide your efforts… Continue reading Five Key Principles
Introduction
With the current trends in business and technology, the odds that you will manage a project consisting of stakeholders from the same culture, located in the same environment, and representing a common business function decrease as each day passes. In the past, these more complex project situations were assigned to proven, experienced project managers. Today,… Continue reading Introduction