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How to Document Requirements

June 2010 from CAmagazine written by Michael Burns – “Before replacing any system, you need to document your requirements. Obvious, right? You just have to talk to the people working with the existing system and ask them for the requirements. But that would be a huge mistake, for a number of reasons.  If employees are afraid the new system will automate a big part of their job, they might be reluctant to tell the whole story. Also, they might be unable to think outside of their own box, or they might think certain tasks are not worth mentioning. There is […]

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Top 10 Leadership Qualities of a Project Manager

February 2010 from ProjectTimes – “What qualities are most important for a project manager to be an effective project leader? It’s a question often asked and one that makes us sit back and think… Over the past few years, the people at ESI International, a leader in project management training, have looked at what makes an effective project leader. They quizzed some highly-talented project leaders and compiled a running tally of their responses. Below are the top 10 qualities in rank order, according to their frequency listed…” Read more The article’s list is Inspires a Shared Vision A Good Communicator […]

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The future of ERP: Why the ‘big ERP’ approach is dead

November 23, 2009 from InfoWorld – …“With ERP, you can’t do a one-size-fits-all,” Read says. “The corporate office of a $10 billion organization just has different needs than the local operations in Australia. And if you try to deploy [SAP or Oracle] everywhere, you’re effectively going to be deploying an enterprise solution in a midmarket company, and the costs are going to explode. Could there be a resurgence in “best of breed” app strategies for vertical-specific business areas — whether that’s on-premise or in the cloud — without all the integration headaches of yore? AMR Research Chief Research Officer Bruce […]

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So you think you’re smart

November 28, 2009 from the Globe and Mail – “Bob is in a bar, looking at Susan, who is looking at Pablo. Bob is married. Pablo is not. Is a married person looking at an unmarried person? a) Yes b) No c) Cannot be determined Most people get the problem wrong because they tend to be “cognitive misers” – they put as little mental effort as possible into solving a problem… they quickly jump to a conclusion… If Susan is married, then a married person is looking at an unmarried person (Pablo). If she is single, then Bob, a married […]

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The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The […]

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