Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Cartoons Wisdom Teeth Extracted

Part 2: Communication about an issue tracking system

is often during the project, a support tool for used-Issue or the bug tracking system (for example, JIRA).
If such a system is used, so it is very much project information document. The information can be beispielswese following:
  • A Change Request
  • A new requirement
  • A question to be answered
  • a bug to be fixed

These points arise additional information that is published in the issue tracking system for the description of the issues or a related comment.
there for this kind of communication there are the following rules:
  • The customer often has access to the issue tracking system and can read it all. Thus, should always "user grade" information is in one issue. Sometimes the customer is also collecting issues and then pursued in more detail the contents of the Issues.
  • Any change in status should be commented for better comprehensible way accordingly.
  • Each comment should be comprehensible. It is to previous comments or the description of the Issues, a reference will be made.
  • As with the mail should also structured the entries / to be formatted.
  • long discussions about the comments should be avoided. This calls rather quickly with the customer and then documenting the results of the telephone conversation as a comment.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Slowdance Costumes For Sale

Playing Arts!

defined the Italian Reggio teacher Carla Rinaldi, creativity is "... as a potential that accompanies the life of every person and one of the tracks will make up the uniqueness and distinctiveness of the person. At the same time creativity is a characteristic of every human being irrespective of age ... "
She stressed that even in the early years of unlimited creativity unfolds with explosion of neural structures in the human brain, for "any ... Lernakt is a creative act, not necessarily because it creates something new, but because the individual in learning something new encounters "


Left Thalamus Evolving Lacunar Infarct

art window Sparkasse Hersbruck


From 11/11/2010 to 12/09/2010 I show current large-scale works of art in the windows of the bank Hersbruck, New Cordial Invitation

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Milena Eolika Met Art

Part 1: Project communication via e-mail

There are many sources on the Internet that report on how to write e-mails and what the wichtigstend Basic rules to do so. I have these resources for the Constitutional deliberately not looked at this post, but reports here about the experience in handling mail in a project.

In a project, whether you should be with the client or the project team, the project owner or communicated with stakeholders via mail the following simple rules are followed:

  • receiver clearly define
  • perform call to action
  • perform basic, warm the recipient of this mail in
  • date by when something should be done
  • structured text for better clarity, especially for longer mails
  • When messages with "supercritical" Content call before sending the mail to the receiver and discuss the contents of mouth. The receiver on the critical content So prepare

a bad example.














Conclusion: One such mail arrives in my relatively quickly in the trash. I need to do nothing concrete.

A good example:





is important to follow these rules even if, for example, an "FYI" email (For your information e-mail) forwarded. Here one should strictly write you why the mail is important for the recipient, otherwise, there is also a risk that the mail falls into the trash, although it would have been really important. It helps the reader to look also at a glance what is at stake.

is also the author think twice about to whom the mail should be sent. CC mails should be avoided if possible. BBC mails in my view an absolute "no-go".


Friday, October 22, 2010

What Is The Problem In The Beginning Of The Iliad

95% of project management is communication: Introduction

95% of project management is communication, be it to their stakeholders, to the project team, in meetings, in front of the client or the line manager: will be communicated in projects and quite often quite different channels. I am going to publish a series of posts that illuminate the theme of communication in the project and include some tips on different use appropriate tools:
additions and suggestions are welcome to be added through the comments.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

What Does Sharking You Mean

basis for decision making: simple, Structured, clear

The project manager is often busy during the project to demand decisions. Often this involves a change in scope or the additional implementation of a change request or a new requirement. Especially with change requests and new requirements, it is important to have a quick decision on the part of contracts, as such points usually also affects the time and resources plan have. And the sooner we know if a change is mandated or not, the faster we can respond.

Thus, the client quickly but can also decide conscientiously should simple basis for decisions made. The most important rules about this:
  • Simple and clear list (on a side)
  • Even without explanation to the reader
  • advantages and disadvantages make (including any additional expenses, time shifts or risks)
  • recommendation by the project team

An example might look like such a solid management

as basis for decision making (content as an example only)

Such a template, the project created within minutes and can be reused accordingly. The result of a decision should then be logged for granted.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Funny Wedding Sayings For Koozies

caution in dealing with rough cost estimates

I have often experienced the situation that I have are a tender on the table, where the customer wants to have a so-called "full service" project offers. "Full Service" in the field of e-business "in this case: conception and design of a new e-business solution, then the implementation the solution and last but not the operation of this solution. That will now all be packaged into an offer and are provided in accordance with numbers.

But it is quite difficult to assess the implementation of a solution, if there are no concepts. There is the possibility to leave, are responsible for a rough cost estimate based on experience. This has the advantage that the client will receive an overview of the cost of complete service, and we have the ability to implement cost design has been completed to verify again.
That sounds all very good and plausible ... BUT: The client nailed one in the Rule on the amount of rough cost estimate fixed and then expected that the reaction can be carried out in the estimated budget.

Thus begins the Scope Management at a very early phase of the project. Here are some tips to make the implementation costs, the rough cost estimate does not exceed:

  • The implementation effort can be controlled through design. If the customer has a sudden new requirements or changes the scope may already be noted in the concept that the impact has the implementation effort.
  • should be considered in the design with smaller budgets, that the Deluxe version is designed, but the version that can be implemented with the existing budget as well.
  • If the implementation costs are adjusted according to design must be completed, then the PL will argue exactly how it came to the added expenses. More effort must be transparent and comprehensible for the customer.
  • it is helpful if you have defined at the start with the customer what the exact trade-off is of the project: If a deadline, the highest priority, cost and scope are flexible. If the budget priority, deadlines and scope are flexible. If the Scope priority, the budget and the deadline is flexible. The Trade-off will be during the design phase of the customer and the design team kept in mind.
  • case will be developed during the design phase of a design must be scrutinized, that creep in the design is not new features. Namely, the customer has taken the concept and design, that is also pinned down. Even if they are not conceived in the design any new features have crept, the customer expects that he'll get it. This is also the customer at the Scope's guide.
For the customer it's always a bitter pill if he has more costly in the end. For this reason, the transparency and the constant Communication in this regard extremely important during the design phase.

Conclusion:
rough cost estimate: yes, apply in any case, but only in the light of the above.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Pot Light Placement Design

The trade-off matrix as a basis for communication project

At the beginning of a project are usually defined in collaboration with the client the scope, created a budget planning and scheduling. Often emerge from these challenging tasks have already been first "conflicts" on
  • The customer already has a defined go live date, but has a huge list of demands. The project manager sees already that it is not available in time can be implemented.
  • The customer has a fixed budget. While the design of the project plan, it turns out that there is a feature list that is unknown to this day and significantly exceeds the existing budget.
  • The customer wants to dive within 3 months, a final solution, the resources are not available
  • ...
Such conflicts again and again and there is a very simple methodology to solve together with the customer, these trade-offs. And with the trade-off matrix.


Trade-Off Matrix

The trade-off matrix is composed of three criteria to be defined with the customer
  • Fixed: When this criterion can not be changed (for example: the resources or budget are fixed. )
  • Chosen: This criterion is chosen, if indicated, for example in the figure, the schedule have higher priority than the features. Say so determines that the customer is willing to give up some features to meet the schedule
  • Adjustable: This criterion is generally negotiable. This compromises the other two criteria to be observed.
, to fill this matrix, there is only one rule: Each row and each column can only have a check mark.

In the above example, you have the following observation: For a fixed budget / resources, has the second priority deadline. The features are adapted so that they can be implemented by the agreed end date and within the present budget.

Depending on how the trade-off matrix is filled, has the impact on future planning and also to the further control of the project. The matrix helps to have within a project team a clear focus. For Changes or additional features can always be reminded of the agreement will that has been made at the beginning of the project. It is important to note that this agreement all project stakeholders, including the project sponsor does.


more information:
source 1 source 2