The tips presented below are purely suggestive, not mandatory, and not exhaustive. They should be evaluated by the team in each case.

PROBLEM
GOOD PRACTICES
  • Develop a flexible Business Case
  • Chose the correct solution to the problem defined
  • Assess the financial and technical viability for the solution
  • Validate the solution before the project start
  • Define how the solution will be implemented and validate this strategy with the client
TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
  • Business Analysis
  • Structured Problem Solving Process
  • Alternatives Analysis
  • NPV, IRR, ROI, Pay Back, Scenarios Simulations
  • Front End Loading, Stage Gate, Waterfall Model
  • Business Case, Project Charter
PLANS
GOOD PRACTICES
  • Develop formal plans at the beginning of the project with as much detail as possible
  • Create formal change processes
TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
  • Plans templates
  • Project Changes forms
  • Change management processes
SCOPE
GOOD PRACTICES
  • Conduct scope definition meetings
  • Formalize the project scope
TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
  • Scope Statement
  • WBS and WBS Dictionary
  • Earned Value Management
RESOURCES
GOOD PRACTICES
  • Define the resources to all project phases
  • Acquire the resources and guarantee their availability during the project
  • Develop the resources during the project
  • Define responsibilities
  • Create performance indicators for the resources
TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
  • Resources estimation techniques
  • Resources negotiation
  • Teambuilding
  • RACI Matrix
  • Conflict Management
TIME
GOOD PRACTICES
  • Develop activities dependencies
  • Sequence the activities
  • Estimate durations
  • Create formal schedules
  • Define a schedule baseline and approve it
  • Monitor the schedule in a timely manner
TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
  • Parametric estimates
  • Triangular estimates
  • Weighted estimates
  • Monte Carlo Simulation
  • Gantt Charts
  • Earned Value Management
  • Critical Path
COST
GOOD PRACTICES
  • Estimate costs
  • Develop a formal project budget
  • Estimate management reserves
  • Establish a financial disbursement plan
  • Formalize the project budget
TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
  • Top-down or Bottom-up analysis
  • Parametric estimates
  • Triangular estimates
  • Weighted estimates
  • Monte Carlo Simulation
  • Earned Value Management
  • Reserve Analysis
QUALITY
GOOD PRACTICES
  • Develop acceptance criteria for the products
  • Develop plans on how the products must be developed
  • Define processes to guarantee the quality
  • Define tests to be executed
  • Execute tests according to the plans
TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
  • PDCA
  • Statistical Controls
  • Tests and inspections
  • Data Analysis
  • Check Lists
  • Cause-effect Diagrams
  • Histograms
  • Control Charts
  • Root-cause Analysis
  • Satisfaction forms
RISKS
GOOD PRACTICES
  • Identify risks with cause and effect
  • Qualitative risks measures
  • Quantitative risk measures
  • Plan risk responses
  • Develop formal risk management plans
  • Communicate risks to stakeholders
  • Monitor the effectiveness of risk responses
  • Risks reassessments in a timely manner
TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
  • Brainstorming
  • Interviews
  • Questionnaires
  • Risk Matrix
  • Expected Monetary Value
  • Monte Carlo Simulation
  • Risk Breakdown Structure
  • Risk Register
  • Risk Management Canvas