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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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...
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...
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?
This comprehensive presentation covers all of the basics of Seibel 7 Workflow Processes.
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.
Whether you are selling products and services or selling a project itself, it doesn't hurt to brush up on your sales skills.
A total roll-out of Siebel, including Rapid Application Development phases, testing, training and even change management is in this comprehensive Microsoft Project plan.
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.
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.
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.
This checklist will help you assess your user and technical requirements for accuracy, completeness and quality.
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.
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.
Has your system been properly tested by phase (unit, integration, user acceptance), and do you have the formal sign-off of approval to proceed?
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.
Here is a solid outline of a plan for testing individual development components in context with the overall system.
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.
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.
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If we do not succeed, then we run the risk of failure. - Dan Quayle |
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