BETTER PROJECTS & PROGRAMS

July 2007

Agile Elephants

Newsletter Overhaul

Services

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© 2007 P2C2 Group, Inc.

Agile Elephants

Some elephants can dance. Others can’t. Agility can make a significant difference in project and investment outcomes.

Hau L. Lee recounts how Hewlett-Packard first set up R&D and manufacturing operations in Vancouver during the 1980s for its new ink-jet technology. As demand grew, HP set up plants in Spain and Singapore to supply markets in Europe and Asia. By the mid-1990s, HP realized that printer technologies had matured, and it could outsource production to vendors completely. Agile management enabled HP to remain a leader in a highly competitive market. (Adapt Your Supply Chain or Die, Harvard Business Review, October 25, 2004.)

Legacy projects, systems, and assumptions all need to be reviewed regularly. If these pachyderms haven’t changed to accommodate today’s reality, they may need to be taught some new tricks or retired.

Newsletter Overhaul

We’re changing the focus of our newsletter. Our theme will be best practices, methods, and thought-starters for projects and programs.

We are dropping the “Federal Sector Report” newsletter name, replacing it with BETTER PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS. Good management is good management regardless of whether it is in the private or public sector. Moreover, the rapid emergence of professions that serve both business and governments makes the distinction unimportant. Professionals recognized by Project Management Institute, Institute of Management Consultants, and International Institute of Business Analysis—among others—serve all sectors. Lessons learned are valuable regardless of sector.

Over the past few years, our newsletters have given detailed attention to the Federal government’s Capital Planning and Investment Control (CPIC) process. However, the real meat of CPIC is good management process: strategic alignment, requirements analysis, alternatives, risk management, performance management, security, and delivery of desired outcomes. All of these are driven by enterprise requirements and are not unique to Federal regulations or oversight.

Most of our previous articles are applicable to the new focus. For example, we have featured articles on using case studies as benchmarks, Earned Value Management, risk-adjusted costs, financial modeling, operational analysis reviews, and strategic planning. Articles such as these are applicable to both business and government.

Services

Same Services

While our newsletter name has changed, our consulting services have not. Our focus continues to be on: 

• Strategic planning and evaluation
• Project/program design and improvement
• Plans, budgets, acquisition support, and investment management
• CPIC, procurement and SDLC documentation
• Business analysis 

Achieve More

The P2C2 Group has a history of enabling clients to use the better methods and practices as a strategic means for achieving more within lean budgets.

As management consultants, we focus on enterprise-wide impact. Our professional toolkit includes strategic planning, business analysis, cost benefit studies, risk and security management, operational analysis, performance metrics, acquisition plans, and evaluations. We use collaborative processes to develop deliverables of a higher quality and integrity.

Our Passion

We specialize in new projects, programs, and turnarounds.

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Elena and I had a great trip to California, and one of the high points was hiking at Point Reyes National Seashore.

Best regards,

Jim Kendrick, PMP
Technology Management Consultant
P2C2 Group, Inc.
4101 Denfeld Avenue
Kensington, MD 20895
301-942-7985

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