Article: Third party project management tools – timekeeping Third party project management tools come in many different flavors but I have a soft spot for the timekeeping category.  Since my own firm, HMS Software, produces TimeControl, a project oriented timesheet system.  This article takes a look at why looking outside of your EPM system for a timesheet is worth thinking about.

Article: The project manager’s perspective So much of the project manager’s role involves communication.  But, how can you effectively communicate with someone if you’re not sure that they mean the same thing you do when you speak?  Common terminology from places like the PMBOK is a good start but do you take into account your own bias and your own perspective when you communicate?

Article: That elusive proof of concept Many organizations have purchasing policies that involve a proof of concept for enterprise software.  The problem is, it’s hard to evaluate the effectiveness of enterprise software until the company commits.  We’ll examine this Catch-22 of how to get around the proof-of-concept dilemma.

Article: Project Stage Gating Stage gating is a concept that is known to many in the project management community. But, did you know it started as a study on what organizations were more effective than others and trying to find out why?  We’ll talk about the origins of ‘stage-gate’ and the reasons that the practice makes organizations effective.