Helpful resources for today's leaders
As a program is a group of related projects, planning a complex program requires the planning of all projects that compose the program. It is important to have a process in place that helps in planning these projects. Also, it is crucial to periodically analyze each project to make the …
Today, more than ever, organizations need to build products that add higher value to customers and the business. To be more competitive, companies need to develop products in a faster way by reducing costs. To accomplish this goal, organizations can use the Nexus framework, to scale software and product development. …
In Scrum, the Product Backlog Items are refined, during the activity of “Backlog Refinement”, until they are “Ready” for selection in Sprint Planning. To determine the items that are ready it is important that Scrum teams consider “Definition of Ready”. In fact, the Definition of Ready helps Product Owners to …
Managing programs is not as easy as it seems. In fact, there are some aspects that program managers should considered in order to manage programs successfully. Let’s analyze some of the most critical aspects that can support program managers in this tough business. Documenting project activities and tasks Usually, when …
In a highly competitive and fast-paced environment it is really difficult to manage changes to project scope. For this reason it is important to adopt practices that help companies to adapt to the varying needs of stakeholders. In fact, there are different types of project scheduling methods that support project …
There are companies that use Nexus to scale their software and product development. Nexus is a framework based on Scrum that uses an iterative and incremental approach to develop products. Nexus is based on the Scrum Framework and increases Scrum slightly. Let’s see why Nexus is based on Scrum and …
Many companies in the software industry have to often deal with the concept of “technical debt”. Technical debt is also known as design debt or code debt. Let’s analyze this concept in depth. What is technical debt? Technical debt happens when development teams take actions to expedite the delivery of …
To plan a program you need to plan all projects that compose the program. Developing an effective program plan often requires more than one planning cycle. Feedback and adjustments are important to create a program plan that minimizes interruption and make more efficient all the work that has to be …
Project managers use project schedules to prevent problems. In fact, they help project managers efficiently communicate and collaborate with their teams and stakeholders. Projects managers should use it to ensure the project remains on track. Let’s go a bit deeper to know more about it. What is project schedule? The …
The Nexus framework is based on Scrum. It helps companies to scale software and product development. In fact, it helps organizations to develop products in a faster way by reducing costs. Let’s analyze in depth two Nexus events: Nexus Sprint Review and Retrospective. What is the Nexus Sprint Review? The …
Many Scrum teams use Kanban to organise their project work. In fact, these teams use Kanban as a visual management tool to deliver work faster and more often. Let’s see what is Kanban and how it is evolving over time. What is Kanban? Kanban is a lean method that aims …
Large and complex programs usually have projects with lots of dependencies. Identifying and managing interfaces between projects it is crucial for program success. Identifying project interfaces There can be different types of project interfaces. For instance, let’s imagine that we have two projects that are part of the same program: …
Even in well-planned projects it could happen that a need for a change arises. In fact, during a project, it can often happen that stakeholders ask for a change request because they want to change the project scope. Let’s see what a change request is and how you can manage …
Nexus helps companies to scale software and product development. In fact, thanks to this framework organizations are able to develop products in a faster way by reducing costs. As the Nexus framework is based on Scrum, it can be useful to understand what are the differences between Scrum and Nexus. …
To develop a new product with Scrum it is important to turn requirements into working functionalities. In fact, the development team has to turn product backlog items into working product features. To be successful, you need to convert the list of product features, contained into the product backlog, into a …
There are people who might consider a program to be just a big project. In reality, programs and projects have both differences and shared features. To avoid any possible misunderstanding, it can be helpful to analyze the difference between projects and programs. What is a Project? A project can be …
One of the first steps to start a project is to define the project scope. The project scope represents the work required to deliver a product or a service that has specific features and characteristics. After defining the project scope we have to manage it. In fact, to accomplish this …
Scrum does not clearly define any controls. As Scrum is a risk-reduction framework it already contains various risk controls. In fact it is important to remember that Scrum aims at solving complicated issues to reach project success. Here is a list of controls that can reduce the risk of project …
Nexus is a framework, based on Scrum, that helps companies to scale software and product development. In fact, thanks to this framework organizations can plan, launch, scale and manage large product and software development projects. In addition, they are able to develop products in a faster way by reducing costs. …
Scrum is a framework that implements an empirical process. In general, empiricism is a principle that states that to obtain knowledge people should depend on practice and experiments, rather than on theories. In fact, thanks to this process, progress is based on observations of reality and not on imaginary plans. …
As a program is a group of related projects, planning a program requires the planning of all projects that compose the program. In fact, it is important to have a process in place that helps planning these projects. In addition, it is crucial to periodically analyze each project to make …
Project scope describes the work required to deliver a product or a service that has specific features and characteristics. Essentially, the project scope represents all the activities that are useful to plan, execute, control, and close a project. In fact, the project scope specifies of all the necessary work items …
To be more competitive today companies need to develop products in a faster and cheaper way. To achieve this goal they necessarily need to scale the product development process. In fact, they can use the Nexus framework, which is based on Scrum, to manage large and complex product development projects. …
To estimate Product Backlog items Scrum does not require a specific technique. The objective of estimation Estimations should allow discussion to obtain more information about the product backlog items. Estimations help to create a shared agreement about the solutions. In fact, it is important that the team is commitment on …
A program is “a group of related projects managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits and control not available from managing them individually” (PMI 2005). Some programs can be complex. To get the most out of them companies need to manage their complexity. They can start by analysing the …
Organizations need to connect the execution of projects to the achievement of their strategies. Each project has to add value to the business of the company and its customers. To reach this goal it is possible to use the requirements traceability matrix. What is Requirement Traceability Matrix? Requirement Traceability Matrix (RTM) …
Today, more than ever, organizations need to build products that add higher value to customers and the business. To be more competitive companies need to develop products in a faster way by reducing costs. To accomplish this goal organizations can use the Nexus framework to scale software and product development. …
Scrum framework focuses totally on how the end user will interact with the software. Use cases help to describe how an end user utilizes the system. What is a Use Case? A use case represents a description of the ways an end-user wants to utilize a system. They capture the …
To evaluate program uncertainty it is possible to use a specific technique. In fact, in this case, the most common technique for evaluating project or program uncertainty is the three point technique. What is the three point technique? The three point estimating is a three-step process where project and program …
During a project it is important to obtain early feedback on requirements. In fact, having clear project requirements is crucial for project success. This is because, requirements help project managers to have a clear picture of the work that has to be done. To obtain feedback on requirements it is …
Today technology moves at light speed. Let’s see how to keep up with technology with Scrum. The waterfall method In the past, the standard way to manage software development was by using the “waterfall method”, basically the process was to execute activities sequentially. In fact, in waterfall, the development starts …
Have you ever been in a situation where stakeholders did not know where to find project or program information? For example, the program sponsor comes to you and asks: “Where can I find the last program report?” Or one of the key stakeholders complaints because he does not receive periodic …
When a project starts, project managers need to collect requirements to determine and manage stakeholders’ needs. In fact, it is particularly important to understand what are the requirements of people who have an interest in the project. These people have to be involved in the process of collecting requirements. Project …
Scrum relies on transparency. It is important to notice that transparency does not occur overnight, but is a path. The importance of transparency Transparency makes visible the progress of work and team. As a result, when the team achieves its goal, people who are responsible for it can be identified …
Scrum does not clearly define any controls. As Scrum is a risk-reduction framework it already contains various risk controls. In fact it is important to remember that Scrum aims at solving complicated issues to reach project success. Here is a list of controls that can reduce the risk of project …
Communication is the act of moving information from one person to another. We communicate in everything we do. In fact, we cannot avoid communicating with others. Communication is a critical tool in managing programs. In fact, to communicate effectively, program managers must know really well the communication process. The communication …
Project requirements are the tasks that must be completed during a project to ensure its completion and, most importantly, its success. In fact, requirements help project managers to have a clear picture of the work that has to be done. There are three types of project requirements: Business requirements Stakeholder …
The Scrum Team is a self-organized team that constantly looks to improve its way of working. What is the Sprint Restrospective? The Sprint Retrospective is the final event of the Sprint. In fact, it occurs after the Sprint Review and prior to the next Sprint Planning. It represents the moment …
Business agility is a very important ability for a company. In fact, it helps companies to maintain a competitive edge over competitors over time. Business agility helps organization to adapt and succeed in the digital era by providing customers with innovative and technical solutions. Evolving gradually To implement an agile …
Planning processes are important to program success. In fact, the type of tools we use to plan a program can make the difference between success and failure. Tools for Project planning Office type documents, such as text documents with tables, spreadsheet and so on, are very useful to create the …
To achieve the project’s objective it is essential for a Project Manager to know the difference between the product scope and the project scope. Projects are undertaken to deliver a product, service, or result. When a project begins it is important to define the scope of the project. Defining the …
What is the Sprint Review? The Sprint Review is an informal meeting held at the end of the Sprint. This meeting lasts four hours for one month Sprints. For shorter Sprints, the event is usually shorter. During this meeting the Scrum team shows to the Product Owner and the stakeholders …
Agile processes have created new ways of thinking about Project Management, which impact Project Management Organizations in various ways. Traditionally, a PMO focuses on implementing basic project management processes, introducing basic tools, and supporting the professional growth of competent project managers. Moreover, the PMO can support management to make decisions …
Sometimes it can happen that a Program is killed. The reasons why this happens can be different. In fact, a Program can fail for bad timing, poor management or bad delivery. So, here are the required steps to start a Program again. Program Preparations During Program Preparations it is important …
A Project Manager can adopt different styles of leadership to ensure more successful results. A Project Manager can choose to be one of the following interesting types of leaders. The Coaching leader Coaching leaders direct and guide. They constantly provide encouragement and inspiration to help motivate the followers. This type …
An artifact is something that we create. In general, it can be a handmade object, or a result of human activity. For instance, a design, a document, or more in general a project deliverable. Scrum has three main artifacts: the Product Backlog, the Sprint Backlog, and the Product Increment. The …
Today, the business world is changing at a fast rate. For this reason, it will be increasingly difficult to predict the future marketplace. Moreover, companies should expect this trend to continue in the future. The Strategy concept Companies have always used strategy to reach organizational objectives by using their resources. …
Program Management is the process of managing a group of related projects in order to achieve a defined business goal or benefit. Managing a program requires a set of phases. Definition phase The first phase of a program is the definition phase. During this phase the program manager initiates the …
The Project Manager is probably the most critical role for achieving project objectives. What does the Project Manager do? The Project Manager starts from project initiation to project delivery. He (she) manages all the aspects of the project and ensures that the project is completed on time, on budget and …
In Scrum, development teams have the objective to reach Sprint goals. Impediments can jeopardize the achievement of the Sprint‘s objectives. What is an impediment? In Scrum, an impediment refers to anything that holds a development team back from being productive. Basically, it is any problem that blocks the team from …
All projects live in an organizational context. All organizational characteristics can influence the execution and the outcome of a project. These characteristics can challenge project managers. In fact, to be successful they should be able to operate under those conditions. Be ready to change To support agility a company should …
A program is a group of related projects that have the same benefit and strategic goal. For this reason, some organizations manage these projects in a coordinated way to increase the probability of obtaining the expected benefits. Programs are complex Today programs are getting more complex than in the past …
A project management office (PMO) is an organizational group or department that defines and maintains standards for project managemement within the company. A PMO can have different responsibilities. In fact, these responsibilities can range from providing support to project managers to the direct management of one or more projects. Supportive …
One of the five Scrum events The Daily Scrum is one of the Scrum events. During this meeting the team members synchronize their progress with each other. They create a plan for the next 24 hours. The Daily Scrum is held every day of the Sprint and lasts at most …
English
Arabic
Chinese (Simplified)
Dutch
French
German
Italian
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish