EPM Team

The Catapult EPM team is responsible for delivering Microsoft project and portfolio management solutions. Their blog reflects team insights and real-world experiences developing world-class EPM solutions.
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Sep29

Top Ten Administrative Headaches in Project 2010

(I am gonna park my ITSM credentials at the door for this somewhat tongue in cheek post.)  What’s good for the User often is not good for the Administrator.  With Peter’s help, I have compiled a list of the top ten(nish) things which may drive up aspirin sales to the EPM implementing community: The ability to turn off task scheduling on a task by task basis. Understanding (and explai...
Posted by Andrew Lavinsky on Tuesday, 29 Sep 2009 08:37.
2 Comments | Categories: Project Server 2010, Project Conference 2009

 
Sep28

Innovation, Project Portfolio Management, and Fractal Organizations (Part 2)

So if you read my previous post, you’re probably wondering just what this has to do with Project Portfolio Management, ITIL and Fractal Organizations – or why I equate PPM and ITIL – and probably some of you are wondering just what ITIL is exactly.  Well, today, let’s talk about Project Management, specifically the processes identified in the PMBOK (2nd through 4th editions if you’re particular...
Posted by Andrew Lavinsky on Monday, 28 Sep 2009 02:10.
0 Comments | Categories: Innovation, Project Management

 
Sep23

EPM Implementations as an Exercise in Metaplanning

For years, the PMI has teased me with mentions of a Schedule Management Plan in the PMBOK.  It obviously existed, and even was listed as an input to one of the Time Management processes, but it never got called out as its own separate artifact with its own planning process.  Obviously, this implied some sort of bias against the scheduler caste.  Didn’t Risk, HR, Communications, Quality and Proc...
Posted by Andrew Lavinsky on Wednesday, 23 Sep 2009 08:10.
2 Comments | Categories: Best Practices, MOPS 2007, Project Management, Project Portfolio Server 2007, Project Server 2010, Project Professional 2007

 
Sep17

Multiple Level Undo on the Server Too…

While Peter and I were busy working out our business plan for an Irish-Mexican fusion cantina (corned beef & cabbage tacos), real bloggers were apparently busy being productive. I was recently introduced to Rolly Perreaux’s blog, and check this out, he’s already posted screenshots of 2010: http://rperreaux.spaces.live.com/Blog/...
Posted by Andrew Lavinsky on Thursday, 17 Sep 2009 12:07.
0 Comments | Categories: Project Conference 2009, Project Server 2010

 
Sep17

Innovation, Project Portfolio Management, and Fractal Organizations (Part 1)

When I was doing PMP training in Central Ohio, I used to have a lot of students from the Honda plant in Marysville, and from a lot of the Honda suppliers.  I don’t know how true this is, but several of them told me the following story, which is a great illustrative anecdote: At Honda, it’s the line workers that know the best about how to improve processes on the assembly line.  Each worker i...
Posted by Andrew Lavinsky on Thursday, 17 Sep 2009 11:18.
2 Comments | Categories: Innovation, Best Practices, Project Portfolio Server 2007

 
Sep17

ProjCon - Today's agenda

Yet more in-depth info on Project and Project Server 2010. The more we get into it, the more I like it.   Today's agenda includes a session on EVM and another on either IPM or Project 2010 Demand Management. Beyond that? We shall see...   Microsoft has, as usual, put on a great show. There's way more here to attend than one human ever could. Great stuff!...
Posted by Peter Elkin on Thursday, 17 Sep 2009 11:13.
0 Comments | Categories: Project Conference 2009

 
Sep16

Quick Highlights from the first public Project Server 2010 Demo!

It's still early in the conference with much more detail to come. But my preliminary picks for favorite new improvements to Project Server 2010 are (in no particular order): Timeline view – Drag and drop milestones to build your project timeline….very cool! Integrated Portfolio Management (probably my favorite) Much cleaner, simpler UI (and love the ribbon in Project 2010) Resource Pl...
Posted by Tony Castronovo on Wednesday, 16 Sep 2009 02:51.
0 Comments | Categories: Project Conference 2009, Project Server 2010

 
Sep16

ProjCon – Keynote speech mind-map

Andrew decided to scoreboard me by mind-mapping Chris Capossella’s keynote this morning. There are times when, working with this team, I feel like a third-grader. This is one of those times. ...
Posted by Peter Elkin on Wednesday, 16 Sep 2009 12:10.
0 Comments | Categories: Project Conference 2009

 
Sep16

It’s Getting HOT in Phoenix

A bit of an update on our travels to Phoenix…. I arrived in Phoenix this past Friday evening.  Saturday was a full day as I awoke at 4:45 AM…caught a taxi at 5:30 AM and met some 'new' friends at Arcadia Park for a 12-mile run at 6AM.  Thanks Phoenix Fit for allowing me to join you for some hard miles in the dry, hot Phoenix weather.  Cooling off with some 'refreshments' was also a welcome tr...
Posted by Tony Castronovo on Wednesday, 16 Sep 2009 10:30.
0 Comments | Categories: Project Conference 2009

 
Sep16

ProjCon – Day 1/3, My First Rodeo

Yes, ladies and germs, today was actually my first rodeo.  A major milestone perhaps. Today was Day 1 of the actual conference formal, Day 3 of the overall festivities including the top secret Ignite presentations which will get unveiled tomorrow mid-morning or so, PST.  On this day, we saw Tad Haas, Doug McCutcheon and EPM Joe take to Microsoft branded horses (!) and do their best Three Amigo...
Posted by Andrew Lavinsky on Wednesday, 16 Sep 2009 07:56.
0 Comments | Categories: Project Conference 2009, Project Professional 2007