Scheduling resources is a vital task for us whenever we are engaged in a project. To do so effectively requires vigilance, decisiveness, and a little bit of intuition. Fundamentally, it requires foresight.

Anticipating some big, awesome projects coming up, we can prepare in several ways. We can devote fewer resources to low priority projects, but that risks impacting our timelines. We can decrease the amount of time we spend on our projects, but that risks diminishing the quality of our work. We can decrease the extra attention we give to make each project turn out perfectly, but we pride ourselves in the quality of our work. That leaves us with one option.

We’re going to add more people.

We are looking for awesome individuals who love project management as much as we do. We’re looking for people who can get stuff done. We want Project Managers who realize that this practice isn’t merely about solving inefficiencies, it is about people.

If you want to help us improve this practice, if you love working with clients to make amazing things happen, apply. We are hiring people just like you. You’ll find the full job description in our careers section.

Grow with us.

If you missed the event, you can check out two videos from our speakers:

• Tim Runcie and Chetan Patel on Integrating Data from External LOB Systems (SAP, ClickSoft, etc.) for Strategic Resource Planning & Forecasting
• René Álvarez and Javier González on Landing Strategy in 3 steps

Give them a look and let us know how much they help you!

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However, this still continues to be one of the least understood elements. I am going to write a series of posts showcasing different reporting options with Project Professional as well a discussion points of Project Server/SharePoint BI so that people may have a better understanding of the overall mechanisms.

Today’s topic will address some very quick Graphical Options for showcasing dates on the Gantt Chart. One feature that has been embedded but hardly known is that you can have key dates (besides deadlines) and you can have them show up on your tasks, your summary tasks, etc. so that you can actually use this to help communicate a visual picture of key dates.

OK, here goes.

Step one, typically you will need to utilize a Start or a Finish Date (just need to use a custom field for this purpose). Once you have it, typically we reanme one of these fields so that it can be referenced for any or all tasks (as seen in this screenshot).

To rename a field select the field to be renamed, click the "Rename…" button, enter the new name in the dialog box that pops up, and hit "OK."

Now once this is named, you can go to the Gantt Chart and work in the Bar Styles to build a new or customized entry as seen here.

With the newly renamed fields, you can build a new bar style entry.

This will allow you to visualize customer dates, or key dates on the Gantt chart so that you can illustrate this information quickly and effectively.

Here is an example of a high level dashboard used for Portfolio Planning by customers exposing the different Key dates on projects.

Now this is just the beginning of leveraging Project for Business Intelligence, but I have found sometimes it’s the little overlooked items that can make a big difference.

I will continue expanding on this subject as I think we all get enamored with nice Reporting, however there is so much you can do without writing SQL or creating KPIs in SharePoint. Just note that the idea is to drive reporting quickly and easily in any and all of your project environments.

We have had the opportunity to deliver unique, customized SharePoint solutions to our customers, such as photo translation tools, custom search web parts, and data import applications.

Only with the challenge of new situations can we really grow. From the unique experiences this week we gained valuable knowledge in enhancing the capabilities of these tools. Capabilities that truly bring business and technology together.

These customized solutions are part of our AdPAK family. The AdPAK contains numerous bolt-on tools, and solutions that help enhance and extend a variety of applications used in today’s places of business. It is an extension of capabilities specifically designed to meet the needs of the business in which it resides.

Whether it is a tool to tackle difficult SharePoint administrative tasks, or one that creates ETL packages on the fly, the same goal in design exists: enhance and simplify the technical experience, and empower the user.

At present we are only offering these solutions as part of our services engagements as final versions are tested and prepared for Public release. Please go to Advisicon.com to find out more about the services that Advisicon has to offer.

Update: When registering for InnoTech Oregon, use the coupon code ADV2 for free admission!

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As a volunteer during the one-year planning process and as a newly elected Director of Public Relations at the Western Michigan Project Management Institute, I spent April 9, 2012 at the special one-day finale.

What is THEProject?

According to THEProject’s website, the purpose is to:

Develop business leaders by partnering with college students, community leaders, and Project Management Professionals to competitively tackle a commonly shared business challenge.

As a volunteer, I personally feel our chapter was trying to help individuals realize the importance of project management not only for businesses, but as a career choice. Everyone who served on our committee entered project management as an accidental career choice, not as part of our career path.

Who Participated?

• WMPMI Chapter volunteers and Board Members
• Judges
  • Dick Posthumus, Senior Advisor to Govenor Rick Snyder
  • Carol Valade, Editor of the Grand Rapids Business Journal & Gemini Publications
  • Fred Keller, CEO of Cascade Engineering
  • James A. Mitchell, Chair of Intellectual Property at Mitchell IP Law, PLLC
  • Matthew VanVranken, Executive Vice President of Spectrum Health Delivery Systems
  • Tony Johnson, President and Founder of Crosswind Project Management
• Student Teams
  • Davenport University
  • University of Phoenix
  • Michigan Tech University (Team A and Team B)
  • Kalamazoo College (Team A and Team B)
  • Grand Valley State University
  • Aquinas College

What Did They Have to Do?

Students had to research what would be involved for a company to be certified by B Labs as a B Corporation. In this process, they had to produce artifacts that would meet project management standards and business executive standards.

The schedule for Michigan's THEProject 2012 event

As luck would have it, the project picked for the students is currently being considered by the State of Michigan as a new form of corporation.

The website for THEProject 2012 contains more details about the project including the deliverables and a video of the project selected for competition.

The Lesson’s Learned Lunch – college teams and PMP mentor

Reverse Career Fair – Students Sell Themselves

Personally, I was surprised at how skilled and well prepared students were during the final presentations. Judges presented difficult business questions such as “Can you cut the price in ½?” or “What competitive advantage does this project give us?” Students were extremely persuasive in explaining why the executives should choose to move forward and some student teams got real companies to participate during THEProject.

One of the many “executive presentations” to help students earn points towards the grand prize. Pictured here is a Team B from Kalamazoo College.

The WMPMI dinner was more of a social time for students and members to meet while the final scores were tallied.

The winning teams (Grand Valley University, Michigan Tech Team B, and University of Phoenix) shared $10,000 in prize money.

Grand Valley University took first place. The winners from left to right: Matt McNamara (GVSU team), Joshua A. Gerlick (co-Champion), Steven Williams (GVSU team), Dr. Jaideep Motwani (co-Champion), Iwona Gruszka (GVSU team), Benjamin Todd (Mentor, Amway), Eric Baumgarten (GVSU team), Ted Kallman (Project Exec.), and Jeff Moss (Dematic Exec.). Photo via the Western Michigan chapter of PMI.

Closing remarks - Fred Keller, one of the judges who said PM DRIVES companies and this was a great learning opportunity for all (including himself).

PMI members, you can learn more about this inaugural event in a video to be presented at PMI Global Congress – EMEA and in the July issue of PM Network magazine.

College students are coming prepared to be project team members and apply project management principles to business projects. If your organization wants to improve PM skills, Advisicon can help.