Detailed Course Descriptions...
The following are detail descriptions of each course in PSMJ’s brand-new online learning portal:
1. Today’s Project Manager
Is it really possible to define what it means to be a project manager in today’s high stress business climate?
Yes! For starters, this course drives home the fundamental roles and responsibilities of a project manager. In addition, you’ll learn key points such as:
u Twenty-eight traits of strong project managers. u Nine factors that hold project managers back. u Nine elements to include in PM training programs.
In short, this course lays the groundwork for anybody new to the project manager role and it serves as a good refresher for experienced project managers looking to get back to the basics.
2. Marketing and Proposals
Project managers are so focused on making sure their projects are moving along in a timely fashion that they often see themselves more as managers and facilitators than marketers. This course goes through exactly how the project manager wears the marketing hat and what every project manager needs to know to be a successful marketer. From the key reasons to turn down a project to the difference between good and bad proposals, it is all in this course.
3. The Contract Agreement
Too many projects lack a clear and written understanding between the client and the design professional. This clear understanding will describe the relationship, expectations, and obligations for both sides. In this course, you will learn more than just the basics about contracts. Just some of the concepts you will learn include:
u Eight contract terms that keep projects profitable. u Provisions and terms to avoid.
u Eighteen essential negotiating rules.
Effective risk management starts with a well-built contract and that is the essence of this course.
4. The Project Management Plan
Starting each project with a well-defined plan is important to succeed in any business…but critical in the design industry! But, what exactly is planning? What does an effective project plan look like? These are just some of
the topics covered in this course. To get you moving towards success, this course provides examples of effective project management plans and much more.
5. The Project Schedule
Effective project scheduling is absolutely vital to project success. But, beyond this seemingly obvious statement,
effective scheduling can often be easier said than done. This course takes you through specific scheduling
techniques, such as the Critical Path Method and others. You will learn when to uses these methods and when not to as well as ways to use scheduling to stay out of trouble.
6. The Project Budget
Project budgeting is an area that can often create a great deal of confusion. From price to cost to budgets and estimates, there is a lot to understand. First off, this course articulates why the price (or fees) is not equal to the project budget. Beyond this, you will learn important points such as:
u Value pricing versus cost-based pricing. u Downward budgeting.
u Upward budgeting.
u Common mistakes made in budgeting.
u Four ways that a project manager can raise prices.
The takeaway points from this course include how to build and check a budget as well as how to ensure that your budget can stand up to the “real world” test!
7. Leading the Project Team
Building and managing an effective project team can be one of the most critical factors that will define project
success. This course will begin with the essentials of selecting the project team and then take you through the characteristics of effective teams and how to ensure maximum team productivity. In addition, you will also learn mission-critical points such as what it takes to be an effective leader, why delegation is so important, and how to select and manage design consultants. After completing this course, you’ll understand key takeaway points such as:
u Assigning the right people to the project team. u Motivating each person as an individual. u How to delegate, delegate, delegate!
8. Managing Client Relationships
Doing business in the design industry means that firms deliver a service to clients in exchange for compensation.
Seems simple, but delivering a service is much different from selling a product. Further, in the design industry,
the relationship between the design firm and the client becomes even more critical due to the complexity of the
service and greater degree of involvement that takes place. In this course, you’ll learn why clients defect to your
competitors, five ways to keep a successful client relationship, how to deliver bad news to a client, and much more.
9. Developing Effective Communications
Successful projects thrive on communication and effective communication is a key component in leading project teams and managing client relationships. Real and potential problems arise from misunderstandings caused by ineffective communication. This course will teach you how to master the “two-minute rule” as well as:
u How to conduct project meetings. u Preparing the meeting minutes. u Post-project communications.
No project manager should overlook the importance of effective project communications and this course will ensure that your communication skills are top-notch.
10. The Project Startup
Studies of unsuccessful project indicate that those that start on the wrong foot never recover. From the kick-off meeting to document management and records retention, this course covers why projects often start poorly and how to avoid the most common issues in project start-up.
11. Managing Your Time
Your time is your most valuable personal asset. It’s one of the few things that can’t be purchased. And, by
definition, you only have a limited amount of it. And, for the project manager who is handling multiple fast track
or “need it yesterday” projects, good time management is absolutely critical. This course will cover:
u How to control your time (or someone else will).
u Managing meetings: The meetings most time-consuming activity. u Using “dead time” effectively.
u Managing multiple projects.
In short, this course will get you up to speed on the most effective ways to make the best use of your time.
12. Managing Project Studies and Reports
Many design firms don’t actually end up designing anything in the project. Instead, they provide consulting
services in the form of studies and reports. Accordingly, this course covers:
u Planning the project and defining the scope of work. u Personnel assignment.
u Crisis prevention.
u Will the report pass the Gunning Fog Index© test? u Technical (peer) reviews.
After completing this course, you will understand how to complete the data entry effort, build an annotated report, and why you should never issue any report without conducting a peer review.
13-15. Managing Design and Construction Phases (Parts I, II, and III)
Most design projects are divided into three typical project phases; preliminary design, production design and
bidding, and construction. During each phase the design firm completes the group of tasks identified in the scope
of services and carries out appropriate reviews. This three-part course covers:
u Project management planning guide. u Estimating probable construction costs.
u Each of the three project phases, including the most challenging phase – construction. u Managing green projects.
This course will take you through the common pitfalls and how to avoid them as well as seasoned insight on what you can do to make sure that your next design project makes it through each of the three project phases.
16. Managing Project Quality
In many ways, the concept of design quality is all about expectations. Each part to a contract has some
pre-conceived idea of how to define the quality of a project. If you want to learn…
u How to instill quality from the start of the project.
u The best way to work with firm-wide quality assurance programs. u How to improve project quality.
…and more, then this course is for you. This course also covers the concept of the “smoking gun” that can be a critical legal issue.
17. Managing Project Risks
The process of identifying and managing the various types of project risk has become especially important in today’s business environment. This course will take you through how to effectively identify and manage project risks. In particular, you will learn the key elements of a risk management plan, the golden rules of risk management, the owner’s role in establishing project risk, and more. After completing this course, you will have an understanding of the golden rules of risk management and risk issues that can arise in each project phase.
18. Project Financial Management
Every design firm is in the business of providing professional consulting services to its clients. However, to be successful, the firm’s projects must be profitable. Every project manager needs to understand the financial
implications of project management from timely invoicing to managing project write-offs. In this course, you will
learn the project manager’s financial responsibilities including:
u Thirteen ways to make sure you collect your fees. u Fee adjustment and change control.
u The basics of accounting and financial management. u Project write-offs.
u Key financial performance ratios.
This course also covers fourteen ways that you, as a project manager, can generate cash today!
19. Project Management and Design Technology
No one would question that technology has had a major impact on the design industry and design technologies continue to evolve at an exponential rate. In this course, you will learn about:
u The basic concepts of technology systems. u The rise of Building Information Modeling (BIM). u Selecting and testing software.
u The latest project communication tools. u Project websites.
After completing this course, you will understand how the project manager can use technology to successfully complete the project.
20. Monitoring and Controlling the Project
With respect to the project manager, this may very well be the most important course in this program. Managing and controlling the project rests solidly on the shoulders of the project manager. In this course, we focus on the techniques that the project manager can use to determine the current status of the project, evaluate variances to both schedule and budget, and implement the critical aspects of change control. Here’s what you’ll learn:
u The Integrated Budget & Schedule Method. u Tracking budgets for small jobs.
u The power of analyzing schedule and budget trends. u Twenty ways to overcome problems on your project. u Seven ways that you can get paid for project changes.
21. Project Closeout
Visit any design firm and you’ll hear the same comments “We can’t seem to finish the projects – they drag on forever.” So, how do you attack the project closeout? In this course, you will learn about that interminable 10%, project completion analysis, knowledge management, and final project actions.
22. Alternative Project Delivery Methods
Design-bid-build may still be the dominant method of project delivery, but its popularity is in decline. An
evolution, not revolution is taking place in the A/E/C industry. This course will take you through the pros and cons of a wide range of project delivery methods and the keys to success (and failure) in each of these methods.
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ABOUT PSMJ
Established in 1974, PSMJ Resources, Inc. is the world’s leading authority on the effective management of
architecture, engineering, and construction firms. With offices in the United States, the United Kingdom and
Australia, PSMJ offers over 150 titles in book, audio, and video format. We also publish three monthly periodicals and deliver hundreds of seminars, roundtables, conferences, webinars, and in-house training sessions every year for A/E/C professionals around the world. In addition to mergers and acquisitions, PSMJ’s sought-after consulting expertise covers a range of critical business areas such as strategic planning, project management, valuation, and succession planning.
