Earned Value Management Study: Is Your Organization Ready?

The goal of this article is to encourage project managers to participate in an academic survey to help determine if an organization is ready to apply earned value management to its projects. If you are interested in learning more about EVM--and providing input into an assessment tool to help determine if an organization is ready to apply earned value--please read on!

Small Projects, Big Savings by Implementing Best Practices with Earned Value Management (Lessons Learned)

The project manager must adapt and adjust the PMBOK® Guide in order to balance his or her identified competing constraints while integrating the different management processes needed to deliver the expected result as a cohesive whole. The first part of this article discusses the process of “tailoring” small project management practices. The second part of the article presents a case study of best practices as the project manager responsible for a team of eleven people in an IT department.

Earned Value Management in “Electricity Bill” Type of Projects

Earned value management (EVM) is the control tool used for cost control, which is one of the most important areas in project management. It also provides additional useful information for the schedule variance. When used with progress reporting to determine schedule variance and schedule performance index, EVM becomes a highly valuable tool to track both cost and schedule. Budgets for projects with only department-wide budget allocations are analogous to a household electricity bill, having few details.

Work in Progress Earned Value Management (“WIPing” EVM into Shape?)

This article presents a variant on the use of schedule performance index (SPI) and schedule variance (SV) to manage schedule performance and includes a description, rationale, and explanation on how to apply the technique. An actual project, as well as examples, are used to illustrate the value and application of the technique. A basic understanding of earned value management (EVM) is required to understanding the article, whereas actual practice using earned value management, schedule performance index, and schedule variance is recommended.

The Value of Agile Earned Value Management

What are the benefits of using earned value management on agile projects? Here we explore AgileEVM and its many benefits.

Researching EVM Readiness

Earned Value Management is recognized within the project management domain as an effective cost and risk management technique. The formulas are not difficult to understand. So if EV isn’t difficult to calculate, why isn’t it more prevalent?

Innovation on R&D Earned Value IOC/C21 WatchKeeper System

The challenge addressed in this article is that of using earned value in an IT project of less than US$20 million with multiple solution partners, fixed cost contracts, no labor cost data, and an 18-month deadline. The discussion presents an example of an innovative use of a research and development (R&D)–based earned value technique. The software project overview is presented, traditional earned value reviewed, the derivation of the R&D approach is discussed, and the article closes with a look at the organizational benefit of the technique.

How do I integrate Risk Management with EVM?

What are best practices and guidelines for EVM projects?

Where do I find tools and templates to help me in my project?