Project management Books

Book SynopsisSoftware development failures are invariably caused by a combination of circumstances -- circumstances that are rarely technical in origin. Increasingly, standard risk management practices used in other industries are being applied to software development projects.Trade Review"Managing Software Quality and Business Risk addresses itself to software project leaders, managers and technicians alike, pulling them temporarily away from their own discipline and encouraging them to view the gestalt of project planning. You get an overview of what each of these areas of expertise has to offer: a technician, for example, might learn the importance and practicality of risk planning first, followed by quality planning. (The software project team that does not calculate for the eventualities of many kinds of failure is re-enacting a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions.) The unifying theme is studying and perfecting the planning process, and ensuring that your project plan has minimised associated risks and maximised quality. The style is clear, and though the writing is studded with a fair amount of jargon, it clearly lays out management information and perspectives. On the practical side, the author takes you through several techniques and introduces insights from those skilled in coping with market forces or with service users, often underestimated, misunderstood or completely ignored by programmers. There are plenty of interesting, well-designed grey tone charts and diagrams that instantly bring to the fore the subject or strategy being developed, and examples are given throughout. This is a book that is best approached as a good, thought-provoking read rather than as a reference.--" -Wilf Hey , Amazon.co.ukTable of ContentsINTRODUCTION BUILDING THE BOAT ICEBERGS AHEAD! BUSINESS RISK PLANNING FOR RISK MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE QUALITY RIVETS OR WELDING? PLANNING FOR QUALITY ACHIEVEMENT IS IT WATERTIGHT? PLANNING FOR QUALITY CONTROL STOPPING THE RUST: PLANNING FOR QUALITY PRESERVATION PUSHING THE BOAT OUT: CREWING AND PROVISIONING THE HAND ON THE TILLER AND THE CAPTAIN'S LOG BLOCKS ON THE SLIPWAY DIARY OF A VOYAGE RESUME OF THE PLANNING PROCESS GLOSSARY INDEX

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Book SynopsisEssential test prep for the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) exam and handy reference to the exam content outline domains and tasks for test-takers, professionals, and teams working in project management. This six page laminated quick reference guide is authored by expert and trainer Aileen Ellis, PgMP, PMP whose mission is to provide students the tools to gain certification in skills proven effective and highly valued by businesses worldwide. Ms. Ellis's goal is for professionals to understand processes and interactions with limited memorization which she has been doing for 25 years through workshops, her training material, and books. With experience working with groups and individuals she knows what you need to succeed and has pulled the most important facts together in our famous QuickStudy format. This is a perfect tool for project teams to have on-hand so key aspects of the process can be referred to and referenced quickly and easily keeping the team in synch. For

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Book SynopsisRaise the skill and competency level of project finance organizations Project Finance for Business Development helps readers understand how to develop a competitive advantage through project finance. Most importantly, it shows how different elements of project finance, such as opportunity screening and evaluation, project development, risk management, and due diligence come together to structure viable and financeable projectswhich are crucial pieces missing from the current literature. Eliminating misconceptions about what is really important for successful project financings, this book shows you how to develop, structure, and implement projects successfully by creating competitive advantage. By shedding light on project finance failures, it also helps you avoid failures of your own. Offers a roadmap for successful financing, participant roles and responsibilities, and assessing and testing project viability Considers project finance from a broad business development and compeTable of ContentsPreface xiii Acknowledgments xvii About the Author xix Chapter 1 Introduction: Why Project Finance for Business Development? 1 1.1 Origins of Project Finance 5 1.2 Project Finance Advantages and Disadvantages 6 1.3 Corporate and Structured Versus Project Finance 7 1.4 The Project Finance Market 8 1.5 Why a Business Development Approach to Project Finance? 10 1.6 Structure of the Book 13 1.7 Use of the Book to Maximize Benefit 16 Chapter 2 Overview of Project Finance: The Nature of the Beast 19 2.1 Project Taxonomy 22 2.2 Project Finance Phases 23 2.3 Key Elements of Project Finance 25 2.4 Ownership and Financing Structure Considerations 27 2.5 Primary Project Finance Activities 29 2.6 Common Misconceptions and Myths 32 Chapter 3 The Record of Project Finance: Lessons to Avoid Failures 35 3.1 The Record of Project Finance Deals 37 3.2 Reasons for Project Failures 40 3.3 Lessons Learned 56 Chapter 4 Project Financing Processes: Roadmaps for Successful Financing 61 4.1 Variants of Project Financing Processes 63 4.2 Nature of Project Financing Processes 66 4.3 Activities in Project Finance Processes 68 4.4 Milestones of Project Finance Processes 73 4.5 Successful Project Finance Process Characteristics 75 Chapter 5 Project Finance Organizations: Built for Competitive Advantage 79 5.1 The Need for PFOs 81 5.2 Business Definition of PFOs 82 5.3 PFO Skills and Qualifications 98 5.4 PFO Challenges 102 5.5 PFO Performance Evaluation Measures 107 5.6 Characteristics of Successful PFOs 108 Chapter 6 Project Development: Viability and Financeability Essentials 113 6.1 Project Development Prerequisites 116 6.2 Prefeasibility Assessment 117 6.3 Project Definition 118 6.4 Technical Design and Assessment 119 6.5 Feasibility Study 120 6.6 Due Diligence 122 6.7 Project and Financial Structures 124 6.8 Agreements and Negotiations 126 6.9 Project Marketing and Raising Financing 128 6.10 Development Costs and Success Factors 130 Chapter 7 Participants and Responsibilities: Activities and Deliverables 133 7.1 Roles of the Project Team 136 7.2 Roles of the Host Government 137 7.3 Roles of Project Sponsors 138 7.4 Roles of the Project Company 140 7.5 Roles of the Lenders 140 7.6 Roles of Advisors, Consultants, and Insurers 142 7.7 Roles of Multilateral and Unilateral Institutions 148 7.8 Roles of the EPC Contractor 150 7.9 Roles of Technology and Equipment Providers 151 7.10 Roles of Project Offtakers and Suppliers 152 7.11 Roles of the O&M Company 153 Chapter 8 Project Finance Forecasting: Ensuring Sound Decision Making 155 8.1 What Is a Good Forecast? 157 8.2 What to Forecast and Sources of Forecasts 159 8.3 Forecast Assumptions 161 8.4 Project Forecasting Process 163 8.5 Project Demand Analysis 170 8.6 Forecasting Methods and Techniques 172 8.7 Forecast Sanity Checks 179 8.8 Causes and Consequences of Forecast Failures 180 8.9 Forecast Monitoring and Realization Planning 182 Chapter 9 Project Contracts and Agreements: Critical to Project Finance 185 9.1 Structure, Prerequisites, and Costs of Contracts 188 9.2 Contract Development and Negotiation Process 189 9.3 Common Project Finance Contracts 191 9.4 Challenges of Project Finance Contracts 195 9.5 Project Contract Success Factors 197 Chapter 10 Project Risk Management: Crucial for Project Success 199 10.1 Objectives and Importance of Risk Management 200 10.2 Types of Project Risks 202 10.3 Sources of Project Risks 207 10.4 Risk Management Undertakings 209 10.5 Risk Management Process 210 10.6 Risk Management Instruments and Mitigants 214 10.7 Risk Management Benefits, Challenges and Success Factors 220 Chapter 11 Project Due Diligence: A Pillar of Viability and Financeability 225 11.1 Due Diligence Costs and Benefits 227 11.2 Host Country and Industry Due Diligence 230 11.3 Technical Due Diligence 231 11.4 Environmental Due Diligence 232 11.5 Commercial Due Diligence 233 11.6 Legal Due Diligence 234 11.7 Financial Due Diligence 235 11.8 Operational Due Diligence 237 11.9 Risk Management Due Diligence 239 11.10 General Areas of Due Diligence 240 11.11 Report, Assessment, and Quality Characteristics 241 Chapter 12 Funding Sources and Programs: Essential Knowledge and Alliances 245 12.1 Official Project Finance Sources 247 12.2 Private Sources and Instruments 255 12.3 Benefits of Official Funding Source Participation 260 Chapter 13 Structuring Project Finance: How Everything Comes Together 263 13.1 Elements of Project Financing Structuring 266 13.2 Equity and Debt Investor Requirements 268 13.3 Decisions from SPC Ownership to Financing Structure 270 13.4 Determinants of Project Financing 277 13.5 Amalgamation of Financing 279 Chapter 14 Project Financial Model: Assessing and Testing Financeability 283 14.1 Uses of the Financial Model 286 14.2 Financial Model Inputs 288 14.3 Financial Model Calculations and Outputs 290 14.4 Properties of Good Project Financial Models 294 Chapter 15 Trends Impacting Project Finance: Opportunities and Threats 299 15.1 Major Relevant Megatrends 302 15.2 Megatrend Sources and Characteristics 304 15.3 Demographic Trends 305 15.4 Technology and Industry Trends 307 15.5 Trends Impacting the Government Sector 308 15.6 Trends Impacting Sponsors and Investors 310 15.7 Trends Impacting Funding Sources and Financing 311 15.8 Analysis of Trends and Their Impact 313 Chapter 16 Project Finance: A Source of Competitive Advantage? 319 16.1 Sources of Competitive Advantage 322 16.2 Manifestations of Competitive Advantage 323 16.3 Creating Competitive Advantage 326 16.4 Competitive Advantage Reality Check 330 Appendix A Common Project Finance Abbreviations 339 Appendix B Commonly Used Project Finance Definitions 343 Bibliography 353 Index 359

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Book SynopsisAgile Practice Guide has been developed as a resource to understand, evaluate, and use agile and hybrid agile approaches. This practice guide provides guidance on when, where, and how to apply agile approaches and provides practical tools for practitioners and organizations wanting to increase agility. This practice guide is aligned with other PMI standards, including A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) sixth edition, and was devel-oped as the result of collaboration between the Project Man-agement Institute and the Agile Alliance.

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Book SynopsisA quick reference guide for the PMP Exam, this sturdy, laminated card accompanies The PMP Exam: How To Pass On Your First Try, 6th + Agile Edition. Highlighting key agile concepts and terms, this guide is updated for the Jan 2021 PMP Exam. Presenting all 49 processes along with the key inputs, tools, and outputs, this helpful tool also depicts techniques, tables, and graphs to highlight the most important information at a glance. Common formulas are organized for rapid look-up, bringing relevant information for the PMP Exam together in one resource.

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Book SynopsisThe path of a doctoral student can feel challenging and isolating. This guide provides doctoral students with key ideas and support to kick-start a doctoral journey, inspire progress and complete their thesis or dissertation. Featuring observations from experienced supervisors, as well as the reflections of current and recent postgraduate researchers, this intimate and entertaining book offers vital insights into the critical moments in any doctoral experience. Bringing together the voices of doctoral supervisors and candidates past and present from around the globe, How to Keep your Doctorate on Track will be a trusted companion for any PhD, DBA or EdD student. Supervisors and those offering support and guidance to doctoral candidates will also glean valuable insight into fresh approaches and their own practice. Contributors include: A. Alecsandru, F. Archontoulis, C. Atkinson, A. Byrnes-Johnstone, J. Callahan, A. Casey, R. Cole, O.S. Crocco, M. Cseh, Z. Djebali, G. Dobson, J. Donaghey, D.C. Duke, U. Furnier, V.O. Gekara, T. Gray, T.W. Greer, A. Hallin, B. Harney, G. Henry, C. Hughes, P. Jordan, M. Knox, S.F. Lambert, A. Lee, Q.Y. Lee, A. Lobo, R. Markey, N.S. Mauthner, E. McDonald, L. McKerr, D. Nickson, K. Nimon, E. Partlow, H. Prescott, N. Reynolds, S. Riaz, A. Robertson, J. Robinson, K. Rosenbusch, G. Ryan, J.J. Saunders, M. Shirmohammadi, M.K. Tran, A. Trif, M. Valverde, P. Watson Black, V. Webster, R. Whiting, C.F. WrightTrade Review‘. . . anyone pursuing graduate work should have plenty of support and at least one practical guide, like How to Keep Your Doctorate On Track. While the primary audience is obviously those considering or undertaking doctoral work, one key secondary audience is supervisors themselves. Each section pairs the perspectives of supervisors/professors with those of students. As the editors themselves point out, the student perspectives can be eye-opening. Perhaps if more supervisors paused to reflect on the varied experiences presented in this text, they could help mitigate some of the anxiety and depression felt by students under their tutelage.’ -- Kelly A Harrison, Technical CommunicationTable of ContentsContents: 1 What we wish we had known: lessons learned to keep your doctorate on track 1 Rebecca Loudoun, Emily A. Morrison, Mark N.K. Saunders and Keith Townsend PART I GETTING INTO IT 2 Choosing your topic: a supervisor perspective 14 Jimmy Donaghey 3 ‘Begin at the beginning’: identifying ideas for a PhD 22 Graeme Dobson 4 ‘I want to do it because I want to do it’: boarding flight PhD 31 Jemma J. Saunders 5 Asking “the” question 34 Emily McDonald 6 Whose doctorate is it anyway? How students and supervisors can work well together 36 Carol Atkinson and Keith Townsend 7 When an orchestra misses its harmony (or how I learnt to work with my supervisors) 43 Mai Khanh Tran 8 ‘How much time do I get?????’ 52 Peter J. Jordan 9 Views from the top and views of the valley: the paths of dissertation literature reviews 55 Maria Cseh 10 Critically reviewing the literature: the ghosts of literature present, past and future 65 Linzi McKerr 11 Reading academic papers: visiting and re-visiting old friends 74 Jennifer Robinson 12 Research philosophies and why they matter 76 Natasha S. Mauthner 13 Getting your research philosophy clear 87 Rosanna Cole 14 Changing philosophy (aka the only PhD is a finished PhD) 95 Brian Harney 15 Designing and conducting a quantitative study: lessons learned from work, home, and school 97 Kim Nimon 16 Strategies for analysing qualitative data: how to get started with making sense of all that material you’ve collected 107 Anette Hallin 17 Discovering statistics and developing a quantitative research design 117 Ursula Furnier 18 Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, how am I making sense of it all? 125 Merrel Knox 19 Too much of a good thing – tradeoffs between training and completion? 135 Keith Townsend PART II GETTING ON WITH IT 20 Critical feedback: transforming criticisms into indispensable insights 142 Emily A. Morrison 21 ‘They think I’m stupid’: dealing with supervisor feedback 159 Amanda Lee 22 No book or resource has all the answers 167 Rebecca Loudoun 23 “Ok Google … since when did you join my supervision team?” 169 Adam Robertson 24 Embracing research ethics: from cognitive walk-through to reflexive journey 171 Rebecca Whiting 25 Gaining ethical approval 182 Nora Pillard Reynolds 26 But I am just going home: research ethics and student safety 191 Safa Riaz 27 Organizational governance: the final hurdles for research approval 193 Amy N.B. Johnston 28 Wearing skirts and writing like a woman: a winding road to gaining access to research 200 Ana Alecsandru 29 Gaining access to apparently easy informants 210 Mireia Valverde 30 Letters from a doctoral researcher to a data collection advice column … and the responses 213 Sharon F. Lambert 31 Addressing power differentials and managing egos: how to collect reliable qualitative data when researching ‘elites’ 228 Chris F. Wright 32 Time is waiting in the wings 238 Mark N.K. Saunders 33 Navigating the supervisory relationship: the case of the disappearing supervisors 248 Vicki Webster 34 Managing time and maintaining focus 256 Colin Hughes 35 Tightrope walking: balancing the dynamic tensions of the doctoral process 264 Andrea Casey 36 Keeping your life on track: living one spoon at a time 272 Emma Partlow 37 Opportunities and challenges of studying abroad 281 Aurora Trif 38 Keeping life and career on track as a non-traditional doctorate student 283 Vicki Webster 39 Finders, keepers, losers, weepers! A doctoral candidate’s reality of changing thesis advisors 285 Polly Watson Black 40 To leave or not to leave your Alma Mater 293 Raymond Markey 41 My journey 303 Gerard Ryan PART III GETTING IT FINISHED AND MOVING ON 42 Eat, sleep, redraft, repeat 308 Ana Lobo 43 Challenges in writing up qualitative findings 316 Victor Oyaro Gekara 44 The power to write 323 Melika Shirmohammadi 45 Writing your thesis quickly and well 325 Tara Gray 46 Rewriting and overcoming writer’s block 336 Grace Henry 47 Overcoming writer’s block (and submission anxiety) 344 Fiona Archontoulis 48 The final mile: avoiding and overcoming viva trip-ups 345 Dawn C. Duke 49 My viva voce examination: a rollercoaster! 356 Zeineb Djebali 50 Let me defend myself (or at least my thesis) 365 Qian Yi Lee 51 Networking with academics to solve your PhD puzzle 367 Adam Robertson 52 Are conferences worth attending as a graduate student? Reflections and lessons from a former graduate student 377 Tomika W. Greer 53 A tale of three dissertations: experiences of transforming mentored research into an article 387 Jamie Callahan 54 How can you publish from your dissertation? 398 Katherine Rosenbusch 55 Publishing from your thesis 408 Dennis Nickson 56 Getting the first academic job 410 Oliver S. Crocco 57 Beyond the doctorate: getting your first job 420 Holly Prescott 58 Publications, what publications? 429 Mark N.K. Saunders 59 Balancing act 431 Polly Watson Black Index 433

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Book SynopsisLeading Agile Teams is a practical and engaging guide to help your organization embrace a more agile mindset. Most organizations work in large groups when trying to find solutions for big problems. Agile teams are different. They get more done by having a small self-organized team focus on the highest priority items. Each big problem is broken down and solved by a small, stable group of dedicated professionals. This book will give you the knowledge and tools you need to create and sustain strong agile teams. It is written for the developers, project managers, product owners, and ScrumMasters, who do most of the legwork in getting agile up and running.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"The book provides the necessary tools for modern managers to help manage technology and engineering operations. The second edition adds more contemporary topics, such as Ethics, Globalization, Creativity and Innovation."—David Ben-Arieh - Kansas State UniversityTable of ContentsIntroduction to Management Challenges for Engineers. THE FUNCTIONS OF ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT. Planning. Organizing. Leading. Controlling. BUSINESS ESSENTIALS FOR ENGINEERING MANAGERS. Cost Accounting for Engineering Managers. Financial Accounting and Management for Engineering Managers. Marketing Management for Engineering Managers. ENGINEERING LEADERSHIP IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM. Engineers as Managers/Leaders. Creativity and Innovation. Ethics in Engineering Management and Workplace. Operational Excellence. Globalization. Engineering Management in the New Millennium. Appendix: Selected Engineering Management and Business Cases.

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Book SynopsisPatricia Kong helps organizations thrive in a complex world by focusing on enterprise innovation, leadership, and teams. She is a people advocate and fascinated by organizational behavior and misbehaviors. She is co-author of The Nexus Framework for Scaling Scrum (Addison-Wesley, 2017). Todd Miller has practical experience as a Scrum Master, Product Owner, Software Developer, and Agile coach on a variety of technical and creative projects across a multitude of industries. He has been a professional Scrum trainer with Scrum.org since 2016. Kurt Bittner has been delivering working products in short, feedback-driven cycles for more than 40 years, and has helped many organizations do the same. He is particularly interested in helping people form strong, self-organizing, high-performance teams that deliver solutions that customers love, and helping organizations use empirical feedback to achieve customer Table of ContentsForeword by Ken Schwaber xi Foreword by Dave West xv Preface xix Introduction xxvii Chapter 1: Finding Purpose 1 Rediscovering Purpose 3 Goals 4 How Goals and Measures Influence Behaviors 7 How to Rediscover Purpose 10 Closing Satisfaction Gaps Creates Value 11 Customer-Focused Goals Enable Autonomy and Purpose 14 Improving Strategic Goals 17 Ask “Why?” to Uncover the Real Objective 17 Refocus “Internal” Goals on What Customers Need to Experience 19 Think About How You Will Measure Progress Toward Your Vision 20 What to Watch For 21 Moving Forward 22 Chapter 2: Using Empiricism to Progress Toward Goals 23 Understanding Value 25 Progressing Toward Goals in a Series of Small Steps 27 Taking Small Steps Toward Goals 29 Steering Toward Goals 32 Adapting Goals 34 Adapting Tactics 36 The Real Purpose of Goals Is to Foster Conversations 36 Losing the Plot and Finding It Again 37 What to Watch For 38 Moving Forward 39 Chapter 3: Becoming (More) Effective 41 Value Is Essential, but Frequency Matters Too 42 It Is Not Delivery Speed That Is Important; It Is Feedback Speed 44 While Focusing on Speed, Do Not Lose Sight of Value 45 Speed Is Not Enough; Teams Must Also Be Effective 46 Too Many Things at Once 48 Where Should Teams Start? 50 Beware the Efficiency Trap 51 Balancing Speed and Effectiveness 52 Cutting Corners: Sometimes Necessary, Sometimes Fatal 53 What to Watch For 55 Moving Forward 56 Chapter 4: Managing and Overcoming Expectations 59 People Who Largely Seek to Validate Expectations Are Often Disappointed 60 Transforming “Bad News” into Just “News” 61 Letting Go of Expectations 64 Expectations Can Be Stubbornly Held 65 Replacing “Meeting Expectations” with “Seeking Goals” 68 Stakeholders and Transparency 69 How to Define and Categorize Stakeholders 70 Escaping the “Echo Chamber” 73 Diverse Perspectives Counter “Groupthink” 76 What to Watch For 77 Moving Forward 78 Chapter 5: Separating the Signal from the Noise 81 Identifying Signals 82 Interpreting Evidence from Signals 84 Dampening the Noise 85 Bias Creates Noise 88 The Customer Is Not Always Right 90 Objectifying Narratives 92 Getting Unstuck 94 Making Decisions 96 What to Watch For 97 Moving Forward 98 Chapter 6: Applying EBM at the Product Level 99 Mind the (Satisfaction) Gap 100 When You Find Yourself in a Hole, Stop Digging 101 Not All Ideas Are Valuable 103 Replacing False Certainty with Experimentation 104 Using Strategic Goal Mapping to Form Experiments 106 Products Are Vehicles for Running Experiments About Value 108 Sometimes Teams Lose the Thread and Need a Reminder 110 Running Experiments and Measuring Results 111 Inspecting Results and Adapting Next Steps 114 Customer Experience Is Not Always About More Features 117 Sometimes You Must Say No 120 What to Watch For 121 Moving Forward 122 Chapter 7: Applying EBM at the Portfolio Level 123 Maximizing Output Does Not Maximize Value 124 The Problems Start with Misfocused Goals 126 Revenue and Profit Are Important, But They Are Poor Goals 127 Reconnecting Investments with Customer Outcomes 128 You Can't Have It All at Once 129 How to Measure Outcomes 130 You Do Not Know What You Do Not Know 131 How to Choose Between Bets 132 Make Small Bets 133 Kill Bad Ideas as Quickly as Possible 135 Propose Experiments 138 Evaluate Proposals 139 Make Sure All the Cards Are on the Table 140 Keep Teams Intact, and Bring Them Work 140 Separating Budgeting from Funding 141 Run Experiments 141 Evaluate Progress Toward Goals 141 What to Watch For 144 Moving Forward 145 Chapter 8: Applying EBM at the Organizational Level 147 Why Change Efforts Fail 148 To Initiate Change, Give People a “Why” 149 Assess Where the Organization Is Today 150 Empowerment Takes Trust, Transparency, and Time 152 Benefits of Empowering Teams 153 Measuring Empowerment 154 Growing Empowerment 155 Inverting the Organization to Support Empowerment 156 Reducing Context Switching 157 Growing Self-Sufficient Teams 158 Aligning Supporting Departments 160 Setting and Adapting Goals 163 Most Goals Can—and Should—Change 163 What to Watch For 164 Moving Forward 165 Index 167

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Book SynopsisIn our tumultuous times, understanding and achieving resilience have never been more important. Some organizations have resilience in their DNA. They possess the agility of mind, culture, and organization to survive and thrive no matter what is put in their way.Building Resilient Organizations is focused on identifying what sets these enterprises apart, exploring the nature of resilience for organizations. Along the way, we discover some inspiring global examples of resilient projects in practice and some novel thinking for leaders to consider about what it takes to be resilient over the long haul.With contributions from leading thinkers and practitioners from throughout the world, Building Resilient Organizations will enable you and your organization to further develop resilience as a muscle in your organization.

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Book SynopsisProductivity and Reliability-Based Maintenance Management, Second Edition is intended to provide a strong yet practical foundation for understanding the concepts and practices of total productive maintenance (TPM) management—a proactive asset and resource management strategy that is based on enhancing equipment reliability and overall enterprise productivity. The book is intended to serve as a fundamental yet comprehensive educational and practical guide for departing from the wait-failure-emergency repair cycle that has plagued too many industries, instead advancing a proactive and productive maintenance strategy. It is not intended to be a how-to-fix-it manual, but rather emphasizes the concept of a world-class maintenance management philosophy to avoid the failure in the first place. Universities, junior and community colleges, and technical institutes as well as professional, corporate, and industrial training programs can benefit by incorporating these fundamental concepts in their technical and managerial curricula. The book can serve as a powerful educational tool for students as well as for maintenance professionals and managers. In addition to updating the previous historical and statistical data and tables, the second edition expands on and adds to case studies based on current maintenance-related events. Several numerical examples and explanations are revised in order to enhance the clarity of the methodology. The second edition introduces the readers to the state-of-the-art concepts of the Internet of Things (IoT), smart sensors, and their application to maintenance and TPM. Table of Contents About the Author Preface Acknowledgments 1 Introduction 2 Statistical Applications 3 Preventive Maintenance 4 Predictive Maintenance 5 Nondestructive Testing and Evaluation 6 Implementing TPM 7 TPM Implementation and Process Improvement Tools 8 Facility Maintenance Projects Planning and Control 9 Computerized Maintenance Management Systems Case in Point: CMMS and ISO/QS Certification Solutions and Answers to Selected Questions Index

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Book Synopsis Ken Schwaber is president of Advanced Development Methods (ADM), a company dedicated to improving the software development practice. He is an experienced software developer, product manager, and industry consultant. Schwaber initiated the process management product revolution of the early 1990's and also worked with Jeff Sutherland to formulate the initial versions of the Scrum development process. Mike Beedle, an experienced software development practitioner, is the founder and CEO of e-Architects, Inc., a management and technical consulting company that helps its clients develop software in record time. Beedle has contributed to thousands of software projects for the last 20 years, and has used, recommended, and guided others to implement Scrum since 1995. Trade Review"Agile development methods are key to the future of flexible software systems. Scrum is one of the vanguards of the new way to buy and manage software development when business conditions are changing. This book distills both the theory and practice and is essential reading for anyone who needs to cope with software in a volatile world." — Martin Fowler, industry consultant and CTO, ThoughtWorks "Most executives today are not happy with their organization's ability to deliver systems at reasonable cost and timeframes. Yet, if pressed, they will admit that they don't think their software developers are not competent. If it's not the engineers, then what is it that prevents fast development at reasonable cost? Scrum gives the answer to the question and the solution to the problem. — Alan Buffington, industry consultant, former Present, Fidelity Systems Company Table of Contents 1. Introduction. 2. Great Ready for Scrum! 3. Scrum Practices. 4. Applying Scrum. 5. Why Scrum? 6. Why Does Scrum Work? 7. Advanced Scrum Applications. 8. Scrum and the Organization. 9. Scrum Values.

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Book SynopsisJurgen Wolff is the author of Your Writing Coach (Nicholas Brealey Publishing), Do Something Different (Virgin Books), and Successful Scriptwriting (Writers Digest Press, with Kerry Cox). He's also written many articles, including a personal development column for the Times Educational Supplement.  He teaches workshops on personal development, time management, creativity, and writing around the world. Jurgen has lectured at the University of Southern California, for the Skyros Institute, the Academy for Chief Executives, and for Fremantle Media, the London School of Journalism, the European Media programme, and at private workshops in the United States, England, Spain, Germany, Denmark, France, South Africa, Belgium, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Jurgen is a Neuro Linguistic Programming practitioner and a certified hypnotherapist and Time Line therapist. He is the author of our upcoming title, Creativity Now as well as, Series Editor for the For Entrepreneurs seriTable of ContentsContents Foreword by Bob Cochran, co-creator of 24 vii About the author ix Introduction How creating focus will change your life xi Part 1 Finding your focus 1 How to focus on your vital 20% 2 How to focus on your first goals Part 2 Your focus strategies 35 3 How to focus your time patterns for success 4 How to overcome the obstacles to focus 5 How to focus on what already works 6 How to (finally) beat procrastination Part 3 Your focus tools 93 7 How to use the Alter Ego strategy 8 How to manage other people 9 How to focus your language for extraordinary results 10 How to create information focus 11 How to conquer the paper mountain 12 How to tame the email monster 13 How to master meetings and networking Part 4 Putting it all together 181 14 How to deal with deadlines and multiple projects 15 How to maintain your new found focus 16 The goals breakthrough experience 17 How to put it all together to reach all your goals

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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 SynopsisChrister Holloman is an experienced digital business change consultant. He is the CEO and cofounder of Divido (http://divido.com/), a fast-growing technology start-up in the process of changing the old school financial services sector. Credited as One of London's Most Influential Individuals Within New Media by The Evening Standard, he is often invited to write for The Guardian, Sky News and GQ about how organisations can make the most of opportunities presented by new technologies. Christer is the author of the The Social Media MBA series (Wiley).Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Foreword A. Retail Truths 1. Some Thing Never Change 1.1 Expert Commentary: From Bricks to Clicks 1.2 Becoming Omni-Channel 1.3 Expert Commentary: John Lewis Move to Mobile 1.4 Expert Commentary: Mobile Shopping Opportunity 1.5 Case Study: Graze.com 1.6 Deep Dive: Omni-Communications 2. Getting Technology To Work For You 2.1 Deep Dive: Importance of Speed 2.2 Case Study: Watchfinder B. Attracting More Customers 3. Understanding Your Demographics 3.1 Expert Commentary: Mapping the Customer Journey 3.2 Case Study: Thomas Cook 4. Starting To Use Social Media and PR 4.1 Deep Dive: From Social Listening to Predicting 4.2 Case Study: Bjorn Borg C. Selling More 5. Presenting Products & Services Online 5.1 Case Study: The Board Basement 5.2 Reducing Shopping Cart Abandonment 5.3 Case Study: STA Travel 6. The Check-Out Journey 6.1 Expert Commentary: Make It Easy To Buy 6.2 Case Study: Carpet Underlay Shop D. Surprising Customer Service 7. Make Your Brand, Your Customers’ 7.1 Expert Commentary: Bazaarvoice 7.2 Case Study: Gopak 7.3 Expert Commentary: Authentic Customer Dialogue 7.4 Case Study: Grabble.com Getting Mobile Right 8. Deep Dive: Global Payment Alternatives 8.1 Payment Checklist E. Key Opportunities in the Coming Year 9. Expert Commentary: Expanding Internationally 9.1 Deep Dive: Selling to Chinese Consumers 9.2 Case Study: Vivabarefoot 10. Inventory Management 11 Delivery Delight 11.1 Deep Dive: Packaging 12. Beefing up Security Hall of Fame Index

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Book SynopsisApply the industrial engineering science of invention and assembly to how software is described, planned, and built, allowing you to be free to flex your practices according to your needs, putting principle over habit and rules.Reading about Agile practices is like reading diet advice.Table of Contents· Introduction · Prologue · Section 1: Agile Codex Theory Chapter 1: The Codex Principles Application (samples of principles in action) Chapter 2: The Agile Principles Application (samples of principles in action) Chapter 3: Putting them Together Education to Agreement (a specific type of collaboration) Low Overhead Detailed Auditing Quick and Safe Deliveries Many Quality Gates The Importance of Dependencies Chapter 4: From Invention to Assembly Line Historical development of the assembly line Evolving from hardware and things to software and information · Section 2: Agile Codex Practices Chapter 5: Team Functions Chapter 6: Software Development LifeCycle SDLC in Industry Phases Constructing the Codex The Science of Risk Mitigation Flexibility How SDLC Length Affects Practices Chapter 7: Building Blocks Planned Release Epic User Story Bug Chapter 8: Workflow Planning Execution Release Chapter 9: Example · Conclusion

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Book SynopsisManaging projects across an organisation is complex. This book guides you through each twist and turn in the project lifecycle using Project System in SAP S/4HANA. Start by setting up the master data that project management depends on. Then configure and run planning functions for project logistics and financials.

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Book Synopsis"This is a must-read for bosses and subordinates alike, as it exposes our flaws but teaches us how we can work together to achieve our common goals."--Ellen Coulter, President, The Advantage Software CompanyWhat do you do when the biggest threat to your project is your boss? It''s not that your boss is out to get you. In fact, bosses generally mean well. But clueless leadership from a well-intentioned boss can sometimes cause more damage than a criminal mastermind tying your project to the railroad tracks.The Unwritten Rules of Managing Up provides refreshingly practical and candid insight into the best practices and techniques that project managers have successfully used for decades to manage a wide variety of senior-level stakeholders--ranging from perfectly competent and pleasant to downright dysfunctional and inept. While managing up is an incredibly valuable skill for virtually any type of boss (not just the difficult ones), the book includes recommendations for managing six particularly challenging--and common--types of senior leaders. They are the bombastic Tornado, who takes over meetings without realizing it; the Wishful Thinker, who regularly asks the impossible; the Clueless Chameleon, who can''t quite decide what he or she really wants (but still holds you responsible for delivering it); the MIA Boss, who is just not around enough; the Meddlesome Micromanager, who hovers and insists you complete a task his or her way; and the Naked Emperor, who falls in love with his or her own crazy ideas. Brownlee also offers basic techniques to use with any boss, even a great one. This book is not just for professionals seeking to enhance their workplace effectiveness but also for senior leaders interested in addressing their blind spots and coaching others toward a more collaborative, results-focused leadership approach.

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Book SynopsisThe perfect starting point for successful project management, Project Management Fundamentals offers a solid foundation in the basics of the discipline. Using a step-by-step approach and conventional project management (PM) terminology, this accessible commonsense guide focuses on how essential PM methods, tools and techniques can be adapted for use on any project and put into place immediately. New material in this thoroughly revised and updated second edition includes an in-depth discussion of agile project management and its use in real-life situations, and a new appendix on project communications and social networking. You will also find detailed explanations of the unique factors involved in managing service projects and expanded coverage of the triple constraints in PM, going beyond scope, schedule and cost to cover quality, resources and risks. Filled with practical examples, along with detailed sections on risk management, maturity models, virtual teams and IT projects, this book will help you successfully manage projects of any size or level of complexity.

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Book SynopsisOrganizations continue to experience project issues associated with poor performance on requirements-related activities. This guide will give you the tools you need to excel in requirements development and management — components of the larger field of business analysis and a critical competence for project, program and portfolio management. Requirements Management: A Practice Guide is a bridge between A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), which speaks to requirements development and management from a high-level perspective, and Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide, which describes requirements development and management at a detailed and practical level. This practice guide is the middle ground, offering project managers, program managers, teams members and stakeholders the opportunity to learn more about the requirements process.

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Book SynopsisPMI’s latest foundational standard, The Standard for Organizational Project Management (OPM), expands upon the popular Implementing Organizational Project Management: A Practice Guide, published in 2014. This newly-created standard is a result of survey feedback that revealed acceptance of the approach and increasing interest in an expanded version.OPM is defined as the integration of people, knowledge, and processes, supported by tools across all functional domains of the organization.The approach further advances an organization’s performance by developing and linking portfolio, program, and project management principles and practices with organizational enablers (e.g., structural, cultural, technological, and human resource practices) and business processes to support strategic objectives.OPM helps organizations deliver value through the following principles: Aligning strategy Consistent execution and delivery Cross-functional collaboration Adding value to the organization Continuous training Although useful for any organization that is seeking to better meet its strategic objectives, this standard is particularly beneficial for organizations that do not have a unified project management approach.

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Book SynopsisBenefits realization is the common thread that runs from organizational strategy through project deliverables that contribute benefits. Yet, according to PMI’s 2018 Pulse of the Profession Report: Success in Disruptive Times, only one in three organizations report high benefits realization maturity. This practice guide provides a comprehensive look at the topic of benefits realization in of portfolio, program, and project management and will help you tackle this important topic and drive more successful outcomes and better strategic alignment in your organization.Inside this practice guide you will find: • Standardized definitions for benefits realization, benefits realization management and associated benefits realization terms.• The core principles of benefits realization• The benefits realization management life cycle from organizational mission, vision, and strategy through project deliverables and success measurement, and how it contributes to the expected benefits and value that the organization intends to realize.• A framework and guidance to help practitioners manage benefits realization in organizational project management and portfolio, program, and project management.As with all PMI standards and publications, this practice guide also aligns with our other standards including: A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide)® – Sixth Edition; The Standard for Program Management – Fourth Edition; and The Standard for Portfolio Management – Fourth Edition.

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Book SynopsisThe Practice Standard for Scheduling – Third Edition provides the latest thinking regarding good and accepted practices in the area of scheduling for a project. Aligned with the A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Sixth Edition, this updated practice standard expounds on the information contained in Section 6 on Project Schedule Management of the PMBOK® Guide.In this new edition of the practice standard, you will learn to identify the elements of a good schedule model, its purpose, use, and benefits. You will also discover what is required to produce and maintain a good schedule model. Also included in the Third Edition: Description of scheduling Definition of schedule model Uses and benefits of the schedule model Definitions of key terms and steps for scheduling Detailed descriptions of scheduling components Guidance on the principles and concepts of schedule model creation and use Descriptions of schedule model principles and concepts Differentiations in schedule model, schedule model instances, and presentations Detailed descriptions of critical path method, critical chain, program evaluation and review technique (PERT), rolling wave planning, and Monte Carlo simulation Uses and applications of adaptive project management approaches, such as agile, in scheduling Guidance and information on generally accepted good practices associated with the planning, development, maintenance, communication, and reporting processes of an effective schedule model

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Book SynopsisThe Standard for Program Management – Fourth Edition differs from prior editions by focusing on the principles of good program management. Program activities have been realigned to program lifecycle phases rather than topics, and the first section was expanded to address the key roles of program manager, program sponsor and program management office. It has also been updated to better align with PMI's Governance of Portfolios, Programs, and Projects: A Practice Guide.

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Book SynopsisA Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®) Guide is the go-to resource for project management practitioners. Over the past few years, the project management profession has significantly evolved due to emerging technology, new approaches and rapid market changes. Reflecting this evolution, The Standard for Project Management enumerates 12 principles of project management and the PMBOK® Guide – Seventh Edition is structured around eight project performance domains. Both the standard and the guide reflect the wide range of development approaches that lead to value delivery. This edition is designed to address practitioners’ current and future needs and to help them be more proactive, innovative and nimble in enabling desired project outcomes. This edition of the PMBOK® Guide: Reflects the full range of development approaches (predictive, adaptive, hybrid, etc.) Provides an entire section devoted to tailoring the development approach and processes Includes an expanded list of models, methods, and artifacts Focuses on not just delivering project outputs but also enabling outcomes; and Integrates with PMIstandards+ for information and standards application content based on project type, development approach, and industry sector.

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Book SynopsisTransformation is no longer a short-lived initiative. It is not a program. It is not linear. Instead, the world’s leading organizations now embrace transformation as a a challenging, stretching, exciting and essential constant in their lives. Welcome to the age of perpetual transformation. Now, the Brightline Initiative and Thinkers50 have collaborated to bring together some of the world’s leading minds on the theme of perpetual transformation. Curated by Thinkers50 cofounder Stuart Crainer and introduced by PMI COO Michael DePrisco, Perpetual Transformation features ideas and insights from Didier Bonnet, Susie Kennedy, Kaihan Krippendorff, Jeffrey Kuhn, Habeeb Mahaboob, Tony O’Driscoll,Martin Reeves, Lars Fæste, Tom Deegan, April Rinne, Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez, Gabriele Rosani, Paolo Cervini, Robin Speculand, Behnam Tabrizi and a host of others.

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Book SynopsisThis is an update and expansion upon PMI's popular reference, The Practice Standard for Project Risk Management. Risk Management addresses the fact that certain events or conditions may occur with impacts on project, program, and portfolio objectives. This standard will: identify the core principles for risk management; describe the fundamentals of risk management and the environment within which it is carried out; define the risk management life cycle; and apply risk management principles to the portfolio, program, and project domains within the context of an enterprise risk management approach It is primarily written for portfolio, program, and project managers, but is a useful tool for leaders and business consumers of risk management, and other stakeholders.

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Book SynopsisHundreds of organizations around the world have already benefited from Disciplined Agile Delivery (DAD). Disciplined Agile® (DA™) is the only comprehensive tool kit available for guidance on building high-performance agile teams and optimizing your way of working (WoW). As a hybrid of the leading agile, lean, and traditional approaches, DA provides hundreds of strategies to help you make better decisions within your agile teams, balancing self-organization with the realities and constraints of your unique enterprise context. This book: Provides a foundation for enterprise agility, value streams, and a disciplined approach to DevOps Is a pragmatic application of agile, lean, and traditional techniques for your enterprise-class environment Overviews a strategy for teams to evolve a fit-for-purpose, flexible WoW that still supports a consistent governance strategy for leadership; and Makes a perfect study guide for Disciplined Agile certification. Why “fail fast” (as the agile industry likes to recommend) when you can learn quickly on your journey to high performance? With this book, you can make better decisions based upon proven, context-based strategies, leading to earlier success and better outcomes.

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Book SynopsisThis colourful poster supplements Process Groups: A Practice Guide. This poster is intended to help you identify the 49 project management processes and their associated Process Groups: Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing. This attractive poster provides the new look of the project management processes that are considered to be good practice on most projects, most of the time.

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Book SynopsisNeed help on how to get work done using traditional project management practices? Then, Process Groups: A Practice Guide is the right supplemental guide for you. This important companion to, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), offers useful and practical guidance for a predictive approach to project management practices. This practice guide influences your way of working, ensuring you are equipped with the information you need to succeed in this changing profession.What's in the guide? You'll find a process-based project management approach for guiding your projects, aligning methodologies, and evaluating project management capabilities. This guide uses a popular Process Groups model that will help you with: Initiating Planning Executing Monitoring and Controlling Closing In addition, you will learn about 49 processes within these five process groups along with inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs associated with those processes. This practice guide shows the processes considered good practices on most projects, most of the time.

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Book SynopsisThe Digital Transformation Playbook: What You Need to Know and Do is an indispensable resource for you and your organization as you embark on the exciting and challenging journey of digital transformation. It features insightful ideas and best practices that drive digital transformation. Contributors include leading thinkers and practitioners drawn from around the world.

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Book SynopsisProjects are traditionally seen as temporary organisations designed for unique tasks, often in contrast to the mass-producing core activities of organisations. Projects are used by the engineers as tools for solving almost any type of problem. In this book, the authors present current research in the study of practices, challenges and developments within project management. Topics discussed in this compilation include lessons learned in the role of the co-ordinator in the development of it projects; the stakeholder challenge, based on a project management of collaborative research; project management applied to lithic analysis; sustainable management team as a key element in success of project management; and the impact of project schedule adherence and rework on the duration forecast accuracy of earned value metrics.

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Book SynopsisThis book has been fully updated for the Jan 2021 PMP exam, including the all-important agile content. The PMP Exam: How to Pass on Your First Try provides all the information project managers need to thoroughly prepare for & pass the test. This comprehensive study resource includes: Coverage of predictive, agile, and hybrid approaches, as well as all the processes, inputs, tools, and outputs to be tested, and insider secrets. A complete guide for the PMP certification exam also includes test tricks and tips, links to more than 60 videos with explanations of concepts, 475 practice exam questions including end of chapter quizzes, a simulated final exam, and trial access to InSite (Velociteach's e-learning portal) with an extra 100 simulated practice exam questions. As the most complete, concise, and up-to-date study resource, Andy's book cuts down on the difficulty of obtaining the PMP certification and helps candidates pass the exam on the first try.

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Book SynopsisThis is a practical guide to streamlined project management, designed for managers of small and medium-sized projects in any business. Unlike other more complex approaches to project management, this book provides a simple framework which can be applied in a wide variety of situations in companies of all sizes. By stripping out the bureaucracy and paring the management down to a minimum, Mike Watson has created a straightforward approach to managing projects which will save organisations both time and money. This is a complete project manager's toolkit, including checklists, sample forms and schematics.

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