Project management certifications have claimed a place in every top IT certification list for years. That’s because project managers are important to IT operations of all kinds. Whether you are interested in becoming an IT project manager or just want to add project management to your list of soft skills, these five leading certifications will help you add to or boost those skills and, in turn, increase your value.

If there’s a single set of soft skills that’s been fixed on the IT radar for the past decade or so, to the point where it’s become almost as sought after and every bit as valuable as top-level credentials, it must be project management. Thanks in large part to the immensely popular and widely pursued Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI), this area has become an incredibly valuable merit badge for IT professionals of all stripes. That’s because it enhances and expands on the value of just about any other kind of technical credential.

Project management has everything to do with planning, scheduling, budgeting for, and then executing and reporting on projects of all shapes and sizes. In fact, anything and everything that IT does can be understood or handled as a project of some kind. It applies to one-of-a-kind activities that happen only once or very seldom (think hardware or OS upgrades or migrating from older to newer platforms or infrastructures). Ditto for a recurring series of activities that repeat regularly (think security patches, software updates or other regular maintenance tasks). Thus, project management is incredibly important and valuable to IT operations across the board.

According to PMI’s Earning Power: Project Management Salary Survey, 10th Edition [pdf], IT professionals who hold a PMP report median base annual salaries in the U.S. of almost $116,000. The top 25 percent of survey respondents report base salaries of at least $139,000. Depending on such factors as complexity and size of projects, location, fields of expertise (e.g., IT, construction or healthcare), and experience, salaries for some PMP credential holders can be much higher still.

Robert Half’s Technology & IT 2019 Salary Guide lists project management as a hot certification, with salaries varying slightly by technology area. It cites a salary range of $93,000 to $157,500 for project managers in application development environments. Project managers engaged in consulting and system integration roles can expect to earn $96,250 to $163,500 nationwide. This explains nicely why PMP appears in nearly every top 10 list of popular, targeted or most desirable certifications since the early 2000s. It’s no surprise that Robert Half also lists the PMP credential, along with Agile and Scrum certifications, as “highly valued technology certifications” trending up in the IT industry.

To provide you an idea of which project management credentials employers look for in prospective candidates, we conducted a quick survey on some popular job boards. Clearly, the PMP is the overall favorite and remains our No. 1 pick for must-have project management certifications. PMI’s entry-level project management credential, the CAPM, also made our top five. The CSM from Scrum Alliance, along with ASQ’s Certified Six Sigma Black Belt and Green Belt credentials, round out those picks. It’s also worth noting that job postings for project managers increased by 20 percent from 2018 across all project management certifications.

Job board survey results (in alphabetical order, by certification)

CAPM: Certified Associate in Project Management

CAPM: Certified Associate in Project Management

The same organization behind the more senior Project Management Professional (PMP) credential also backs the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM). In fact, the CAPM is properly considered a steppingstone credential for those who wish to attain PMP status by stages, rather than in a single giant leap. That’s why PMI describes the CAPM as a “valuable entry-level certification for project practitioners” that is “designed for those with little or no project experience.”

The PMP requires three to five years of documented on-the-job project management experience, depending on the educational background of each applicant. On the other hand, the CAPM requires only a high school diploma and either 1,500 hours of documented on-the-job experience (about nine months of full-time work) or 23 hours of project management classroom training prior to taking the exam. The education prerequisite can be met by completing PMI’s Project Management Basics online course which costs $350 for PMI members and $400 for non-members.

Nor does the CAPM require continuing education (which PMI calls PDUs, or professional development units) as does the PMP (60 PDUs every three years) to maintain this credential. To recertify, CAPM holders must retake the test once every five years.

The CAPM is one of a small set of entry-level project management certifications (including the CompTIA Project+) that IT professionals interested in project management might choose to pursue. Remember, though, that it is just a steppingstone to the PMP.

Unless you work in a large organization where a project management team is in place that includes junior as well as senior positions, the CAPM by itself is unlikely to provide a ticket to a project management job. However, it’s ideal for IT professionals for whom project management is a part-time job role or who want to grow into full-time project management.

CAPM facts and figures

CSM: Certified ScrumMaster

As companies seek to deliver more for less, many adopt Agile methodologies to streamline processes, build quality into products and ensure that final builds meet customer requirements. As Agile methodologies have become more popular, it’s no surprise that we see increased demand for IT practitioners qualified to manage projects in Agile environments.

While different Scrum master certifications are available, our pick is the Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) from the Scrum Alliance. This nonprofit encourages adoption of Scrum and Agile practices, promotes user groups and learning events, and provides resources for professional development. The organization boasts more than 500,000 certified practitioners worldwide.

The Scrum Alliance provides a support system for Scrum practitioners, including Scrum Gatherings, user groups, virtual communications, coaching, online training and much more. In addition to community and advocacy activities, the Scrum Alliance offers numerous Scrum-related certifications at the foundation, advanced, professional, elevated (guide) and leadership levels. Scrum Alliance certifications are designed for team members engaged in Scrum master, product owners and developer roles. The Scrum master and product owner tracks offer credentials at the foundation, advanced and professional levels which the developer track only offers a foundation and professional level cert.

• Scrum Master Track: Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), Advanced Certified ScrumMaster (A-CSM), and Certified Scrum Professional – Scrum Master (CSP-SM)
• Product Owner Track: Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner (A-CSPO) and Certified Scrum Professional – Product Owner (CSP-PO)
• Developer Track: Certified Scrum Developer (CSD) and Certified Scrum Professional (CSP)
• Elevated or guide credentials: Certified Scrum Trainer (CST), Certified Team Coach (CTC) and Certified Enterprise Coach (CEC)
• Agile Leadership: The Scrum Alliance also offers the Certified Agile Leadership (CAL) program, a credential based on a combination of education and validated practice. There are two credentials – the Certified Agile Leadership I and Certified Agile Leadership II.

For project managers getting started as Scrum practitioners, the CSM makes an excellent entry-level credential. Not only must candidates demonstrate an understanding of Scrum principles and values, but they’ll learn how to implement and apply Scrum in practice. The Scrum Alliance provides CSMs with multiple resources, plus checklists and information about the servant-leader role of the Scrum master.

Certified ScrumMaster facts and figures

CSSBB: Certified Six Sigma Black Belt

Globally recognized, ASQ certifications attest to candidate expertise, mastery of industry and regulation standards, and mastery of the ASQ Body of Knowledge. Currently, ASQ offers 18 credentials, three of which specifically target project management: the Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB) (expert level), the Six Sigma Green Belt (CSSGB) (professional level) and the Six Sigma Yellow Belt (CSSYB) (entry level).

The Certified Six Sigma Black Belt is ASQ’s highest Six Sigma credential. The CSSBB aims at experienced practitioners who understand Six Sigma methodologies (including the DMAIC model), tools, systems and philosophies. CSSBBs can lead teams or manage team dynamics, roles and responsibilities.

The path to CSSBB certification is rigorous. In addition to passing a comprehensive exam, candidates must complete two projects that employ Six Sigma tools and processes, resulting in project improvement and a positive financial project impact. An affidavit is also required to attest to the veracity of the project. Alternatively, candidates with at least three years of experience in one or more of the Six Sigma Body of Knowledge areas need only complete one Black Belt project.

CSSBB candidates are expected to demonstrate mastery of the ASQ Black Belt Body of Knowledge, called standards:

• Organization-wide Planning and Deployment (organization-wide considerations, leadership)
• Organization Process Management and Measures (impact on stakeholders, benchmarking, business measures)
• Team Management (team formation, facilitation, dynamics, training)
• Define (voice of the customer, business case and project charter, project management tools, analytical tools)
• Measure (process characteristics, data collection, measurement systems, basic statistics, probability, process capability)
• Analyze (measuring and modeling relationships between variables, hypothesis testing, failure mode and effects analysis, other analysis methods)
• Improve (design of experiments, lean methods, implementation)
• Control (statistical process control and other controls, maintain controls, sustain improvements)
• Design for Six Sigma (DFSS) Framework and Methodologies (common DFSS methodologies, design for DVX, robust designs)

The CSSBB is valid for three years. To recertify, candidates must earn 18 recertification units or retake the exam.

CSSBB facts and figures

CSSGB: Certified Six Sigma Green Belt

The Certified Six Sigma Green Belt (CSSGB) by ASQ is a professional-level credential targeting experienced Six Sigma practitioners. Often, a CSSGB works under the direction of the more senior CSSBB or as an assistant. CSSGBs identify issues and drive quality and process improvements in projects.

To earn the credential, candidates should have at least three years of experience working with Six Sigma processes, systems and tools. The work experience must have been full time and compensated; an unpaid internship, for example, doesn’t count. In addition, work performed must have been in at least one of the Six Sigma Green Belt Body of Knowledge competency areas.

In addition to work experience, candidates must pass an test that tests their knowledge of the Six Sigma Green Belt Body of Knowledge. Currently, the Green Belt Body of Knowledge includes six competency areas:

• Overview: Six Sigma and the Organization (organizational goals, lean principles, design methodologies)
• Define Phase (project identification, customer voice, project management basics, management and planning tools, project business results, team dynamics and performance)
• Measurement Phase (process analysis and documentation, probability and statistics, statistical distributions, data collection, measurement system analysis, process and performance capability)
• Analyze Phase (exploratory data analysis, hypothesis testing)
• Improve Phase (design of experiments, root cause analysis, lean tools)
• Control Phase (statistical process control, control plan, lean tools for process control)

Overall, this is an excellent credential for those who have some experience but are not quite ready to take on the roles and responsibilities of a Black Belt.

CSSGB facts and figures

PMP: Project Management Professional

The Project Management Institute (PMI) not only stands behind its Project Management Professional certification, it works with academia and training companies to ensure proper coverage and currency in the various curricula that support this and other PMI credentials. Boasting more than 500,000 global members and 750,000 PMP certified professionals around the world, PMI’s PMP remains one of the most prestigious project management credentials available. (Note: The PMP’s precursor, the CAPM, is covered in an earlier section of this article.)

That’s why you can obtain college- and university-based PMP training from so many institutions. It’s also why you may sometimes find PMP coverage integrated into certain degree programs (often at the master’s degree level).

The PMP credential is coveted by employers seeking the most highly skilled project management professionals. Developed by project managers, the PMP certification is the highest level offered in PMI certifications. It is designed to ensure that credential-holders possess the skills and qualifications necessary to successfully manage all phases of a project, including initiating, planning, scheduling, controlling and monitoring, and closing out the project.

PMP certified projects managers are also well versed and skilled in managing all aspects of the triple constraints – time, cost and scope. Employers depend on the skills of PMP professionals to manage budgets, track costs, manage scope creep, identify how changes to the triple constraints may introduce risk into the project, and minimize such risk to protect the project investment.

The standards for PMP certification are rigorous. Beyond passing a comprehensive exam, credential holders must first demonstrate and certify that they have the skills and education necessary to succeed in the project management field. Credential seekers should be ready to provide documentation for items such as education, projects worked on and hours spent in each of the five project management stages – initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing out the project.

While it’s difficult to achieve, the rewards for PMP credential holders can be significant. According to PMI’s Earning Power: Project Management Salary Survey, 10th Edition [pdf], PMPs in the U.S. earn an average of 23 percent more than their non-credentialed counterparts. The survey reports median salaries of PMPs in the United States at $115,000, as opposed to $92,000 for non-PMP certified project managers.

For those interested in program management or wishing to specialize in a project management area, PMI offers several interesting additional credentials:

The PMP remains a nonpareil certification for IT and other professionals whose responsibilities encompass project management. It is the standard against which all other project management credentials are judged.

It should be noted that, after meeting the prerequisites, candidates are also required to pass a rigorous exam. Candidates must obtain an eligibility ID from PMI before they can register for the exam.

PMP facts and figures

Beyond the top 5: More project management certifications

Project management is truly a white-hot area for both certification seekers and employers. Several other project management certifications are available, for general IT project management as well as software development project management.

Honorable mention goes to the Global Association for Quality Management (GAQM) project management certifications, such as the Professional in Project Management, Associate in Project Management and Certified Project Director. The Prince2 Foundation and Practitioner qualifications (featured in the 2017 top-five list) are also excellent credentials and worth honorable mention.

The CompTIA Project+ credential (featured in the 2017 top-five list and honorable mention in 2018) remains a well-known entry-level project management certification for those starting their project management careers. ASQ’s Certified Six Sigma Yellow Belt (CSSYB) is another entry-level credential worth exploring, particularly if you’re interested in eventually moving up to the more senior Green and Black Belt credentials.

Most graduate business, management and management information systems (MIS) programs offer project management training to students, and some offer certificate programs outside the project management organizations as well.

You’ll also find training and occasional certification around various project management tool sets. For example, some Microsoft Learning Partners offer courses on Microsoft Project, and you can find a dizzying array of project management packages on Wikipedia’s comparison of project management software page.

The CAPM and Project+ remain the best-known entry-level project management certifications, with the PMP as the primary professional target and capstone for would-be professional IT project managers. Don’t forget to consider PMI’s related certifications as well. For project managers seeking entry into the realm of Scrum, the CSM is the best entry-level cert for Scrum practitioners.

The way(s) to successfully manage a project management triangle will depend on the project, its priorities, its propensity for risk and your team’s experience and resources. However, five strategies to consider when managing a project triangle include choosing a flexible constraint, listing features in order of most to least importance, creating risk and change management plans and matching your management methodology to your priority constraint.

Here are five possible ways to manage your project management triangle:

1. Choose at Minimum One Flexible Constraint

As you look at the three constraints in your triangle—cost, time and scope—have a clear understanding from your client or team regarding which are the most important to them. Work with your team or client to pinpoint one of these constraints with which flexibility is allowed. Having this conversation upfront allows you to know how to adjust when the project does not always go as envisioned.

For example, if a client must stick to a deadline and a delay happens, it may make sense to hire more talent to speed things up. Or, if cost is the priority for your client, you might extend the deadline to avoid new hires. Likewise, if your client wants to add new features as customer feedback trickles in but is insistent on finishing on time, clearly communicate that your team needs permission to be flexible on the budget to make this happen.

2. Clarify Nice-to-Haves

Get together with your client, development team and quality assurance team to take a deep look at features in your project’s final deliverable(s). Make a big list of every feature expected. Then, just as you asked your client which constraint is most important, now ask which features are most important and which are simply nice to have. Order all features from most important (required) to least important (nice to have, if priority constraints allow).

This list will help you throughout your project execution to know how to keep your constraints in check while also keeping client satisfaction high. For example, if one feature will require a larger budget than planned due to a raw-materials price boost, you can look at the bottom of your features priority list to decide which nice-to-have feature can be removed to make room in the budget for an increase in a priority-feature price.

3. Create a Risk Management Plan

When managing project risks, set clear expectations and update your team frequently using proactive communication. This communication should begin before project initiation and extend throughout the entire project.

To begin, create a project management plan and present it to clients and project-execution team members. This plan should clearly address the scope of the project. It should also include a risk management plan that shows stakeholders what might go wrong, triggers that might initiate these risks and plans for addressing them. These plans should address how the budget, scope and schedule will change if such risks occur.

Then, during project execution, communicate at the very first sign of a risk trigger with your execution team and your clients. Efficient decision-making is often less likely to happen in the midst of an already out-of-control crisis. Proactive communication, however, helps to keep your triangle balanced by giving you the most options for getting your project back on track.

For example, if a task is to take longer than expected, communicate why the delay happened to your team and client. Then, keep your time—and, by extension, cost—in check by convening your team to plan which talent will be moved from less pressing tasks to the bottleneck task before a standstill happens. All the while, keep your client up to date on your decisions. Proactive communication shows competency and keeps satisfaction high.

4. Create a Change Management Plan

Managing constraints means managing change. If everything goes as planned and you have an agreed-upon cost, time and scope document from project initiation, managing your project triangle will require very little effort. It is when things change—a client suddenly wants a new feature added, for example—that your scope, time and budget go awry. But, if you manage change well, your triangle’s constraints are more likely to stay within satisfactory parameters.

Managing change well begins with creating a clear and actionable change management plan, then following it when change requests are made. A solid change management plan should include several components to address the following:

• Change management roles. Who is and is not authorized to receive change requests and assess them for approval or rejection? Who will be involved in the execution of approved change requests? Who should be a part of adjusting project constraints—scope, time and cost—to make room for approved changes?
• Limitations. Record constraints that are off limits when it comes to adjusting to change. Record the constraints that can be more flexibly adjusted to respond to change.
  Change-request approval or rejection process. How will change requests be submitted, assessed, approved or rejected?
• Change-request time frame parameters. In what time frame should change requests be assessed, approved, rejected or implemented? When is it too late for change requests to be considered?
• The change in the communication process. How will approved change requests be recorded and executed? How will team members who aren’t authorized to manage change communicate around change?
• Change management tools. What tools will be used to ensure only necessary changes are made, manage the change-request process, create transparency around change, allow for collaboration around approved changes and track changes?

5. Match a Management Methodology to Your Priority Constraint(s)

There are many project management methodologies to consider but some are more commonly used than others. Waterfall, Agile and Lean are three methodologies that are highly tested and tried in project management. Each is better at managing some constraints over others. Matching your methodology to your project priorities can help to ensure ease of constraint management.

Here is a closer look at each common project management methodology and what constraints they best help to manage:

Waterfall

This methodology is linear with clearly planned project stages that must be completed in the same order in which they are recorded. Because the phases are set, adjustments to their time and scope are very difficult to manage as one change will likely affect the entire project. This methodology is best for projects in which scope and time are rigid but there is some flexibility around the cost.

Agile

This methodology best fits projects that need constant adaptations to deliver the most relevant value to the end user. An example of an Agile methodology is Scrum. In Scrum, the objective is set. However, products, solutions and deliverables are allowed to evolve based on new information. Agile fits projects that need iterative product development—or flexible scope. Speed is a strength of this methodology while predictable costs are not as likely.

Lean

Lean helps project management teams reduce waste, particularly around cost and scope while focusing on customer value. The project is mapped out from start to finish, then heavily analyzed to reduce waste, such as idle employee time and unnecessary processes. The execution team is instructed to only take action if the customer asks for it. The Lean methodology is a fit for projects that will likely have few risks or scope changes and where cost is a priority.

These days, smaller companies and startups usually don’t have to worry about bringing on a big IT team to manage their technology needs. Tapping into software as a service is an efficient and easy way for companies to access the prebuilt, and often customizable, tech tools they need for everything from graphic design to project management—and beyond.

Still there can be disadvantages to relying on SaaS, and businesses should be aware of potential limiting factors, security concerns and cost issues. While leveraging the “pros” of SaaS can open up capabilities and boost efficiencies, every leader should also review the list of potential “cons” to using SaaS, shared below by members of Forbes Technology Council, to ensure they’re making informed decisions that will best serve their organization’s needs.

1. Your Data May Not Be Secure Or Retrievable If Something Goes Wrong

One thing buyers or users of SaaS need to be aware of is that you cannot assume your data is secure or retrievable in case of ransomware, disasters or misconfiguration of user privileges. Many, if not most, small-business and mid-market users do not take precautions and run unfathomable risks. Basic cyber hygiene at this level is not expensive nor insurmountable. - Carlo Brayda, Tortora Brayda Institute

2. It’s Easy To Fall Into Application Sprawl

The biggest “con” is how easy SaaS tools are to buy and accumulate. There’s a best-of-breed SaaS solution for every business woe, but that doesn’t mean you should buy into every one. Using too many siloed SaaS solutions can result in application sprawl, unnecessary context switching and a disjointed user experience. Organizations should exercise great care in selecting the SaaS tools to bring on. - John Milburn, Clear Skye

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3. There’s An Enhanced Risk Of Credential Theft

SaaS applications have a lot of benefits, but there are some unique risks that exist as well. A big one is the risk of credential theft. With stolen credentials, cybercriminals can gain access to employees’ Office 365 accounts, databases in AWS and apps with sensitive data such as Salesforce. Once inside the corporate network, they spread malware to steal valuable data and hold it for ransom. - David Canellos, Ericom Software

4. Performance May Deteriorate Over Time

Most SaaS solutions I’ve seen get slower over time, especially if they get a lot of adoption and a high number of users—they just get too loaded and heavy. There are likely going to be optimization cycles on the vendor’s side, but even so, these cycles typically do not Excellerate the performance all that much. - Boyan Ivanov, StorPool Storage

5. Providers’ Shared Infrastructure Can Embolden Cybercriminals

SaaS providers rely on shared infrastructure to deliver their services to multiple customers. The bigger the service and the more sensitive the data, the more attractive it becomes to attackers, who can gain access to multiple customers’ data in one place. When deciding to use a SaaS tool, consider the sensitivity of the data being shared and inquire about the security practices that the provider uses. - Vadim Vladimirskiy, Nerdio

6. It Can Be Difficult To Terminate Services You Don’t Want Any More

There are well-known problems with SaaS solutions, such as a lack of control, but the “silent killer” that comes with using SaaS is often the contracting. Many SaaS companies—especially at the enterprise level—have long lead times for termination or allow you to terminate only once per year. So, if you no longer need or want the tool, you may find yourself paying for something your team doesn’t use. Lesson: Read the fine print! - Sterling Lanier, TurnKey

7. You’ll Likely Stay With The Pack Instead Of Ahead Of The Curve

It’s not easy to stay ahead of the curve with SaaS—it’s simply a bargain for the assurance that one is guaranteed to not be the “lagger.” Unless you have the muscle power to influence your vendor, it will take time for you to benefit from that “breakthrough innovation” or niche business idea you saw at the future tech meet this afternoon. Customizations are not easy. While SaaS empowers, it is also an equalizer! - Pramod Konandur Prabhakar, Pelatro PLC

8. The SaaS Solution May Not Be Fully Integrated With Other Programs

The No. 1 “con” I hear from customers is the minimal integrations. Even when a program is checked on a checkbox list of integrations, many find out that only a portion was integrated or it only works in a specific use case. Great features that go nowhere inhibit customers from achieving their intended value. Thankfully, there are ways to counter this shortcoming, but few know what they are. - Jim Barrett, Edge Total Intelligence

9. Less Control May Equal Less Transparency

The main issue I see here is transparency. Less control could sometimes equal less transparency; there tend to be contradictions between the sales pitch and achievable, practical results. The question is not how to regain control, but how to set up boundaries and guidelines. Correct software integration should also mean business philosophy integration. - Jacob Mathison, Mathison Projects Inc.

10. It’s Unwise To Outsource Your Core Competencies

There are some obvious considerations, such as data residency and privacy, but SaaS vendors have done an excellent job mitigating these. I think the main risk with SaaS is outsourcing your core competencies. If a capability is central to your business model and part of what makes your organization unique, you’ll want to keep that intellectual property at some level of independent abstraction. - Matt McLarty, MuleSoft

11. You Can’t Manage The Vendor’s Priorities

You don’t own such a software solution. Technically, you are sharing the cost of ownership with other customers (users). You cannot manage the priorities of new functionality or decide to stay with an older version of the software because you are not ready to retrain your personnel. You can still submit change requests and ask for customizations; just be aware when it is happening, and negotiate. - Nadya Knysh, a1qa

12. You May Have To Wait For Certain Functions You Need

Customization of functionality is a significant “con” in SaaS, depending on the SaaS you use. Suppose the SaaS you have doesn’t provide customization capability, allowing you to build or customize functionality to meet your business needs. In that case, you will have to wait for the SaaS provider to add that feature. This could result in a huge opportunity/cost disadvantage. - Selva Pandian, DemandBlue

13. Your Tech Is Vulnerable If Something Happens To The SaaS Provider

The problem with outsourcing technology or buying it as a service (SaaS) is that development and upgrading remain in the hands of another party. If anything unforeseen happens to them—such as an M&A, a disaster, receivership or other event—your technology is vulnerable. Strong consideration should be given to keeping core technology internal and outsourcing non-core technology. - Blair Currie, Snibble Corp.

14. The Pricing May Skyrocket As The Number Of Users Grows

Most SaaS offerings come with a list of pros and cons. When approaching a SaaS platform, you must look at where your business is versus where it is going. Authentication as a service is a great place to start. You can get social logins, password reminders, AD integration and account management quickly and inexpensively. But if your system grows to have a lot of users, the pricing can become astronomical. - Andrew Siemer, Inventive

15. Associated Delays And Downtime Risk May Make A SaaS Solution Unworkable

The one negative about SaaS is that some use cases cannot afford the time delay, cost and downtime risk. The main use case in mind is the edge. There are so many applications at the edge that are collecting real-time data and require fast processing with 100% uptime (examples: retail stores, autonomous vehicles, hospital operating rooms). There is just too much risk and cost to use a SaaS model. - Bruce Kornfeld, StorMagic

16. If You Don’t Find Apps That Can Achieve Wide Adoption, You May Encounter Duplication And Silos

The key question when evaluating the impact of any SaaS app is this: Does its value rely on wide adoption, or is it already beneficial to the single employee? For example, compare personal to-do lists versus departmental OKR tracking. Identifying the apps that rely on wide upfront adoption and “centralizing” them mitigates the biggest “cons” of SaaS solutions: duplication, silos and consistency gaps between different apps. - Maya Mandel, Helios

The MarketWatch News Department was not involved in the creation of this content.

Oct 14, 2022 (Alliance News via COMTEX) -- The Small Business Project Management Software market revenue was $$ Million USD in 2016, grew to $$ Million USD in 2020, and will reach $$ Million USD in 2026, with a CAGR of $$ during 2020-2026.

The MarketWatch News Department was not involved in the creation of this content.

Dublin, Oct. 12, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Project Management for Non-Project Managers - PM in the Life Sciences - Pharmaceutical/ Biotechnology and Medical Devices" training has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

This seminar will address those project management critical tasks within each project phase that must be performed flawlessly for effective project execution to occur and will provide the foundation and direction for future study of the subject.

The seminar is designed to build a working understanding of the subject and for a quick start-up for those unanticipated project management assignments.

What do you do? Here is a common scenario. You are three years out of college in your first engineering job. You are sitting in a meeting about the introduction of a new packaging line in your pharmaceutical plant. You are half listening to the presentation while thinking about some of the other work you need to complete on different matters. The installation will take a year to execute and will require the coordination with several functions inside and outside of the company.

Suddenly the Director of Engineering turns to you and says "Allison, this would be a great first opportunity for you to manage a very interesting project. Let's meet tomorrow and discuss your initial plans for getting started."

Today more than ever before the job titles that we hold are not entirely reflective of the work that we do. Global teams and collaboration often place those in positions of team leadership that have the least foundation to manage all facets of complex projects. Project management requires specific knowledge of the key project facets that must be carefully managed.

The interactions across divergent corporate functions, culture, language, and time zones all pose unique challenges to the new project manager. Layer on top of the basic project management requirements for any project the requirements of a pharmaceutical/biotechnology or medical device development project and the entire project management process becomes a daunting task for even those with experience.

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Unfortunately, project management is not a subject given much attention in college and university these days. The answer? Get some training - some basic understandable project management training that will provide you with a solid foundation for managing that first project or to simply sharpen existing project management skills.

It is not just important to learn about project management - project management has its own body of knowledge - its own set of standards that all project managers follow called the Project Management Body of Knowledge. Any valuable training must also teach/present the content comprising this Body of Knowledge.

Driving a product to the market safely, quickly, and cheaply is the best way for a pharmaceutical company to be successful. Those companies however, encounter enormous challenges during the long product-development process. The unique regulatory requirements of pharmaceutical/biotechnology and medical devices as well as the project development processes associated to each industry must also be addressed to meet the needs to facilitate approval.

Why Should You Attend

It is not possible to present a complete treatment of project management in the span of 12-hours. It is however, possible to focus in on those most important aspects of project management that are critical to the success of any project as well as those that are critical to pharmaceutical/biotechnology and medical device development projects. Without basic tools, it is not possible to effectively manage a project to the pre-determined end-date without turmoil and chaos.

We have distilled the key aspects of project management into three four-hour virtual seminar segments that will logically move participants from the beginning of the project management process to the end - from initiating the project to closing the project.

In addition, the unique challenges and requirements for both the pharmaceutical/biotechnology and medical device industries will be addressed creating a link between those requirements and the basic tenants of project management.

Who Should Attend:

• Any member of a cross-functional project team that has the potential opportunity to lead that project.

• Engineers

• Marketing Associates

• Product Managers

• Program Managers

• Contract Managers

• Project Managers

• Research & Development Associates, Managers, and Directors

• Design Engineers

• Manufacturing Managers

This virtual seminar crosses all industries and functions it is however particularly suited for the health sciences where much project-based work is accomplished.

• Medical device manufacturers

• Pharmaceutical and Biotech organisations

• Cosmetic and foods manufacturers

• All other industries

Key courses Covered:

DAY 01 & 02

# 1 - Introduction to Project Management - An Overview

• What is a project?

• What is project management?

• The project manager's role

• What is effective project management?

• The five stages of a project

• The triple constraint, collaboration, and flexibility

• Project management pitfalls

• The Project Charter

• The Project Scope Statement

• Determine your project's audience members, i.e. project stakeholders, initiator, and champion(s)

• How to work and interact with your audience

• Project Planning - Stakeholder - Quality - Communications - Scope - Risk

#2 - Specifying the project work to be done and establish the project's timing and resource requirements

• Develop the work breakdown structure

• Naming key tasks

• Making assumptions

• Special project situations

• Long-term project planning

• Displaying the work breakdown structure

• Categorizing project work

• What to document

• Purpose and function of the network diagram

• Reading and interpreting a network diagram

• Creating the network diagram

• Develop the initial schedule

• Determine activity durations

• Gaming the schedule

• Determine team member skills that are needed

• Estimate the human resource requirement

• Meeting resource commitments

• Resolve resource overloads and conflicts

• Handling multiple projects

• Developing the budget

#3- Risk, the project team, project management, and control

• Risk factors and risks

• Identifying the risk factors

• Risk types

• Assessing and weighing risk

• Determine consequences

• Develop a risk mitigation strategy

• Develop your risk management plan

• Organizational structures for managing projects

• Define the key players and their roles

• Team member roles and responsibilities

• Assigning project tasks

• Authority versus responsibility

• The RACI Chart

• Developing team operational strategies and procedures

• Managing team activities

• Developing your team

• Managing team and individual team member performance

• Working cross-culturally

• Collaboration and flexibility - how are they executed and managed successfully

• Scope creep and how it is managed

• Tracking and reporting progress

• Work-effort tracking

• Managing the budget

• Communicating effectively - how to make it work

• When things go wrong - scheduling alternatives

DAY 03

• The unique challenges and requirements of pharmaceutical/biotechnology project management

• R & D process integration with standard PM processes

• The project management success factors for project managers in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries

• The unique challenges and requirements of pharmaceutical/biotechnology project management

• Project challenges in medical device design

• Design controls and integration with the project management process

For more information about this training visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/lzfqhh

CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood,Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900

The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) — which assists local governments with regional planning within a 16-county area that includes Dallas and Fort Worth — implemented a comprehensive project portfolio management system to track all its research and information (RIS) projects.

The system was customized to meet the RIS department’s needs while providing full transparency and visibility for all project stakeholders, including project team members, RIS management and leadership, and NCTCOG executive leadership. The solution includes overall project prioritization with individualized dashboards and alerting for all stakeholders.

Impact

The system, which leverages a SaaS project management solution called Smartsheet, has resulted in more completed projects, more engaged team members and increased value to NCTCOG and its constituents.

The advantages include:

• Increased project output. After implementation, NCTCOG saw an over 30% increase in project output.
  
• Ease of use. Staff can learn the basics of Smartsheet in minutes, and very little training is required to implement a complex solution.
  
• Low cost. With the Smartsheet licensing model, only the creators and maintainers of the system need licenses. Even with NCTCOG’s sizable implementation, the organization only needs three licenses, which is less than $2,000 annually.
  
• SaaS benefits. The entire solution is web-based and mobile-friendly. NCTCOG doesn’t have to maintain on-premises technology, and new features are regularly introduced.
  
• Transparency. Dashboards, reports and view-only options allow the organization to provide transparency and visibility into the system at any level.
  
• Customizability. NCTCOG built the solution over multiple iterations, adding new functions over time.
  
• Project team performance. The solution allows the organization to better engage with both internal and external project team members. This gives greater accountability to all project team members instead of just the project manager. It also gives managers visibility into how their team members are doing across all their projects.
  

Implementation was entirely in-house without any partner support other than the occasional technical issue with the SaaS provider (Smartsheet). NCTDOG recommends the following steps:

• Identify a team that has a need for better project managment. A team with a significant amount of project work will see benefits and work in the system regularly.
  
• Train the project portfolio manager or the Smartsheet administrator on Smartsheet. Training should not take more than a few days as the software is easy to use, especially for staff with Excel experience.
  
• Conduct a brainstorming session to identify the data points and metrics you want to track in projects so they can be accounted for in the solution. For example, if you want to track schedule overages, you will need to track the original completion date and the real completion date to determine how many projects go over the planned schedule.
  
• Create a barebones system with the information identified in step 3. It should include the following: a project plan template or templates; a summary report or sheet for bringing in all plan data; and a dashboard for a high-level overview of the project portfolio with links to documentation, system components and so on.
  
• Utilize the system for one team and make improvements as the team works through projects. Iron out as much as many kinks as possible before expanding, as it can be time-consuming to go back and modify once the system has dozens of projects.
  
• Roll out the system to other teams. Depending on the size of the organization and the number of teams, this may need to be done in phases.

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