Project management software Books

Book SynopsisIn this practical guide, author Kent Beck, creator of Extreme Programming and pioneer of software patterns, suggests when and where you might apply tidyings to improve your code while keeping the overall structure of the system in mind.

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Book Synopsis Don McGreal, in his role as VP of Learning Solutions at Improving (improving.com), is a hands-on agile consultant and instructor. He specializes in agile coaching at the enterprise and product management levels within larger organizations. Don is a Scrum.org Professional Scrum Trainer who has authored and taught classes for thousands of software professionals around the globe. He is also co-founder of TastyCupcakes.org, a comprehensive collection of games and exercises for accelerating the adoption of agile principles. Don is a course steward for the Scrum.org PTable of Contents About the Author Part I: Strategy Chapter 1: Agile Product Management Chapter 2: Vision Chapter 3: Value Chapter 4: Validation Part II: Scrum Chapter 5: Empiricism Chapter 6: Scrum Part III: Tactics Chapter 7: Product Backlog Management Chapter 8: Release Management Chapter 9: The Successful Product Owner Index

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Book SynopsisAll scheduling software is difficult to learn for a number of reasons. None have the optimal settings when installed and templates, views and default options need to be adjusted to obtain the best possible performance. Usually the Help files do not connect the user to real life situations and do not explain the practical use of functions. Furthermore, there are many flicks and switches with obscure names that are difficult to understand or decide what they do or which are important. These issues make learning the software very difficult without a comprehensive guide written by an experienced user. Investing in a book written by Paul E Harris will address all these issues and allow you to setup the software properly and understand all the obscure functions letting you become productive more quickly and enhance your career opportunities and salary with a solid understanding of the software. Microsoft® Project 2021 is a minor update of Microsoft® Project 2019 and therefore this book covers versions 2013, 2016, 2019 2021 and 365. This book is aimed at showing project management professionals how to use the software in a project environment. This book is an update of the author’s last book “Planning and Scheduling using Microsoft® Project 2013, 2016 and 21. It has revised workshops and incudes the new functions of Microsoft Project 2021. This publication was written so it may be used as: • A training manual, or • A self teach book, or • A user guide. The book stays focused on the information required to create and update a schedule with or without resources using Microsoft® Project by: • Concentrating on the core functions required to plan and control a project. • Keeping the information relevant to each topic in the appropriate chapter. • Providing a quick reference at the start of each chapter listing the chapter topics. • Providing a comprehensive index of all topics. The book is aimed at: • Project managers and schedulers who wish learn the software, however are unable to attend a training course, or require a reference book. • Project management companies in industries such as building, construction, oil & gas, software development, government and defence who wish to run their own software training courses or provide their employees a good practical guide to using the software. • Training organizations who require a training manual to run their own courses. This book is written by an experienced scheduler, who has used the software at the sharp end of projects and is not a techo. It draws on the author's practical experience in using the software in a wide variety of industries. It presents workable solutions to real day to day planning and scheduling problems and contains practical advice on how to set up the software and import data.Trade ReviewWhile there is a heap of information and opinions out there relating to MS Project, there are few sources of knowledge at the depth we need to use the tool properly. An incredibly flexible tool, MS Project caters to the novice right through to the advanced user. As people’s level of skill and scheduling maturity grows, so too does their needs and expectations of the tool. Paul has brought us an excellent reference, building on his 20 years experience using this and other scheduling tools. With changes made in MS Project and the popularity and function of MS Project Server growing, the need to schedule, update and report consistently becomes so much more important. This book is a guide; it is a reference and so much more. Martin Vaughan, Director, Core Consulting Group, elbourne, AU, www.coreconsulting.com.auTable of Contents1 INTRODUCTION 2 CREATING A PROJECT SCHEDULE 3 NAVIGATION AND SETTING THE OPTIONS 4 CREATING PROJECTS AND TEMPLATES 5 DEFINING CALENDARS 6 ADDING TASKS 7 ORGANIZING TASKS USING OUTLINING 8 FORMATTING THE DISPLAY 9 ADDING TASK DEPENDENCIES 10 NETWORK DIAGRAM VIEW 11 CONSTRAINTS 12 FILTERS 13 TABLES AND GROUPING TASKS 14 VIEWS AND DETAILS 15 PRINTING AND REPORTS 16 TRACKING PROGRESS 17 CREATING RESOURCES AND COSTS 18 ASSIGNING RESOURCES AND COSTS TO TASKS 19 RESOURCE OPTIMIZATION 20 UPDATING PROJECTS WITH RESOURCES 21 PROJECT OPTIONS 22 MICROSOFT PROJECT SERVER 23 MORE ADVANCED SCHEDULING 24 TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES FOR SCHEDULING 25 APPENDIX 1 – SCREENS USED TO CREATE VIEWS 26 INDEX

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Book SynopsisThe book is aimed at Project Management Professionals who are casual or new users and understand the software basics but require a short and snappy guide. It is the sort of book that may be read without a computer on the bus, train, or plane.Trade ReviewIf you have been involved in Project Controls and use Oracle’s Primavera P6 project management software you will know who Paul Harris is. Paul has been publishing pragmatic project management software manuals for as long as I can remember. All too often when buying a manual for using software it becomes apparent that the author only has theoretical knowledge. This is not the case with Paul’s books. Paul has a deep experience gained over 40 years and has he the ability to distil this knowledge into an easy to read and understand guide for using this sometimes tricky software. Building on Paul’s previous Oracle Primavera P6 manuals he has now published a condensed version that also has included some additional useful tips. Paul’s new book “99 Tricks and Traps for Oracle Primavera P6 PPM Professional” is a useful addition to any experienced planner’s project controls library and also a handy reference guide for a new users in order to avoid some of the more dangerous pitfalls that can be hidden within P6. Michael Jack, Independent Project Controls Expert, Nietzsche Pty Ltd. Project scheduling in software is a complex undertaking and the seemingly “user friendly” environment presented by Oracle Primavera P6 can sometimes lull a user into a false sense of security. In this” 99 Tricks and Traps” book Paul has cast a spotlight on the potential pitfalls in the software that can trap the unwary. He explains the P6 environment and terminology with great clarity and makes vital recommendations about the optimum settings for the program. The book is well presented, with plenty of diagrams and screenshots, and should be considered an essential component of any professional P6 scheduler’s library. Tom Grant MSc BSc, Principal, TAG Consultancy.Table of Contents1 INTRODUCTION 2 GETTING THE ENVIRONMENT RIGHT – SETTING DATABASE OPTIONS 3 SETTING UP USER PREFERENCES AND OTHER USER SETTINGS 4 CREATING A NEW PROJECT 5 CALENDAR ISSUES 6 CREATING A WBS 7 ADDING ACTIVITIES 8 FORMATTING 9 ADDING RELATIONSHIPS 10 ACTIVITY NETWORK VIEW 11 CONSTRAINTS 13 FILTERS 14 PRINTING AND REPORTS 15 UNDERSTANDING P6 DATE FIELDS 16 SCHEDULING OPTIONS 17 SETTING THE BASELINE 18 UPDATING AN UNRESOURCED SCHEDULE 19 CREATING ROLES AND RESOURCES 20 ASSIGNING ROLES, RESOURCES AND EXPENSES 21 RESOURCE OPTIMIZATION 22 UPDATING A RESOURCED SCHEDULE 23 OTHER METHODS OF ORGANIZING PROJECT DATA 24 GLOBAL CHANGE 25 MULTIPLE USERS PROBLEMS 27 EXPORTING AND IMPORTING 28 OTHER TOOLS AND FEATURES 29 USEFUL WEBSITES 30 INDEX

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Book SynopsisKeep projects on track Microsoft Project 2019 is a powerhouse project management, portfolio management, and resource management tool. Whether you're a full-time project manager or manage projects as part of a larger set of duties, Microsoft Project 2019 For Dummies will get you thinking and operating at the level of a project management guru. Written by a noted project management pro, this book covers the ins and outs of Microsoft Project. Throughout the book, you'll find project management best practices and tips for keeping any project on schedule and under budget. Reference the full set of Microsoft Project 2019 featuresLearn to think like a project management professionalGet into the nuts and bolts of Project for better productivityCreate a task schedule that keeps a project movingIdentify the golden rules that keep projects on track With Microsoft Project 2019 For Dummies, you'll soon get a grip on all the powerful features of this popular project management software. No matTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 About This Book 1 Foolish Assumptions 2 Icons Used in This Book 3 Beyond the Book 3 Where to Go from Here 3 Part 1: Getting Started with Project 2019 5 Chapter 1: Project Management, Project 2019, and You 7 Introducing Project Management 7 Defining project manager 8 Identifying what a project manager does 9 Introducing Project 2019 10 Getting to Know You 11 Navigating Ribbon tabs and the Ribbon 13 Displaying more tools 17 Tell Me What You Want to Do 18 Chapter 2: Starting the Project 19 Creating the Project Charter 20 Introducing the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) 22 Organizing the Work 23 Starting the Project 24 Entering project information 25 Weighing manual scheduling versus automatic scheduling 27 Entering the WBS 29 Entering tasks 30 Importing tasks from Outlook 32 Inserting hyperlinks 34 Inserting one project into another 35 Promoting and demoting: The outdent-and-indent shuffle 36 Saving the Project 37 Chapter 3: Becoming a Task Master 39 Creating Summary Tasks and Subtasks 39 How many levels can you go? 41 The project summary task 41 Moving Tasks Up, Down, and All Around 43 Moving tasks with the drag-and-drop method 43 Moving tasks with the cut-and-paste method 44 Now You See It, Now You Don’t: Collapsing and Expanding the Task Outline 44 Showing Up Again and Again: Recurring Tasks 47 Setting Milestones 48 Deleting Tasks and Using Inactive Tasks 49 Making a Task Note 50 Chapter 4: The Codependent Nature of Tasks 53 How Tasks Become Dependent 54 Dependent tasks: Which comes first? 54 Dependency types 55 Allowing for Murphy’s Law: Lag and lead time 58 Setting the Dependency Connection 59 Adding the dependency link 59 Words to the wise 61 Understanding that things change: Deleting dependencies 62 Chapter 5: Estimating Task Time 65 You’re in It for the Duration 66 Tasks come in all flavors: Identifying task types 66 Effort-driven tasks: 1 + 1 = ½ 69 Estimating Effort and Duration 70 Estimating techniques 71 Setting the task duration 72 Controlling Timing with Constraints 74 Understanding how constraints work 74 Establishing constraints 75 Setting a deadline 76 Starting and Pausing Tasks 77 Entering the task’s start date 77 Taking a break: Splitting tasks 78 Chapter 6: Check Out This View! 81 A Project with a View 81 Navigating tabs and views 82 Scrolling around 84 Reaching a specific spot in your plan 85 More Detail about Views 86 Home base: Gantt Chart view 86 Resourceful views: Resource Sheet and Team Planner 87 Getting your timing down with the Timeline 88 Going with the flow: Network Diagram view 89 Calling up Calendar view 90 Customizing Views 91 Working with view panes 91 Modifying Network Diagram view 96 Resetting the view 100 Part 2: Managing Resources 101 Chapter 7: Creating Resources 103 Resources: People, Places, and Things 103 Becoming Resource-Full 104 Understanding resources 104 Resource types: Work, material, and cost 105 How resources affect task timing 105 Estimating resource requirements 107 The Birth of a Resource 107 Creating one resource at a time 108 Identifying resources before you know their names 109 Many hands make light work 110 Managing Resource Availability 111 Estimating and setting availability 112 When a resource comes and goes 113 Sharing Resources 114 Skimming from resource pools 114 Importing resources from Outlook 116 Chapter 8: Working with Calendars 119 Mastering Base, Project, Resource, and Task Calendars 120 Setting the base calendar for a project 120 Understanding the four calendar types 120 How calendars work 121 How one calendar relates to another 121 Scheduling with Calendar Options and Working Times 122 Setting calendar options 123 Setting exceptions to working times 124 Working with Task Calendars and Resource Calendars 126 Setting resource calendars 127 Making the change to a resource’s calendar 128 Creating a Custom Calendar Template 130 Sharing Copies of Calendars 132 Chapter 9: Assigning Resources 135 Finding the Right Resource 135 Needed: One good resource willing to work 136 Custom fields: It’s a skill 137 Making a Useful Assignation 138 Determining material and cost-resource units 138 Making assignments 139 Shaping the contour that’s right for you 142 Benefitting from a Helpful Planner 144 Chapter 10: Determining a Project’s Cost 147 How Do Costs Accrue? 148 Adding up the costs 148 When will this hit the bottom line? 149 Specifying Cost Information in the Project 150 You can’t avoid fixed costs 150 Entering hourly, overtime, and cost-per-use rates 152 Assigning material resources 153 How Your Settings Affect Your Costs 155 Part 3: Before You Baseline 157 Chapter 11: Fine-Tuning Your Plan 159 Everything Filters to the Bottom Line 159 Setting predesigned filters 160 Putting AutoFilter to work 161 Creating do-it-yourself filters 163 Gathering Information in Groups 165 Applying predefined groups 166 Devising your own groups 166 Figuring Out What’s Driving the Project 169 Inspecting tasks 169 Handling task warnings and suggestions 170 Chapter 12: Negotiating Project Constraints 173 It’s about Time 174 Applying contingency reserve 174 Completing a task in less time 175 Getting What You Want for Less 178 The Resource Recourse 179 Checking resource availability 179 Deleting or modifying a resource assignment 180 Beating overallocations with quick-and-dirty rescheduling 181 Finding help 182 Leveling resources 182 Rescheduling the Project 186 Chapter 13: Making the Project Look Good 187 Looking Good! 188 Formatting the Gantt Chart 188 Formatting taskbars 188 Zeroing in on critical issues 191 Restyling the Gantt chart 192 Formatting Task Boxes 193 Adjusting the Layout 195 Modifying Gridlines 197 Recognizing When a Picture Can Say It All 199 Creating a Custom Text Field 200 Chapter 14: It All Begins with a Baseline 205 All about Baselines 205 Saving a baseline 206 Saving more than one baseline 207 Clearing and resetting a baseline 209 In the Interim 210 Saving an interim plan 211 Clearing and resetting an interim plan 212 Part 4: Staying on Track 213 Chapter 15: On the Right Track 215 Developing a Communications Management Plan 216 Gathering data 216 Applying a tracking method 217 Using the tracking tools 218 For everything, there’s a view 219 Tracking Work for the Record 220 Specifying the status date 221 Remaining on track 222 Determining the percent complete 222 Recording start and finish information 223 Knowing what to do when John works three hours and Mary works ten 224 Uh-oh — we’re in overtime 226 Specifying remaining durations for auto-scheduled tasks 227 Entering fixed-cost updates 228 Moving a Task 229 Update Project: Sweeping Changes 230 Tracking Materials 232 Tracking More Than One: Consolidated Projects 233 Consolidating projects 233 Updating consolidated projects 235 Chapter 16: Project Views: Observing Progress 237 Seeing Where Tasks Stand 238 Baseline versus actual progress 238 Lines of progress 238 Delving into the Detail 241 Tracking Progress Using Earned Value Management 244 Calculating Behind the Scenes 246 Earned-value options 246 An abundance of critical paths 247 Chapter 17: You’re Behind — Now What? 249 Using Project with Risk and Issue Logs 250 Printing interim plans and baselines 250 Printing task notes 251 What-If Scenarios 253 Sorting tasks 253 Filtering 254 Examining the critical path 255 Using resource leveling (again) 257 Determining which factors are driving the timing of a task 258 How Adding People or Time Affects the Project 259 Hurrying up and making modifications 259 Throwing resources at the problem 259 Shifting dependencies and task timing 261 When All Else Fails 262 Taking the time you need 263 Finding ways to cut corners 263 Chapter 18: Spreading the News: Reporting 265 Generating Standard Reports 266 What’s available 266 Overviewing the dashboard reports 267 Creating New Reports 268 Gaining a new perspective on data with visual reports 270 Creating a visual report 270 Fine-Tuning a Report 271 Dragging, dropping, and sizing 272 Looking good! 273 Spiffing Things Up 274 Call the Printer! 277 Working with Page Setup 277 Getting a preview 282 Printing, at last! 283 Working on the Timeline 283 Adding tasks to the Timeline 284 Customizing the Timeline 285 Copying the Timeline 286 Chapter 19: Getting Better All the Time 287 Reviewing the Project 288 Learning from your mistakes 288 Debriefing the team 290 Comparing Versions of a Project 291 Building on Success 293 Creating a template 293 Mastering the Organizer 294 Part 5: The Part of Tens 297 Chapter 20: Ten Golden Rules of Project Management 299 Roll with It 299 Put Your Ducks in a Row 300 Expect the Unexpected 301 Don’t Put Off until Tomorrow 302 Delegate, Delegate, Delegate 302 Document It 303 Keep the Team in the Loop 303 Measure Success 304 Maintain a Flexible Strategy 305 Learn from Your Mistakes 305 Chapter 21: Ten Cool Shortcuts in Project 2019 307 Task Information 307 Resource Information 308 Frequently Used Functions 309 Subtasks 310 Quick Selections 310 Fill Down 310 Navigation 310 Hours to Years 311 Timeline Shortcuts 311 Quick Undo and Repeat 312 Appendix: glossary 313 Index 321

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Book SynopsisLearn the principles of MIS as you explore the latest developments and industry trends with MIS 10. This practically focused approach helps you master foundational MIS concepts that will guide your career. You examine the latest topics, such as cloud computing, AR/VR, quantum computing and blockchain, with the most current MIS title on the market. Have you ever wondered what you would have done as a company leader in a critical moment? With this edition's MindTap digital experience, you can strengthen your decision-making skills with "YouDecide" -- new interactive case studies that bridge technology and business strategy and position you as the decision maker. You can also examine possible career paths with new career connection videos. Delve deeper into key course concepts with new concept videos and foundational case studies. In addition, MindTap's RSS feeds alert you to the latest advancements and trends for a stronger focus on today's real business world.Table of Contents1. Information Systems in Business. 2. Computers and Their Business Applications. 3. Data and Business Intelligence. 4. Personal, Legal, Ethical, and Organizational Issues. 5. Protecting Information Resources. 6. Data Communication: Delivering Information Anywhere and Anytime. 7. A Connected World. 8. E-Commerce. 9. Global Information Systems. 10. Building Successful Information Systems. 11. Enterprise Systems. 12. Supporting Decisions and Processes. 13. Artificial Intelligence and Automation. 14. Emerging Trends, Technologies, and Applications.

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Book SynopsisLearn proven project management strategies as you master the world's #1 project management software Here's a winning combination: a series of successful project management strategies that cover every phase of the process AND an insider's guide to the most powerful and versatile project management software available anywhere.Table of ContentsIntroducing Microsoft Project 2000. YOUR PROJECT TAKES SHAPE. The Elements of Project Management. How Microsoft Project Helps You Manage Projects. Starting a Project. CREATING AND REFINING YOUR PROJECT. Entering and Structuring Your Tasks. Making Tasks Happen at the Right Time. Assigning Resources to Tasks. Specifying Resource and Task Costs. Fine-Tuning Your Project. TRACKING AND UPDATING YOUR PROJECT. Keeping Your Project on Track. Updating Task Information Using E-Mail. Updating Task Information Using the Web. REVIEWING PROJECT INFORMATION. Viewing Your Information. Making Your Project Look How You Want. Printing and Publishing Basics. Printing Views. Printing Reports. USING OTHER PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS. Managing Several Projects at Once. Sharing Project Information with Other Programs. CUSTOMIZING MICROSOFT PROJECT TOOLS. Customizing Microsoft Project. Glossary. Index.

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Book SynopsisA guide to Microsoft Project that focuses on developing a successful project management strategy across the organization to drive better decisions Making Effective Business Decisions Using Microsoft Project goes far beyond the basics of managing projects with Microsoft Project and how to set up and use the software. This unique guide is an indispensable resource for anyone who operates within a Project Management Operation (PMO) or is affected by the adoption of project management within an organization. Its focus is to provide practical and transitional information for those who are charged with making decisions and supporting corporate and strategic objectives, and who face cost and resource constraints. Because more and more companies are aligning project management with their business strategies, the book not only provides guidance on using Microsoft Project and teaching project management skills, but also includes important information on measuring rTable of Contents1 Business Intelligence: Knowledge of Key Success Ingredients for Project Server 2010 1 In This Chapter 1 Maximizing PPM Ingredients, Culture, and Technology for Business Success 2 What Is the Project Management Lifecycle? 7 Information: What Fuels a PMO's Success? 16 Stakeholders in a Project Management Environment 21 Technology Meets Strategy: Welcome to the Business User Network 29 Important Concepts Covered in This Chapter 32 References 33 2 Value Proposition by Role of Project Server 2010 35 In This Chapter 35 Clairvoyance with Project/Server 2010: Forecast Future Results 37 Important Concepts Covered in This Chapter 75 References 77 3 Meeting CFO Needs with Project/Server 2010 79 In This Chapter 79 How the CFO Gets the Attention of the PMO 79 What and Why Is Work Management Critical to Organizational Success? 87 Synchronization of Strategic Objectives to Actual Effort 93 Important Concepts Covered in This Chapter 97 Reference 98 4 The Business Shakes Hands with the Microsoft Project 2010 Platform 99 In This Chapter 99 Logical Architecture Is More Natural for Business Users 100 Microsoft Project 2010 Platform Is Highly Extensible 122 Important Concepts Covered in This Chapter 130 References 131 5 End Users' Critical Success Factors: Using MS Project 2010 133 In This Chapter 133 Project Management in Small Business and the Enterprise 134 Initiating and Managing Projects Using the Microsoft Project Desktop Client 143 Being an Effective Enterprise Project Manager Using Microsoft Project Server 161 Fluent Project Management Using the Fluent UI: Introducing the Ribbon 171 Important Concepts Covered in This Chapter 181 References 182 6 Thinking Local, Going Social: Project Teams Can Thrive Using Microsoft Project Server 2010 185 In This Chapter 185 Project Management Looking Ahead 185 PPM Lifecycle 188 Important Concepts Covered in This Chapter 202 7 Better Together: Microsoft Project 2010 Worksites Using SharePoint Server 2010 203 In This Chapter 203 Integration of Collaboration, Social Media, and Project-Related Information 203 SharePoint Server 2010 Offers Critical Business Capabilities 208 Being Social in a Project Environment 217 Important Concepts Covered in This Chapter 221 8 Effective Transition of Strategy and Execution: Program Management Using Microsoft Project Server 2010 223 In This Chapter 223 Projects Are the 'How,' Programs Are the 'Why' 224 Important Concepts Covered in This Chapter 249 References 249 9 Intelligent Business Planning and Controlling Using Microsoft Project 2010 251 In This Chapter 251 Understanding Strategic Planning with Project Server 251 Creating and Managing Portfolio Lifecycle for Project Server 256 Understanding and Building Business Drivers 259 Using Project Server to Master Demand Management 268 Building Project Selection Criteria 286 What the Effi cient Frontier Is and How to Use It 292 Working with Constraints in Portfolio Planning 296 Creating and Running Multiple Scenarios for Portfolio Planning 303 Applying Strategic Analysis for Corporate to Departmental Needs 306 Committing New Work Portfolios and Measuring for ROI 309 Project Server Optimizing Governance for PMOs 315 Important Concepts Covered in This Chapter 319 References 320 10 Intelligent Business Planning and Reporting Using Microsoft Project 2010 321 In This Chapter 321 What Is Dynamic Reporting . . . 321 Creating Easy-to-Access Reporting in Project Server/SharePoint BI 324 Important Concepts Covered in This Chapter 361 Index 363

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Book SynopsisYour answer to the software project management gap The Complete Software Project Manager: From Planning to Launch and Beyond addresses an interesting problem experienced by today''s project managers: they are often leading software projects, but have no background in technology. To close this gap in experience and help you improve your software project management skills, this essential text covers key topics, including: how to understand software development and why it is so difficult, how to plan a project, choose technology platforms, and develop project specifications, how to staff a project, how to develop a budget, test software development progress, and troubleshoot problems, and what to do when it all goes wrong. Real-life examples, hints, and management tools help you apply these new ideas, and lists of red flags, danger signals, and things to avoid at all costs assist in keeping your project on track. Companies have, due to the nature of the competitive envTable of ContentsFOREWORD xvii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xix ABOUT THE AUTHOR xxi INTRODUCTION xxiii CHAPTER 1 Software Development Explained: Creativity Meets Complexity 1 A Definition of Software Development 1 Why Is Software Development So Difficult? Hint: It’s Not Like Building a House 1 The Simple, the Complicated, and the Complex 2 Metaphor #1: Piles of Snow 3 Metaphor #2: The Ikea Desk 4 Metaphor #3: Heart Surgery 5 Using the Three Metaphors in Project Management 6 CHAPTER 2 Agile, Waterfall, and the Key to Modern Project Management 7 Agile and Waterfall 7 Waterfall 7 Waterfall’s Problems 8 The Requirements Requirement 9 Inflexibility 9 Loss of Opportunity and Time to Market 9 Customer Dissatisfaction 10 Agile 10 Lack of Up-Front Planning 12 Lack of Up-Front Costs 12 Stakeholder Involvement 13 Extensive Training 13 Where Agile Works Best 14 The Need for Up-Front Requirements in Many Projects 14 The Real World 15 Agile Enough 15 The Software Development Life Cycle 15 CHAPTER 3 Project Approaches; Off-the-Shelf and Custom Development; One Comprehensive Tool and Specialized Tools; Phased Launches and Pilots 17 The Custom vs. Off-the-Shelf Approach 18 History 18 The Benefit of Off-the-Shelf 19 Off-the-Shelf Examples 19 Thinking You’re Editing When You’re Actually Creating 20 Common Challenges with Off-the-Shelf Software 20 Business Compromise 21 Discovering You Made the Wrong Choice with Packaged Software 21 Breaking the Upgrade Path 21 Locked into a Partnership and the Product Roadmap 22 Expense of Off-the-Shelf 22 Where Packaged Software Works Well 23 Frameworks and the Blurring Worlds of Custom and Packaged Software 23 Integrations vs. One Tool for the Job 24 To Phase or Not to Phase 25 Bigger Is Not Always Better 26 The Pilot Approach 26 Why Not Pilot? 27 CHAPTER 4 Teams and Team Roles and Responsibilities Defined 29 Teams and the Roles on Teams 29 Project Leadership 30 The Key Business Stakeholder 31 The Project Sponsor 31 The Program Manager 32 Project Manager 32 Multiple Project Managers 33 Confusion About the Project Manager Role; It’s More Limited than You Think 34 Project Team 34 The Business Analyst 35 User Experience 35 Designer 35 The Programmers 35 Architect 36 Systems Administrator 36 Team Member Choice and Blending Roles 37 Getting All the Roles Covered 37 Real-World Examples for Role-Blending 38 Project Sponsor as Program Manager 38 Program Manager as Business Analyst 39 Front-End Programmer as User Experience 39 Design, UX, and Business Analysis 40 Back-End Programmer as Architect 40 SysAdmin as Architect 40 Professionals and Personalities 40 Programmers 40 Project Managers 41 Business Analysts and User Experience People 42 Architects and Systems Administrators 42 Insource or Outsource: Whether to Staff Roles with Internal People or Get Outside Help 43 The Myth that Insourcing Programming Is Better 43 Inexperience with Projects 44 How Knowledge Goes Stale 44 Outsourced Teams 44 When to Use Internal or External Teams 45 Roles Easiest to Outsource 46 Roles “in the Middle” 46 Roles that Are Usually Internal 47 Vendors and Hiring External Resources 47 Some Tech-Types to Avoid: Dot Communists and Shamans 47 The Shamans 48 Boundaries, Responsibilities, and Driving in Your Lane 49 Techies Who Don’t Drive in Their Lane 50 Business Stakeholders Who Shirk Responsibilities 50 Business Stakeholders, Step Up! 51 Have a Trusted Technology Partner 52 How Best (and Worst) to Work with Your Technology Partner 52 Too Many Cooks 53 CHAPTER 5 Project Research and Technology Choice; Conflicts at the Start of Projects; Four Additional Project Delays; Initial Pitfalls 55 Choice of Technology, a Definition 56 The Project’s Research Phase 56 Current State 56 Integrations and Current State 57 Data and Current State 57 Business Needs 58 Possible Technology Solutions 58 Demos 59 Comparison Grids 59 Talk to Other People, a Journalistic Exercise 60 How Do You Know When Your Research Is Done? 61 Research Reality Check 62 You Can’t Run the Control 62 Religious Wars 63 Passion over Reason 64 Business Stakeholders and Controlling Ego 64 How to Stop a Technology Religious War 65 Not So Easy 65 Preventing a Technology Religious War 65 Being Right 66 Stopping a War in Its Tracks 66 Détente and Finally Ending a Technology Religious War 67 Clarity 67 The Role of the CIO 68 Two Most Important Factors in Core Technology Decisions 69 Budget Constraints 69 The Team 69 Choosing Technology and What NOT to Consider: The Future 70 Other Conflicts that Delay the Start of Projects 71 Business Strategy and Organizational Authority 71 Design 73 Blue Sky 73 Overanalysis 74 The Project Charter, a Key Document 74 CHAPTER 6 Final Discovery; Project Definition, Scope, and Documentation 77 Budgeting and Ongoing Discovery; Discovery Work Is Real Work 78 Budgeting Final Discovery 78 What Discovery Costs 79 What Comes Out of Final Discovery: A Plan 79 Getting to a Plan 80 The Murk 80 Getting Out of the Murk 81 The Plan for the Plan—Company A 82 Hosting 82 Content Entry 82 Search 82 Content Pages and Features 83 Integrations 83 Back-end System 83 Data Migration 84 How Anyone Can Make a Plan for the Plan 84 Different Approaches to Elicit the Plan for the Plan 85 Exception to the Murk 86 Breakout Sessions 87 The Weeds Are Where the Flowers Grow 87 Not All Questions Will Be Answered 88 Agile, Waterfall, and Project Documentation 89 The Scope Document 90 Project Summary 90 Project Deliverables 90 Out of Scope 90 Constraints 91 Assumptions 91 Risks 91 Timeline 92 Budget, Scope, Timelining, and Horse-Trading 93 Metrics 93 What About “the List”? 94 Defining and Visualizing and Project Scope 94 What Usually Happens 95 The Chicken and the Egg 95 Common Questions 97 Where Does Design Fit In? 97 Working with Marketing Stakeholders 98 How You Know You’re On the Wrong Track 98 A Word About Ongoing Discovery 99 CHAPTER 7 Budgeting: The Budgeting Methods; Comparative, Bottom-Up, Top-Down, and Blends; Accurate Estimating 101 An Unpleasant Picture 102 What Goes on Behind the Scenes; a Scene 102 Budgeting Type 1: Comparative Budgeting 103 Gotchas with Comparative Budgeting 104 Budgeting Type 2: Bottom-Up Budgeting 104 The Rub in Bottom-Up Budgeting 105 Budgeting Type 3: Top-Down and Blends 105 Why RFPs Don’t Work 106 Accurate Estimating and Comparison Budgeting 107 Effective Estimating in Top-Down and Bottom-Up Budgeting 108 Establish a Base Budget for Programming, Ongoing Discovery, Unit Testing, Debugging, and Project Management 108 Percentages of Each 108 Programming Hours—Raw and Final 109 The Math Part 109 Additional Items to Consider 111 Budgeting and Conflicts 112 CHAPTER 8 Project Risks: The Five Most Common Project Hazards and What to Do About Them; Budgeting and Risk 115 Five Always-Risky Activities 116 Integration 116 Data Migration 117 Customization 118 Unproven Technology/Unproven Team 119 Too-Large Project 119 Want Versus Need 119 Want Versus Need: Programmers 120 Want Versus Need: Business Stakeholders 120 Optimism Is Not Your Friend in Software Development 120 Beware the Panacea Claim 121 Facing Risks 121 A Few Words About Fault 121 Identifying Risks Up Front 122 Embrace the Snow 122 Talking to Your Boss 123 Hidden Infections 124 Bad Technology Team; Wrong Technology Choice 124 Too Many Opinions and Lack of Leadership 124 The Contingency Factor 125 The Cost of Consequences 125 Contingency Percentage Factors 126 In the Real World 126 The Good News 127 A Common Question 127 Long-Term Working Relationships and Contingency 127 CHAPTER 9 Communication; Project Communication Strategy; from Project Kickoff to Daily Meetings 129 Project Kickoff 130 Project Kickoff Cast 130 Project Leadership 130 Company Leadership 131 Who Gives the Kickoff? 131 Kickoff Presentation 131 High-Level Project Definition 132 Business Case and Metrics 132 Project Approach 133 Team Members and Roles 133 Project Scope 134 Out-of-Scope 134 Timeline 134 Budget 135 Risks, Cautions, and Disclaimers 136 Monthly Steering Committee 137 Monthly Steering Committee Attendees 137 Monthly Steering Committee Agenda 137 Weekly Project Management Meeting 139 Weekly Project Management Attendees 139 Weekly Project Management Agenda 139 Daily Standup Meeting 140 Well-Run Meetings 140 Insist on Attention 140 Timeliness 140 Getting “into the Weeds” 141 Needs to Be Kicked Upstairs 141 Poor Quality Sound—Speakerphones and Cell Phones 142 Too Much Talk 142 Agenda and Notes 143 CHAPTER 10 The Project Execution Phase: Diagnosing Project Health; Scope Compromises 145 What Should Be Going on Behind the Scenes 145 The Best Thing You Can Ever Hear: “Wait. What Was It Supposed to Do?” 146 Neutral Corners 147 What If Things Aren’t Quiet? 147 Making Decisions 148 How to Listen to the Programmers 149 The Programmer’s Prejudice 149 SneakerNet and the Fred Operating System 150 SneakerNet Integrations 150 The Fred Operating System 151 The Hidden Benefits 151 Demos and Iterative Deliverables 151 Why Iterative Deliverables Are Important 151 Why Iterative Deliverables Are Hard 152 What You Can Do to Achieve Iterative Deliverables Even if It’s Hard 153 Demos 154 Scope Creep 154 Dealing with Scope Creep; Early Is Better 155 Scope Creep and Budgeting 155 Scope Creep and Governance 155 Types of Scope Creep 156 Scope Creep and the Team 157 CHAPTER 11 First Deliverables: Testing, QA, and Project Health Continued 159 The Project’s First Third 159 The Second Third 159 A First Real Look at the Software 160 The Trough of FUD 161 Distinguishing a Good Mess from a Bad Mess 163 An Important Checkpoint 163 Getting to Stability 164 First Testing and the Happy Path 164 Quality Assurance 165 Bug Reporting 165 Regression Testing 166 Bugs: Too Many, Too Few 166 Testing: The Right Amount for the Job 166 Too Much Testing? 167 Bug Cleanup Period 167 Timeline So Far 168 CHAPTER 12 Problems: Identifying and Troubleshooting the Three Most Serious Project Problems; Criteria for Cancellation 169 A Rule About Problems 169 Additional Resources 170 Fault—A Review 172 Common Late-Stage Problems 172 Business User Revolt: “We Talked About It in a Meeting Once” 172 Managing Business User Revolt 173 What If No or Little Documentation Exists? 174 Risk Chickens Come Home to Roost 175 Managing the Risk Chickens 176 When Programmers Ask for More Time 178 Lurking Infections 178 Bad Technology Team 179 How to Manage a Bad Technology Team 179 Wrong Technology Choice 180 Managing a Wrong Technology Choice 180 The Sunk-Cost Bias 181 Lack of Leadership 181 Managing Lack of Leadership 181 CHAPTER 13 Launch and Post-Launch: UAT, Security Testing, Performance Testing, Go Live, Rollback Criteria, and Support Mode 183 User Acceptance Testing: What It Is and When It Happens 183 Controlling UAT and “We Talked About It in a Meeting Once,” Part Deux 185 Classifying UAT Feedback 185 Bugs 186 Not Working as Expected—The Trickiest Category 186 Request for Improvement 187 Feature Request 188 Conflict Resolution and Final Launch List 188 Load Testing 189 Performance Testing 189 Security Testing 189 Sign-Off 194 Questions to Ask Regarding Launch Readiness 195 Not Knowing Is Not Acceptable 195 Criteria for Rollback 196 Singing the Post-Launch Blues 196 Was It All a Big Mistake? 198 Metrics 198 Ongoing Development 198 Surviving the Next One 199 APPENDIX 201 GLOSSARY 215 INDEX 223

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Book SynopsisThis comprehensive study guide delivers complete coverage of every topic on the CompTIA Project+ examThis fully updated self-study guide and professional resource shows how to successfully manage projects and prepare for the challenging CompTIA Project+ exam. CompTIA Project+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide (Exam PK0-005) walks you through each step of the project management process, covering critical strategies for on-time and within-budget projects. Youâll get complete explanations of every objective on the CompTIA Project+ exam along with end-of-chapter summaries, quizzes, and exercises that reinforce key points.Coverage includes: Initiating the project Developing project plans Working with management Managing project scope Creating the budget Building a project plan Organizing a project team Managing teams Implementing the project plan Revising the project plan

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Book SynopsisRob Cole is an agile coach and author with a passion for getting the best out of individuals, teams and organisations. He has a special interest in thorny challenges, especially when there are non-negotiable constraints. Always hands-on, Rob works closely with businesses to implement innovative, best-practice based solutions and to help steer them through any choppy waters - emerging confident, fully self-sufficient and ready for the challenges ahead. Rob is also the co-author of Brilliant Project Management and Brilliant Agile Project Management, both published by Pearson Business.Table of ContentsTable of Contents -Introducing Agility 1 – Everything Is Agile• What it means to be agile and why it’s a game changer.• The phenomenal spread of agile around the business world; why agile is taking the business world by storm.• Markets develop and customers constantly want new things; agile tools and techniques embrace change;• Agile can be applied to everything – way beyond the popular IT and tech applications.• Agile won't mess things up - it's not a gamble.• The focus on working smarter, not harder and getting results fast.• Checks are built in so it’s impossible to go wildly off track.• Like traditional methods, agile can still fail but it fails fast and inexpensively.• A word of warning; common misunderstanding and booby-traps with agile.• Unsuccessful projects usually fail at the start and agile avoids the perennial problem of starting on false assumptions.• Agile delivers results and free up time for more important stuff.• Everyone is agile some of the time and some people are agile all the time.• Agility is infectious.• Agile organisations achieve more than agile project teams.• Start small and go viral.• There’s minimal risk and immediate results – so what is there to lose? 2 – Focus On Results• Producing results is the only thing that matters and business value is the main driver.• It’s essential to have a vision, to know what the end goal is and that’s what business value is measured against.• The vision, the end goal. provides a measure of success for all individual tasks and projects.• Don’t sweat the small stuff - individual tasks are only a means to an end.• Measure success by results and against progress towards the end goals, not by how much graft you put in.• A minimal investment is required to get going with agile and there’s no time like the present.• It’s easy to start small if necessary, often that’s the best approach.• Agile handles anything from individual tasks and personal ventures to business projects can be handled.The Golden Triangle: Prioritising, Time Boxing and Change Management. 3 – Prioritising• Prioritising is much more than creating a to-do list.• It’s not an unnecessary overhead, it lays the foundation for doing the right things in the right order.• The vision and end goals provide guiding lights.• Define a backlog working towards the vision/end goals.• Write up the deliverables not the activities e.g. new backlog board not go to B&Q.• Work out the size of tasks using story pointing or t-shirt sizes.• Get it all down but keep an eye on the minimum needed to succeed – what must be done?• Be wary of too many bells and whistles, the nice-to-haves.• Prioritise the backlog based on business valueConstantly review the backlog, a healthy backlog changes regularly.• Be driven by priorities not external pressure.• Make all outputs specific, tangible and measurable.• Remember that saying ’No’ is always an option. 4 – Time Boxing• Time boxing is easy to understand and even easier to use.• Time boxing puts an end to overspending; both time and hard cash.• Open ended tasks are a recipe for disaster.• Be mindful of the Law of Diminishing Returns and the 80/20 Rule.• Time box everything! No excuses.• Plan on the basis of regular deliveries to the business. Every two weeks is a popular option.• Allocate tight but achievable time boxes to get the best results.• Control distractions and other time stealers.• Stick to your guns and never tolerate overruns. 5 – Change Management• Change is essential for survival, standing still is not a viable option.• Change is important, not something to be curbed or penalised.• Agile embraces change with open arms.• Incremental deliveries are vital.• Inspect and adapt is the agile mantra.• A changing backlog is a healthy backlog.• Learns from mistakes but waste time searching for scapregoats.• Have a strategy but think now and avoid 5 year plans.• Plan in a maximum of 12 month chunks – only worry about where you want to be next year; elements of the organisations may not always get agile but even they like annual planning. 6 – Agile Tools & Techniques• The best of tools available featuring Scrum and Kanban.• Overview of the tools available for managing backlogs and workflows.• Simple agile frameworks for a light touch approach.• Upscaling to more complex ventures and projects.• Ways to implement meaningful and useful metrics.• The importance of avoiding an obsession with technology and processes. 7 – Resource Management• Agile techniques focus on effective resource management.• People are a pivotal resource.• Being Lean – the characteristics of agile thinking.• What is takes to be agile, how to think act and behave.• Getting the best out of people and teams.• Training vs. coaching and mentoring.• Be wary of evangelists and false prophets.• Managing an agile transformation – remember there might well be pain!• Getting leopards to change their spots.• Applying agile principles at a personal level.• Reaping the benefits of delegating and outsourcing.• The importance of positive working relationships.• A healthy body and mind helps promotes agility and productivity. 8 – Learning Fast• The importance of building an open, honest learning culture.• Mistakes are inevitable, just don’t repeat them• Reduce waste by learning from mistakes and mitigating against disasters.• Reap the benefits of repeating what do you do well.• Build in continuous improvement to maximize productivity.• A practical guide to looking back and learning, formats for retrospectives and lessons learned sessions.• Common mistakes and traps to avoid.

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Book SynopsisDevelop an understanding of the core principles of IS and how it is practiced today with PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, 13th edition. This edition combines the latest research with the most current coverage available as content highlights IS-related careers. You explore the challenges and risks of computer crimes, hacking, and cyberterrorism as well as the most current research on big data, analytics, and global IS and social networking. In addition, you examine business intelligence, cloud computing, e-commerce, enterprise systems, mobile computing, strategic planning, and systems acquisition. You learn how information systems can increase profits and reduce costs as you explore artificial intelligence, change management, data governance, environmental concerns, Internet of Everything, Internet censorship and net neutrality, virtual teams, and more. Interactive multimedia resources, MindTap, help you maximize success as an employee, decision maker, and business leader.

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Book SynopsisSchedules, budgets, communications, resources - projects big and small include them all, and Microsoft Project 2010 can help you control these variables. This book teaches you from setting budgets and tracking schedules to testing scenarios and recognizing trouble spots before your project breaks down. It is suitable for project managers.

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Book SynopsisIn this collection of essays and articles, key members of Google's Site Reliability Team explain how and why their commitment to the entire lifecycle has enabled the company to successfully build, deploy, monitor, and maintain some of the largest software systems in the world.

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Book SynopsisGitOps and Kubernetes introduces a radical idea—managing your infrastructure with the same Git pull requests you use to manage your codebase. In this in-depth tutorial, you’ll learn to operate infrastructures based on powerful-but-complex technologies with the same Git version control tools most developers use daily. GitOps and Kubernetes is half reference, half practical tutorial for operating Kubernetes the GitOps way. Through fast-paced chapters, you’ll unlock the benefits of GitOps for flexible configuration management, monitoring, robustness, multi-environment support, and discover tricks and tips for managing secrets in the unique GitOps fashion. Key Features · Multiple-environments management with branching, namespace, and configuration · Access Control with Git, Kubernetes, and Pipeline · Using Kubernetes with Argo CD, JenkinsX, and Flux · Multi-step deployment strategies like Blue-Green, Canary in a declarative GitOps model For developers familiar with Continuous Delivery principles and the basics of Git and Kubernetes. About the technology The tools to monitor and manage software delivery and deployment can be complex to set up and intimidating to learn. But with the “GitOps“ method, you can manage your entire Kubernetes infrastructure with Git pull requests, giving you a single control interface and making it easy to assess and roll back changes! Billy Yuen, Alexander Matyushentsev, Todd Ekenstam, and Jesse Suen are principal engineers for the Intuit platform. They are widely recognized as industry leads in GitOps for Kubernetes, having presented numerous related talks at industry conferences.

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Book SynopsisYou think agile techniques might be for you, but your projects and organization are unique. An "out-of-the-box" agile approach won't work. Instead, unite agile and lean principles for your project. See how to design a custom approach, reap the benefits of collaboration, and deliver value. For project managers who want to use agile techniques, managers who want to start, and technical leaders who want to know more and succeed, this book is your first step toward agile project success. You've tried to use an off-the-shelf approach to agile techniques, and it's not working. Instead of a standard method or framework, work from agile and lean principles to design your own agile approach in a way that works for you. Build collaborative, cross-functional teams. See how small batch sizes and frequent delivery create an environment of trust and transparency between the team, management, and customers. Learn about the interpersonal skills that help agile teams work together so well. In addition to seeing work and knowing what "done" means, you'll see examples of many possible team-based measurements. Look at tools you can use for status reporting, and how to use those measurements to help your managers understand what agile techniques buy them. Recognize the traps that prevent agile principles from working in too many organizations, and what to do about those traps. Use agile techniques for workgroups, and see what managers can do to create and nurture an agile culture. You might be surprised at how few meetings and rituals you need to still work in an agile way. Johanna's signature frankness and humor will get you on the right track to design your agile project to succeed. What You Need: No technical expertise or experience needed, just a desire to know more about how you might use agile in your project.

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Book SynopsisThis book explains the principles of IT-related project management, including project planning, monitoring and control, change management, risk management and communication between project stakeholders. Each chapter includes an overview of the learning objectives, detailed discussion of the syllabus content, activities and multiple choice questions for self-assessment in line with the BCS Foundation Certificate in IS Project Management. This new edition introduces the latest project management thinking, terminology and standards.Trade Review'This book is a comprehensive and modern guide to managing projects in an IT environment. It covers all the core information you need to start, deliver and complete a project, with a strong focus on core project management competencies. If you're studying for the related exam, this is an easy-to-use textbook where the authors clearly explain the main concepts. The end of section questions help you really grasp the ideas and see how you can put them into practice. There's a case study running through the book that helps bring the techniques to life. This goes beyond a basic project management book to be a useful text for people working in IT environments, as it covers concepts like pair programming, testing and other aspects of completing projects successfully while juggling the complexities of a technical environment. Recommended.' -- Elizabeth Harrin FAPM * Director, Otobos Consultants Ltd *Table of Contents1. Projects and Project Work 2. Project Planning 3. Monitoring and Control 4. Change Control and Configuration Management 5. Quality 6. Estimating 7. Risk 8. Project Organisation

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Book SynopsisThis book provides an introduction to fuzzy logic and surveys emerging research trends and the application of state-of-the-art fuzzy hybrid computing techniques in the field of construction engineering and management. Authors cover the theory and implementation of fuzzy hybrid computing methodologies for arithmetic, optimization, machine learning, multi-criteria decision-making, simulation, cognitive maps and data modelling. The practical application of these techniques to solve real-world problems across a wide range of construction engineering and management issues is also demonstrated and discussed. The completion of effectively planned, executed and controlled construction projects is dependent on numerous interacting factors and human activities, both of which introduce vagueness and subjective uncertainty into already complex processes. While expert knowledge is an essential component of effective decision-making, analysis and consideration of expert knowledge expressed in linguistic terms remains a challenging aspect of construction engineering and management. Fuzzy logic, which has applications in many disciplines, has the potential to address certain challenges inherent in construction engineering and management, in part because of its strengths in modelling human reasoning, dealing with subjective uncertainty and computing with linguistic terms. However, fuzzy logic alone has a number of limitations that can only be overcome by its integration with other, complementary methodologies, together leading to advanced and powerful fuzzy hybrid computing techniques. This book is of particular interest to students, researchers and practitioners who want to learn about the latest developments in fuzzy hybrid computing in construction engineering and management.Trade ReviewConstruction engineers and managers introduce the theory and application of fuzzy logic and fuzzy hybrid techniques in construction engineering and management. Their topics include fuzzy arithmetic operations, fuzzy simulation techniques, fuzzy consensus and fuzzy aggregation processes for multi-criteria group decision-making problems, the fuzzy analytical hierarchy process in the investment appraisal of drilling methods, modeling risk allocation decisions in public-private partnership contracts using the fuzzy set approach, using an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system for tender price index forecasting: a univariate approach, and modeling construction management problems with fuzzy cognitive maps. -- Annotation ©2018 * (protoview.com) *Table of ContentsPart One: Introduction to Fuzzy Logic and Overview of Fuzzy Hybrid Techniques in Construction Engineering and Management 1. Introduction to Fuzzy Logic in Construction Engineering and Management; Aminah Robinson Fayek and Rodolfo Lourenzutti 2. Overview of Fuzzy Hybrid Techniques in Construction Engineering and Management; Nima Gerami Seresht, Rodolfo Lourenzutti, Ahmad Salah, and Aminah Robinson Fayek Part Two: Theoretical Approaches of Fuzzy Hybrid Computing in Construction Engineering and Management 3. Fuzzy Arithmetic Operations: Theory and Applications in Construction Engineering and Management; Nima Gerami Seresht and Aminah Robinson Fayek 4. Fuzzy Simulation Techniques in Construction Engineering and Management; Mohammad Raoufi, Nima Gerami Seresht, Nasir Bedewi Siraj, and Aminah Robinson Fayek 5. Fuzzy Set Theory and Extensions for Multi-Criteria Decision-Making in Construction Management; Long Chen and Wei Pan 6. Fuzzy Consensus and Fuzzy Aggregation Processes for Multi-Criteria Group Decision-Making Problems in Construction Engineering and Management; Nasir Bedewi Siraj, Aminah Robinson Fayek, and Mohamed M. G. Elbarkouky 7. Fuzzy AHP with Applications in Evaluating Construction Project Complexity; Long D. Nguyen, Long Le-Hoai, Dai Q. Tran, Chau N. Dang, and Chau V. Nguyen Part Three: Applications of Fuzzy Hybrid Computing in Construction Engineering and Management 8. The Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process in the Investment Appraisal of Drilling Methods; Olubukola Tokede, Adam Ayinla and Sam Wamuziri 9. Modeling Risk Allocation Decisions in Public-Private Partnership Contracts Using the Fuzzy Set Approach; Ernest Effah Ameyaw and Albert P. C. Chan 10. Flexible Management of Essential Construction Tasks Using Fuzzy OLAP Cubes; Nicolás Marín Ruiz, María Martínez-Rojas, Carlos Molina Fernández, José Manuel Soto-Hidalgo, Juan Carlos Rubio-Romero, and María Amparo Vila Miranda 11. Using an Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System for Tender Price Index Forecasting: A Univariate Approach; Olalekan Shamsideen Oshodi and Ka Chi Lam 12. Modeling Construction Management Problems with Fuzzy Cognitive Maps; Denise M. Case, Ty Blackburn, and Chrysostomos Stylios 13. Crane Guidance Gesture Recognition Using Fuzzy Logic and Kalman Filtering; Xin Wang and Chris Gordon

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Book SynopsisAll scheduling software is difficult to learn for a number of reasons. None have the optimal settings when installed and templates, views and default options need to be adjusted to obtain the best possible performance. Usually the Help files do not connect the user to real life situations and do not explain the practical use of functions. Furthermore, there are many flicks and switches with obscure names that are difficult to understand or decide what they do or which are important. These issues make learning the software very difficult without a comprehensive guide written by an experienced user. Investing in a book written by Paul E Harris will address all these issues and allow you to setup the software properly and understand all the obscure functions letting you become productive more quickly and enhance your career opportunities and salary with a solid understanding of the software. Microsoft (R) Project 2021 is a minor update of Microsoft (R) Project 2019 and therefore this book covers versions 2013, 2016, 2019 2021 and 365. This book is aimed at showing project management professionals how to use the software in a project environment. This book is an update of the author's last book "Planning and Scheduling using Microsoft (R) Project 2013, 2016 and 21. It has revised workshops and incudes the new functions of Microsoft Project 2021. This publication was written so it may be used as: * A training manual, or * A self teach book, or * A user guide. The book stays focused on the information required to create and update a schedule with or without resources using Microsoft (R) Project by: * Concentrating on the core functions required to plan and control a project. * Keeping the information relevant to each topic in the appropriate chapter. * Providing a quick reference at the start of each chapter listing the chapter topics. * Providing a comprehensive index of all topics. The book is aimed at: * Project managers and schedulers who wish learn the software, however are unable to attend a training course, or require a reference book. * Project management companies in industries such as building, construction, oil & gas, software development, government and defence who wish to run their own software training courses or provide their employees a good practical guide to using the software. * Training organizations who require a training manual to run their own courses. This book is written by an experienced scheduler, who has used the software at the sharp end of projects and is not a techo. It draws on the author's practical experience in using the software in a wide variety of industries. It presents workable solutions to real day to day planning and scheduling problems and contains practical advice on how to set up the software and import data.Trade ReviewWhile there is a heap of information and opinions out there relating to MS Project, there are few sources of knowledge at the depth we need to use the tool properly. An incredibly flexible tool, MS Project caters to the novice right through to the advanced user. As people's level of skill and scheduling maturity grows, so too does their needs and expectations of the tool. Paul has brought us an excellent reference, building on his 20 years experience using this and other scheduling tools. With changes made in MS Project and the popularity and function of MS Project Server growing, the need to schedule, update and report consistently becomes so much more important. This book is a guide; it is a reference and so much more. Martin Vaughan, Director, Core Consulting Group, elbourne, AU, www.coreconsulting.com.auTable of Contents1 INTRODUCTION 2 CREATING A PROJECT SCHEDULE 3 NAVIGATION AND SETTING THE OPTIONS 4 CREATING PROJECTS AND TEMPLATES 5 DEFINING CALENDARS 6 ADDING TASKS 7 ORGANIZING TASKS USING OUTLINING 8 FORMATTING THE DISPLAY 9 ADDING TASK DEPENDENCIES 10 NETWORK DIAGRAM VIEW 11 CONSTRAINTS 12 FILTERS 13 TABLES AND GROUPING TASKS 14 VIEWS AND DETAILS 15 PRINTING AND REPORTS 16 TRACKING PROGRESS 17 CREATING RESOURCES AND COSTS 18 ASSIGNING RESOURCES AND COSTS TO TASKS 19 RESOURCE OPTIMIZATION 20 UPDATING PROJECTS WITH RESOURCES 21 PROJECT OPTIONS 22 MICROSOFT PROJECT SERVER 23 MORE ADVANCED SCHEDULING 24 TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES FOR SCHEDULING 25 APPENDIX 1 - SCREENS USED TO CREATE VIEWS 26 INDEX

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Book SynopsisThe book is aimed at Project Management Professionals who are casual or new users and understand the software basics but require a short and snappy guide. It is the sort of book that may be read without a computer on the bus, train or plane.

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Book SynopsisAll scheduling software is difficult to learn for a number of reasons. None have the optimal settings when installed and Layouts, User Preferences and default options need to be adjusted to obtain the best possible performance. Usually the Help files do not connect the user to real life situations and do not explain the practical use of functions. Furthermore, there are many flicks and switches with obscure names that are difficult to understand or decide what they do or which are important. These issues make learning the software very difficult without a comprehensive guide written by an experienced user. Investing in a book written by Paul E Harris will address all these issues and allow you to setup the software properly and understand all the obscure functions letting you become productive more quickly and enhance your career opportunities and salary with a solid understanding of the software. This book is an update of the author’s Primavera P6 Version 8 to 22 book and has been written so it may be used with any software industry version. The book is packed with screen shots, constructive tips and contains workshops with solutions at the end of each chapter for the reader to practice the skills taught. It has been written so it may be used with either the Professional Project Management Client version or the Enterprise Project Portfolio Management Optional Client. The book is aimed at: 1. People who wish learn the software but are unable to attend a training course and find the software reference manual hard going. 2. Project management companies who wish to run their own software training courses or provide their employees with an alternative text to the vendor supplied user manual. 3. Training organizations requiring a training manual to run their own training courses. The book is designed to teach planners and schedulers in any industry how to setup and use the software in a project environment. It explains in plain English and in a logical sequence, the steps required to create and maintain an unresourced and resourced schedule. It tackles some of the more complex aspects of the software that the user manual does not address. It highlights the sources of information and the methods that should be employed to produce a realistic and useful project schedule. The book provides advice on how on how the many software options may be applied to projects environments and it aims to teach readers how to plan and control projects created within the software package and stays focused on explaining how to use Primavera to schedule projects by: 1. Concentrating on the core functions required to set up an enterprise environment and how to plan and control projects. 2. Providing command lists at the start of each chapter as a quick reference. 3. Providing a comprehensive table of contents and index of all topics. The book is intended to be used: 1. As a self-teach book, or 2. A user guide, or 3. A training manual for a three-day training course, instructor PowerPoint slide shows are available from the author. This book is written by an experienced scheduler, who has used the software at the sharp end of projects and is not a techo. It draws on the author's practical experience in using the software in a wide variety of industries. It presents workable solutions to real day to day planning and scheduling problems and contains practical advice on how to set up the software and import data.Trade ReviewThe latest release of the Oracle Primavera P6 PPM manual adds to the already impressive collection of project management concepts and project management software training manuals written by Paul Harris. The Oracle Primavera P6 PPM manual expands the previous version of the book to create a comprehensive guide for creating and managing projects using the P6 PPM client. The book follows a logical approach to project schedule development, enabling the user to progress from the definition of project attributes, to the definition of WBS, activities and relationship, and the subsequent creation of resource assignment and the development of the project coding structures. Common to other guides written by Paul, the manual allows the user to learn through self- paced training as well as allowing the content to be delivered in a classroom workshop environment. The extent of the material covered by the book ensures that the manual remains a source of useful reference even after the initial training has been completed. Paul’s many years of experience as project controls practitioner is reflected in the content of the book, with informative tips on the practical use the software features incorporated throughout the book’s chapters. I recommend Paul’s book to anyone who wants to enhance their knowledge about Oracle Primavera P6 application. The presence of Paul’s books in many organisations focused on successful project delivery is recognition of their value to all project management practitioners. Jan Hanak, Managing Director, Keen Science Pty Ltd. The P6 PPM Manual by Paul Harris is a well-crafted guide into the concepts and functionality of Oracle Primavera P6. The manual contains 30 chapters of essential information that P6 users will require to get the most out of this complex scheduling tool. It makes the critical distinction between planning and tracking a non-resourced and a resourced plan and explains the necessary processes in a clear and concise manner. Most chapters are reinforced with a workshop and this gives students the all-important “hands on” time with the software. I believe that this is the best way to understand and learn a new software tool and the workshop data is practical and relevant. The P6 topics are introduced in a logical manner that follows the PMBOK Project Lifecycle stages. Once the P6 interface is understood, the process of building a project is undertaken. The main deliverables are defined in the WBS, the work is broken down into activities, logic is added, calendars are defined and scheduling is undertaken. There are a considerable number of preferences and settings that influence the scheduling calculations and all are explained in a timely and precise fashion. I have been teaching Primavera scheduling to a wide range of industries for over 10 years and I believe that Paul’s training material offers the best combination of functional and practical training, delivered in a style that is easy to comprehend. Tom Grant MSc BSc, Principal, TAG ConsultancyTable of Contents1. INTRODUCTION 2. CREATING A PROJECT PLAN 3. STARTING UP AND NAVIGATION 4. CREATING A NEW PROJECT 5. DEFINING CALENDARS 6. CREATING A PRIMAVERA PROJECT WBS 7. ADDING ACTIVITIES AND ORGANIZING UNDER THE WBS 8. FORMATTING THE DISPLAY 9. ADDING RELATIONSHIPS 10. ACTIVITY NETWORK VIEW 11. CONSTRAINTS 12. GROUP, SORT AND LAYOUTS 13. FILTERS 14. PRINTING AND REPORTS 15. SCHEDULING OPTIONS AND SETTING A BASELINE 16. UPDATING AN UNRESOURCED SCHEDULE 17. USER AND ADMINISTRATION PREFERENCES AND SCHEDULING OPTIONS 18. CREATING ROLES AND RESOURCES 19. ASSIGNING ROLES, RESOURCES AND EXPENSES 20. RESOURCE OPTIMIZATION 21. UPDATING A RESOURCED SCHEDULE 22. OTHER METHODS OF ORGANIZING PROJECT DATA 23. GLOBAL CHANGE 24. MANAGING THE ENTERPRISE ENVIRONMENT 25. MULTIPLE PROJECT SCHEDULING 26. UTILITIES 27. EARNED VALUE MANAGEMENT WITH P6 28. WHAT IS NEW IN P6 VERSIONS 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 AND 23 29. TOPICS NOT COVERED IN THIS PUBLICATION 30. INDEX

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Book SynopsisAll scheduling software is difficult to learn for a number of reasons. None have the optimal settings when installed and Layouts, User Preferences and default options need to be adjusted to obtain the best possible performance. Usually the Help files do not connect the user to real life situations and do not explain the practical use of functions. Furthermore, there are many flicks and switches with obscure names that are difficult to understand or decide what they do or which are important. These issues make learning the software very difficult without a comprehensive guide written by an experienced user. Investing in a book written by Paul E Harris will address all these issues and allow you to setup the software properly and understand all the obscure functions letting you become productive more quickly and enhance your career opportunities and salary with a solid understanding of the software. This book is an update of the author’s Primavera P6 Version 8 to 22 book and has been written so it may be used with any software industry version. The book is packed with screen shots, constructive tips and contains workshops with solutions at the end of each chapter for the reader to practice the skills taught. It has been written so it may be used with either the Professional Project Management Client version or the Enterprise Project Portfolio Management Optional Client. The book is aimed at: 1. People who wish learn the software but are unable to attend a training course and find the software reference manual hard going. 2. Project management companies who wish to run their own software training courses or provide their employees with an alternative text to the vendor supplied user manual. 3. Training organizations requiring a training manual to run their own training courses. The book is designed to teach planners and schedulers in any industry how to setup and use the software in a project environment. It explains in plain English and in a logical sequence, the steps required to create and maintain an unresourced and resourced schedule. It tackles some of the more complex aspects of the software that the user manual does not address. It highlights the sources of information and the methods that should be employed to produce a realistic and useful project schedule. The book provides advice on how on how the many software options may be applied to projects environments and it aims to teach readers how to plan and control projects created within the software package and stays focused on explaining how to use Primavera to schedule projects by: 1. Concentrating on the core functions required to set up an enterprise environment and how to plan and control projects. 2. Providing command lists at the start of each chapter as a quick reference. 3. Providing a comprehensive table of contents and index of all topics. The book is intended to be used: 1. As a self-teach book, or 2. A user guide, or 3. A training manual for a three-day training course, instructor PowerPoint slide shows are available from the author. This book is written by an experienced scheduler, who has used the software at the sharp end of projects and is not a techo. It draws on the author's practical experience in using the software in a wide variety of industries. It presents workable solutions to real day to day planning and scheduling problems and contains practical advice on how to set up the software and import data.Trade ReviewThe latest release of the Oracle Primavera P6 PPM manual adds to the already impressive collection of project management concepts and project management software training manuals written by Paul Harris. The Oracle Primavera P6 PPM manual expands the previous version of the book to create a comprehensive guide for creating and managing projects using the P6 PPM client. The book follows a logical approach to project schedule development, enabling the user to progress from the definition of project attributes, to the definition of WBS, activities and relationship, and the subsequent creation of resource assignment and the development of the project coding structures. Common to other guides written by Paul, the manual allows the user to learn through self- paced training as well as allowing the content to be delivered in a classroom workshop environment. The extent of the material covered by the book ensures that the manual remains a source of useful reference even after the initial training has been completed. Paul’s many years of experience as project controls practitioner is reflected in the content of the book, with informative tips on the practical use the software features incorporated throughout the book’s chapters. I recommend Paul’s book to anyone who wants to enhance their knowledge about Oracle Primavera P6 application. The presence of Paul’s books in many organisations focused on successful project delivery is recognition of their value to all project management practitioners. Jan Hanak, Managing Director, Keen Science Pty Ltd. The P6 PPM Manual by Paul Harris is a well-crafted guide into the concepts and functionality of Oracle Primavera P6. The manual contains 30 chapters of essential information that P6 users will require to get the most out of this complex scheduling tool. It makes the critical distinction between planning and tracking a non-resourced and a resourced plan and explains the necessary processes in a clear and concise manner. Most chapters are reinforced with a workshop and this gives students the all-important “hands on” time with the software. I believe that this is the best way to understand and learn a new software tool and the workshop data is practical and relevant. The P6 topics are introduced in a logical manner that follows the PMBOK Project Lifecycle stages. Once the P6 interface is understood, the process of building a project is undertaken. The main deliverables are defined in the WBS, the work is broken down into activities, logic is added, calendars are defined and scheduling is undertaken. There are a considerable number of preferences and settings that influence the scheduling calculations and all are explained in a timely and precise fashion. I have been teaching Primavera scheduling to a wide range of industries for over 10 years and I believe that Paul’s training material offers the best combination of functional and practical training, delivered in a style that is easy to comprehend. Tom Grant MSc BSc, Principal, TAG ConsultancyTable of Contents1. INTRODUCTION 2. CREATING A PROJECT PLAN 3. STARTING UP AND NAVIGATION 4. CREATING A NEW PROJECT 5. DEFINING CALENDARS 6. CREATING A PRIMAVERA PROJECT WBS 7. ADDING ACTIVITIES AND ORGANIZING UNDER THE WBS 8. FORMATTING THE DISPLAY 9. ADDING RELATIONSHIPS 10. ACTIVITY NETWORK VIEW 11. CONSTRAINTS 12. GROUP, SORT AND LAYOUTS 13. FILTERS 14. PRINTING AND REPORTS 15. SCHEDULING OPTIONS AND SETTING A BASELINE 16. UPDATING AN UNRESOURCED SCHEDULE 17. USER AND ADMINISTRATION PREFERENCES AND SCHEDULING OPTIONS 18. CREATING ROLES AND RESOURCES 19. ASSIGNING ROLES, RESOURCES AND EXPENSES 20. RESOURCE OPTIMIZATION 21. UPDATING A RESOURCED SCHEDULE 22. OTHER METHODS OF ORGANIZING PROJECT DATA 23. GLOBAL CHANGE 24. MANAGING THE ENTERPRISE ENVIRONMENT 25. MULTIPLE PROJECT SCHEDULING 26. UTILITIES 27. EARNED VALUE MANAGEMENT WITH P6 28. WHAT IS NEW IN P6 VERSIONS 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 AND 23 29. TOPICS NOT COVERED IN THIS PUBLICATION 30. INDEX

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