Hands-On Project: Offsite Strategy
When I talk about having an "offsite strategy" meeting, I'm looking to get out of the office and have some good, "strategic" conversation over a cup of coffee or a…
Frustrating Paradox: Simple and Difficult
I think this is one of those fundamental concepts that, once it is pointed out to me, become self-evident and obvious (ie. why didn't I think of that). I'm curious…
Technical Debt and the Cost/Benefit of Knowledge Retention
A rather rigorous, Financial-sounding title for a high-concept line of thought ... Thanks to Jeff Atwood at Coding Horror, for calling my attention to this article by Martin Fowler on…
Real Business Users and SharePoint
Introducing buzzword-compliant technology like a wiki, or integrated collaboration spaces like SharePoint, will typically go well with a motivated audience like your internal IT department. But if you really want…
Location, Location, Location: Terminology Confusion in ERP Projects
Have you ever experienced the clash of terminology that results when supply chains are brought together, due to acquisition or merger? The typical scenario: different groups using multiple terms to…
Practical Applications of Twitter in Manufacturing?
Over the past few weeks I've had a couple of interesting discussions about the introduction of Twitter to Manufacturing. When someone poses a question like this to me, it throws…
Low Tech SharePoint Hack: Project Status Indicator
I'm doing a little hacking in SharePoint that is pulling together a few ideas from the past: Keeping my tech skills sharp Knowing when to search for the answer (vs…
News for Wombats: Taming Unreasonable Requirements
I've heard from a couple of friends about some "classic" project requests - dilemmas they have recently faced. These unreasonable requests can be turned into something achievable and, potentially, more…
Best Practices for Requirements Gathering Sessions
It's been a while since I've led a requirements session for an interactive application - but no worries, I found it's like riding a bike. After a few minutes the…
Where to Start? (1 of 2) Process and Procedure
If you need a one-slide, three-bullet, PowerPoint special for describing the basic tactics for "How to Achieve Operational Excellence", try these: Process and Procedures Metrics and Measurements Continuous Improvement The…