John Reiling A Business Model is an important input to organizational success. So how can you easily develop a good Business Model? This post examines the Business Model Canvas, a simple tool that provides a template for building an effective Business Model. What Is a Business Model Canvas? The Business Model Canvas encompasses the framework of what … Read more
Every organization – whether for profit, government, or not-for-profit – needs a viable Business Model. This ensures relevance to the customer, and sustainability as an ongoing enterprise. Today, it is often imperative to be capable of innovating Business Models – to change and reconfigure value chains. This post provides a framework – far beyond just … Read more
Hassle Maps are a great strategic tool for managing and optimizing relationships customers and stakeholders. They have helped to transform businesses, especially when confronted with change, and have the potential to transform organizations and customer relationships of all types. This post examines what Hassle Maps are, their usefulness, examples, and the application of Hassle Maps … Read more
A Project Manager’s job is to manage projects that create value. However, Value is not a fixed thing; Value changes all the time. This post explores the idea of Value now and in the future – and managing projects not so much where the Value is, but where it will be. A Definition of Value … Read more
The primary objective of project initiatives is the produce Value. However, many of our models for thinking are based on Cost. This post explores how Cost and Value are related – and how they are unrelated. This is not about Planned Value, Earned Value, and Actual Cost! It explores both Cost-based and Value-based thinking and … Read more
When mass production rose in the early 1900s with the Model T Ford, the saying went, “You can have any color you want…as long as it’s black!” Mass production grew in importance, but advances in technology have enabled more flexibility and a more modern twist on the theme: Mass Customization. This post explores what Mass … Read more
Is there a way to boil down strategic choices to three generic strategies? Strategy guru Michael Porter has done just that. This post explores the generic strategies, the pitfalls in choosing one, and their importance to project managers. Overview of Porter’s Three Generic Strategies It may seem funny to illustrate Three Generic Strategies with a … Read more
Strategy is all about identifying and creating areas of competitive advantage. Project management is all about executing those strategies. This post examines two economics concepts – Absolute Advantage and Comparative Advantage – which provide structure for analyzing and achieving competitive advantage. What Is Absolute Advantage? Absolute Advantage is a concept invented by Adam Smith in … Read more
Michael Porter of Harvard has developed a model for the competitiveness of industries among nations. Considering international variables is useful to governments, investors, strategists and project management pros. The post reviews Porter’s Diamond Model and provides some examples of the principles. Finally it offers ideas how PM professionals can use it to be more effective … Read more
It can be a daunting task to look for an agile project planning tool. You will find a plethora of options – even free agile project management tools. This post focuses on three hosted agile project management software tools – from Atlassian, Microsoft, and Google. You will find comparisons of key attributes, pricing, and strengths … Read more