I was asked recently in a networking event to talk about the hardest and the easiest challenges we faced starting VCSonline.com 10 years ago this summer.  The question caught me a little off guard and I starting thinking back to those early days (queue stereotypical harp music soap operas use!).

Back in 1998 I had a lot more hair up top and lot less wrinkles around my eyes.  What we lacked in startup funding, customers, and employees we more then made up in hope, desire, and pure potential.  There was no doubt we would set the world on fire.  It was a magical time of creative ingenuity.  The web-based software was an embarrassment by today's standards but back then anything data driven over the web that helped teams manage projects and report to management got 'ooos' and 'ahhhs'.

Fast forward 3 kids, 10 pounds, and 30,000 clients later to today.  Finally (thank you God) things are really tak ...

Software as a Service (SaaS) is a relatively new concept in software delivery and one poised to change project management delivery in the immediate future. Instead of buying a server, buying server software, configuring said software, and keeping up with maintenance you simply pay a software service provider a monthly fee to deliver the benefit of the software over the Internet.

The advantages of this approach are:

• No large capital outlay (servers, enterprise software)
  
• No resource management issues (training staff to install and support software)
  
• No footprint on existing hardware (no software to install on desktops and no storage issues)
  
• Pay as you go and only ...

I met with a Global 100 company CIO last week and I think his comments were right on track with what other CIOs I have met with in 2007. 

He said "I did the math and IT spent 1,000,000 hours on projects last year.  The #1 thing we can do is to improve project productivity and insure consistency in our delivery".

What your project management software isn't telling you - can kill you!

What's consuming 30% of your time that isn't even being tracked in your project management software?

I know you are probably thinking this is related to planning.  People are always telling me how important project planning is ( and I don't disagree with them).  Many top organizations spend a reasonable amount of time studying workplans, building methodologies, and standardizing on planning templates.  Yet they report they are still regularly running over budget on their IT projects and can't figure out why? 

The issue is issue management.

If every project in a company was fully u ...

You are so close to being able to provide your group a collaborative infrastructure for project management that you can almost taste it!

You have come to the conclusion that improved project management, resource management, and metrics are key to reducing overhead costs and improving revenue.  You have created a prioritized list of benefits you need from project management software and you have contacted the vendors you are interested in while avoiding the 5 things you should never say to a project management software salesperson.

So many people quit at this p ...

So your organization has decided it needs:

• Project management software
• Resource management software / Capacity planning
• Enterprise Project and Portfolio management

If you

Woo hoo!

After years of managing traditional back-office projects using the waterfall methodology techniques you have finally been handed one of your company's top web projects to manage!

Your mission?  To re-engineer the corporate web site including a new blog capability, document management, and a discussion forum.

You are a self proclaimed geek with every gadget and have followed web-trends religiously.  Your mind starts to spin with the dizzying array of features and widgets you can stuff into every nook and cranny of the system.  You could write the requirements for the site yourself as few people in your organization "get-it" the way you do. 

Heck, you are so excited you break out Microsoft PowerPoint and start running the "New Product Development" template wizard to build your business case.  You ...

One of our most important senses is our sight.  Many people fear the loss of sight nearly as much as loss of life.

Yet more and more we are engaged in virtual teams trying to accomplish Herculean project tasks without seeing our teammates on a regular basis.  This is further exasperated by the other favorite form of communication that blocks our sense of hearing:  Email.  I am certain if I developed virtual project management software to block sense of smell too I would join the ranks of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs!

Ironically, I see five terrible mistakes made every day in meet ...

Why virtual project management fails - Part 0 - Introduction

I have worked on the art and science of web-based virtual project management since the mid-90's and had the pleasure of being involved with the first virtual program management intranet at AT&T.  One of the most common complaints is how difficult it is to bring together virtual teams of partners, team members, and customers.  What is even more strange is how few of the times people understand why their virtual projects failed to meet the scope, budget, or timelines they set out to achieve.

In this series I will explo ...