Project planning requires good project estimating to produce an achievable project schedule and a greater chance of on-time delivery. An essential skill to good project management is accurate time estimation.

There are two key reasons why it is of utmost importance to get time estimates correct:
- Time estimates drive the setting of deadlines for project delivery, and therefore the project and its management’s reliability
- Correct estimations will often determine the pricing of contracts and therefore their profitability

Avoid underestimation
More often than not it occurs that project managers vastly underestimate the time required to implement a project and its different components. What seems to happen on a regular basis is that unplanned or unexpected events are not taken into account and no provision is made for unscheduled high-priority work.

Project planning often does not identify all of the tasks that need estimating and, as all project managers are aware, each project is different in terms of objectives, scope, resources, constraints and risks. What occurs all too often is that project estimating tends to suffer from over-optimism, with estimators not allowing enough time to either do the work or solve the inevitable problems that emerge.

Project managers often simply fail to allow for the full complexity involved with a project. Therefore, time allowances need to be made for unexpected occurrences. Project time estimates are one of the central points of producing an effective project schedule, and managers need to understand project time estimation and ensure good project estimates are produced, thereby increasing the chances of a successful project.

Detailed task lists
The first stage in estimating time correctly is to review the task in detail so that there are no unknowns. Inevitably, it is the difficult-to-understand, tricky problems that take the greatest amount of time to solve.

Prepare a detailed list of all the tasks that must be achieved and make your best guess at how long each task will take to be completed. You can base your estimate on past experience to begin with. Within this basic estimate you must allow time for detailed project planning, meetings, liaison with external parties, quality assurance and any paper work completion that needs be done.

Also ensure time allocation for unpredictable events, which could add significant time onto your project, such as:
- Accidents and emergencies
- Holidays and sickness of essential staff
- Equipment breakdowns and malfunctions
- Missed deliveries by suppliers
- Quality control rejections

Once the first draft of tasks and estimated completion times has been formulated, you can be more specific on time allocation by using PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) for critical tasks, if not all tasks. It is important to note that most projects take longer than expected due, primarily, to the over-optimism, a good human quality but not when it comes to time estimates, of both the project manager and anyone, expert or otherwise, assisting with producing the estimates.

PERT, which will have been taught to project managers, will compensate for the over-optimism on the part of the project manager, and allow for a more accurate time estimate to be produced. Microsoft Project is the first choice of most Project Managers for their software solution, and Microsoft Project Software training the key to success with it.

Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information on microsoft project software training, please visit http://www.microsofttraining.net

[tags]microsoft project software training[/tags]

You can rule out 50 percentage of the property management software on the market if you focus first on what you ‘really’ are looking for. The two major mistakes lots of people make is (1) buying software that is overkill for their needs or (2) going for the cheapest alternative and getting software that has defects and doesn’t fit their need. Let’s look at the differences:

Overkill: Do you want software to manage your properties and your office also? Let your property management software do what it does greatest - manage property. For your office accounting and payroll, there are plenty of cheap products that are perfectly good for both big and small businesses.

However, if you use another accounting software for your position expenses, you may want your hire estate software to export your turn deposits and checks to your staff management software. Other skin that added to the sacrifice that you may not want contain budgeting, amplify-statement accounting, asset and liability accounting, and boarder background scrutiny. Some skin, such as occupant background scrutiny are very done by well-known Internet companies, but the software vendor just buys the advantage first, and script up the charge to you.

The prices for property management software can extend from $100 to $10,000 (or more), so don’t buy more than you hardship. However, if you do buy a side that ropes a slighter number of charge units, make steady that you can certainly upgrade to the superior report at a reasonable expense (hopefully the difference in rate between that lesser and superior versions) and won’t be necessary to re-penetrate any of your precious information again.

Underkill: everybody with some web software can make an impressive looking web site. Look at the product, make sure you can run a full demo, and better yet a ‘trial version’ that allows you to ‘try before you buy’. Make sure the software can do the basic things you need: (1) maintain a separate ledger for every Tenant and every Owner (2) write bank checks and deposits (3) maintain a vendor file (4) automatically post rent, management fees, (4) easily update your information.

Make sure the software will handle a mixture of single family homes, and commercial without having to buy further modules. Look for the ability to purchase add-ons, such as work order modules, online rent payment modules, or tax related modules — you may need them in the future as your business grows. Check the cost!

Some things may not be crucial in your property management software, but are great to have. These skin, such as reminder logic to keep imprints of appointments, log conversations and interactions with your tenants, and to pop up a listing of tenants and owners that owe you money. Look for the ability of the software to remove your tenant information to a deskbound organize, so that you can later look up your tenant info for believe references and to log back payments. Look for features such as the ability automatically to modernize rent amounts, automatically place amounts to each ledger, and to renew your account names. Speaking of account names, you might want to find software that uses ‘valid’ names for your accounts like ‘Rent Received’, instead of an account number, such as ‘300021 - Rent Received’.

Graham McKenzie is the content coordinator for a leading property management software review website which connects people with the leading property management tools.

[tags]Software, Management, Property, Real Estate, Property Management, Investing, Real Estate Management,[/tags]

Investors know that managing an investment property is a difficult task. It involves dealing with upkeep, keeping tenants and collecting rent payments. This can turn into more than a full-time job. Appliances breaking at odd hours and having to solve tenant complaints can take up valuable time. The time and money it takes to maintain an investment property can build up, and investors can become weighed down with the task. There is a solution for investors in this situation, and that is to contract a reputable property management company.

A reputable property management company will keep up with property maintenance and accounting. Investors can hire a property management company at an agreed upon fee in order to take up these necessary tasks. This can free up an investor’s time and business . If you’re an investor in need of a property management company, you should consider the following before hiring.

Another important detail to be known is about the company?s fees.The national average is around 4 percent on the income from a large rental property, while single homes are often over 12 percent.Awareness must be paid to fees charged, payment schedule and services included before you sign a contract and exchange money. Questions must be raised about the services that the fees will cover and about the mode of payment or whether they will deduct it from the monthly rent? Other doubts include that how they deal with recurrent expenses, will they send invoices to you to be paid or will the company be including insurance premiums, repair bills and other expenses in their fee?

Enquire them about the other properties they had to manage and check a couple of them in person to verify their authenticity. You should also gauge their managerial capacity and familiarity with your property.In other words a manager with experience in apartment buildings would not go along too well with a single family home or commercial property.

Speak with the real person who will be handling the property whenever probable. Good contact with those you hire must start early in the relationship. Get references from their preceding skill. The property management company will be clever to show you the types of advertising they do. It will be not comparable for all media. Do they have a web presence? Is it easy to navigate?

Do they hire cleaning contractors for preparing vacancies? Can the cleaning be complete fast to ensure you are not losing costly time as the place is prepared for tenants? What are the hours the property management company is accessible behind hours for emergencies? How close is the management office situated to the investment property? If it is a commercial building, are they situated within the building itself for quick response to complaints? The company should be situated close to housing property as fine to be on hand to determine troubles as they occur.

Hiring a property management company to oversee your property saves your time wasted on daily problems.The company also allows the owner to find time for other deals which can be passed onto the same company to manage them as well.

Graham McKenzie is the content coordinator for a leading property management software review website which connects people with the leading property management tools.

[tags]Software, Management, Property, Real Estate, Property Management, Investing, Real Estate Management,[/tags]

The real estate backer has often been seduced by recent-night infomercials which word great wealth with no struggle and little investment. The certainty is far different. Aside from the belated night telephone calls from tenants reporting the latest crisis, there is routine maintenance the never trimmings. Advertising, interviewing tenants, and vetting tenants all takes time. And then, of course, there is the album charge.

Most of the investors judge album keeping as an unpleasant and time-consuming job. It gets done mostly at last, or finished partly and sometimes it’s never completed. Nevertheless the financier who fails to hold polite minutes end up losing their money on the enter, and may find himself in decided unrest. If he is hauled into patio and required to validate himself, personal account are an important guard.

Other than album keeping when it comes time to advertise, receiving top cash will oblige producing comprehensive minutes of earnings, expenses, and maintenance over time. Doing all this manually is a time-consuming process and sorrowful, and knowledge buyers will instantly beat down the rate of the peddler who cannot show total minutes. And at tax time the holder of investment chattels is departing to lose legitimate deductions on tax, if the expenses are not documented well.

Although there is a lot of software available in the market that claim to be estate management software, but most of these software’s are narrow in provisos of its capabilities, further besides all this it is proposed for large management companies and is far too posh and complicated for the exclusive depositor. There are just few handful of food in the market which are reasonably priced, insincere able, and yet adequately clean to set up and use, and the normal sincere estate financier is not a laptop skilled and has a very tiring time taxonomy out which is the best or most appropriate present for her.

A too-simple program may lack features that you need while still being hard to figure out. The idea of using software is to save time, not spend it figuring out how to do things on your computer or on the phone to tech support. So what do you need the program to do? It should let you store information about each building and tenant, so you can see both the income and the expenses associated with any given unit at a glance. Ideally it should also keep track of information about vendors as well. It should let you link maintenance requests to the record of expenses associated with making the repairs.

It is important that the software not only give a thick number of practical built-in rumor, but also gives you the capability to spawn your own news. The software should be expandable to accommodate the varying wants of a mounting matter. The software parceled should simplify your boarder screening - a very important activity that is often overlooked by the novice depositor - and should certainly cause acceptance/rejection writing and leases for applicants that have been screened. A “finicky to have” credit license processing built into the software. This enables the investor fully to automate the collection of rent for those tenants who will billboard up for it (most will, presuming they have a credit license).

In summary the investor who owns commercial properties should understand the commercial goods capability of the envelop under consideration and try to find answers to these questions. Does it sustain heart charge/prohibit failure? Does it help CAM? Percentage of retail sales? Automatic escalators? Percent of CPI (or other guide) escalators?

Graham McKenzie is the content coordinator for a leading property management software review website which connects people with the leading property management tools.

[tags]Software, Management, Property, Real Estate, Property Management, Investing, Real Estate Management,[/tags]

The Project Management Institute is a worldwide professional association for project, programme or portfolio managers. The purpose of the PMI is to develop the practise and profession of project management all over the world. They hope that organisations worldwide will embrace their project management principles and attribute their success to it.

By joining PMI, project managers can benefit from meetings, training, communications and networking opportunities which enhance professional development potential. Members will be informed about advances in project management techniques and stay in touch with many interesting and potentially valuable contacts.

Project managers play a key role in economies and societies, over-seeing big changes in all sorts of different industries, from construction, to IT, to Transport and beyond. The PMI promote professionalism, accountability and proficiency in project, programme and portfolio management, and can help companies to raise standards and create shared knowledge, skills and values which can help to standardise project management procedures.

The PMI’s Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) and Project Management Professional (PMP) qualifications are internationally recognised as proficient project management qualifications. Global organisations choose the PMI qualifications as a way of achieving higher standards of professionalism.

By becoming a member of the PMI, project managers join a communicative community and gain access to interesting events, conferences and meetings held all over the country. These can help refresh and update project management knowledge and skills, and assist members in gaining professional qualifications which will aid professional development.

Organisations have a great deal to gain from employing project managers with PMI-accredited qualifications, including reduced risks, consistency, reliability, meeting global standards. The Project Management Institute currently has nearly three-hundred-thousand members in one-hundred-and-sixty different countries around the world. It is the global professional association for project and programme managers.
The PMI can help organisations with large groups of project and programme managers, to enhance overall project management competence.

The Project Management Institute establish worldwide standards for best practise in project management, programme management, portfolio management and organisational project management, maturity assessment and development.

The PMI supports organisations in achieving consistency and excellence in their project management activities, using standardised terminology and developing professionalism.

Project managers should look to continually develop their project management skills and knowledge, as well as reliability, accountability and responsibility, and the best way of doing this is often to gain a qualification from the Project Management Institute. It will also enhance their career development and potentially open up new opportunities.

John McE writes articles on a number of subjects including project management and related training. PMProfessional Learning provide PMI-accredited courses.

[tags]project management, pmi, pm, pmp, pmp, project management learning, project management courses[/tags]

Hazardous substances cleanup as well as preventive maintenance is indigenous to any industrial setting: it’s just part of everyday business. However, who you choose to outsource these services to is extremely important to the safety of your employees, your equipment, your facilities, and your property. Because environmental waste is nothing to be left to the amateur or the inexperienced, here are some things to look for when choosing an environmental cleanup service.

You will be able to tell a lot about a company from its website: does it have a tab that allows you to review its safety procedures or does it barely mention safety and emphasize the services it offers instead? Some of the safety training and procedures that the service should practice as a matter of course include:

– OSHA compliance: as can be imagined, OSHA has very strict requirements for services that handle environmental cleanup. Employees must undergo a 40 hour training program and then have 8 additional hours of training every year after that. At least two weeks of on-site training is mandated and managers must hold monthly safety meetings.

– Extra non-mandated training: a good environmental cleanup company will not simply fill OSHA and DOT requirements; rather, it will go the extra mile by having new employees be closely mentored by experienced ones during the first year. So much of safety cannot be learned in a classroom: it is often learned in the field as well. Newer employees will not be left unsupervised, but will learn how to handle any unexpected circumstances by observing and assisting veterans.

– Random drug and alcohol testing is a great way to know if the environmental cleanup service is truly committed to having the safest, most dependable workers on the job for you. The company should screen its employees before employment, annually, and randomly as needed. If an emergency arises, you want to be confident that the responders will be ready and able to take on anything.

An environmental cleanup company’s services range may include: tank cleaning, chemical cleaning, waste reduction and disposal, sewer cleaning, emergency response, and much more. It’s worth the time and effort to compare several local services to see how they each stack up when it comes to practicing critical safety measures. Then choose a company that has at least 20 years of experience, has an excellent track record of safety, and that cares enough about you, your employees, and your livelihood to emphasize total professionalism.

Great Lakes Equipment Inc.(http://www.zesinc.com/)has the manpower and resources needed to deliver unmatched speed, effectiveness, and safety to handle a wide range of scheduled maintenance and emergency service needs. Art Gib is a freelance writer.

[tags]environmental clean up[/tags]

When there’s a need to complete a large, multifaceted project like the production of an eBook, the chore ahead can seem insurmountable. This does not have to be the case. Even very small businesses can take on big projects with success. It all comes down to how the work at hand is approached and divided. Constantly focusing on the big picture can actually hurt in this case.

It doesn’t matter if you work for a large firm, a small company, or you happen to be a solo entrepreneur; there are some tips that can help you face down a project of any size and complete it with a tremendous outcome. The trick lies in fully understanding the project at hand, its individual pieces, and strategising on how best to handle these pieces to create the desired whole.

Create An Outline Detailing The Project

Before trying to dive into the production of any work-related project, it’s imperative to make sure you have a handle on it and its components. Consider the desired outcome and what needs to be done to reach the goal. Outline the steps that need to be taken and even flesh out ideas for different stages of production.

Break The Project Into Pieces

Once the steps of the project are understood, it becomes easier to break down the project at hand into pieces. Rather than looking at a large venture in the whole, tackle the individual pieces in a natural progression. This can make even the largest project seem more manageable.

Determine If Specialty Help Is Needed

Some projects, like the creation of an eBook, might require the help of professionals to bring it to successful fruition. Take a look at the skills that are needed to create an outstanding product. If you don’t have the abilities or the skills cannot be found in-house, consultants might be needed.

Consider Creating A Virtual Team

If your project does call for the help of professionals in specific fields, creating a virtual team might prove to be the most beneficial and expedient way to bring the effort to completion. A virtual team involves creating a short-term, contract-working relationship among professionals in different fields. These pros each take on a set portion of the project and lend their expertise to the outcome.

Set Reasonable Deadlines

Whether you go it alone or work with a virtual team, it is important to set deadlines when handling a big project. An overall deadline is smart to set, but there can and often should be milestone deadlines for certain portions of a project. This will help focus all efforts and keep you and team members, if you use them, on track.

Very large projects can overwhelm businesses of any size. When these projects are broken down and treated a piece at a time, things tend to flow together nicely. Whether you work on your own or with a team, taking a micro approach can result in the outcome desired without all the stress associated with constantly focusing on the big picture.

The Bananas Group of TMers is a team of ten Turbo Members. The team blends its individual skills to develop project ideas. From novice to Internet Guru, we collaborated using a variety of techniques and web resources. For team building information: http://www.bananasgroup.com

[tags]project management,online,virtual teamwork[/tags]

In order to remain competitive in an increasingly crowded market, electrical contractors can no longer afford to do their estimating calculations, drawings, charts, etc. by hand. It simply is not feasible in most contexts and does not appear professional. As in just about every other area, a computer is the most important tool a contractor can have, and having the right electrical estimating software is essential to not only getting the job, but doing the job right. Here’s more about it.

Software developers know that electric contractors are just as much in need for specific applications as architects and other professionals. These developers have created programs for CAD design, electrical calculations, and even for invoicing and bookkeeping needs; electrical estimating is one of the most important facets of a contractor’s job: it is what allows him to make realistic, cost-effective bids for potential customers. Most electrical estimating software systems can cost as little as $50 per subscription, yet the work produced on the computer will literally save hundreds of thousands of dollars in man hours since it can do in seconds what people need days to do.

The software you choose will greatly depend on what your budget is, how adept at navigating the computer you are, and whether your business and the type of work you bid will be greatly enhanced through such a service. Here are some things to look for as you research which software system you will choose.

– Is it easy to use? Not all electrical estimating software is created equal: you run a busy business and you will want to be able to have your system up and running in as little time as possible and then be able to navigate it easily. Since all new software applications take time to become comfortable with, the company you choose to go with should offer online support as well as training seminars as needed.

– Can it be updated? The electrical contracting business is in a constant state of flux, and you do not want your software to be outdated at any time. A good software provider will make ongoing necessary updates to your system without additional charge.

– Does the software include management applications? In addition to providing fast bid calculations, the system should also include project management features to assist you in maintaining a professional and well-organized business.

– Can the subscription to the software system be suspended? Like any construction business, electrical contractors are busier at some times of the year more than others and may not need to pay for software access at all times. A good company will allow a contractor to suspend his account during down times then resume it later at the same cost.

ACES Estimating (http://www.acesestimating.com) offers electrical contractors top-of-the-line, easy-to-use electrical estimating software to accurately estimate electrical project contracts. Art Gib is a freelance writer.

[tags]electrical estimating software[/tags]

MSP is a best-practice guide detailing a structured approach for managing programmes, provided by the OGC. Using some of the leading experts in the field, MSP was developed to reflect accessible best-practises, workable techniques which are proven to work

Like Prince2, MSP is a framework for best practise, but focuses on programmes instead of projects. MSP certification consists of three levels.

The Managing Successful Programmes Foundation certificate introduces the best practises, which are very useful for those operating within programmes or multi-project environments. The theory of the MSP methodology is also introduced, allowing students time to understand the language and structure.

The foundation course is essential for those working in a programme environment, and can also be beneficial for senior project staff, who manage projects which form part of a larger programme.

The course is essential for staff working in a programme environment and is also useful for senior project staff, who are managing projects which form part of a larger programme. MSP training can be conducted using e-learning, classroom-based learning or a combination of both.

Programme management, similar to project management, is a management strategy for bringing teams together, and achieving success in business aims. Programme management can be used to manage a programme or portfolio of projects and tasks.

A programme, in this instance, means a specific set of related projects identified by an organisation which, as a whole, will deliver pre-defined business objectives. Programme management and project management are closely erelated as a programme typically consists of several projects and its success depends on the outcome of each individual project.

Without some level of programme management things can go wrong. While project could still be completed ontime and delivering their specific desired outcomes, but will not be integrated into the larger programme, helping to achieve the larger business goals.

The core activities of managing successful programmes include organising team members, delegating responsibility, planning the work, ensure that everyone is involved, problem solving, identify and manage risk, ensure quality, tracking progress and auditing. The processes involved in managing successful programmes should identify the aim of the programme, and predict benefits gained as a result, defining the programme, including specifying how the organisation will change.

It also includes monitoring and co-ordinating the projects within a programme, and managing transitions between old and new. There is also of course closing the programme, evaluating it and ensuring that the intended “end goal” was reached. These courses and qualifications can be of great value to project managers, in terms of their career development and professionalism.

John McE writes articles on a number of subjects including project management and related training. PMProfessional Learning provide MSP accredited courses.

[tags]project management, msp, pm, pmp, pmp, project management learning, project management courses[/tags]

The Association for Project Management is the top professional body for Project Managers, with fifteen-thousand individual and four-hundred corporate members in the UK and abroad.

The APM’s mission is to “develop and promote the professional disciplines of project and programme management across all sectors of industry”. The APM offer training and qualifications which are based around their own Body of Knowledge.

According to the APM, there are five dimensions demanded of project professionals; breadth of understanding, depth of ability, achievement through qualifications and portfolio, commitment and professional development, and accountability via APM membership code of conduct.

Project Management Professionals make a valuable contribution to the economy, by managing big changes with commitment and accountability.

All sectors rely on project and programme management, from defence to construction, IT or engineering. It seems that large chunks of society benefit from the professionalism of project and programme managers, promoted and developed by APM.

Over 35 years the Association for Project Management has combined its member’s knowledge and developed the “science and art of project management.” This is called the APM Body of Knowledge. This makes up the APM qualifications, training and research activities which are shared widely among members. It is a document now in its fifth edition, containing fifty-two knowledge areas essential for any successful project manager.

APM qualifications are designed to enhance professional skills and careers, and provide an opportunity for managers to take their careers in new directions. Qualifications are delivered through APM-accredited training providers. There are a range of different qualifications including an Introductory Certificate to help those new to the practise to learn the core principles of project management, as well as several advanced courses demanding varying amounts of project management experience, and a qualification specifically relating to project management risk assessment.

The qualifications provided by the APM are aimed at all levels of responsibility within a project team, and it encourages continuing professional development. Each qualification has been designed to build on the previous level of knowledge and so can provide a clear path for career development in project management. APM qualifications are ideal for organisations that are looking to develop their project managers.

The APM specifically hopes to develop and promote project management in terms of five key areas; Knowledge, Professional Development, Membership, International Governance & Administration. The knowledge, skills and qualifications provided by the APM can be a great way for those in project management to enhance their portfolio and learn how tom project manage with the best of them.

John McE writes articles on a number of subjects including project management and related training. PMProfessional Learning provide APM accredited courses.

[tags]project management, apm, pmp, pmp, project management learning, project management courses[/tags]