This title was first published in 2001. Based on research and practical experience, this text highlights the contributory factors leading to project failure. The buisiness-IT culture gap, information politics, escalating commitment, the problem of high investment and low return, and accountability for failure are all covered.

There are five critical rules to keep in mind in development projects, to avoid implementation failure: If you do not know where you are going, ask the right questions; Keep your champions close, but your naysayers closer; Know that informal networks matter; Find and remove bottlenecks; Build the ship as it sails.

Butterworth-Heinemann’s CIM Coursebooks have been designed to match the syllabus and learning outcomes of our new qualifications and should be useful aids in helping students understand the complexities of marketing. The discussion and practical application of theories and concepts, with relevant examples and case studies, should help readers make immediate use of their knowledge and skills gained from the qualifications.’ Professor Keith Fletcher, Director of Education, The Chartered Institute of Marketing ‘Here in Dubai, we have used the Butterworth-Heinemann Coursebooks in their various forms since the very beginning and have found them most useful as a source of recommended reading material as well as examination preparation.’ Alun Epps, CIM Centre Co-ordinator, Dubai University College, United Arab Emirates Butterworth-Heinemann’s official CIM Coursebooks are the definitive companions to the CIM professional marketing qualifications. The only study materials to be endorsed by The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), all content is carefully structured to match the syllabus and is written in collaboration with the CIM faculty. Each chapter is packed full of case studies, study tips and activities to test your learning and understanding as you go along. •The coursebooks are the only study guide reviewed and approved by CIM (The Chartered Institute of Marketing). •Each book is crammed with a range of learning objectives, cases, questions, activities, definitions, study tips and summaries to support and test your understanding of the theory. •Past examination papers and examiners’ reports are available online to enable you to practise what has been learned and help prepare for the exam and pass first time. •Extensive online materials support students and tutors at every stage. Based on an understanding of student and tutor needs gained in extensive research, online materials have been designed specifically for CIM students and created exclusively for Butterworth-Heinemann. Check out exam dates on the Online Calendar, see syllabus links for each course, and access extra mini case studies to cement your understanding. Explore marketingonline.co.uk and access online versions of the coursebooks and further reading from Elsevier and Butterworth-Heinemann. INTERACTIVE, FLEXIBLE, ACCESSIBLE ANY TIME, ANY PLACE www.marketingonline.co.uk

This title was first published in 2002. How do you add value to your clients? Is it the process you use, or the technical skills you deploy? Or perhaps it's your ability to adjust the way you sell and deliver your services based upon your tacit understanding of your client's culture - the way we do things round here. Such chameleon-like behaviour is fundamental to successful consulting, and yet it is neither widely understood nor practised within the profession. Until now. This book describes a powerful way to improve the consultancy process, from selling the service to delivering the engagement, through a concept called cultural intelligence - the missing dimension of effective consultancy. By revisiting the consultancy process using a simple model of organizational culture, this text creates a potent technique for tailoring the principal consultancy processes of selling, relationship management, account management and engagement management. Such tailoring that ensures the consultant and consultancy firm can blend into their clients' organizations more effectively and as a result add immediate and lasting value.

Despite many years of development, risk management remains problematic for the majority of organizations. One common challenge is the human dimension, in other words, the way people perceive risk and risk management. Risk management processes and techniques are operated by people, each of whom is a complex individual, influenced by many different factors. And the problem is compounded by the fact that most risk management involves people working in groups. This introduces further layers of complexity through relationships and group dynamics. David Hillson's and Ruth Murray-Webster's Understanding and Managing Risk Attitude will help you understand the human aspects of risk management and to manage proactively the influence of human behaviour on the risk process. The authors introduce a range of models, perspectives and examples to define and detail the range of possible risk attitudes; looking both at individuals and groups. Using leading-edge thinking on self-awareness and emotional literacy, they develop a powerful approach to address the most common shortfall in current risk management: the failure to manage the human aspects of the process. All this is presented in a practical and applied framework, rather than as a theoretical or academic treatise, based on the authors' shared experiences and expertise, rather than empirical research. Anyone involved in implementing risk management will benefit from this book, including risk practitioners, senior managers and directors responsible for corporate governance, project managers and their teams. It is also essential reading for HR professionals and others interested in organizational or behavioural psychology. This second edition is updated to strengthen the understanding of individual risk attitudes and reinforce what individuals can do to manage those risk attitudes that are leading them away from their objectives. For people who want to embrace this subject, the book highlights ways forward that are proven and practical.

Parametric cost estimating models are flexible tools which bring engineering, scientific and mathematical rigour to cost and schedule estimating, but great tools alone will not keep programs affordable. Tools must be applied as part of a credible process if estimates and analyses are to be accepted. Complex major projects involving engineering, hardware, software, service and IT, all suffer from two basic problems: the project sponsors often struggle to specify the project effectively, and project managers find themselves wrestling with unpredicted cost or schedule overruns. Everyone wants to be successful with the tools and solutions they use, so this book is a comprehensive collection of methods with proven success. The applications described by Dale Shermon and his co-authors have evolved over 30 years of cost engineering experience during which time they have been matured by the parametric community. Each chapter explores a different application of parametrics, based on real-life case examples, providing you with a detailed guide to the rationale and value of cost engineering in a different industry or program context. Systems Cost Engineering will help cost engineers, project and program directors, and the champions that support them, to understand and apply parametrics to ensure that their programs: * offer a credible analysis of alternative cost options * are never initiated with insufficient funding because of inaccurate estimates of cost or quantification of risks * are never diverted from their objective because of a lack of credible cost management * share and communicate knowledge of realistic and dynamic cost and productivity metrics amongst the program team * are never derailed by surprise cost overruns or schedule delays The information in this book will give projects sponsors and bid managers confidence in the business case that they are developing and enable them to communicate a clear and transparent picture of the risks, opportunities and benefits to stakeholders and project owners.

We all know that the future is uncertain, but rather than make any attempt to actively manage our futures in a consistent way, we tend to make broadbrush assumptions based on common-sense and intuition alone. Successfully managing risk is a primary ingredient for success in a fast-paced environment where we are bombarded by the need to make critical decisions, often with little or no solid facts available and little insight into the likely outcomes. Smart Things to Know About Risk Management, in a step-by-step approach, shows the reader what is risk management and why it matters, the categories of risk, how to achieve the right balance of risk, knowing your risk appetite, how to actively manage your risks and develop a risk culture and techniques, tools and models for managing risk. Case studies are also included. * Perfect for the SMART treatment - this book starts from basics, assumes no prior knowledge and gives a step-by-step approach. * Step-by-step approach. Covers the background to risk and risk management as well as practical application and techniques, tools and models for managing risk. * Written by a highly experienced practitioner with a formidable working knowledge in this area.

Project scheduling is required for good project management, and the schedule represents the project plan under a specific set of assumptions, often that it will avoid new risks or even those that have occurred on previous occasions. The typical Critical Path Method (CPM) schedule assumes that the project team knows how long the scheduled activities will take. Yet, the experienced project manager knows that duration values so precisely stated are actually only estimates based on assumptions that could be wrong. A schedule risk analysis explores the implications for the project's schedule of risk to the activity durations and also identifies the most important schedule risks. This analysis, building on and extending CPM scheduling, will result in a more accurate estimate of completion and provide an early opportunity for planning effective risk mitigation actions. Practical Schedule Risk Analysis contains a complete treatment of schedule risk analysis from basic to advanced concepts. The methods are introduced at the simplest level: ∗ Why is the duration uncertain? ∗ And how do we represent this uncertainty with a probability distribution? These are then progressively elaborated: ∗ How does uncertainty of activities along a path lead to more uncertainty of the path's completion date? ∗ How can a schedule with parallel paths be riskier than each of the paths individually? ∗ How can we represent risks about activities that are not in the schedule at all? Culminating in a discussion of the most powerful and advanced capabilities available in current commercial software. Schedule risk analysis is a process that is industry-independent, and the methods explained in this volume have been used by the author with positive effect in such industries as construction, oil and gas, information systems, environmental restoration and aerospace/defense. The result is a book that is not only highly practical; something that people within all types of projects and in all industries can apply themselves; but that is an extraordinarily complete guide to creating and managing a rigorous project schedule.

Most organisations purchase off-the-shelf computer-based systems to help them perform their day-to-day business activities. Sadly, many of the purchases fail to live up to expectations. This book provides a blueprint of what to cover in the early stages of the procurement process so as to prevent the recurring problem of information systems projects that run over budget, over time and yet under perform. The questions the book answers are simple but fundamental: where to find advice; who should be involved; how to manage the purchase; how to decide what you need; which package or supplier to choose; how to manage the implementation, and how to know if the system is successful. Real examples of information system purchases are used to help provide practical guidance on the methods, the pitfalls and the keys to success. In addition the book contains several adaptable tables and checklists to provide a flexible and effective step-by-step framework for the entire process.

No project management training? No problem! In today's workplace, employees are routinely expected to coordinate and manage projects. Yet, chances are, you aren't formally trained in managing projects—you're an unofficial project manager. FranklinCovey experts Kory Kogon, Suzette Blakemore, and James Wood understand the importance of leadership in project completion and explain that people are crucial in the formula for success. Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager offers practical, real-world insights for effective project management and guides you through the essentials of the people and project management process: Initiate Plan Execute Monitor/Control Close Unofficial project managers in any arena will benefit from the accessible, engaging real-life anecdotes, memorable “Project Management Proverbs," and quick reviews at the end of each chapter. If you're struggling to keep your projects organized, this book is for you. If you manage projects without the benefit of a team, this book is also for you. Change the way you think about project management—"project manager" may not be your official title or necessarily your dream job, but with the right strategies, you can excel.