Technical Project Management

A best-selling seminar for managers and team members involved in technical project management!In just 3 days, you'll understand the unique challenges of managing technical projects and discover how applying project management methodology can give you a step-by-step approach to tackling your toughest challenges. You'll discuss the value of planning, scheduling and how to manage scope. Use tools and techniques to establish a sound estimating process. Find out how to keep projects on track and evaluate project performance. And participate in communications exercises to help successfully lead project teams.

Also Available as:

• Onsite

How You Will Benefit

• Apply WBS and network development
• Identify potential problems and solve them using troubleshooting techniques
• Track projects more effectively
• Create status reports that show top management where budgeting, scheduling and manpower trends are headed
• Cope with tight technical project schedules

What You Will Cover

Overview of Essential Project Management Tools

• Project management framework and terminology—process groups and the Nine Knowledge Areas of the PMBOK
• Definition of a technical project management environment
• Life cycles in a technical environment

Essentials for Leading Project Teams

• Leading in a technical environment

Project Planning: Beginning with Scope Management

• Using the SMART model when writing objectives
• Creating the detailed scope statement

Defining Project Activities

• Creating a customized WBS
• Technical project WBS examples

Developing a Dynamic Project Schedule

• Types of network diagrams
• Overview of critical path methodology

Establishing a sound estimating process

• Five considerations when making estimates
• Consideration of risks when estimating—three-point estimates

Components of Project Planning

• The planning process group
• Project performance baselines

Technical Project Planning Methodologies

• Identify different approaches to planning technical projects: rolling wave planning…stage gate process…critical chain project management
• Common construction project life cycle
• Common pharmaceutical project life cycle

Monitoring and Controlling Projects

• Status reports… project baselines…identifying variances

Project Closure

• Administrative closure vs. contractual closure

Extended Seminar Outline

Print this page Extended Seminar Outline Seminar #4251 Learning Objectives

• Apply WBS and Network Development
• Identify Potential Problems and Solve Them Using Troubleshooting
• Techniques
• Track Projects More Effectively
• Create Status Reports That Show Top Management Where Budgeting,
• Scheduling and Manpower Trends Are Headed
• Cope with Tight Technical Project Schedules

The Project Management Framework

• Define the Basic Project Management Framework
• Describe Key Project Management Terminology
• Explain Project Constraints and the Project Triangle
• Differentiate between Operations and Projects
• Describe Project Management in a Business Context

Initiate the Project

• Discuss How Projects Are Initiated
• Describe the Difference between Project Requirements and Product
• Requirements
• Describe the Purpose and Content of the Project Charter
• Describe the Purpose and Content of the Product Requirements Document
• Use the SMART Model When Writing Requirements
• Identify Information-Gathering Techniques

Identify the Work

• Discuss the Purpose of a Kick-Off Meeting
• Develop a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

Estimate the Work

• Discuss Guidelines for Making Better Estimates
• Explain the Use of Three-Point Estimates
• Demonstrate the Concept of Rolling Wave Estimating

Schedule the Work

• Describe Task Dependencies
• Identify the Sequence of Tasks via Precedence Diagramming
• Develop the Project Schedule

Create the Budget

• Determine the Personnel Costs Needed for the Success of the Project
• Determine the Expense Costs Needed for the Success of the Project
• Differentiate between Bottom-Up and Top-Down Cost Budget Planning, and
• State Which Is More Appropriate for Different Situations

Complete the Plan

• Create the Project Communications Plan
• Describe the Project Risk Management Processes
• Describe the Purpose of the Project Procurement Plan
• Discuss the Purpose of Reserves

Execute the Plan

• Create a Project Status Report
• Describe the Key Elements Required to Determine Project Health
• Describe How to Run an Effective Project Status Meeting
• Describe the change management process

Close the Project

• Identify the Elements of Both Administrative and Contractual Project Closure
• Procedures
• Describe the Different Ways That Projects Can Be Terminated
• Explain the Importance of a Repository and Lessons Learned

Who Should Attend

R&D professionals, engineers (across all specialties), scientists and principal investigators, project engineers, facility engineers, plant managers and anyone else who administers technical projects.

Note: IT professionals are encouraged to attend Information Technology Project Management (seminar #6515).

Special Feature

AMA Blended Learning combines instructor-led training with online pre- and post-seminar assessments, tune-up courses and other resources to maximize your training goals. Through a blend of proven instructor-led seminars and powerful online technology, AMA Blended Learning provides a compelling and more comprehensive experience for the learner—producing a greater return-on-investment for the employer and the seminar participant.