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Tools for Project Management, Workshops and Consulting

Tools for Project Management, Workshops and Consulting A Must-Have Compendium of Essential Tools and Techniques

Author: Nicolai Andler
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 9783895783708
Published In: April 2011
Format: Hardback , 382 pages
Jurisdiction: International ? Disclaimer:
Countri(es) stated herein are used as reference only

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Description
Contents
Author

Details

Typically today's tasks in management and consulting include project management, running workshops and strategic work - all complex activities, which require a multitude of skills and competencies. This standard work, which is also well accepted amongst consultants, gives you a reference or cookbook-style access to the most important tools, including a rating of each tool in terms of applicability, ease of use and effectiveness.

In his book, Nicolai Andler presents about 120 of such tools, grouped into task-specific categories entitled Define Situation, Gather Information, Information Consolidation, Creativity, Goal Setting, Organisational Analysis, Technical Analysis, Strategic Analysis, Decision Making, and Project Management. Checklists and application scenarios further enhance the use of this toolbox.

Information provided by this book is:
- comprehensive and sufficiently wide in scope, combined with a practical level of detail without being too academic
- reliable and proven in numerous real implemented cases
- easy to apply due to many different search options, checklists, application scenarios and guiding instructions.

Written by a professional consultant, business analyst and business coach, this book is a unique reference work and guide for those wanting to learn about or who are active in the fields of consulting, project management and problem solving in general.

"This book is of the kind you always wanted but didn't think would or could ever exist: the universal field theory of problem solving." Tom Sommerlatte.

Brief contents/Overview of tools.

Application areas of each tool.

1. Introduction to the concept and applications of this book.

1.1 Structure of this book.

1.2 How to use this book.

1.3 The target audience of this book.

1.4 The scope of this book.

1.5 Skills and competencies for your personal development.

1.6 Clarification of methodologies, models, tools and techniques.

2. Problem solving approach and application.

2.1 Problem solving.

2.2 Categories of tools.

2.3 How to select the right tool.

3. Diagnosis.

3.1 Definition of a situation/problem.

3.2 Information gathering.

3.3 Creativity.

3.4 Information consolidation.

4. Goals and objectives setting.

4.1 Goal-setting criteria.

4.2 Objectives tree.

4.3 Goal hierarchy.

4.4 Charter.

4.5 Goal catalogue.

4.6 SMART goals.

4.7 Goal Grid.

4.8 Well-defined outcomes.

4.9 3 P statements.

4.10 SNAP.

5. Analysis.

5.1 Organisational analysis.

5.2 Technical analysis (system, process, data, technology).

5.3 Strategic analysis.

6. Decision making (incl. evaluation, prioritization).

6.1 Introduction to decision making.

6.2 Decision tree.

6.3 Perspective.

6.4 Argument balance.

6.5 Polarities tool.

6.6 Swap sorting tool.

6.7 Pair ranking.

6.8 Nominal group tool.

6.9 100 Points.

6.10 Utility analysis.

6.11 Cartesian coordinates.

6.12 Cross of beliefs.

6.13 Vroom Yetton.

6.14 Risk analysis.

6.15 Prioritisation matrices.

7. Project management tools.

7.1 Project management – activities, processes and tools.

7.2 Project contract.

7.3 LogFrame.

7.4 Project roadmap/programme.

7.5 Work breakdown structure.

7.6 Gantt chart.

7.7 Project work plan.

7.8 Project environment analysis.

7.9 Project structure.

7.10 Project management roles and responsibilities.

7.11 Project communication plan.

7.12 Accountability matrix (CIDA).

7.13 Stakeholder communication.

7.14 Workshop guideline.

7.15 Expectation review tool.

7.16 Booz ball evaluation.

7.17 Six thinking hats.

7.18 Action steps and reviews.

7.19 Project management skills radar.

8. Annex A – Check Questions.

8.1 Check questions for a project start.

8.2 Check questions to review ideas and qualitative information.

8.3 Check questions to define the current situation – diagnostic.

8.4 Check questions to define goals and objectives.

8.5 Check questions during and analysis.

8.6 Check questions during decision making.

8.7 Check questions for the project initiation phase.

9. Annex B – Scenarios and tool lists.

9.1 Author’s top 10 tools.

9.2 Scenario: Good practice for project and problem definition.

9.3 Project planning and definition.

9.4 Strategic analysis.

9.5 Org analysis and org design.

9.6 Organisational restructuring.

9.7 Feasibility study.

9.8 System development.

9.9 Strategy workshop.

9.10 Business process improvements.

Bibliography.

Application areas of each tool (in alphabetic order).

Nicolai Andler graduated from the Technical University of Berlin with a combined Masters of Commerce and Masters of Chemical Engineering degree with distinction. The Technical University of Berlin is one of the few universities that have a faculty for systems engineering, which is the science on which this book is partly based. He also holds a Master of Management degree from the French Graduate School of Business in Toulouse (Grande Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Toulouse – MBA equivalent) with a specialization in ‘management of multinational groups’ and ‘international business strategies.’

Before founding his own company, the Ignite Group, Nicolai Andler was a senior consultant with an IT and CRM consultancy for several years. Prior to working in the IT consulting field, he had freelance experience in management consulting in Europe and several years of management consulting (business transformation projects focusing on business process reengineering and supply chain improvements) with an international management consultancy in South Africa. He has worked with clients in the financial services (retail banking, life insurance, and employee benefit, public sector, (education, revenue and customs, government agencies), waste management, chemical and petrochemical industries.