Organizations undertake projects for various purposes, such as the development of new products, the acquisition of technological advancements, or compliance with regulations. Regardless of the specific reason, the successful execution of projects is crucial for the long-term viability of a business. Achieving this success requires effective corporate project management training programs that cater to both project and non-project personnel within an organization.
Within an organization, there are three primary options for enterprise project management training:
1. Technical/Certification Training: This type of training focuses on enhancing the technical knowledge of employees. It includes certifications such as Project Management Professional (PMP), Agile, Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), and Leading SAFe, among others.
2. Tools Training: This training is designed to improve employees' proficiency in using project management software and tools. Examples of such tools include Microsoft Project, Excel, and Jira.
3. PM Foundations for Business People: Contrary to popular belief, it is essential to provide fundamental project management training to non-project personnel within an organization. This training equips business people with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively contribute to project success.
Now, let us delve into each of these options in more detail:
Corporate Project Management Training
Organizations typically implement three types of corporate project management training programs to ensure the successful delivery of projects. Technical or certification training programs aim to enhance the technical expertise of employees. Tools training programs focus on improving employees' proficiency in using project management software and tools. Additionally, successful companies recognize the importance of providing fundamental project management training to business people within the organization. By doing so, they enable these individuals to contribute effectively to project success.
Technical/Certification Training
It is imperative that every member of the project team receives technical training, particularly project managers or team leads, in order to enhance their knowledge and skills in technical project management. This is crucial for effectively managing day-to-day operations and successfully completing projects. Organizations frequently organize technical or certification training programs for their employees, recognizing the significance of these programs and providing their employees with multiple trainings as needed.
Insufficient technical project management skills, despite possessing excellent general management skills, can lead to difficulties in project execution. For example, a lack of technical skills may hinder understanding of product or project requirements, making it challenging to find optimal solutions to problems and impeding the injection of creativity into the project. Therefore, obtaining technical training or certification is essential for project teams, as it enables them to successfully deliver projects and navigate the challenges that arise along the way.
Corporate project management training offers a wealth of technical skills. For instance, technical training teaches accurate cost estimation during project planning, providing techniques for estimating activities and resources correctly. Similarly, when working with project scope or managing risks, specific skills are necessary to ensure effective and realistic project management outcomes. Additionally, the ability to forecast project cost or schedule is often required. Technical training equips individuals with the necessary competencies in these areas and more.
Not only that, but a variety of other technical training programs can also be arranged for employees. For instance, individuals may wish to acquire skills in creating project management plans or monitoring projects. Additionally, departments within the organization may require advanced training in areas such as change management, Agile, Lean Six Sigma, business analysis, earned value management, and more.
Let us now focus on agile training specifically. How can it benefit your organization's project management practices or the project itself? Agile project management training serves as a means to enhance project performance by teaching the principles of agility. This training will enable your team to become more adaptable and visible. By adopting an agile approach, you will align more closely with customer requirements and ensure improved product quality. Consequently, customer satisfaction will be guaranteed, leading to better business growth.
By undertaking Agile training, you will gain knowledge of various agile methodologies, such as Scrum and XP. You will learn how to define project scope and goals, as well as how to plan and monitor projects in smaller increments. Furthermore, you will acquire the skills to integrate agile practices into your projects. Since Agile projects deliver value early and frequently, customers are more satisfied as they get to see completed deliverables on a weekly or fortnightly basis, rather than at the end of the project.
Similarly, other technical corporate project management training and certification programs are highly valuable in today's dynamic, advanced, and technology-driven workplaces. Furthermore, given the multitude of activities involved in a project, there is an abundance of technical corporate project management training options available to enhance your knowledge and assist you in your daily project tasks. By undertaking technical training or certification, one can also develop effective leadership skills. For instance, by participating in leadership training, individuals can become proficient leaders capable of guiding their teams towards achieving exceptional results. Technical trainings also provide opportunities to learn about emotional intelligence, negotiation skills, and conflict resolution techniques.
As evident, the possibilities for technical project management training are limitless. The acquisition of technical knowledge and skills facilitates the successful delivery of projects. If one chooses to pursue a specific corporate project management training, it is advisable to plan for additional trainings in the future. This journey of learning should be continuous, as there are always numerous opportunities available for personal and professional growth.
While technical project management training is beneficial for anyone, it is particularly well-suited for project managers, team leaders, and other individuals in managerial positions. However, these trainings also offer significant advantages to professionals in various other roles such as engineers, scientists, business analysts, and R&D professionals. Enterprise project management training programs can greatly benefit individuals in these positions as well.
Taking the initiative to pursue certification is a commendable endeavor. Once you have made the decision to undergo corporate project management training, it would be advantageous to invest additional effort in preparing for certification. Pursuing technical certification offers numerous benefits. Firstly, it enhances your professional credibility. Including a few earned certifications on your CV will distinguish it from others and make it more appealing to potential employers. Additionally, certification serves as tangible evidence of your abilities, providing employers with assurance that you have acquired the necessary skills and successfully passed the certification examination. Moreover, earning technical certifications contributes to the enhancement of your self-image and reputation among friends, family, and peers. Furthermore, technical certification opens doors to career opportunities, salary increases, and promotions.
Training in Enterprise Project Management Tools
Organizations utilize various project management tools and software applications, such as MS Project, MS Excel, Jira, and PPM. It is imperative for employees who utilize these tools to possess knowledge and proficiency in their usage. Consequently, organizations design and implement enterprise project management training programs to educate and train their employees on these tools.
Different industries employ different project management tools and software applications, often necessitating their use to effectively meet project management requirements. For example, within the construction industry, the scheduling of hundreds or even thousands of project activities is an essential task. Attempting to schedule these activities using word processing applications, such as Microsoft Word, would prove to be an insurmountable challenge. To address this need, organizations rely on various software applications, including Oracle Primavera and Microsoft Project.
These scheduling software applications not only facilitate the scheduling of activities, but also enable the planning, monitoring, and reporting of project resources, costs, and activities. When working on a project, adherence to fixed data and budget constraints is crucial. Without the utilization of such applications, effective project planning, execution, and control would be unattainable.
Corporate project management training plays a vital role in enhancing project scheduling capabilities. Specifically, training in Oracle Primavera equips individuals with the skills necessary to create projects and develop comprehensive work breakdown structures. Additionally, participants will learn how to establish relationships between activities and incorporate lag and lead times. The training program will also extensively cover resource planning, including optimization techniques and resource leveling for over-allocated resources. Furthermore, participants will be provided with valuable tips and tricks for creating realistic, cost-effective, and optimized projects.
Moving forward, it is imperative to note that the Information Technology (IT) industry also requires the use of tools and applications. In particular, IT organizations face significant challenges in delivering software products without the necessary tools for software development. Fortunately, there are numerous software applications available in the market that aid in software designing, development, testing, and transition. To effectively utilize these tools and software applications, IT teams require enterprise project management training programs to equip themselves with the necessary knowledge. Without such training, achieving IT project objectives becomes exceedingly difficult.
Commonly used software applications and tools in software houses include Jira, Github, Docker, Linx, Atom, and many others. These applications automate IT team work, create data repositories, and facilitate data sharing. For instance, Jira software application aids IT teams in bug tracking, issue tracking, and project management. When a software tester identifies a bug in the software, they create a ticket on Jira and assign it to the relevant person. The person receives a notification and begins working on the task. The ticket creator can track the status of their ticket. Enterprise project management training enables Jira users to understand the software and maximize its potential.
Similarly, all other industries, including Civil, Mechanical, and Oil & Gas, also require the utilization of various project management tools or software applications to facilitate their daily tasks efficiently. However, it is important to note that these tools or applications cannot be immediately installed and used without prior training. Consequently, organizations arrange corporate project management training programs for their employees, which encompass the training of such software applications and tools. This is because organizations recognize the indispensability of these resources in project execution and are willing to invest in training programs accordingly.
By investing in software and tools training for their employees, organizations are aware that they will subsequently witness enhanced organization and productivity among their workforce. Therefore, training programs prove beneficial for both the trainees and the organizations. To achieve optimal outcomes, organizations must evaluate the training needs of their employees, establish training objectives, and regularly arrange software applications and tools training. While enterprise project management tools training programs are commonly conducted in-house, they can also be organized externally or online.
Summary
Every business should always allocate financial resources for the development and growth of its resources. As the employees are the driving force of the business, it is essential for them to attend regular corporate project management training. Many employers view this as a burden and hesitate to spend money on such training programs. However, it is important to look beyond the initial cost and consider the long-term benefits that come from investing in employee training.
Some organizations choose to hire additional resources in order to expedite or improve project outcomes. However, they fail to realize that by providing training to their existing employees, they can enhance productivity and performance. When employees gain new knowledge and skills, it directly contributes to the growth of the business. Additionally, technical projects have their own unique requirements and challenges that necessitate a technical mindset. Possessing technical project management knowledge enables individuals to effectively handle the technical aspects of a project without becoming overwhelmed. They are equipped to address technical challenges as they arise, leading to more efficient work practices and reduced friction within the team. This ultimately results in fewer issues and conflicts, leading to a more productive work environment.
By investing in the knowledge and skills of employees, businesses can expect them to bring more value to the table. Furthermore, employees who are knowledgeable and skilled are likely to encounter fewer issues and deliver more productive results.
Moreover, corporate project management training serves as a means to expose weaknesses in the resources of an organization. This training enables the identification of such weaknesses and provides an opportunity for resources to improve upon them. Consequently, better performances are achieved within the business. Additionally, trained resources facilitate the identification of improvement opportunities within the organization, which can be captured and leveraged for the benefit of the business.
Regularly involving employees in enterprise project management training is crucial for keeping up with industry developments. Given the constant changes in markets and industries, businesses must continuously develop themselves to avoid being left behind. Furthermore, changes in government policies and organizational laws also necessitate the need for enterprise project management training to ensure that employees remain up to date.