project_management_made_easy
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PROJECT MANAGEMENT
m a d e e a s y
Additional Titles in Entrepreneur’s Made Easy Series
Accounting and Finance for Small Business Made Easy: Secrets You Wish Your CPA Had Told You by Robert Low
Business Plans Made Easy: It’s Not as Hard as You Think by Mark Henricks
Meetings Made Easy: The Ultimate Fix-It Guide by Frances Micale
Strategic Planning Made Easy by Fred L. Fry, Charles R. Stoner, and Laurence G. Weinzimmer
Advertising Without an Agency Made Easy by Kathy J. Kobliski
Managing a Small Business Made Easy by Martin E. Davis
Mastering Business Growth and Change Made Easy by Jeffrey A. Hansen
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
m a d e e a s y
Entrepreneur Press and
Sid Kemp
Editorial Director: Jere Calmes Cover Design: Beth Hansen-Winter
Editorial and Production Services: CWL Publishing Enterprises, Inc., Madison, Wisconsin, www.cwlpub.com
This is a CWL Publishing Enterprises book developed for Entrepreneur Press by CWL Publishing Enterprises, Inc., Madison, Wisconsin.
© 2006 by Entrepreneur Press All rights reserved.
Reproduction of any part of this work beyond that permitted by Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act without the express permission of the copyright owner is unlawful. Requests for permission or further information should be addressed to the Business Products Division, Entrepreneur Media, Inc.
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.
—From a Declaration of Principles jointly adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations
ISBN 1-932531-77-7
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kemp, Sid.
Project management for small business made easy / by Sid Kemp. p. cm.
ISBN 1-932531-77-7 (alk. paper)
1. Project management. 2. Small business--Management. I. Title. HD69.P75K4552 2006
658.4'04--dc22
2005030986
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For Kris, my wife,
who has stood by me as I've started my own business, struggled, succeeded, and found joy.
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Contents
|
Preface |
xi |
1. |
Get It Done Right! |
1 |
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Small Business in a Changing World |
1 |
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What Is a Project? |
3 |
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What Is Management? |
4 |
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Conclusion: Project Management for Your Business |
10 |
2. |
Small Business Projects |
12 |
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Where Do Projects Fit into Your Business? |
13 |
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Eight Ways Projects Benefit Your Business |
18 |
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Who’s Who on a Project |
21 |
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The 14 Questions for Every Project |
23 |
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Conclusion: Pick a Project and Go! |
24 |
3. |
Prepare, Do, Follow Through |
26 |
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Businesses, Projects, and Systems |
27 |
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Stages and Gates |
28 |
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The Nine Areas of Project Management |
31 |
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Conclusion: Tying It All Together |
34 |
4. |
Dreams and Opportunities |
36 |
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Rules for Making Dreams Real |
36 |
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Defining Your Dream or Opportunity |
37 |
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From Dream to Deadline |
41 |
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Conclusion: Making Your Dreams Real |
43 |
vii
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IntroductionContents |
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5. |
Problems and Solutions |
44 |
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What Is a Problem? |
44 |
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From Problem to Project |
50 |
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Conclusion: Making the Solution Work |
51 |
6. |
What Are We Making? |
53 |
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The Steps of Defining Scope |
54 |
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Write a Basic Statement of What We Are Making |
54 |
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Choose a General Approach to How We Will Make It |
56 |
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Draw and Write a Detailed Description of What |
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We Are Making |
57 |
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Write a Detailed Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) |
58 |
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Write a Detailed Action Plan |
60 |
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Conclusion: A Leader with a Plan |
61 |
7. |
Planning Time and Money |
62 |
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Allocating, Estimating, Scheduling, and Budgeting |
62 |
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Detailed Scheduling |
66 |
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Detailed Budgeting |
67 |
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Conclusion: Ready to Stay on Track |
68 |
8. |
Making It Good |
69 |
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Simple Quality Basics |
70 |
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Defining Quality |
71 |
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Planning for Quality |
73 |
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Conclusion: Taking the High Road |
74 |
9. |
Making Sure the Job Gets Done |
76 |
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Risk Identification: Listing the Risks |
78 |
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Risk Analysis |
81 |
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Risk Response Planning |
81 |
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Risk Monitoring and Control |
82 |
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Conclusion: If It Doesn’t Go Wrong, It Will Go Right |
83 |
10. |
Teamwork and Communications |
85 |
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Getting the Right Team |
86 |
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Defining Jobs Clearly |
89 |
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Supporting Self-Management |
91 |
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Supporting Effective Team Communications |
91 |
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Conclusion: Team Success™ |
93 |
viii
IntroductionContents
11. |
Getting What You Need |
94 |
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Purchasing for Projects |
95 |
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Getting Expertise |
97 |
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Getting Information |
98 |
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Getting Permission |
99 |
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Evaluating Vendors |
100 |
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Tracking and Saving Money in the Purchasing Process |
103 |
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Conclusion: Hassle-Free and Good to Go! |
104 |
12. |
Pulling the Plan Together |
105 |
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Tying the Plan Together |
105 |
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What if the Plan Changes? |
109 |
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The Preparation Review Gate |
111 |
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Conclusion: Set Sail! |
114 |
13. |
Keeping Everything on Track |
116 |
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The Status Meeting |
116 |
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The Feedback-and-Control Concept |
118 |
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Practical Course Correction |
119 |
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Conclusion: Steady as She Goes! |
122 |
14. |
Prevent Scope Creep |
124 |
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Sources of Scope Creep |
124 |
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Managing Scope Creep |
129 |
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Conclusion: Don’t Move the Goals |
131 |
15. |
Stay on Time and on Budget |
132 |
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Time Management in the Doing Stage |
132 |
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Cost Management in the Doing Stage |
137 |
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Conclusion: The Iron Triangle Delivered |
140 |
16. |
Quality: Eliminate Error |
141 |
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Work Systems That Eliminate Error |
142 |
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Creating a Quality Team |
145 |
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Quality at the Business Level |
147 |
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Quality at the Project Level |
148 |
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Quality at the Technical Level |
149 |
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Conclusion: Quality All the Way Through |
150 |
17. |
Risk: Manage Uncertainty |
151 |
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Watch for Risks |
151 |
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Monitor Risk Status |
153 |
ix
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Contents |
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Keep Looking Ahead |
153 |
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Manage Risks Quickly |
154 |
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Keep the Project Moving |
156 |
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Conclusion: Sailing Through Stormy Waters |
158 |
18. |
Managing Expectations |
159 |
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Discuss Expectations Openly |
160 |
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Documenting Expectations |
160 |
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Defining the Expectations Gap |
161 |
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Managing the Expectations Gap |
162 |
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Ensure Communication with All Customers |
164 |
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Conclusion: The Doing Is Done! |
167 |
19. |
Follow Through |
168 |
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The Challenges of Following Through |
171 |
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Technical Follow-Through |
174 |
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Project Management Follow-Through |
177 |
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Conclusion: Safely Ashore! |
182 |
20. |
Deliver Delight |
183 |
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Business Follow-Through |
184 |
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Follow-up After the Project |
187 |
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All You Need to Know |
189 |
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Conclusion: Success and Delight |
193 |
21. |
Storefront Success: Know What You Want, Plan, and Go for It |
194 |
|
A Long Time Coming: Opening the First Store |
195 |
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Gaining, Training, and Retaining Staff |
196 |
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Improvements—Roasting and Going Nuts |
199 |
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Front Porch Two: A Dream Coming True |
202 |
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Tips for Those Starting a Business |
204 |
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Conclusion |
205 |
22. |
Case Study: Planning a Year of Projects |
207 |
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A Strategic Plan Adds Flexibility |
207 |
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What Is a Strategic Plan? |
208 |
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How to Plan Strategy Each Year |
209 |
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Conclusion |
212 |
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Appendix: Forms and Tools |
213 |
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Index |
242 |
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