Gartner Analyst CommentsGlobally accepted issues

Last month Project Headway was presented to some of the most influential analysts Gartner has covering the project management space.

Their response was overwhelmingly positive.

They saw no direct competitors to the offering and thought it could be extremely helpful to a broad range of organizations around the world.

The quotes to the left are taken from presentations at the Gartner PPM Summit in June. They are indicative of the gap we see in the marketplace – one that we believe Project Headway fills in a very innovative and cost-effective way.

“Companies need ‘just enough process’. The PMBOK® is a standard - not a process.”

- Matt LightResearch Director

“PRINCE 2 is a sledgehammer.”

-Matt Hotle-VP, Distinguished Analyst

The Need External PressuresSARBOX and other regulatory pressures have changed corporate processes a great deal. They have resulted in corporate boards demanding more structure, accountability and reporting. Many of these issues are addressed or directly supported by standardizing project management processes.

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Internal PressuresProject failure rates are improving but remain a huge problem. A standard project management process introduces controls and quality measures that might not have otherwise existed. It also provides an organization with a “common language” that allows for clarity in project communications.

A Great Foundation The De facto Standard

PMI produces the only broadly accepted project management standard out there. The PMBOK® illustrates a variety of approaches that are elements of how you should manage projects, but more is needed once this book of knowledge is absorbed and your staff is certified.

220,774 Members as of May 2006

gantthead – Top Resource

Our Mission “To Make IT Project Managers More Successful by

Providing Best in Class Tools and Information Critical to Their Work.”

Credibility

For more than six years we’ve been in the business of providing tools and information to make IT Project Managers more successful. The breadth and depth of our content speaks for itself. Its quality and usefulness are proven by their acceptance in the marketplace.

gantthead is a huge online community of more than 266,000 members.

In addition, www.projectsatwork.com (55K subscribers) is owned by gantthead and is a sister publication. We also operate a separate web community for the students and alumni of Stanford University’s Advanced Project Management Program. (www.gantthead.com/stanford/ )

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Also… - Projects@Work- Stanford APM

266,340 Members

as of August 2, 2006

The PMBOK®

The PMBOK® was created by the Project Management Institute (PMI). It is probably the most widely used set of project management standards.  It comes in book form, covering all of the Knowledge Areas that PMI feels are essential to a project. 

It is not a process or a methodology.

The PMBOK® is… (the “what”)

The Project Headway (PMBOK® integrated) PM Process:

…a step-by-step project management WBS incorporating PMBOK® knowledge. Drop in tasks you want to complete, and the resulting plan keeps you on track the PMI way.

…built in MS Project, so your project managers can follow “the PMI way” in the tool they typically work in. Team roles, techniques, inputs, outputs and dependencies are all integrated into the template.

…supported by hundreds of project management templates

…very detailed.  Each Stage, Step and Task is thoroughly described and includes advice from gantthead’s subject matter experts.  These “voices of gantthead” offer real-world insight into how these steps play out in practice. Get further discussion with experts in our integrated discussion groups.

Project Headway is… (the “how”)

Project Headway Start Here

Project Managers begin on the Project Headway Start Page, where they determine whether their project is small, medium or large.

These selections trigger the download of an appropriate WBS in MS Project. The complexity of the WBS and structure imposed on the project will vary based upon this “size” selection.

Project HeadwayBuild your plan

The WBS you download in MS Project includes all of the project management steps you need to wrap your project in. You open it up, drop in your project-specific work and - Voila! - you’ve got a first cut plan!

The JUSTIFY stage deals with business case development and presentation.

The PLAN stage deals with defining the project, planning it and seeking approval.

The ACTIVATE stage sets the project up for success with equipment, training, communications planning and more.

The CONTROL stage deals with tracking progress and managing change.

Finally, the END stage deals with project closeout steps.

Project Headway

Beyond what you would expect

We go beyond the typical in a number of ways:

We offer real world Tips and Tricks that tell you where to focus and what not to worry about - things you wouldn’t normally get from a book.

We include Project Size Tips for every step in the process, answering the question, “How do I do this if my project is [insert size here]?”

We include Project Risk Tips for every step in the process, answering the question, “How does risk play into this step?”

We include Examples and Advice from Subject Matter Experts where we’ve taken thousands of articles, plans, templates and more and tied them to the appropriate part of this process.

All of this is constantly updated online removing a huge in-house maintenance burden.

Like any solid process, Project Headway includes size-specific WBSs; descriptions for each stage, step and

task; roles, inputs, outputs and dependencies.

Customization

Flexible and Easy

If you have no in-house PM process, start with Project Headway and customize the WBSs as you see fit. We will always be updating the content supporting the activities so this TURNKEY solution will be fresh, yet consistent, long-term.

If you already have a PM process in place, just tie in the “detailed guidance” links for each step where they are appropriate in your existing process. This will give your process more depth, automated maintenance and access to the PMBOK® online.

Software: If MS Project is not your preferred tool, converters exist to almost every tool out there. The Project Headway content resides within conversion-friendly fields. So there are no worries about difficult conversions. The end result is that you can use Project Headway in the tool of your choice.

What we provide

A way to get real value out of your PMI investment

An easy, yet flexible way to standardize your PM approach

All at a very attractive price point

Guiding Project Managers step by step through their projects

Start with our WBS and add to it OR easily integrate our resources with your approach

Tailored to your needs with high ROI in mind

Our “Deliverable”

You send your project managers out for training and work to get them certified. Then they’re running one or more projects. This is where the rubber meets the road.

Do you want them worrying about the mechanics of “how to apply” the PMBOK®? Or would you rather give them the support they need to do their jobs?

Project Headway helps Project Managers focus on real project issues, not the mechanics of management. The mechanics just “happen” when you apply the approach.

Your organization can standardize their project management process using Project Headway OR use our resources as a deep reference tie-in to your existing process.

We want you to be BEYOND satisfied. So all of this is available at a price point that will produce returns you can be happy with.

Thanks

For more information and to acquire Project Headway for your organization,

contact Amy Mininger: ( headway@gantthead.com )