Project Management

His arrival on-site usually means one thing: a big tech project is in trouble. And Jason Coyne's job is to either "kill or cure" those projects. He describes his unusual job in many different ways: marriage counsellor, the Equalizer. relationship guru, project conscience, resolution manager

To help save money, IT groups are being asked to cut back -- in some cases, dramatically -- on their maintenance contracts with vendors. Sometimes things stay broken until IT staffers can figure out the fixes themselves. In the meantime, IT staff involved just cross their fingers and hope that their business users will not notice any ill effects.

At managed care provider Centene, a constructive relationship between IT and finance ultimately kept a project on track when the going got tough. And it did get tough.

There's really no such thing as a done deal. After pen is put to paper and the contracts are all signed, you must begin to manage the deal to get the full benefit of your negotiations. For if you don't manage the deal, your vendor will, and it should be obvious that you and your vendor may not the same priorities.

In this roundup we take a look at five free - and fabulous - alternatives to using Microsoft Office Project. None of these are from major software companies. Four of the five are open source while the fifth, jxProjects, is advertising-supported. We'll show you what each of these applications offers, and how easy they are to use, even those unfamiliar with project planning. rn

A recent survey of 400 organizations and found a decrease in IT project success rates and an increase in IT project failure rates during the past two years. An expert attributes the increase in IT project failures to the recession and subsequent budget cuts.

There'll always be whining, demanding users who claim the IT team doesn't get them - and can't communicate. By the time you've worked through this eight-point guide, you'll have a working arsenal of soft skills that enable you work with such users at their level.rn

Businesses can talk a good game, but many may not know what it truly takes to successfully manage a project - so it's completed on time, on budget, and with high quality near 100 percent of the time. There are eight steps could help you reach that goal.rn

What are the skills that will get you ahead of the game in today's tough IT jobs market? Are there key hiring trends and opportunities you can take advantage of? Experts offer candid answers to these and other topical questions.

Many Canadian businesses are using project management tools and strategies to align dwindling resources with critical business priorities.

Web service 5pm is an easy to use project management tool ideal for small businesses.

The discipline that brings in a major IT project on time can also guide personal projects such as the search for a new job.rn

Wikis can now be found in all sorts of IT departments. However, wikis cannot create miracles. One has to know how to effectively use the tool to reap its benefits.

Like a child who always needs new clothes, your successful business will likely outgrow its IT outfit several times as it gets bigger.rn

Perhaps you fail to communicate your accomplishments to management because you think they're obvious enough. Well, think again. When you do something very important in support of the business - you need to make sure interested parties know all about it.