Turning Project Management Into a Competitive Advantage

Image of two cars of the same model, one worn-out, and the other in pristine condition.
June 3, 2016

According to PMI’s 2016 Pulse of the Profession report, organizations lose $122 million on average for every $1 billion spent on projects, an increase from the last measure in 2014.

Although the waste could be worse, organizations should examine ways to further reduce that waste. PMI’s (2014) recommendations for minimizing these losses include greater coupling of projects with organizational strategy and a greater organizational agility that includes more emphasis on customers and processes. In this blog post, we will provide commentary on both the 2014 and 2016 reports and offer additional solutions from the perspective of our project management experience.

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Agile Vs. Waterfall

Graphic of Agile vs. Waterfall
May 26, 2016

How do Agile methods differ from waterfall methods? In this blog post, we will answer that question and we will present the key differences between Agile and waterfall. As the traditional method used to deliver projects, waterfall tends to be the more common and generic way of managing projects. Agile is typically used with software projects, but can also apply to other projects. Depending on the type of project, Agile may or may not be a good fit for non-software projects. With other types of projects, you might even be able to integrate Agile and waterfall methodologies together to create a dynamic way of approaching a specific project.

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Changing Careers: Business Analyst to Project Manager

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May 16, 2016
The business analyst (BA) and the project manager (PM) each fill critical roles on projects. Business analysts lead requirements gathering, solutions generation, and communication with business users, while project managers lead the project from initiation and planning to executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing. While the roles and responsibilities of each title may vary between companies, there is often overlap between the business analyst and project manager roles. With these factors at play, how can a business analyst transition effectively to a project manager role?Continue reading

How You Can Do More With Less

Image of two project team members discussing project management processes.
May 3, 2016

According to a 2014 survey conducted by RefineM’s CEO, NK Shrivastava, almost 75% of surveyed project managers say their job has grown more difficult. This survey was conducted almost two years ago, and what we hear in our day-to-day operation is that these issues are still applicable for the year 2016. If this is the case, what is a project manager to do? Here at RefineM, we’ve come up with an immediately applicable strategy for you to do more with less and deliver successful projects.

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I Failed my Project Management Professional (PMP)® Exam. Now What?

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April 17, 2016

The Project Management Professional (PMP)® exam is a notoriously difficult test on which even experienced project managers commonly struggle. The exact first-time pass rate is not known, but a range of estimates from different sources place it between 20 and 70 percent. Bottom line, if you were not able to pass the PMP exam on your first attempt, you are not alone. You are probably frustrated and are not sure what to do next. Follow these tips to overcome your frustration and pass the exam for which you have studied so hard.

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10 Factors to Consider When Selecting a Project Management Professional (PMP)® Exam Prep Course

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March 24, 2016
Are you ready to take your Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification exam? Are you sure? The PMP exam is a difficult test, and even highly skilled and experienced project managers can struggle with it. A prep course or boot camp can give you the edge you need, but finding the best course for you can be a project in itself. How can you ensure you’re selecting the best company, course, and instructor to get the best value for your money? In this post, we present ten factors you should consider before selecting a vendor for your PMP Exam prep training.

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5 Common Project Management Issues: How to Recognize and Overcome

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March 7, 2016

In our consulting and project management experience, we have found that projects derail due to five common issues. If you recognize warning signs of these problems on your project, it’s time to take steps to fix the problems. Once action steps have been taken, preventive measures can be employed to keep the problems from returning.

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Q&A with NK: Beginnings in Project Management

Photo of NK Shrivastava, CEO and founder of RefineM
February 23, 2016

This post is the first in a Q&A series with RefineM’s CEO and founder, NK Shrivastava. With over 25 years of experience in project management, NK has a lot of wisdom and experience to share. Throughout this series, we will ask NK about his experiences in project management and agile to discover and share what he has learned. In this post, we’ve asked NK to share his experiences from the beginning of his career in project management to now. We hope that you will be able to learn more about NK and how his career has helped shape him into a project management consultant and the CEO of his own company. We hope you will enjoy our first Q&A interview with NK, “Beginnings in Project Management.”

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A Tiered Approach to Implement the Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) [Infographic]

Image preview for infographic, "Implementing the PMBOK Guide." Which tier is right for you?
February 9, 2016

You’re probably familiar with how complex the processes are in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), or else you wouldn’t be reading this post. With years of experience, we’ve learned that not every project needs the full PMBOK® Guide.

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Eight Powerful Project Management Processes [Infographic]

Infographic Preview for 8 Powerful Project Management Processes
January 26, 2016

Project managers are frequently asked to do more with less; in less time and with fewer resources. We’ve explored this issue and have come up with a solution. Through a series of eight blog posts, we present to you the “Eight Powerful Project Management Processes.” By following these eight essential processes, you will be able to get more done with less time and fewer resources. In this blog post, we present an infographic for an overview of all the eight powerful project management processes.

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PMI, PMP, CAPM, PMI-ACP, PMI-RMP, and PMBOK are all registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.