Reforming Project ManagementHal Macomber, Project Reformer, explores the evolving theory and practices of lean project deliveryExcavation Safety- February 17, 2005 Safety Thursday Work Injury Free Trenching deaths and injuries are in the news almost every week. (Take a look at the Safety Everyday Sideblog for recent stories.) OSHA recently responded with a Safety Tips Card: Safety in Excavations or Trenches. It is available in English and Spanish. Trenches must meet at least one of the following conditions: Sloped for stability Cut to create stepped or benched grades Supported by a system made with posts, beams, shores or planking and...http://weblog.halmacomber.com/2005_02_13_archive.html#110864499040540550 Watch Out for the Toolheads- February 16, 2005 When talking about lean this and lean that, so much attention is given to the tools -- 7 wastes, kanban, kaizen, kaikaku, SMED, etc. -- rather than the tool users. John Seddon cautions us to Watch Out for the Toolheads. John makes his living helping service companies adopt lean practices. While the general idea of lean travels easily among many industries, the methods of lean production don't. John provides an approach that can make your service company lean. He calls it The Vanguard...http://weblog.halmacomber.com/2005_02_13_archive.html#110852230905286974 Project Management Sound of Vision Podcast- February 14, 2005 Effern, one of my readers, has been writing a weblog titled The Vision Thing on the topics of business, process, and management. Effern interviewed three project management bloggers, Johanna Rothman: Managing Product Development, Clarke Ching: I Think Not, Baby Puppy, and me for a podcast series he calls The Sound of Vision. With all my travel last week I was just able to connect to listen to the podcast. Effern interviewed us separately then patched together a program. I am quite...http://weblog.halmacomber.com/2005_02_13_archive.html#110840663066737047 Could Occam's Razor Explain Project Failures- February 14, 2005 A heavy travel schedule this week provided the opportunity to catch up on loads of reading. Baseline Magazine is a monthly that focuses on IT projects and issues. Executive editor John McCormick wrote Projects Don't Fail, People Do. He says we only need to look to Occam's razor for the answer. Huh That's what I said. McCormick explains it this way: "The rule known in scientific and philosophical circles as Occam's razor stipulates that when multiple theories are available to explain a...http://weblog.halmacomber.com/2005_02_13_archive.html#110835019377767280 Using Blogs for Project Management- February 11, 2005 Fredrik Wacka writing in Webpro News Using Blogs for Project Management says the time is here for project weblogs. "Project blogs integrated into an intranet will, I believe, prove to be one of the most valuable types of corporate blogging." Fredrik is a regular writer on blogging. Not only is he suggesting that project champions blog he advocates Why Corporate Boards Should Blog. I've been writing a weblog now for 2½ years. I also work with project teams across the AEC industry. ..http://weblog.halmacomber.com/2005_02_06_archive.html#110809568358020241 Making Collaboration Work- February 8, 2005 Are you interested in spectatcular team results "Would a 36 percent reduction in unit cost interest your management How about a 40 percent improvement in productivity, or a reduction of cycle time from 55 days to 1 day, resulting in a savings of $1 million These are all actual figures from the 2004 final round of competition at the International Team Excellence Awards event. Cathy Webber says all that is possible in her article for last week's edition of Projects Work, Making Collaboration.http://weblog.halmacomber.com/2005_02_06_archive.html#110784354543215704 The New Atkins Diet- February 8, 2005 Lean (production) is the new Atkins Diet for manufacturers. You've got to subscribe to Industry Week Perspectives if only to read John R. Brandt, former editor of Industry Week. In Brandt's latest Brandt on Leadership column, Hooked On Lean he offers a cynical and humorous view of a trend for everything to go lean. There's lean marketing, lean healthcare, lean leadership, (add your favorite here). Brandt notes, "The cultural perception of lean mutated from an actual improvement process...http://weblog.halmacomber.com/2005_02_06_archive.html#110783773698128239 Why Projects Fail- February 6, 2005 Software plans often lack common sense (and a) user focuseWeek reports the FBI is likely to scrap their $170 million Virtual Case File software project. It's not the first big software project to fail, nor will it be the last. What I find interesting is the explantation offered by Eric Lundquist, editor-in-chief of eWeek, in the January 31, 2005 issue. Lundquist speculates (he says he doesn't have first-hand details) it is the compound effects of "too much turnover at the top management...http://weblog.halmacomber.com/2005_02_06_archive.html#110773390823249882 Calls for Safer Work Conditions Results in 56 OSHA Violations- February 3, 2005 Safety Thursday Work Injury Free OSHA is cracking down on residential contractors. After employees complained to OSHA about unsafe work conditions the hammer came down, Nine New York Contractors Face $98,400 in Fines After OSHA Sweep. Antonio Pietroluongo, OSHA's acting Manhattan area director commented, "It's particularly disturbing to see many of the same hazards at three different jobsites overseen by the same general contractor. Left uncorrected, these conditions expose employees...http://weblog.halmacomber.com/2005_01_30_archive.html#110745259529920835 Be Careful What You Wish For...- February 2, 2005 Mark Mullaly writing in GanttHead suggests that project management becoming a profession may not be what we really want, Brave New World (Part 1). He outlines the additional responsibilities -- professional liability -- along with a shift in authority that would be required. How many of us think we have the authority we need to do our jobs How many think that will change He further introduces the likelihood of regulation. (Sarbanes-Oxley all over again!) I'm sticking with the status quo. .http://weblog.halmacomber.com/2005_01_30_archive.html#110737152714442439 |