leaner, meaner project organizations look to project management to provide them with a sustainable competitive advantage. Thats why the project managers who are in greatest demand are those who are well versed in modern planning techniques and are capable of developing and deploying projects from start to finish, ever alert to their companies current and future business needs. There is no time to waste after a project has been started!

This book is for neophyte managers, seasoned executives, and practicing project managers who worry that their companies will be caught flat-footed by not having a project methodology in place. I also provide advice on actions to radically design and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of current project methodologies and processes used in organizations. The word efficiency means the organizations productivity or its ability to productively meet the needs of any project, irrespective of the industry type and size. Every project undertaken today requires a common structure or framework in which to start these projects.

Most people, when asked to characterize the project methodology or processes they use, say that their company is either in the banking, construction, manufacturing, or information technology industry and that they use a tailored project methodology often proprietary that was designed specifically for their unique environment. Surely, however, there has to be some common thread between all projects! Or are all projects tailored specifically just by using only the life cycle phase components that are needed, which forms the basis for a specific industry? Hence, the question is: Do we have a universal project management framework or are there others we can use? There are many organizations that would profess that theirs is the only true methodology available, but sometimes it may not be suitable for their environment at all. Project managers should explore their options more closely, and they will find at least a dozen project methodologies available for use immediately. The methodology choice depends on the project type, size, complexity, duration, and organization. In this book, I present you with many options.

In my previous book, Project Management Nation: Tools, Techniques, and Goals for the New and Practicing IT Project Manager, I presented an introduction to this universal methodology framework, which was customized for the information technology environment. In this book, I present various methodologies that can be used by virtually every industry using project management not just IT as the way to achieve business goals. You will find that these methodologies work. It is my recommendation that the overriding objective of the project manager and executives must be to achieve a state of alignment between the business and the project itself. Many organizations are not aligned to project processes, and projects subsequently fail in a great many areas because of this. It is fundamental that these misaligned organizations be redesigned and reengineered painful but necessary.

As Descartes said, Perhaps everything we believe is wrong. Perhaps.

This book focuses on two major themes: 1.

What are project frameworks and methodologies all about?

How do you design and implement them in your organization?

My view is framed in the idea that companies must adapt to accommodate and serve the business models of the future. My entire thrust here is, therefore, to explain how to design a project methodology and determine if the existing methodology is sufficient. In most areas, eventually everything has only a past rather than a future, so we should challenge existing project methodologies and review their advantages and disadvantages and their mannerisms and success. Organizations all use processes, project templates, and techniques to deliver and deploy projects. Its

obvious and glaring that project methodologies will pave the way for the future for the next wave of organizations. Just look at innovative companies such as Nokia, Disney, Virgin, J&J, Honda, and Charles Schwab. They have proved themselves more than competent to bridge economic obstacles by having innovative methodologies and systems in place, and they are able to adapt faster than most competitors.

The past four years have been an exceptional period of intense change and excitement in the project management environment. With all this activity, however, tremendous pressure has come for organizations to get results. Businesses demand better value for their dollars. During this time, the topic project methodology conjured up images of a high-tech project process, which was formed in stone. Few at the time had even been exposed to a project methodology. Today, anyone with access to consulting companies and leading edge organizations knows that there are a host of dynamic project methodologies that can be used for either project development or project deployment. Likewise, the past four years have been a unique creative and changing period for me. This book provides advice on methodologies and templates for the harried project manager or executive advice and counsel that is best described as deep and far reaching.

The genre of project methodologies rose to prominence in the late 1990s after being introduced more formally by various project management and military organizations. However, during the past four years, various project methodologies have lived up to their initial hype, and the flexibility of such methodologies is a testament to the continuing success and growth of project management as a professional discipline. In this book, I survey the terrain of existing and emerging project methodologies and reveal how successful organizations have adapted their business strategies to this new environment and triumphed. I define project methodologies in terms of goals, relationship to actions, and impact on organizational structure, and point out specific ways these methodologies affect the overall business plan. The most important principle is that your project strategy must be right; if it is wrong or the methodology inappropriate for the project, it is not surprising that the results are less than satisfactory.

If you are reasonably new to project management, or if you have never designed, reviewed, or followed a project methodology before, you may be wondering if this is the right book for you to tackle. Because all of the concepts in the book are illustrated with process flows, you can work your way through the subject regardless of your experience level. If you understand what phases, components, processes, and templates are, you will benefit from this book. The sort of person who might want to read this book includes you if any of the following ring true:

You are an experienced project manager, understand the fundamentals of project methodologies, and would like to move up to the next level in project management.

Youve had some basic project management classes, have a grasp of what a project methodology is, and have heard that there are many different ways projects can be managed.

You are a consultant who regularly comes across business proposals and organizations that necessitate tailored and customized approaches for solutions and projects required by the client.

If you are a beginner, the book will provide you with great insight. Project methodology is a good topic to start with and, if you take it slowly and work through all the chapters, you can pick up the concepts and start building and managing your own project methodologies. The chapters focus on the same broad subject, project management methodologies. This book originated from seminars and presentations from my consulting work at Fortune 100 companies. It was developed in response to some related observations:

Could one universal project methodology model benefit all projects in existence? The rationale is that the basic building blocks of the model are relatively the same but need only be tailored to suit the organization.

A vocal band of pundits, purists, oracles, and knowledgeable project managers assert that a single universal project methodology is not as practical as it seems. This eclectic group argues, often quite persuasively and with zealous righteousness, that project management is revealing that there is more than one way to manage projects.

An entire series of project methodologies exists that can be (1) selected, (2) tailored, and (3) implemented for a specific project.

All the chapters are independent, yet connected. Content includes:

Chapter 1: Understanding Project Methodologies. This chapter is primarily for the project managers and executives who are responsible for understanding the concepts of project methodologies and processes, their relationships to projects, and, more importantly, the manner in which project methodologies relate to organizational processes. Without a clear methodology, projects can fail miserably because business objectives are not being met. In this chapter, I explore the consequences of not having a clear methodology in place.

Chapter 2: Project Methodologies Explained. An overview of many project methodologies available in industry today is provided in this chapter. I guide the reader to recognize what a methodology is and how it allows the organization to achieve. To simply implement a project based on a process is no longer good enough.

Chapter 3: Project Management Frameworks. Selecting a project management framework can be demanding and challenging for any project manager or executive who has never attempted to implement one. This chapter discusses the essentials of selecting a project framework for the sole purpose of establishing a core project management competency not only on a project, but also in the company. Simply put, many project failures result from not having a project framework in place. We look at ways of overcoming these failures in this chapter.

Chapter 4: Development Methodology Selection and Utilization. This chapter discusses using development methodologies of which there are many in a project scenario.

After we have covered how the overall strategy drives project management, Chapters 5 through 8 focus on what the project manager needs to do with his or her project team and stakeholders to ensure that the project goals are achieved and that the business benefits are delivered.