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EIEIO / PROJECT MANAGEMENT

4-Day Managing Multiple Projects, Multiple Priorities, Decision-Making and Problem-Solving with MS Project

Course outline

4 days
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Duration

4 days

Participants do not need to have strong project management knowledge and experience to appreciate this course

Course Overview

This course is intended for managers and executives who wish to acquire a working knowledge managing multiple projects and multiple priorities, including Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Techniques. Their participation through presentation, case studies and discussion, which help to facilitate an immediate transfer of such competency to workplace.

The course covers key techniques and functional skills required to operate successfully when managing work in multiple projects of multiple priorities and project risk including uncertainty management. Visualizing “what-if” scenarios and simulations in Microsoft Project 2007/2010 are used to reinforce the learning.

After completing the course, participants will have increased confidence and improved skills. They will feel more at ease and have greater control in managing multiple projects of different priorities in the workplace. They will be more willing to deal with various types of opportunities and challenges to seek out optimal project resources and costs to reduce wastages.

We believe the key benefit from this course lies in increased confidence, improved communication, and strengthened managerial skills in managing more than one project simultaneously, coupled with multiple priority-setting, decision-making and problem-solving skills.

Objectives

  • To instill the habit of anticipation with regard to identifying and responding to issues and challenges in managing multiple projects and multiple priorities.
  • To understand the use of risk management simulations and sensitivity analyses on multiple tasks, in multiple projects.
  • To understand the use of problem-solving methodology in understanding, analyzing and problem resolution of issues in daily running of operations and projects.
  • To be competent in applying problem-solving and decision-making techniques.
  • Provide participants quick working knowledge of Microsoft Project earned value charting, measurement and analysis using MS Excel.
  • Reading and analyzing “poor” earned value project performance “warning signals” in measurement charts during project execution.
  • Reading suspicious earned value performance behavior such as ahead of schedule while under-spending may spell poor work quality.
  • To instill the habit of anticipation with regard to identifying and responding to issues and challenges in managing multiple projects and multiple priorities.

At the end of the course, participants will be able to:

  • Have working knowledge about the project management earned value process, measurement and analysis.
  • Have understanding of managing multiple projects and the various priority-ranking techniques.
  • Have a set of project management software and charting tools, techniques and system for immediate application at the workplace.

Participants leave this course with an understanding of why it is crucial to spend time up front preparing multiple project work for resource-sharing, conflicting priorities, and they will develop useful skills as they work through many of the exercises and games that are incorporated into the course.

Content

Project Management

  • Managing Stakeholders’ Expectations And Project Management Processes
  • Project Leadership And Team Development
  • The Role Of A Project Management Office
  • The Project Management Information System
  • Multiple Project Selection Techniques (Payback Period, BCR, ROI, and NPV)
  • Factors Which Make Managing Multiple Projects Easier And Difficult
  • Challenges Unique To Multiple Projects
  • Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) And Scope Planning
  • Scheduling Using Program Review And Review Technique (PERT)
  • Visualizing Multiple Projects and Critical Paths in Microsoft Project
  • Organizing Programs And Categorizing Multiple Projects (A Case Study Of An Event Management Project)
  • Aligning Projects And Priorities With Organization Strategies
  • Establish And Rank Multiple Project Priorities
  • Project Resource Management And Multiple Project Resource Pooling
  • Assess Schedule And Resource Conflicts To Determine Approaches Availability And Resource Loading (Overload And Under-Utilization) Of Projects
  • Expediting Schedules And Reducing Costs
  • Resource-Sharing Among Multiple Projects
  • Managing Intra- And Inter- Projects Risks
  • Modeling And Simulating Multiple Project Uncertainties (Schedules & Costs)
  • Sensitivity Analysis And Simulation Using Tornado Diagramming
  • Deciding Which And When To Cancel A Project
  • Tracking And Controlling Multiple Projects Schedules And Costs

Problem-Solving And Decision-Making Techniques

  • The Six-Step Problem-Solving Model
  • Brainstorming, Nominal Group Technique, Delphi, And Crawford Slip Techniques
  • Affinity Technique
  • Decision Tree Diagramming (Using Event Probabilities)
  • Cause And Effect Diagramming

Training Approach

The training uses practical exercises that take individuals outside their comfort zones. By giving the participants help and guidance during the process, confidence and skills are strengthened. We make the sessions challenging and practical through the use of role-play, experiential learning and group exercises. Participants will quickly discover their strengths and weaknesses in communicating with others. Moreover, this interaction makes classes enjoyable and motivational.

The tempo of the training is light-hearted and fast-paced. Our experience suggests that this makes people actually look forward to attending our training sessions and reinforces the motivational effects. Peer group pressure, structure and relaxed atmosphere are the key elements to the success of our courses.

Methodology

Presentation, quality and problem-solving and decision-making games, discussions, and case studies. Includes Microsoft Project hands-on sessions.

Softwares Used In The Training

  • Microsoft Project
  • Microsoft Excel
  • WBS ChartPro
  • @Risk for Project Simulation

Who Can Benefit

Managers and executives who are directly involved in project monitoring and control, problem-solving and making decisions. This course is also suitable to IT, technical, non-technical industries and service sectors; e.g. banks, event management, insurance, research, customer management, operations management, and system-methods studies.

Programme scope, delivery arrangements and suitability are confirmed during enquiry.