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Gerard Grafhorst
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Posts by Gerard Grafhorst
On Project Success Factors: Take time for research
28/8/2008 - 4:32 pm
Posted in AMIS, Project Management | No comments
In your project, allocate time (and budget!) for research. I used to think that all activities should contribute directly and specifically to the end goal. I now tend more towards the view that you should plan for research. Of course the research should be targeted, but usually a project has a few subjects that will [...]
On Project Success Factors: Communicate!
14/8/2008 - 2:27 pm
Posted in AMIS, Project Management | 1 comment
A few weeks ago I received a Request for Information for a substantial project. There was one question that struck me: “Describe on which moments your organization communicates with the client organisation.” My first reaction was: when don’t we!
To ensure that you deliver what your client expects, communication is an essential! So, describing when you [...]
On Project Success Factors – Heading straight towards the goal II
5/8/2008 - 1:31 pm
Posted in AMIS, Project Management | No comments
“To follow, without halt, one aim: There’s the secret of success.” (Anna Pavlova, a famous ballerina). To repeat the quote from my last blog.
The goal must be worth it, of course. What are the benefits, what are the costs. Right…the Business Case. For this you should not hesitate to thing big and look far. The [...]
On Project Success Factors – Heading straight towards the goal I
31/7/2008 - 3:54 pm
Posted in AMIS, General, Project Management | No comments
“To follow, without halt, one aim: There’s the secret of success.” (Anna Pavlova, a famous ballerina). Completely true of course. A project rarely fails due to one large incident or problem. More often they shift of course imperceptibly, in small steps. Each individual shift is of almost no consequence, the combination is a whole different [...]
“We are a Project Company”
10/5/2007 - 6:19 pm
Posted in General, Project Management | 3 comments
Recently we were bidding on a major project for the rebuilding and enhancement of an extranet system for one of our prospects. Their current system was based on old technology and its architecture was an impediment for the planned growth of their business. Based on an extensive selection process, finally AMIS was selected as their [...]
Performance for Dummies
27/4/2007 - 7:43 pm
Posted in General, Project Management | 1 comment
This week I attended our AMIS Query on “How the Middle Tier is slowing the Database down” by renowned performance “problem solver” Anjo Kolk. When I saw the announcement for this AMIS Query I had no doubts I wanted to be there. It may seem a highly technical subject, yet, as a project manager, performance [...]
Back to the Future
23/4/2007 - 1:53 pm
Posted in General, Project Management | 1 comment
Last week I revisited a client in the healthcare sector. A client where I delivered a project for a Central Laboratory Information System back in ‘97. I was the Information Analyst and later Project Manager.
Back in the nineties I loved this project. The previous system was over 20 years old and the plan was to [...]
Pavlovian Projectmanagement
17/4/2007 - 10:53 am
Posted in General, Project Management | 1 comment
Last week we had a project scoping day: in a room, client and AMIS, setting the boundaries of the project. Nothing unusual you would say. It is healthy to determine the scope of your project and ensure a mutual understanding of that scope and the underlying business goals it supports. The thing is: this project [...]
On Project Success Factors – How Successful are ICT Projects?
5/4/2007 - 11:48 am
Posted in General, Project Management | 2 comments
Before I enter into more detail on the factors I perceive as contributing to project success, let’s take a look at how ICT Project are actually doing, now. A quick google leads to me to the Ernst & Young report “Trends in ICT 2007” (Dutch only, I apologize).
http://www.centric.nl/index.asp?nmoduleid=3&spagetype=6&nCHType=1&sPath=/Trends_in_ICT_2007.pdf
The image they present is shocking. In the [...]
Start Wrong…and it never ends!
2/4/2007 - 10:54 am
Posted in General, Project Management | 3 comments
Last week I was again painfully reminded of how important it is to start your project the right way. Last year we started a major ADF/JHeadstart project. And we started wrong.
My first mistake was to give in to customer pressure and do the planning quickly on a Tuesday morning. Of course, the sun was shining, [...]
