PM Network

There are many parts of the world right now where stability is not a given and the only sure bet is uncertainty. One of those places is the United Kingdom. The U.K. government’s March triggering of the formal process to leave the European Union within two years has led to fears of major impacts on projects both locally and across Europe.

Many U.K. organizations have experienced delays in decision making. They are wondering how Brexit will reshape regulations, labor markets and currency rates. These delays sometimes have brought projects to a halt. Talent-shortage worries are a concern as well.

Some are predicting that transformation specialists and compliance specialists will be in high demand as multinational organizations deal with Brexit.

Read all about this important topic in August PM Network. Are your projects affected by this uncertainty? Please let us know in the comments.

Maybe in another time long, long ago, we had the luxury to take a little time before making a critical decision. We could weigh the pros and cons and, then and only then, pronounce our verdict.

Well, those times are long gone. Especially in today’s business climate, a project manager needs to make important decisions not tomorrow, not one hour from now but right now. August PM Network has a feature article that will help you create the systems that make lower-risk snap decisions work out. Experts say meticulous preparation and clarity of governance are essential to keep things moving in the right direction when quick choices need to be made. For example, knowing whether the authority lies with the business team or the financial team is most helpful.

How do you prepare for the necessity of making snap decisions? Please share your techniques in the comments.

Do you know about banking or financial services? Are you lacking technical expertise but willing to learn? Companies in the financial arena are looking for you. As an article in July PM Network reports, there is a shortage of project talent in fintech, or financial technology. Banks are willing to train people who know their industry. Some financial services organizations will indoctrinate those with strong IT skills to the world of finance. And while traditionally, banks have a reputation for being a formal and “stuffy” work atmosphere, fintech culture is more like software development culture—more casual and flexible. So get those résumés ready!

If you are involved in fintech, please use the comments to tell us your experiences with a talent shortage.

You may have noticed some gaps in shopping malls lately. Brick-and-mortar stores are taking a beating as more and more consumers turn to online shopping. Store chains are not throwing in the towel, however. Many are using next-generation technology to appeal to shoppers, and that means projects. The July PM Network takes a look at what’s in store for retailers, including virtual reality, augmented reality and artificial intelligence. Communication with stakeholders, especially store employees, is essential for these projects to succeed. Filip Fischier, strategic initiative portfolio manager with Ikea Group, explains in an interview how his organization, with 340 stores in 28 countries, is integrating technology such as consumer-designed kitchens across its global footprint.

Do you think agile approaches are a bad fit in an outsourcing environment? A column in June PM Network by Priya Patra, PMP, shows you how to make agile work even in projects with multiple teams from different organizations—often in different time zones.

Priya managed a 25-member team whose members came from North America, Europe and Asia. The project aimed to build an accounts receivables platform. Three organizations were involved: a large multinational, a service provider and a quality assurance contractor.

Her advice? Travel to the customer’s location to learn about the client’s business philosophy, company culture and goals. Make sure stakeholders can collaborate 30 minutes per day via phone, videoconferencing and instant message.

The result of Priya’s project was a launch of a first minimum viable product in two months, 10 percent under budget and satisfactory to end users.

What’s your agile outsourcing story? Please share in the comments.