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Budget Reserves and Schedule Buffers can be Palatable.

In some organizations, budget reserves and schedule buffers are taboo.  I have heard countless arguments on both sides of this issue.  I am an advocate of doing what makes most sense for the organization, its culture and its valuable human resources.  Those which conduct a multitude of complex, highly scrutinized projects (e.g., risky contracts), and… Continue reading Budget Reserves and Schedule Buffers can be Palatable.

Requirements Control is a key to effective project risk management.

Some schedules represent credible tasks logically and can be used for tracking progress, and some are art projects that may be pleasing to the eye but are primarily worthless.  Tired of dealing with vendors and programs trying to manage complex and expensive efforts using art projects, the US Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) developed and… Continue reading Requirements Control is a key to effective project risk management.

Executives comprehend Percentage Confidence better than the Risk Matrix.

What do executives really think of the risk matrix data?  The data can be extremely useful if generated properly, but what is its real purpose?  Most believe that the executive management team can discern overall project risk confidence from it.  But that is not what the tool provides.  It provides information regarding individual risks, not… Continue reading Executives comprehend Percentage Confidence better than the Risk Matrix.

The Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) Critical Path May be Misleading.

Signing up to a schedule based on the project’s IMS critical path, without any buffer, is usually a losing proposition, especially if the project is complex and team performance is highly scrutinized.  This topic is treated in detail within my book, “Project Risk Management: A Practical Implementation Approach.”   Several factors tend to skew our schedules… Continue reading The Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) Critical Path May be Misleading.

No Risks should remain in the “Red Zone” of the Risk Matrix.

The risk matrix has become pretty much a staple within the project risk management family of tools and techniques, especially for the more complex and highly scrutinized projects.  It portrays a relatively easy-to-comprehend visual of individual project risk status.  One example of a risk matrix can be found on page 84 of my book, “Project… Continue reading No Risks should remain in the “Red Zone” of the Risk Matrix.

Project Risk versus the Cost of Change.

A fundamental risk management concept to always keep in mind is the relationship between the project risk profile over the course of the project timeline and the cost of change profile over that same timeline.  Cost, in the context of this discussion could be any combination of Project Schedule, Cost or Product Quality/Technical Capability that… Continue reading Project Risk versus the Cost of Change.

The significance of utilizing “Best Practices” relative to project risk management.

There are many potential causes of unsuccessful project execution which can plague a project team.  If you know what they are and implement preventive measures to avoid these pit-falls you will obviously improve your team’s chances of success.  What are these concerns?  It might be considered a bit too bold to say you have identified… Continue reading The significance of utilizing “Best Practices” relative to project risk management.

Risk management can pro-actively improve project team performance.

There are many potential causes of unsuccessful project execution which can plague a project team.  If you know what they are and implement preventive measures to avoid these pit-falls you will obviously improve your team’s chances of success.  What are these concerns?  It might be considered a bit too bold to say you have identified… Continue reading Risk management can pro-actively improve project team performance.

“Doing more with less” by managing risks in a holistic way.

Most company executives strive to “do more with less” to boost the organization’s bottom line — when you are successful at this the company is more competitive, and that typically leads to improved profitability.  I like the way that Taylor Clarke (2015) articulates this notion: “Amid increasing competitive pressures, many organizations are looking to do… Continue reading “Doing more with less” by managing risks in a holistic way.

Business Success via Project Risk Management: Introduction

The objective of this series of posts is to provide insights into the breadth of Holistic Project Risk Management, especially as it relates to satisfying an organization’s objective to “Do More with Less” – which, if done well will improve the organization’s business success.  The plan is to provide 2 posts per week over the… Continue reading Business Success via Project Risk Management: Introduction