Hot-Topics - CRM http://www.projectmanagement.com/Hot-Topics/CRM// Copyright: (C) 2013 ProjectManagement.com Fri, 24 May 2013 12:05:13 GMT http://www.projectmanagement.com/design/logo.gif http://www.projectmanagement.com/Hot-Topics/CRM/ Studying the PMBOK Guide Fourth Edition to take your PMP exam? Not so fast...unless you're taking the exam soon, you'll have to be aware of some essential changes in store and take the Fifth Edition exam. This article outlines a possible approach to "upgrade" yourself, and since we all learn differently you should adjust this approach to your own needs. http://www.projectmanagement.com//articles//278793/How-to-Upgrade-Yourself-to-the-PMBOK-Guide-Fifth-Edition Thu, 23 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT If Kanban works well on specific software projects, can it be scaled to facilitate Lean throughout an organization? Here we look at how Kanban can be thought of as a general purpose change management approach for your organization. http://www.projectmanagement.com//articles//278696/What-You-Should-Know-About-Kanban--Part-3- Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT What is your PMO's reputation among the PMs it serves? There could be a lot of distrust. Through experience, one manager discovered some potential problem areas that you may want to look at in your own organization. http://www.projectmanagement.com//articles//278614/What-Do-Your-PMs-Think-of-Your-PMO- Tue, 07 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT It's surprising how many project managers don't know the difference between a framework and a methodology. It's time to clear the air and clarify the differences. http://www.projectmanagement.com//articles//278600/Why-Youre-Confusing-Frameworks-with-Methodologies Mon, 06 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT Combining agile and governance seems, at first glance, to imply boxing people in from each perspective and forcing them to chose an option that is neither fully agreeable to each. But this combination is in the best interest of both camps; learn some practical approaches to make it work. http://www.projectmanagement.com//articles//278131/Agile-Governance--A-Rock-and-a-Hard-Place- Thu, 11 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT Do you have a readiness plan in place for potential pandemics? Even if you feel protected or isolated from such an occurrence, having a readiness plan can also serve as an important reinforcement to customers and stakeholders who are dependent upon your continued performance and success. http://www.projectmanagement.com//articles//278112/In-Case-of-Pandemic--Break-Glass Tue, 09 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT Have you noticed any hints that your company isn't customer intimate? Companies and their supportive corporate culture sometimes say one thing and yet practice another. Learn how to inspire your team to be customer intimate--in part by utilizing agile, which takes this approach to heart and emphasizes customer-centric product development. http://www.projectmanagement.com//articles//278107/Injecting-Extreme-Customer-Intimacy-Into-Your-Project-Team Mon, 08 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT There are times when it must be accepted that what you do and what you make cannot be accelerated to keep up with or integrate the latest technology transformation. Given the proper circumstances however, these moments can provide the opportunity for a firm to take their own uniqueness and build a strong business that can withstand this kind of change. http://www.projectmanagement.com//articles//277891/The-Technology-Threat Wed, 27 Mar 2013 04:00:00 GMT You might have heard about the "Big Data" craze. The rush is on, and like Cloud Computing it's gaining momentum fast. So what is all the fuss about? What exactly is Big Data and why should we care? http://www.projectmanagement.com//articles//277766/Welcome-to-the-World-of-Big-Data Thu, 21 Mar 2013 04:00:00 GMT In reading articles about the worst companies to work for (and their practices), there are many common elements that helped them qualify for such a distinction. Several of them focus on a symbiosis of employee and customer satisfaction. http://www.projectmanagement.com//articles//277222/Keeping-Clients-Happy Tue, 19 Feb 2013 05:00:00 GMT Unfortunately, those in charge of phone systems often get confused as to whom they are serving. We want simple and we want personal. When it comes to keeping your customers happy, are you getting a ringing endorsement? http://www.projectmanagement.com//articles//276911/CRM-Headache--Press--1--for-Yes---2--for-No Mon, 28 Jan 2013 05:00:00 GMT When one PM looks back at his project career, he knows it has had its share of missteps--hurdles both large and small that weren't so easy to clear. Here, he relates an early and misguided experience. http://www.projectmanagement.com//articles//276269/The-Gift-of-Failure Mon, 10 Dec 2012 05:00:00 GMT Too often, the organizational focus is on relieving symptoms, not necessarily solving the problem. The culture of these organizations is that as long as the user problems can be fixed, then the issue is "solved". Not only is that inaccurate, it's inefficient and risky. Quick fixes are not permanent solutions, so when bandage solutions and workarounds become the norm, it's time to act. http://www.projectmanagement.com//articles//275962/Bandage-Management Mon, 19 Nov 2012 05:00:00 GMT Just about everyone is involved in customer service to some degree--regardless of your actual exposure to customers. So if we are knowledgeably aware of the struggles that are commonly a part of the distribution and delivery of a final project, why is it that we forget this when we contact customer service representatives ourselves? http://www.projectmanagement.com//articles//275859/Cussing-Your-Service Mon, 12 Nov 2012 05:00:00 GMT In this third and final installment, we will look at how agile can be re-contextualized for the business environment at large to transform not only specific projects or processes in an industry, but also entire organizations within that industry to meet the growing demand for faster project turnaround while also achieving higher quality and business value. http://www.projectmanagement.com//articles//275729/The-Next-Iteration-Agile--Re-contextualizing-Agile-for-the-21st-Century--Part-3- Tue, 06 Nov 2012 05:00:00 GMT Application development and delivery has changed dramatically in recent years...have you? Many areas have been well documented, but in the midst of all that there is another change happening. Who's in control? That's what we explore here. http://www.projectmanagement.com//articles//275492/The-New-Scope-for-Application-Delivery Thu, 18 Oct 2012 04:00:00 GMT Multiple stakeholders--multiple opinions. There are so many issues regarding any given corporation, how can there not be disagreement and difference among its management? Bringing these divergent interest areas to the table and having them determine direction consensus can be laborious. Maybe a good meal can solve the problem... http://www.projectmanagement.com//articles//275246/How-Would-You-Like-Your-Stake- Wed, 03 Oct 2012 04:00:00 GMT One manager's clients asked him to assist with improving the effectiveness of their PMO. They made it clear that the office was only responsible for the professional services arm of the business--and they weren't prepared to discuss extending the scope of the PMO to include the product development team. Read on for more on this unique situation... http://www.projectmanagement.com//articles//275128/The-Professional-Services-PMO Mon, 24 Sep 2012 04:00:00 GMT The use of the term "Mickey Mouse" is often considered a demeaning form of slang. But while there were times in the past where the Walt Disney Company vision may have faltered, its brand has persevered and become stronger--to the point where that descriptor is a badge of pride and excellence. What can you learn from that popular rodent? http://www.projectmanagement.com//articles//272560/Magic-Kingdom-Service Wed, 29 Aug 2012 04:00:00 GMT Whether you are selling products and services or selling a project itself, it doesn't hurt to brush up on your sales skills. http://www.projectmanagement.com//checklists//231501/Sales-Productivity-Checklist Wed, 21 Jun 2006 04:00:00 GMT This comprehensive presentation covers all of the basics of Seibel 7 Workflow Processes. http://www.projectmanagement.com//presentations//165891/Understanding-Siebel-7-Workflow Mon, 03 Mar 2003 05:00:00 GMT Looking for a training tool that will evaluate as well as guide you? Here's an example of how to define and analyze basic job competency for a relationship mangement specialist. http://www.projectmanagement.com//deliverables//31918/Traditional-Job-Competency-Model Tue, 14 Aug 2001 04:00:00 GMT Based on Clay Carr's Smart Training concept, this PowerPoint presentation outlines the concept of performance and guides you through each step of the performance cycle. http://www.projectmanagement.com//presentations//31927/Smart-Training-Performance-Model Tue, 14 Aug 2001 04:00:00 GMT A total roll-out of Siebel, including Rapid Application Development phases, testing, training and even change management is in this comprehensive Microsoft Project plan. http://www.projectmanagement.com//project-plans//11722/Siebel-Implementation-with-RAD-Iterations Mon, 09 Apr 2001 04:00:00 GMT This thorough and detailed assessment is a series of five checklists designed to guide you through the entire project lifecycle from start to finish: planning, analysis, design, construction and implementation. http://www.projectmanagement.com//checklists//15303/Quality-Assurance-Assessment-Checklists Fri, 22 Dec 2000 05:00:00 GMT Are your customers getting the service they want from your Call Center? Do you need to implement a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) package to improve Call Center service? Use this Microsoft Project plan to assess the fit of a CRM package into your business. http://www.projectmanagement.com//project-plans//10690/CRM-Assessment-with-Call-Center-Plan Thu, 31 Aug 2000 04:00:00 GMT Putting together a whole new customer service model (CSM) is a challenge, particularly if you do it in less than a month. This sample report in Word is an in-depth analysis of a business problem re: customer service/helpdesk and a detailed set of recommendations and plan for how to reengineer the business to improve customer service operations. http://www.projectmanagement.com//project-plans//9896/Customer-Service-Model-Business-Reengineering-Project-Plan Fri, 18 Aug 2000 04:00:00 GMT Code is a developer's signature on a software project, and not all developers play by the rules of good coding standards. Ensure that your development team leaves a coding legacy that not only implements the application at hand but can be understood by others and maintained during future development cycles. http://www.projectmanagement.com//checklists//9680/Self-Documenting-Code-Checklist Tue, 15 Aug 2000 04:00:00 GMT Are you signing a contract to outsource a software development project to a vendor? Ask these questions to make sure you know what you're getting and are getting what you are paying for. http://www.projectmanagement.com//deliverables//9565/Software-Development-Vendor-Contract-Considerations Mon, 14 Aug 2000 04:00:00 GMT This checklist will help you assess your user and technical requirements for accuracy, completeness and quality. http://www.projectmanagement.com//checklists//9568/Pre-Development-Requirements-Checklist Mon, 14 Aug 2000 04:00:00 GMT Here is a solid outline of a plan for testing individual development components in context with the overall system. http://www.projectmanagement.com//deliverables//5860/Integration-Test-Plan-Outline Thu, 27 Apr 2000 04:00:00 GMT Has your system been properly tested by phase (unit, integration, user acceptance), and do you have the formal sign-off of approval to proceed? http://www.projectmanagement.com//deliverables//2034/Test-Sign-Off-Form Sat, 05 Feb 2000 05:00:00 GMT Are you about to select a commercial Relationship Management application? State exactly what you need. This thoroughly constructed sample RFI to solicit application package information from vendors will save you hours of work. Modify it to suit your requirements. http://www.projectmanagement.com//deliverables//1938/Sample-RM-Package-Vendor-RFI Thu, 03 Feb 2000 05:00:00 GMT How do expectations and desires become a project? Use these worksheets to transform objectives into concrete requirements and steps that can be accounted for throughout the project. http://www.projectmanagement.com//deliverables//578/Requirements-Traceability Tue, 20 May 1997 04:00:00 GMT