Project Management
Project Management is all about delivery for the client…delivering the intended scope and quality, meeting the budget and timelines, and delivering and realizing the intended business benefits. Blackstone uses a combination of art and science in project delivery…art that sees the application of years of Project Management experience and leadership skills, and science in the form of proven project processes and methodologies including PMI accreditation. This perfect blending of art and science allows Blackstone to apply appropriate soft skills to ensure stakeholder engagement, while applying technical skills to effectively initiate, plan, execute, monitor, control and close out projects. Blackstone will carefully listen to our client’s needs, and then apply industry best practices in project management to create a project environment that delivers. So you succeed.
Project Management Services:
Project Management Services:
- Project Management - complex, integrated projects including ERPs, package implementations, software development, business process improvement
- Independent Project Reviews
- Project Rescue Services
- PMO Set-up and Review
- Project Management Mentoring and Training
- Managing virtual project teams
Program Management
Program Management is the coordinated management of a series of related projects that are aligned to achieve strategic business benefits that might not be available if managed separately. A good Program Manager has the skills and knowledge necessary to achieve the benefits, while working in partnership with business stakeholders and other cross-functional teams to help ensure successful delivery of the program.
Blackstone offers Program Management experience in a variety of different industries and organizations. This experience can be applied to provide services for your organization in the area of the establishment and/or execution of an effective program of your strategically aligned projects.
Blackstone’s Program Management approach can be tailored to your organization’s needs, but can include:
Blackstone offers Program Management experience in a variety of different industries and organizations. This experience can be applied to provide services for your organization in the area of the establishment and/or execution of an effective program of your strategically aligned projects.
Blackstone’s Program Management approach can be tailored to your organization’s needs, but can include:
- Establishing rapport and building credibility with key program stakeholders
- Developing, maintaining and executing the Program plan
- Ensuring the Program continues to be aligned with the strategic objectives that saw its formation, and adjusting tactical plans accordingly
- Measuring and reporting upon Program health and status per established guidelines
- Managing the issues and risks related to project interdependencies
- Program-level Vendor management as required to remove project roadblocks and ensure that economies of scale are achieved
- Performance Management, mentoring, and/or direction for project managers and other Program resources
- Executing appropriate Program governance
- Balancing the Program financial requirements with available funding, and contributing to the budgeting process as required
Independent Project Reviews (Project Health Checks)
It is common knowledge that many projects fail to meet success criteria...whether it is the failure to realize business benefits, not meeting the planned schedule, blowing the budget, and/or compromising on scope or quality. Experience has shown that one key practice can significantly increase your chance of project success. This is the use of independent project reviews, where critical assessments of a project are conducted by outside resources who are not part of the project team and are therefore at arm's length from it.
Blackstone has developed a methodology and techniques to conduct an independent project or “cold eyes” review. Many organizations take a proactive approach to bringing in an independent reviewer, and incorporate the review or reviews by building them directly into the project plan. Others may be executing a project, and feel there are challenges they want to quantify, or simply want another opinion to help protect their investment.
Some of the Expected Results and Benefits include:
Blackstone has developed a methodology and techniques to conduct an independent project or “cold eyes” review. Many organizations take a proactive approach to bringing in an independent reviewer, and incorporate the review or reviews by building them directly into the project plan. Others may be executing a project, and feel there are challenges they want to quantify, or simply want another opinion to help protect their investment.
Some of the Expected Results and Benefits include:
- A review free of regimented reporting constraints, more time spent analyzing the data
- Elimination of project team bias
- Analysis that can be organization-centric, not just project-centric
- Focus on trending and forecasting
- Recommendations that may improve project performance going forward
- Identifying weaknesses or bottlenecks in the organizations project delivery capability
Project Rescue Services
A project that is troubled may need more than small corrective actions, a complete reset of the project may be in order. If key problem indicators are in place, a Project Rescue may be required to salvage some degree of the original scope and benefits instead of terminating the project as a complete loss. These indicators may include budget and schedule overruns, team dynamics issues, technical challenges with the wrong skillsets to address them, quality concerns, disengaged or uninformed stakeholders, and/or an ineffective project team.
Blackstone can provide Project Rescue Services to reset your troubled projects and get them back on track, even if that means a new and different track. An analysis of the root cause of the major problems is conducted, and a Revival Plan is generated, including a recovery strategy with recommendations for what is required to conduct the Project Rescue.
The actions generally taken include:
Blackstone can provide Project Rescue Services to reset your troubled projects and get them back on track, even if that means a new and different track. An analysis of the root cause of the major problems is conducted, and a Revival Plan is generated, including a recovery strategy with recommendations for what is required to conduct the Project Rescue.
The actions generally taken include:
- Redefining the project, starting from a new baseline that builds upon what is reusable
- Re-estimating a budget and schedule for completion, and re-justifying the project financially
- Examining the current team and adding, changing, or removing resources as appropriate
- Re-engaging the business and stakeholders and improving communications
PMO Set-up or Review
A well-managed and effective Project Management Office (PMO) can assist organizations in achieving consistency in their project delivery processes, creating better opportunity for project success. Blackstone can work with your organization to either set-up and formalize your current practices and tools into a formal PMO, or review an existing PMO with the goal of optimizing and enhancing it to achieve even better results.
Set-up and Formalize a New PMO
Blackstone will conduct a review of the current environment, looking at the governance, staff competencies, tools, techniques, templates, practices and methodologies used in project planning and executing. The review will identify the gaps and shortcomings in the current non-formal environment. A PMO roadmap will be developed using industry best-practices, which when implemented will provide your organization with a highly effective PMO that is customized to match your corporate culture.
Optimizing an Existing PMO
PMOs are not about templates and status reports, they must be about value-add to the project delivery cycle with the end result benefitting the business through the consistent and successful implementation of projects. Blackstone can review and evaluate your existing PMO functionality, with the goal of identifying areas of opportunity and implementing changes that will optimize its effectiveness and its strategic value within the organization.
Examples of ways that PMOs should add value to an organization:
Set-up and Formalize a New PMO
Blackstone will conduct a review of the current environment, looking at the governance, staff competencies, tools, techniques, templates, practices and methodologies used in project planning and executing. The review will identify the gaps and shortcomings in the current non-formal environment. A PMO roadmap will be developed using industry best-practices, which when implemented will provide your organization with a highly effective PMO that is customized to match your corporate culture.
Optimizing an Existing PMO
PMOs are not about templates and status reports, they must be about value-add to the project delivery cycle with the end result benefitting the business through the consistent and successful implementation of projects. Blackstone can review and evaluate your existing PMO functionality, with the goal of identifying areas of opportunity and implementing changes that will optimize its effectiveness and its strategic value within the organization.
Examples of ways that PMOs should add value to an organization:
- Resource management and utilization
- Project management training
- Project delivery mentoring
- Overall project portfolio management
- Prioritization management / scheduling
- Reducing project cycle times (through managing priorities, resource utilization, staggering of projects)
- Governance and dashboard reporting
- Defining and managing the stage-gate process and exit criteria
- Project Sponsor support/training
- Conducting Lessons Learned sessions
- Performance management of project managers
Mentoring / Training
Blackstone offers project management training, coaching, and mentoring services that are tailored to address skill gaps and improve the proficiency of your project personnel. One of the most efficient ways to encourage consistent project management practices is through on-the-job mentoring. Blackstone's mentorship services allow your project managers to build project management competency while ensuring successful execution of projects.
As a mentor, Blackstone would actively participate in projects to ensure standards are being adopted and that issues and challenges can be addressed by providing senior project experience. This personalized assistance encourages the development of skills and competencies more easily gained through real-life situations.
As a mentor, Blackstone would actively participate in projects to ensure standards are being adopted and that issues and challenges can be addressed by providing senior project experience. This personalized assistance encourages the development of skills and competencies more easily gained through real-life situations.
Ways Blackstone Can Help:
- Coach your staff in project management approaches, methods, and best practices
- Work alongside your project manager(s) to obtain consistency and provide
senior guidance as they navigate through project difficulties - Review the status of active projects and make recommendations for improved execution through the coaching and mentoring of project managers
- Conduct independent project reviews to identify issues and assist project managers and teams in proactively taking corrective actions
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