Information Technology Infrastructure Library or ITIL, as we commonly know, is a great source to acquire knowledge in terms of information technology. In this contemporary world, you need to be updated in terms of technology to compete with the world.

Companies require staff for management of the organization and all the professionals should go for the ITIL certification, as it will help them in updating their IT knowledge and skills. In ITIL, individuals are trained on how to deal with management issues at the organizational level. Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is easily accessible and acceptable all over.

ITIL offers training in a number of fields in IT service management. The information on the ITIL versions and what is included in the course is obtainable online through Google search.

The training depends upon you to decide which field you want to become proficient in. ITIL Version 2 mainly comprises of the Foundation Levels, Service Manager and Practitioner. After the Foundation Level, the Practitioner Level offers options of what to select for certification. The ITIL Version 3 training is provided in four levels. The Foundation Level is the first one. A person is required to get a certificate of The Foundation Level to go on to the next one. The Foundation Level helps in understanding the terminology used in ITIL. Basically, the Foundation Level in either of the versions is a main component, to achieve a certificate before moving on to the other levels. You are supposed to answer forty multiple choice questions in an hour. ITIL trains you through various means like seminars; computer based training, online study, workshops and books.

The training can be attained online. Many authorized websites are offering this facility; all you need is a computer with a webcam to go through the training followed by an examination later. ITIL is helpful in providing sufficient resource and knowledge to complete the courses successfully to achieve the certificate.

After successful completion, you are certified that you undertook the course, and have passed the levels. Then, you are permitted to go for a workshop which would help in attaining the skills to start your own IT firm. ITIL certification will definitely help in your professional growth. It will benefit you in tackling problems and dealing with IT management service in every way. An IT professional without ITIL certification is considered obsolete.

This is a special edition of the book, created exclusively for Christiano Construction Company. For the retail edition of the book, please order from the other links to the book. Thank You very much, and may all of your Projects go at NetSpeed.

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Projects are changing and so are the ways they are being managed. No longer do projects move at the speed of business, but at the speed of the Internet – at NetSpeed.

This book offers a stimulating and straightforward, applications-rich approach to managing the basic unit of work in the Third Millennium. It focuses on what is truly important in business – people and resources – and offers a comprehensive look at the trends influencing today’s Projects. Filled with practical strategies, best

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Managers will need more than communication skills if they want to successfully manage people and budget while also keeping budget under control. The world of project management is not only in search of a universal method but also of some recognition and has thus made the PMP (Project Management Professional) a great success. The Project Management Institute (PMI) has awarded this certification to more than fifty-three thousand professionals around the world.

PMP project management: What is it all about?

All practices that concerns project management are regrouped in the PMBok which is published by the PMI The PMBok covers the planning, implementation and supervising stage of a project, in short, the whole life cycle of the project. Professionals can now have the techniques in order to estimate workload and cost efficiently. Aspects related to quality, risk or internal / external communications are also discussed.

For a person to take part in the exams he will need to have at least a bachelor’s degree and also 4500 hours of practice. If his level of education is of a secondary degree or associate degree equivalent he must demonstrate a minimum five years/60 months unique non overlapping professional project management experience during which at least 7,500 hours were spent leading and directing project tasks.

The PMP project management exams will demand that applicants answer 200 MCQs during a period of 4 hours. There are no breaks that are scheduled during the exams and you are advised to take all your necessary precautions. The PMBok covers the planning, implementation and supervising stage of a project, in short, the whole life cycle of the project.

Published by Robert Bellarmine for visitask.com where you can find ressources on project management

Are you currently interested to learn whether your projects are efficient or not? Download our free so as to get more info about the success rate of your projects.

Every kind of business will stand to gain a lot from a quality management process or system (QMS). Any quality assurance Melbourne expert will tell you that. If the concept is fairly new to you, it’s about time that you took the step towards learning more about it and finding out how it can benefit your company.

In simple terms, a QMS is your personal set of standards, guidelines and rules that help you manage the various actions and tasks in your business. It puts a great deal of stress on the concept of making sure that procedures are followed to ensure efficient business output geared towards customer satisfaction.

The key term here is customer contentment. Without this, you essentially have nothing to generate income from. You need to invest in quality management system creation to make sure you’ll always have people lining up at your shop door. What you need to take particular note of is that satisfied customers are made by a combination of outstanding products and excellent procedures. This last one implies a smooth movement from product order to delivery.

A reliable quality management system is thus of utmost importance if you want to make sure that you and your customers stay in high spirits. You should be aware though that there is no shortcut and no set way to complete a system. This should be obvious considering that businesses differ from each other. Despite the presence of general guidelines for setting up a quality management process, the particulars of your business still matter a lot.

Just like every other company, yours will have such components as departments, sub departments and connected processes. When you first assess your company, what you need to evaluate first is how well your processes work together to bring about customer satisfaction. At the end of the day, this should be your main aim.

When you sit down to build a system, the first order of business is to look at how you presently perform tasks. This means looking into the minute details of each part of your business and finding out how well it responds to customer needs. In quality management system preparation, this means determining which processes are good to maintain and which ones need to be changed.

It is only when you’ve determined the weak points of your current procedures that you can begin enhancing and cleaning up your system. After this step comes staff training and clear documentation. These are necessary steps to follow even if very little needs changing in your current system.

You can’t leave a new or a modified system on autopilot. There is a need for you to constantly assess how well your system is working. Even if it does work out perfectly though, there is an added requirement to promise to pursue continuous improvement.

You will already reap so much out of a quality management process. You should however look into the possibility of getting ISO certification. Once certified, your standards and systems become globally recognized. This means you’ll get the potential to attract more customers and business associates. Find time to contact an ISO consultants Melbourne team.

Engineering change management refers to the change in the functionality of a product by means of careful request, evaluation, implementation and control when production of the product has already started. Depending on the product and the items the changes can be either total or partial. For instance there might be a change only in component, assembly or material.

Changes constitute a major component of the development of modern products. They represent both an engine of innovation, opportunities of benefits, but can also generate cost and delays.
There are 6 phases that makes up a generic engineering change management process:

Request for engineering change

A formal request (engineering change request) must be made and it must precisely define what falls within the scope of changes that will be managed via the ad hoc procedure.

Alternatives to the requested change are evaluated

Other alternatives to the ECM are tried out and an evaluation of the alternatives is made and usually a single one is chosen.

Alternatives are evaluated in terms of costs and benefits

The alternatives should be evaluated in terms of risk and benefits on other department that will be affected by the change.

Solution approval

The top management needs to give approval to the favored solution.

Implementation of Change

Once approval has been granted the change request becomes a change order and needs to be propagated across the whole organization. The changes can be made either straight away or in some cases in small phase.

Reviewing

The change process is carefully reviewed to ensure that everything went out as planned and that proper documentation is made.

These are the steps that made up a generic engineering change management process but this can vary depending on the type and size of the organization.

Written by Robert Bellarmine for www.visitask.com

ECM is just one of the elements that may make or break your projects. Do you want to gauge the quality of your projects? Head to our website to get our free project management efficiency evaluator

Unfortunately, the process of decision-making is often based on so many, often irrational factors, that the pharmaceutical sales representative has his or her work cut out. Healthcare professionals and doctors in particular are not able to operate in an emotional vacuum, even though it is often difficult for them to maintain their work (and indeed their sanity) due to the difficult environments that they occupy. They lead their lives in the real world and are subject to the formation of opinions, the attraction of positive and negative emotions in any number of ways. So many different factors determine how they make up their mind on any number of issues and this process is often referred to in pharma training.

The marketplace is becoming more and more difficult, is a very competitive environment with legislation and restrictions ensuring that pharmaceutical companies have to train their employees really well to cope. Some studies have shown that emotional factors can account for almost as many motivational triggers as their rational counterparts. Whether the professional is aware of the situation or not is conjecture, but it certainly makes the role of the pharmaceutical sales representative a lot more difficult. The professional may be inspired by a particular brand reputation, by a particularly positive or negative reaction from a client or two and could form opinions based on the overall success of a brand marketing campaign. Often, if a brand is not able to establish its superior position effectively, it may not be able to convince a healthcare professional, due to their avowed intent to look after the patient, first and foremost.

These days, key account management training should encourage individuals within the organisation to observe and decipher the process of decision-making as keenly as possible. This is far more difficult than it might seem on the face of it, as emotional factors often drive the professional’s choice and these factors may not be consciously or subconsciously apparent. Nevertheless, a keen observation may reveal subtle clues, be they visual, spoken or sometimes written and this data should be gathered and assessed to enable a pattern to be revealed.

There are a number of research groups active in this area, looking at trends and trying to determine the emotional needs of practitioners and physicians, ready to give this data to the pharmaceutical industry. These findings should be of prime importance as consultants determine where a particular organisation may shine. With this information, key account management training should then be modified to ensure that the approach is consistent with the needs of the client, from both a rational and from an emotional perspective.

In the ultimate position, the pharmaceutical sales company will be more aware of individual buying decisions than the individual responsible for making the decision. It’s important to understand that emotional triggers cannot only affect individual prescription decisions, but also affect engagement from an overall perspective. If the pharmaceutical company can make alterations to its modus operandi, then it may in turn bypass the objections of the client.

As the market becomes more and more competitive and even more heavily regulated, it is likely that emotional buying decisions will become even more relevant.

Alan Gillies is the Director of L2L Consulting, an elite pharmaceutical consultancy firm which specialises in Strategy Development and Implementation Excellence for prestigious multi-national organisations.

Any company can benefit from having business process improvement ISO consultants Melbourne specialists. This is true even for small companies or those that operate under limited resources. Unfortunately though, many business owners view hiring a consultant as an additional expense. If you look at it from another perspective though, consultants may really help you save on a long term basis.

In reality, you may actually be losing potential income without you even knowing it. The reason for this is because you may have a bad system running your company affairs. One of the first components that can take a hit is your customer stream. You may initially have a lot of interested prospects but your income isn’t anywhere close to break even. This may be because of the lack of business process change. You may be losing customers to convoluted order procedures, poor support service, badly trained personnel and defective delivery procedures.

Aside from turning off your customers, you could also lose money because of procedures that are wasteful. Complicated internal policies for example could be the reason why you continue to insist on performing expensive paperwork, keeping redundant personnel, following unnecessary steps and using costly devices. All these imply spending more than you should.

Consultants can help in a number of different ways. One of the first things they can help you with is with your customer focus. Anyone can build a business that is intended to sell. Only total business process development however can generate loyalty from customers who will continue to patronize your products or services. Experts can give you the right direction when it comes to pinpointing your real market and its needs and what you can do to answer them.

Many businesses also need consultants for streamlining purposes. A third party assessment can help limit your systems to absolute necessities. A component of this function involves ensuring that the functions of various sections move efficiently and in a supportive manner. What you can expect out of this is a near flawless process that can cut your costs. The long term benefits of cost reduction can more than make up for the consultation fees that you need to pay for.

A business process improvement consultant can take one step further by evaluating your stated company goals. For companies that are just beginning, consultants can work on helping owners define exact goals. For companies that already carry actual goals, consultative work can focus on making sure that company procedures are all geared towards the realization of these goals.

Consultants can also help beyond the actual laying of the foundations for processes. When everything has been said and done, a good consultant can also leave the inspiration for companies to continue to pursue continuous improvement. This is a vital step because even the best systems can be improved.

You can’t afford not to pay attention to business process development and quality assurance Melbourne concerns. Even if you are little more than a legitimate backyard operation, you can do a great deal of things in so many better ways. Taking the best paths can give your company the boost it needs to grow. You may just need consultants to show you where to begin.

CMMS software has grown substantially in functionality over the last 15 years and now provides impressive functionality, including::

* Asset management (with extended asset hierarchy)
* Electronic storage of documents
* Inventory tracking (including usage and re-ordering)
* Maintenance planning
* Interworking with leading project planning packages
* Alert broadcast by email or SMS

Process control, manufacturing optimization and subsequent efficiency savings are the main criteria for which a CMMS Software system is implemented. This CMMS software whitepaper explains further.

All the leading CMMS vendors offer modular software solutions enabling users to purchase only the functionality that they require. .

Windows is the defacto standard operating system because of its familiarity, low cost of maintenance and security. This makes oversight and reporting highly efficient at any level of the organisation from the maintenance management engineer to the plant manager to the production director.
Maintenance Management Software Modules.

Maintenance management requirements covered by these modules include:

* Plant management
* Maintenance scheduling
* Asset Register
* Lubrication routine
* Digital documentation repository
* Reporting and analysis suite
* Stock control and procurement
* Plant condition tracking
* Communication with mobile staff

Maintenance on the Go
Few CMMS systems are implemented today without mobile maintenance functionality.
This is because great efficiencies can be gained by allowing technicians to access real time data via a PDA.
The maintenance engineer can also receive SMS or email alerts whilst on the move.

System Security
Enterprise class means that the maintenance management software is able to meet the stringent requirements for multi-site use nationally and internationally.. It will be necessay to consult with your IT team (internal or outsourced) to ensure that the IT infrastructure is suitable. The CMMS software is fundemental to any business, so naturally, the security policy and its implentation is paramount.

Solution implementation
Any CMMS software solution is only as good as its implementation. Most vendors provided experienced engineers, maintenance process specialists and project managers on a consulting basis to help you implement your CMMS correctly first time and then use it to take maximum advantage from it to achieve fast return on investment.

Corporations and the army share a number of features. Both tend to fairly strictly arranged with categorical procedures and qualifications required for advancement. Both tend to employ enormous numbers of people, which requires significant administration. Most importantly, corporations and the military both have a fundamental need for a preparedness to effect change. What is interesting is that, even though firms exist freeof many of the restrictions of the army and employ less people, they exhibit less preparedness than the army when it is time to implement change.

In principle, both organizational structures should be in the practice of predicting changes. The army should be anticipating changes vis potential attacks, replies to attacks, and protocols for dealing with new threats. Firms should be predicting potential changes in areas which affect them directly, for example oil costs or extra laws.

What is engaging is the army, for all the flack it takes for over the top bureaucracy, has a tendency to practice preparedness to a bigger degree. It is standard practice for the army to run exercises which mimic a range of circumstances, starting from best to worst case eventualities. Corporations, on the other hand, have a tendency to eschew the practicalities of the best way to implement change until such changes are thrust upon them. This can say why examples where firms are compelled to implement change create so much internal culture shock.

History has shown that the unprepared often suffer for their lack of preparedness. The discussion can be made this lack stems in part from the inclination to fixate on the moment issues of managing a business. However, such a fixation on running the business unavoidably results in a detriment of preparedness and a reduced ability to implement change. In a world where change is happening ever faster and more frequently, the power to implement change effectively is going to ascertain which corporations thrive and which of them will fail.

For more information, please see our website: Implement Change

In industries that are made up of very smart folk, change implementation can be particularly challenging. This stems in part from a perception that ideas about change management or organizational change are only relevant for groups of folks with lower intelligence. The actuality is that homo sapiens generally, regardless of intelligence, benefit from the employment of change management during change implementation. In reality, the smartest folks stand to benefit most, instead of least, from change management.

Anice example of this can be found in the petrol industry. During well drilling operations, if the hole being drilled is more than a few degrees offof vertical it can become a major problem. These non-vertical holes are referred to as inclined bore holes.

Asolution to the physical Problems of inclined bore holes was created and released some time ago. Yet, at a recent meeting of the Society for petrol Engineers, a paper was presented that debated the way in which the industry has mostly didn’t adopt the solution and was still depending on jury-rigged solutions in the field. In theory, a grouping of highly educated, smart engineers would have jumped onto the solution and looked to implement industry wide change implementation referring to inclined bore holes.

In practice, extremely clever folks have a tendency to have very strong opinions per how things ought to be done. They will rely on their lonesome judgments and experiences to outline their approach to issues, at least lacking the presence of a widely acknowledged authority in the field. These strong opinions have a tendency to undercut attempts at change implementation. This is particularly true if the change does not conform to given person’s opinion on the topic.

If the change involves a grouping of such people, it can become an extremely slow process as each person tries to assert their opinion or perception. The employment of change management best practices can help to beat a number of these issues by making the method a methodical effort instead of a scheme to convince individuals one by one.

For more information, please see our website: Change Implementation

In a change implementation, organizations will infrequently make use of high level tracking strategies. This generally implies the use of a database system. Precise action items for individuals are programmed into the database and email is used to inform individuals when these actions items need to be started. As the action items are worked on or completed, reports are entered into the database to advise the change team of progress. The firm and use of such database systems can be handled as a matter of creating compliance or enabling adoption of the change.

If the approach to the tracking of the change implementation is compliance, it usually involves the change team working thru the planning stage largely independent of those who will be expected to enact the plan. The stages of the plan are inspected and action steps are created to move the project forward. These are put into the database and people are informed of their role. The position behind this approach is one of here is the job and youare expected to complete it.

When the approach is meant to enable adoption, it generally involves more interactions with the people who will perform the action steps. Members of the change team will probably go to the people and discuss the change with them. The individuals will then offer the steps they’d need to complete for the change implementation to be successful in their office or division. These steps are then integrated into the database with the email reminders. The object here isn’t to force compliance, but to remind individuals that they need to complete the steps they designed.

There’s no hard and fast rule governing which approach is more effective in a change implementation. It is defined on a situational basis. The determination could be a choice based on the predicted resistance to the change, the size of the change or the organizational culture. If there is the expectancy of high resistance, compliance could be the appropriate approach. Adoption is frequently better to achieve in smaller affiliations or when the change only affects asmall area of an organization. The change pro will have to read the situation and counsel the customer as to what they believe will be the most effective approach for the change implementation.

For more information, please see our website: Change Implementation

manufacturing Software systems are generally developed to be used in Enterprise configurations, which usually include Executive Dashboard modules geared for quick views of all aspects of the company; generally in real-time data.

These ‘dashboards’ are designed to fill a certain role and have an important purpose. Top level management in large companies do not have the time to spend a lot of time looking at reports that are full of confusing details. They need a quick and easy way to look at key performance indicators, in real time, so that they can make the high level decisions that they need to make on a daily basis. These indicators can be customized by each company within the software’s interface, so as indicators change or companies grow, the software’s dashboard can adapt.

Thus, in some companies, C-Level executives may only need to see the basics of the P&L and other reports – things like sales figures, monthly comparisons, current market data, and maybe even competitor positions. In other words, the things most pertinent towards making the most effective strategic choices.

Executives at lower levels might need to see where the rolled up P&L data is coming from, such as which business units or projects are impacting those particular indicators. These executives might also want to know how some of their direct reports are managing their responsibilities, thus they might opt for being able to view data for each segment within their jurisdiction, in order to interject proactive motivation or assistance when it is most important.

That is not to say that all businesses will use dashboards the same way. The specific model that your company operates on will dictate what indicators are important and which ones can be ignored. One good way to ensure that the right people are always looking at the right set of indicators is to map out all buiness processes and methodologies and look for the best ways to monitor that data.

Executive dashboards have the ability to supply numerous forms of data, so long as you have the proper interfaces and data feeds established. Companies certainly benefit from mapping their business processes and methodologies to reflect the synergistic relationships between all segments of the business, and marrying that to the ERP software functionality.

If your software package doesn’t have executive dashboard functionality, take comfort in the fact that there are numerous third-party executive dashboard packages than can be integrated with most commonly used business software.

Finally, it is worth noting that these dashboards and the decision making that they facilitate are only as good as the data that is put in to the system by the end users. If garbage is put in to the system, garbage will come out. Therefore, as always, I stress the importance of thorough and frequent end-user training for all companies that use industry-specific manufacturing software.

By Elizabeth Larson, PMP, CBAP, and Richard Larson, PMP, CBAP

The close of one year tends to make one reflect on the past and ponder the future. Here we ponder some trends in the Project Management and Business Analysis fields for 2009. We invite you to read the trends we offer and ponder for yourself our advice about what project professionals can do about them.

1. Convergence of PM and BA Roles.

As the economy tightens, organizations will decrease their project budgets. But, they still need projects done, so look for organizations to try and combine the role of the BA and PM on projects. A recent survey on BA Times finds that an equal number of “project professionals” (our term to encompass both Project Managers and Business Analysts) feel that the PM and BA role will be combined on many projects in 2009. Project Managers will be asked to do more requirements elicitation and analysis. Business Analysts will be required to manage more projects. Oh, and by the way – you will need to do that in addition to your normal roles!

What Project Professionals can do about it:

If you are a project manager, sharpen your requirements elicitation and analysis skills. If you are a BA, learn how to plan and execute projects better, and to manage risks. The other advice we can give is “Concentrate on the work, not the worker.” No matter what your job title, make sure you know the tasks and outputs expected of you to help achieve project and business success.

2. Greater Emphasis on Requirements in Project Management.

The upcoming 4th edition of the PMBOK® (Project Management Body of Knowledge) is due to be released in 2009. The Project Scope Management Knowledge Area contains a new section 5.1 called “Collect Requirements” that was largely written by us (Elizabeth and Rich). It contains a number of requirements elicitation techniques that project managers should be able to use to elicit requirements for projects. They are a subset of the techniques described in the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK®), so BAs also need to be familiar with these. The section places an emphasis on the Requirements Management Plan and use of the Traceability Matrix for managing requirements and product scope.

What Project Professionals can do about it:

When the new PMBOK® Guide becomes available, make sure you obtain it and read the section on Collect Requirements. It’s not because we wrote much of it (well, we are proud of it, though). Both PMs and BAs should be aware of what this widely-used and referenced guide says about requirements. The PMBOK® has heavily influenced the practice of project management the past several years, and the new edition promises to do the same.

3. Change in Requirements Approaches.

We see a continued trend in Business Analysis techniques continuing into 2009. Here are some to consider:

• Slightly less reliance on use cases and movement towards user stories and scenario-based requirements. Use cases will still be used, especially with complex requirements with intricate interfaces or tricky infrastructure considerations.
• Less emphasis on requirements specifications, more emphasis on modeling, prototypes and diagrams. For many reasons, there is a trend away from only formal written requirements specifications. That doesn’t mean written requirements have no place, but it does mean the industry is using additional methods of documenting requirements.
• More requirements management. To control scope and fulfill business needs, there will be continued increase in business analysis and requirements planning in 2009. We see more and more organizations using traceability to control and mage product scope. Both the upcoming PMBOK® and current BABOK® feature this technique and emphasize the use of a traceability matrix.

What Project Professionals can do about it:

Keep using use cases, but bear in mind there are other good requirements analysis techniques. Supplement your requirements specifications with models to document and help you better analyze requirements. Learn about other methods, such as user stories and use the technique most appropriate for the type of requirement you are analyzing. For example, do data modeling for refining your data requirements.

4. Increased use of Agile Approach and Techniques.

Integrating Agile methods into project management and business analysis is a trend that will continue in 2009. Currently, the industry has a wide, varied, and inconsistent use of Agile techniques. This trend is likely to continue as organizations adopt Agile techniques and the industry adopts commonly accepted practices. Agile itself is evolving to the needs of the industry. For example, the need for more planning has been recognized. For instance, the concept of “Scrum of Scrums” to coordinate Agile teams has surfaced. Another trend we’ve noticed is Agile teams incorporating traditional techniques like requirements workshops and more documentation.

What Project Professionals can do about it:

Like any new approach, make sure you learn the generally accepted practices, not just the way a consultant or a single “expert” advises. There are many self-proclaimed experts out there, and some shortcuts on planning and requirements are being taken and justified by being called “agile.”

5. BABOK® continuing to have an impact.

The practice of business analysis is being positively influenced by the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK®). The BABOK® Knowledge Areas of Enterprise Analysis are beginning to gel in organizations, as is the need to do requirements planning. We’re seeing more formality and standardization in the methods, say, of doing business cases, or using traceability to manage requirements.

Also, the various elicitation techniques in the BABOK® area are being more widely adopted. Interviews and requirements workshops are common forms of elicitation, but we feel the BABOK is influencing BAs to use additional techniques such as prototyping and interface analysis and to include them in their requirements planning.

What Project Professionals can do about it:

Download the BABOK® from the IIBA and start reviewing it. Use it as an input to recommending business analysis standards in your organization. Being some of the firsts CBAPs (Certified Business analysis Professionals), we believe in and urge others to pursue certification in business analysis. It helps promote the profession of business analysis in general and helps you to solidify and integrate the tools and techniques in the BABOK®, and to “personalize” them to your organization.

6. Business Intelligence Continues to Grow.

This area of information systems has been growing steadily and 2009 promises to have no letup. As BI tools and techniques improve and solid benefits are realized, organizations will invest more and more in this tactic. Since BI relies heavily on tools such as Business Objects or Cognos, the underlying business requirements can be easily overlooked in favor of what the tools can produce.

What Project Professionals can do about it:

Learn how to identify how BI can help your business perform better. BI applications should be actionable and project professionals should focus on true business requirements instead of particular tools. Learning to ask the right questions is key, and anticipating how clients will use their data, although challenging, is well worth the effort.

7. “The economy, stupid,” as a past political slogan said.

A slumping economy tends to affect travel and training budgets, and this one is no exception. That translates into fewer trips to national conferences or travel to out-of-state training classes.

What Project Professionals can do about it:

Attend local conferences that you can drive to. Many local chapters of PMI and now IIBA are launching Professional Development Days or PDDs. Watch for announcements to these and plan to attend. If you have a conference such as Project Summit/Business Analyst World in your town, take advantage of the opportunity and you will find excellent speakers and workshops there. Have you noticed the big increase in webinars as a way of exchanging information and interacting virtually without travelling? Watch for more of the same in 2009. We plan to offer regular webinars throughout 2009.

Interestingly, national conferences like the PMI Global Congress North America attracted many foreign workers this year, from expanding economies such as Brazil and Russia. These growing countries will have larger travel budgets than some of their US counterparts. We also see continued rising international interest in PMI and IIBA.

Elizabeth Larson,PMP, CBAP, and Richard Larson, PMP, CBAP
Copyright Watermark Learning and BA Times
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