Redundancies see demand for outsourced project management services

By Staff Writers
Apr 29, 2009 10:00 AM
http://www.crn.com.au

Pete Swan recently appointed managing director of Australian project services firm, PM-Partners group, said increased demand for the delivery or management of projects was being driven by a reduction in workforces.

He said with project consulting services, there was now a more short term focus.

"Organisations are asking how can you help me in the next three months," said Swan.

"Demand for services like project health checks is booming. Organisations have spent a lot of money on their projects but many don't have enough visibility to make informed decisions."

Swan, based in the company's Sydney headquarters, heads up the sales and marketing operations and is responsible for strategy and future direction.

He takes over from Philip Belcher following the end of his contract as CEO.

His looks after PM-Partners group client's needs in project consulting, delivery and training services in the current tough economic climate.

"We are seeing a shift in our business, there is high demand for professional certification with more people competing for roles and an increased demand for project delivery and outsourced project management services," he said.

"We have also seen an upswing in demand for short-term consulting services such as portfolio assessments aimed at identifying unnecessary projects and project health checks as a low cost assurance service.

"With smaller project portfolios, organisations are reluctant to hire. A project services firm offers a fixed price alternative for the delivery or management of projects with reduced risk."

Another area of high demand was assisting organisations build rigorous business cases for projects.

"Organisations are asking us to consult and provide training on things like business requirements gathering and business case development.

"Others are engaging us just to manage the first piece of the project, to establish the requirements and the scope and get things off on the right foot," said Swan.

"In a booming market, you can hide a multitude of sins and problems.

"In a contracting market, the projects you run need to have a guaranteed payback, and to achieve this successful establishment and delivery is essential."

Swan reports to the board of PM-Partners group, where he serves alongside the company's other co-founders and directors Steve Hewitson and Nik Samuelson.

Prior to the role, he was consulting director for PM-Partners group.

He and Hewitson founded PM-Partners in 1997 and merged the company with ITPM, an IT project delivery organisation, to form PM-Partners group in 2008.

Prior to that, Swan was services manager for Datacraft Australia where he headed up support and project services.

He also held positions with AT&T and IBM.

Redundancies see demand for outsourced project management services

By Staff Writers
Apr 29, 2009 10:00 AM
http://www.crn.com.au

Pete Swan recently appointed managing director of Australian project services firm, PM-Partners group, said increased demand for the delivery or management of projects was being driven by a reduction in workforces.

He said with project consulting services, there was now a more short term focus.

"Organisations are asking how can you help me in the next three months," said Swan.

"Demand for services like project health checks is booming. Organisations have spent a lot of money on their projects but many don't have enough visibility to make informed decisions."

Swan, based in the company's Sydney headquarters, heads up the sales and marketing operations and is responsible for strategy and future direction.

He takes over from Philip Belcher following the end of his contract as CEO.

His looks after PM-Partners group client's needs in project consulting, delivery and training services in the current tough economic climate.

"We are seeing a shift in our business, there is high demand for professional certification with more people competing for roles and an increased demand for project delivery and outsourced project management services," he said.

"We have also seen an upswing in demand for short-term consulting services such as portfolio assessments aimed at identifying unnecessary projects and project health checks as a low cost assurance service.

"With smaller project portfolios, organisations are reluctant to hire. A project services firm offers a fixed price alternative for the delivery or management of projects with reduced risk."

Another area of high demand was assisting organisations build rigorous business cases for projects.

"Organisations are asking us to consult and provide training on things like business requirements gathering and business case development.

"Others are engaging us just to manage the first piece of the project, to establish the requirements and the scope and get things off on the right foot," said Swan.

"In a booming market, you can hide a multitude of sins and problems.

"In a contracting market, the projects you run need to have a guaranteed payback, and to achieve this successful establishment and delivery is essential."

Swan reports to the board of PM-Partners group, where he serves alongside the company's other co-founders and directors Steve Hewitson and Nik Samuelson.

Prior to the role, he was consulting director for PM-Partners group.

He and Hewitson founded PM-Partners in 1997 and merged the company with ITPM, an IT project delivery organisation, to form PM-Partners group in 2008.

Prior to that, Swan was services manager for Datacraft Australia where he headed up support and project services.

He also held positions with AT&T and IBM.

Integrating Project Management into a Six Sigma System

Manufacturers and transactional firms share a drive to lower costs, reduce cycle time and offer a diverse product mix as they pursue higher profits and an increased market share in a growing global environment. Consumers (those paying for the end product) want products or services that are cheaper, readily available and of a quality that meets their expectations.

A variety of systems - such as Total Quality Management, Total Quality Control and Six Sigma - have been implemented by organizations to help guide the efforts of creating new products, reducing product costs, improving manufacturing or organizational capabilities, realizing new market share or entering new markets. These systems rely on teams of people to identify the voice of the customer (both internal and external), taking into account the organization's competencies. They also require an ongoing portfolio of projects aimed at creating revenue or reducing costs.

While not all organizations implement these systems or keep them in their original form, many of the core ideas are adopted. Some organizations have integrated two or more systems. One melding of systems that holds significant promise is the integration of the Six Sigma methodology with the tools and processes of project management.

The Six Sigma methodology DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) offers a structured and disciplined process for solving business problems. Six Sigma uses tools designed to identify root causes for the defects in processes that keep an organization from providing its customers with the consitent quality of products the customers require on time and at the most reasonable cost. The Six Sigma work is normally done through cross-function teams that manage the project. Yet the methodology does not address the management of the project itself.

Project management's tools and techniques focus on attributes of a project such as development, execution, control and closing. There is an assortment of tools that are used throughout the project to manage the project to completion.

Six Sigma and Project Management

With Six Sigma's DMAIC process, a problem is first defined and quantified; then measurement data is collected to bound and clarify the problem; analytical tools are deployed to trace the problem to the root cause; a solution for the root cause is identified and implemented; and finally, the improved operations are subjected to ongoing control to prevent recurrence. The Six Sigma toolkit includes a variety of techniques, primarily from statistical data analysis and quality improvement. Design of experiments (DOE), failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA), cause-and-effect diagram (aka fishbone diagram, Ishikawa diagram), process flow diagram and gage repeatability and reproducibility (R&R) studies are among Six Sigma's many tools.

While the methodology of Six Sigma has proven effective in troubleshooting or improving existing processes using the DMAIC approach, there are challenges to confront when using Six Sigma. A company that relies solely on Six Sigma to run its projects may experience issues with control of the project process. A Master Black Belt was interviewed from a firm that utilized a pure Six Sigma system for its projects. The firm found that the majority of its projects were not being completed as the Six Sigma system would suggest. A lack of management support, insufficient resources and failure to understand the voice of customer (VOC) were some of the reported problems.

The DMAIC approach focuses on controls for the improvements to the process, not the control of the project management process. "Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements," according to the Project Management Institute.

By Daniel Zucker

Project Management Learning Solutions

PM-Partners group is an established and accredited training organisation with all leading global accreditation bodies. Our team consists of experienced facilitators and Project Managers, so you can take advantage of the best and most practical education solution from people that deliver projects. Our objective is to develop capabilities and initiate behavioural change through:

	Interactive exercises & case studies that simulate real life scenarios as opposed to theoretical examples
	Practical solutions to everyday challenges
	Ongoing support – to assist effective learning transfer into the workplace
	Workshops that are developed and facilitated by talented, experienced professionals who are currently active within their areas of expertise, based on real-life situations.
	Learning content developed in a modularised format to enable speedy customisation to client specification.
	Extensive curriculum approved by leading global accreditation bodies

PM-Partners group are PMI Global Registered Education Providers, Approved CompTIA Project + Training Providers, a PRINCE2 ATO, an MSP ATO, Registered AIPM Assessors, recognised as a Project Managed Organisation by the Australian Institute Of Project Management, endorsed course provider for the International Institute for Business Analysis, a Government Endorsed Supplier and a formal RTO Partner with ETAS Pty Ltd (RTO #1967), enabling AQTF qualification award to Certificate IV, Diploma & Advanced Diploma in Project Management.

Our comprehensive Education Services contain a portfolio of workshops from beginner to advanced, including the broadest range of Project Management Certification courses available.

News from PM-Partners

The Project Management Institute (PMI) have released the new PMBOK Guide Fourth Edition, and as a result of this PM-Partners group PMP/CAPM Exam Preparation Workshops will be based on the new edition from our upcoming Sydney workshop beginning 22 May.

For more information about the PMI and their project management certifications please visit www.pmi.org and to view our exam preparation workshop outlne please click here.

Enterprise Project Management (EPM) Overview

In most organisations multiple projects co-exists with many other initiatives or programs. All have various priorities, some are strategic, some tactical and some should not be done at all.

Enterprise Project Management (EPM) is a process, system and mindset to facilitate transparency, management and governance support to projects at an organisational level.

In order to facilitate governance and to ensure the projects are aligned with the strategic intent of the enterprise, it has become essential to be able to manage, monitor, and assess the status of all projects. To achieve this enterprise wide view of projects a set of (preferably uniform) Enterprise Project Management processes, methods and applications is required.

Organisations that adopt a best practice approach to Enterprise Project Management set up a Project Management Office (PMO), adopt a Project Management Methodology or standard like PRINCE2 or PMBOK then select and implement a software system to support Enterprise Project Management. Once these processes and systems are in place, the organisation will create and track a portfolio of existing and future projects leveraging Project Portfolio Management techniques.

Implementing Enterprise Project Management systems needs to be considered in association with the organisation's Project Management Maturity, methodologies, processes and governance structures that are currently in place.

For more information take a look at the PM Partners site

10 Basic Principles of Project Management

The Basic Principles of Project Management

There are a number of significant principles which determine success in any project. These are simple and well known principles, however they are difficult to apply and are quite frequently ignored in practice.

1. Precise Business Needs

Successful projects are business driven. This represents the 'why' of the project, and it is important because it provides the basis for all decision making.

2. Defined Benefits

Projects are about translating the business need into the business benefit. In addition to the business need, the 'bottom line' benefits must also be well defined in terms of source, timing and quantity.

3. Explicit Plans

Effective planning, allows people to work together in a co-ordinated way in order to achieve the project objectives. Effective planning is dependent on being at an appropriate level of detail and being presented in an appropriate way.

4. Agreed Deliverables

Quite simply a 'deliverable' is an unambiguous way of defining responsibilities in terms of outputs rather than inputs. Each phase, area and task within the project plan should have a tangible deliverable associated with it, ie. something that one can see, touch, or otherwise validate.

5. Pro-Active Decision Making

Project work has little momentum of its own, unlike routine work. All parties involved are therefore required to take the initiative and actively look for ways of driving and improving the project outcome.

6. Single Point Responsibility

In business tasks are only completed successfully when people have unambiguous accountabilities. 'Single point responsibility' for results is of the very essence. The Project Manager is ultimately responsible for making the project happen.

7. Active Follow-Up

Plans have practical value only when they are used to help people do their daily work. They are similarly used as a means of identifying problems while there is still time to overcome them. Plans must therefore be used throughout the entire project in order to allocate tasks and monitor achievement.

8. Open Communications

Time must be invested in communication as it is the key to a successful project. By effectively communicating the project and issues everyone involved has the opportunity to take the initiative and contribute fully with ideas and decisions.

9. Good Teamwork

Teamwork in projects is absolutely critical but does not happen automatically. Project work involves people from different parts of the organisation, often with competing priorities and different perspectives, which can make teamwork all the more difficult to achieve. Teams must therefore be actively developed by the Project Manager.

10. Strong Leadership

Successful projects are usually led by an individual who is committed to the project objectives, and who has a completely clear view of where the project is going and how they intend to get there. The leadership qualities of the Project Manager are as important as their technical management skills.

Leading Education in Project Management Training & Certification Solutions

PM-Partners group is an established and accredited training organisation with all leading global accreditation bodies. Our team consists of experienced facilitators and Project Managers, so you can take advantage of the best and most practical education solution from people that deliver projects. Our objective is to develop capabilities and initiate behavioural change through:

	Interactive exercises & case studies that simulate real life scenarios as opposed to theoretical examples
	Practical solutions to everyday challenges
	Ongoing support – to assist effective learning transfer into the workplace
	Workshops that are developed and facilitated by talented, experienced professionals who are currently active within their areas of expertise, based on real-life situations.
	Learning content developed in a modularised format to enable speedy customisation to client specification.
	Extensive curriculum approved by leading global accreditation bodies

PM-Partners group are PMI Global Registered Education Providers, Approved CompTIA Project + Training Providers, a PRINCE2 course ATO, an MSP ATO, Registered AIPM Assessors, recognised as a Project Managed Organisation by the Australian Institute Of Project Management, endorsed course provider for the International Institute for Business Analysis, a Government Endorsed Supplier and a formal RTO Partner with ETAS Pty Ltd (RTO #1967), enabling AQTF qualification award to Certificate IV in Project Management.

Our comprehensive Education Services contain a portfolio of workshops from beginner to advanced, including the broadest range of Project Management Certification courses available.

PM-Partners group Overview

Successful projects require adaptable techniques combined with the right knowledge and understanding. PM-Partners group specialise in project & program management delivery, ba training and capability development solutions. From helping execute your projects with best practice techniques to building capabilities with professional certification and methodologies we work closely with you to help you deliver results.

Our talented team of experienced consultants, project managers and facilitators work with organisations throughout Australia, Asia and Europe. We manage hundreds of client engagements and projects in various industry sectors each year.

Focused and well-executed projects are paramount to meeting business goals. At PM-Partners group we understand the challenges facing today’s organisations and are on hand to help with practical and adaptable business orientated solutions. PM-Partners group provide:

	-	Management Of Client Projects
	-	The Broadest Range of Project & Program Management Education Solutions
	-	Business Analysis Education
	-	Consulting To Enhance Capabilities, Processes & Systems
	-	Methodologies, Program Management, Portfolio Management & PMO
	-	Project Management Contracting & Recruitment

We maintain and provide all leading global project management certifications to ensure we offer you the best solution through ba training and project management training.

For more information take a look at the home page for PM Partners

Enterprise Project Management (EPM) Overview

In most organisations multiple projects co-exists with many other initiatives or programs. All have various priorities, some are strategic, some tactical and some should not be done at all.

Enterprise Project Management (EPM) is a process, system and mindset to facilitate transparency, management and governance support to projects at an organisational level.

In order to facilitate governance and to ensure the projects are aligned with the strategic intent of the enterprise, it has become essential to be able to manage, monitor, and assess the status of all projects. To achieve this enterprise wide view of projects a set of (preferably uniform) Enterprise Project Management processes, methods and applications is required.

Organisations that adopt a best practice approach to Enterprise Project Management set up a Project Management Office (PMO), adopt a Project Management Methodology or standard like PRINCE2 or PMBOK then select and implement a software system to support Enterprise Project Management. Once these processes and systems are in place, the organisation will create and track a portfolio of existing and future projects leveraging Project Portfolio Management techniques.

Implementing Enterprise Project Management systems needs to be considered in association with the organisation's Project Management Maturity, methodologies, processes and governance structures that are currently in place.

PM-Partners group Microsoft Enterprise Project Management Services

More than ever before organisations require governance, transparency, and management of project returns. Enterprise Project Management (EPM) initiatives provide an opportunity to deliver the processes and systems required to achieve these returns. Implementation however, requires a knowledge and balance of business processes, project management processes, EPM system experience and culture in order to achieve success.

The PM-Partners group enterprise project management specialists have been working with Microsoft Project and EPM since its inception and can:

1. Work closely with you to gather requirements and define the best method of implementation and configuration for your organisation by obtaining a thorough understanding of your business opportunities and challenges
2. Assess your organizational readiness and level of process maturity prior to deployment
3. Help you prepare the organization for an EPM implementation
4. Install Microsoft Project Server or review your current installation
5. Work closely with you to install, configure or assess an existing MS Project Server implementation
6. Plan your implementation, pilot, and phased deployment
7. Create custom templates and standards to save time and simplify use
8. Train your project managers, team and administrators
9. Assess problems, document a plan of action and help improve a challenged implementation

Our consultants help clients achieve the following benefits with Microsoft EPM Solutions:

1. Standardisation and automation of the governance processes to ensure optimal results from projects
2. Capture all investments within a central repository enabling control of costs
3. Objectively prioritise business strategy and competing investments ensuring the 'high value' projects are completed first and irrelevant projects are rejected
4. Align the selected portfolios with the business strategy resulting in more effective strategy execution
5. Effectively manage resources to achieve the best ROI
6. Effective cross functional collaboration and coordination reducing overheads and contributing to staff morale
7. Measure and track portfolio performance to allow adjustments to ensure best returns
8. Get more from existing project investments
9. Tightly integrate with line of business applications hence reducing overlaps and associated costs
10. Quickly achieve an improved return on investment

For more information on project management methodology such as PMBOK head to the PM Partners home page

Managing Organisational change

Organisational change is a reality of the modern world, and that reality isn't likely to change anytime soon. If anything, organizations can expect to face the need for even more change in the future, at an ever faster pace. Organisations have to deal with new technology, and with upgrades for existing technology. They have to cope with reorganisations, process improvement initiatives, and mergers and acquisitions.

So, with all that change going on, how are organizations managing to cope? Not very well. The reality is that relatively few of the organisations that institute change-or are forced into it - realize the benefits they had hoped for, and, in fact, end up worse off than they were before.

That doesn't mean it's impossible to engage successfully in change. Many organisations do succeed. How? They succeed by integrating any technical solution that was part of the change mix with a thorough and proactive orchestration of the non-technical human aspects associated with the change.

In other words, the organisations that succeed at change do so by considering the people who are affected by, will have to live with, and are often crucial to effecting the change in question. Even better, not only does managing the human aspects of an organisational change initiative help ensure the successful implementation and use of the technical solution, it sets the groundwork for implementing future solutions.

The Best Practices in Change Management Report

This presents comprehensive findings from 288 companies on their experiences and lessons learned in change management. Report findings include:

1. The #1 contributor to project success is strong, visible and effective sponsorship.
2. The top obstacle to successful change is employee resistance at all levels: front-line, middle managers, and senior managers.
3. Employees want to hear messages about change from two people: the CEO or their immediate supervisor (and these messages are not the same).
4. When asked what they would do differently next time, most teams would begin their change management activities earlier in their next project, instead of viewing it as an add-on or afterthought.
5. The top reasons for employee resistance are a lack of awareness about the change, comfort with the ways things are and fear of the unknown.
6. Middle managers resist change because of fear of losing control and overload of current tasks and responsibilities.

PM-Partners group Organisational Change Management Practice

PM-Partners group offer Education and Consultancy services in Organisational Change Management as well as project management.

Our education services provide a series of workshops for Organisational Change Management.

Our consultancy services are designed to help an organisation improve or establish Organisational Change Management Capabilities with advisory services, coaching and method development.

Project Management: The Third Dimension

We all know that the key to project management making a positive impact on our business lies in the adherence to two basic
principles: Doing the right project (portfolio management) and doing the project right (project management).

Yet often major corporates comply with both of these tenets and still deliver a white elephant. Consider this diagram below, which represents the (hypothetical) Black Bank's Portfolio Management Structure.

In the figure above the Black Bank seems to be doing everything right. Not withstanding the mechanisms by which these processes are implemented (standard software infrastructure etc), we would expect every project to add measurable value to the business.

The truth is: Maybe, maybe not. Let's assume that the appropriate project management infrastructure is in place, and examine a typical Strategic Alignment (PfMgt 3).

Corporate Goal: By 2011 the Black Bank will be the most successful retail banker in Australia.

Business Plan: Align operational expenditure with industry benchmarks.

Program: Streamline operational systems.

Projects: Business Process Review, Migration of data from four legacy systems to one new bespoke system.

Operations: Impact on operations will be in the form of a new core system and associated processes, to be integrated into the Standard Operating Environment.

A project of this scale and criticality to core operations requires more than a "maybe". We need more than the right project managed the right way, we need the right solution. This is where the often neglected third dimension of effective project management is often overlooked, and that is effective and efficient Business Analysis. The Business Analyst will identify the business needs and document the requirements of the solution (in this case, a new software system). That is: What must the solution do, and what proprieties must it have? Often treated as a project in and of itself, the documentation of solution requirements is absolutely critical in the project's production of an accepted product which meets the business needs.

Business Analysis is currently where project management was in Australia 12-15 years ago. We all know of it, we know we need it, but it is often unclear exactly what a Business Analyst (BA) does or what value they bring to the business.

Fortunately, just as the AIPM has played a key role in the promotion and progression of project management in Australia over the last 30 years, there are similar bodies emerging in the Business Analysis profession.

The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) is currently finalising Version 2.0 of the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABoK). The BABoK is structured into six core knowledge areas, as represented below:

© Copyright 2006 International Institute of Business Analysis

Enterprise Analysis:	Enterprise Analysis describes the Business Analysis activities that take place for organisations to: Identify business opportunities. Build their Business Architecture framework. Determine the optimum project investment path for the enterprise.
Requirements Planning and Management:	Requirements Planning and Management defines the resources and tasks associated with the planning and management of requirements gathering activities.

Programme Management

What Is Programme Management:

Whilst there is a strong link between projects and programmes it is important to understand the differences in order to correctly define Programme Management.

Programme management is strategic in nature, often deals with 'the unknown', highly cross-functional and integrates individual elements of related projects in order to achieve business value.

A Programme may need to structure a series of projects. These projects may then be managed by project managers and the programme managed by a programme manager. Programme and project management techniques are then utilised in association.

Some Of The Differences Between Programmes & Projects Include:

Programmes...

1. Normally large / complex threads of work
2. Have a vision of an end state or outcome . but no clearly defined path to get there
3. The path is discovered gradually and projects are often formed to deliver specific outputs
4. Usually major strategic level investments
5. Example: 'Productivity Improvement Program'

Projects...

1. Have a clear start, middle and end
2. Deliver specific outputs
3. Have a clear path forwards
4. Example: New HR management system

PMI (Program Management) & OGC (Programme Management) Overview:

As can be seen below there is a difference of opinion between the Project Management Institute (PMI) and the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) definitions.

OGC Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) Definition: 'The co-ordinated organisation, direction and implementation of a portfolio of projects and activities that together achieve outcomes and realise benefits that are of strategic objectives'

PMI Definitions: Program - a group of related projects managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits and control not available to them individually. Program Management - the centralised coordinated management of a program to achieve the program's strategic benefits and objectives.

PM-Partners group Programme Management Services

PM-Partners group offer Education and Consultancy services in Programme Management. We are an APMG Accredited Training Organisation (ATO) for Managing Successful Programmes, a PMI Global Registered Education Provider, are registered assessors for the AIPM and can provide individuals and organisations with assistance in training, certification and process development.

If you require any further information or would like to speak to a consultant please call 02 9900 1400 or email info@pm-partners.com.au

Business Analysis

Business strategy execution depends upon developing and implementing the best solution. Sustainable success however, relies upon each solution being based on precise, valid and complete requirements to fully address the issue or opportunity.

According to the Standish Group poor requirements definition is one of the leading causes of project failure, the top three project success factors being:

1.	User Involvement.
2.	Executive Management Support.
3.	Clear Statement of Requirements.

PM-Partners group own research has also shown that 85% of Australian organisations consider Clear, Agreed Project Requirements to be a critical project success factor.

The PM-Partners group Business Analysis Practice is comprised of four streams:

1. Education.
2. Consultancy and Method Development.
3. Project Delivery.
4. Contracting and Recruitment.

Education

The PM-Partners group suite of Business Analyst courses form a comprehensive Learning Pathway for both the emerging and developed Business Analysts, culminating in the sought after Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) accreditation, maintained by the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA).

We recommend that individuals seeking to enhance their Business Analysis skills undertake the comprehensive five day course Effective Requirements for Successful Projects. This is the only IIBA endorsed course in Australia which addresses the entire IIBA Requirements Management Framework. Organisations seeking to establish a capability baseline may also choose to undertake a Business Analysis Online Capability Assessment, from which a targeted and tailored training program can be developed. Please click on the diagram to the right to go straight to the relevant Course Outlines.

PM-Partners group is an IIBA Endorsed Education Provider, and every PM-Partners group Business Analysis course has been specifically endorsed by the IIBA.

Consultancy and Method Development

PM-Partners group have over 12 years experience in Business Analysis consultancy and method development. The PM-Partners group team bring expertise from every leading Business Analysis framework and methodology, tried and tested in the field by our subject matter experts. This valuable combination ensures the right mix of innovation and tried and tested techniques for consistent project delivery. Our consultancy services are designed to help an organisation improve or establish their Business Analysis Practice with advisory services, coaching, process and method development.

Project Delivery

PM-Partners group have been working with Australia's leading organisations for over 12 years to offer Project Delivery services. Click here to arrange a chat with one of our consultants, to arrange a project appraisal, project audit, or to see how else our Business Analysis team can run part or all of your project for you.

Contracting and Recruitment

A unique and refreshingly new contracting and recruitment service provided by people that understand Business Analysis and Project Management. PMPeople is the contracting and recruitment arm of PM-Partners group, dedicated solely to Business Analysis and Project Management roles. Visit the PMPeople website for further information about they can help with your next project resourcing requirement.

The PM-Partners group Business Analysis Practice maintains extensive industry involvement, including work with:

1. The IIBA.
2. Development of the IIBA CBAP Exam.
3. The Australian Business Analysis Association (ABAA).
4. The ABAA's Qualified Business Analysis Practitioner credential, and the ABAA Competency Framework development.
5. Regular speaking, sponsorship and presentations for the IIBA Australia Chapter; conferences and other industry events.

Collectively the four streams of the PM-Partners group Business Analysis Practice deliver the complete organisational development package: Education, Consultancy and Method Development, Project Delivery and Contracting and Recruitment.

Contact PM-Partners group today to work with the Business Analysis Industry Experts.

Jetstar airlines recommends project management

"One Stop Project Management Shop" Delivers Savings, Flexibility, Efficiency and Maturity

Sydney, Australia - January 20, 2009

In arguably one of the most competitive aviation environments, low fares airline Jetstar is extending its agreements with project management services firm PM-Partners group that have delivered the business project maturity and major efficiencies over the last four years. Jetstar CIO Stephen Tame says with huge challenges confronting the industry, extending Jetstar's outsourced Project Management and Project Office agreements with Australia's leading project services firm for another two years was a "no-brainer".

"We need to ensure the IT group can continue to deliver first-class services to the business without us having to maintain huge teams," says Tame.

"Moving our projects into a variable delivery model under the agreement with PM-Partners means my team can focus on core business whilst continuing to ensure projects deliver to the business." Tame says whilst Jetstar as part of the Qantas Group is in a strong position with respect to facing existing and emerging external and financial challenges, the low fares carrier still faces the universal issues of all businesses in that it must seek flexibility in both cost and delivery of business projects.

"A significant loss of world capital will challenge many business and IT projects and hit capital-intensive businesses, potentially including airlines," says Tame.

"Fortunately for Jetstar, the company has been running the leanest of shops since its inception in 2004, and today enjoys the lowest operating costs of any Australian domestic carrier and is highly competitive internationally.

"The move to extend the contract with PM-Partners is designed to assist in retaining and even growing Jetstar's cost advantage over its competitors.

"One of Jetstar's advantages is that we modelled ourselves as a lean organisation from when we first started, and we have been working with ITPM, PM-Partners' predecessor, since 2003 and prior to launch," Tame says.

Tame says PM-Partners was selected for its high levels of responsiveness and flexibility.

"Under the agreement with PM-Partners we know that on average we are going to have somewhere between two and two and a half project managers over the term," says Tame.

"However, this can be scaled up on demand. The agreement means we are able to build delivery capability as and when required and can therefore manage a large number of virtual teams."

With Jetstar's business expected to further grow rapidly over the next five years, the agreement allows for flexibility in delivering the required business projects with the avoidance of significant staff costs, and frees up the IT team to focus on running the business.

"When it comes to projects, the IT team's primary function is to act as a steering group over the delivery, and then to receive the project into the business-as-usual functions," Tame says.

"PM-Partners runs not just the Project Management Office (PMO) but the project management itself. So my small team is 95 per cent focused on running the business. The five per cent that we have left we like to use for R&D or looking at how we can innovate the business."

Virtual teams have been involved in a wide range of projects since Jetstar's inception, including the launch of the domestic and international businesses; introduction of an engineering systems solution; rollout of web check-in and airport kiosks; and the current introduction of new operations control and crewing systems. All projects were delivered on time and within budget.

"Airlines are founded on three major platforms: reservations and departure control, engineering and operations. In 2008 we upgraded two of those and implemented new systems, so these are significant business projects," Tame says.

"Our agreement with PM-Partners ensures project maturity. Project management is only an expense if it doesn't deliver an outcome. If the project management does deliver an outcome at the budgetted price, then it's not expensive."

About PM-Partners group

PM-Partners group combines the capabilities of over 65 professionals to offer project services including education, training & certification, organisational capability development, project consulting & governance services, project management, project solutions, project management recruitment & contracting, electronic project management solutions and online tools.

PM-Partners group - recognised in the BRW Fast 100 as one of the fastest growing companies in Australia with an annual growth rate of 50% over the last three years - has a combined customer list that contains Australia's most prestigious corporate and government organisations.

The Importance of Strategic Execution

The enterprise, government and 'not for profit' organizations of today face an operating environment that is at the most competitive historical levels due to a number of factors that include:

1. globalization,
2. demand from stakeholders for greater productivity and return on investment,
3. greater customer and stakeholder sophistication
4. scarcity of resources
5. skills and labour shortage,
6. the aging work force
7. increased domestic competition with greater strategic capabilities
8. ever improving information technology and telecommunications capacity/capability
9. triple bottom line requirements
10. etc, etc.

The business texts are rich with instruction to business leaders on methods to address this highly demanding environment with a clear message that every organization must embrace the demands and continually change in order to evolve and hence prosper or at least survive.

Innumerable methods are offered but underlying the vast majority of them is a clear Vision and commensurate Vision founded on lofty Values that are translated into a Strategy which is "artistically" devised and implemented by leaders who are highly skilled with a combination of "hard" and "soft" skills.

The result of the implementation of any Strategy is action to arrive at the desired outcomes. It is at this stage that there are all too often major delays and even complete (and costly) failures to achieve the required results.

Organization output without systematic Strategic Execution

PM-Partners group has over 10 years experience in successfully assisting organizations at this stage of Strategy Execution. PM-Partners group understand that a major strategic success is the result of the precise delivery of many often seemingly unrelated projects.

Being the leader in delivering best practice, internationally certified Project Management and Business Analysis education, resource and skills PM-Partners group is ideally placed to play a pivotal role in any strategic initiative.

Organization output with systematic Strategic Execution

PM-Partners group highly certified, skilled and experience personnel are able to add significant value by working with the organization to:

1. determine the appropriate programs to underpin the strategic initiative
2. establish the overall framework of the delivery organization with associated processes that will be utilized to execute the initiative including the Portfolio Management Office, Program Management, Project Management and Business Analysis
3. Educate and Certify Client personnel who are required to deliver the initiative to International Qualifications
4. Provide expert, qualified resource as either contracted from PM-Partners group or as candidates to be employed by the client on a permanent basis.

Successful Strategic results most often require the precise, well managed execution of a portfolio of programs and projects. PM-Partners group is able to assist organizations achieve strategic competitive advantage by enabling the precise delivery of the right projects with the minimum of risk and maximized results.

An introduction to our Project management services

PM-Partners group offer Education, Project Management Consultancy and Delivery services in Project Management.

PM-Partners group are PMI Global Registered Education Providers, Approved CompTIA Project+ Training Providers, a PRINCE2 ATO, an MSP ATO, Registered AIPM Assessors, recognised as a Project Managed Organisation by the Australian Institute Of Project Management, Associate Sponsors and endorsed education providers for the International Institute for Business Analysis, a Government Endorsed Supplier and a formal RTO Partner with ETAS Pty Ltd (RTO #1967), enabling AQTF qualification award to Certificate IV, Diploma & Advanced Diploma in Project Management.

We can provide individuals and organisations with assistance in delivery, training, certification and process development.

If you require any further information or would like to speak to a consultant please call (02) 9900 1400 or email info@pm-partners.com.au