Carrying on looking at some of the challenging factors to effective project management today we look at the particular organisational structure that project style work is set in and how that impacts on the project. 

The organisational structure the project is expected to operate in can adversely affect the outcome of a project. Traditional functional structured organisations attempting to respond to the increasingly complex business environment are introducing formal project methodologies and forming what is known as Matrix structures. Thirty & Deguire (2007, p. 655) supports this by suggesting that there is a tendency for organisations to try to “force-fit” the ideas of project management to existing structures in lieu of “looking for ways to adapt the organisation to the project-based approach”.

Over the next few weeks I thought I would discuss and post some blog post into some of the challenges in effectively managing projects. While in particular I myself work in managing IT and Web related projects but many of the ideas I would like to bring up I think apply across the board for project management in many sectors.

I am finding myself filling the role of project manager with my clients more and more, and the following blog posts come from a study of project management through Massey University I completed last year.

Each blog post (of which there will be 7 including this one) will outline, discuss and provide references to further reading.

The new year has kicked in with some vigor already. 

I sat down to do a mind map of all the business opportunities coming up in the next few months and the result resembled some sort of spider web very quickly.
Surfice to say I need to sit down and look at all the pros and cons of each opportunity focusing on ones that are in-line with my core values and my approach to business.

With all this work going on I have decided to start each and everyday by doing something creative and give my brain that morning positive boost to keep me going through the day.

I have taken up.... Origami... the Japanese art of paper folding.

Merry Xmas and Happy New Years to everyone I have worked with over the past year... I love my work and solving your business problems and applying great technlogy to do so!

A video tutorial going through the basic setup and getting the APES (Automated Provision for Email Services) on SilverStripe CMS up and running.
APES is a module that sync's your SilverStripe Member information up to mail services ready to send out newsletters.

It will help you sync your Member information in SilverStripe CMS with your email newsletter lists (MailChimp only at present) for eMarketing and Membership newsletter needs.

*Available in HD if you view through the Vimeo site too!

Just a little commentary on getting IP based content to New Zealand and our ultra-fast broadband uptake.

On the 27th Oct 2011 I presented my casestudy of a recent project that was built with SilverSripe CMS for the New Zealand Young Professionals Network.
The slides and keynote video are now available below and a video of the  Q & A session will be coming next week. Thanks to the SilverStripe Meetup organisers.

*UPDATE: APES now supports a new email service, GetResponse.com... more to add in the new year!

Just finished reading this article from stuff.co.nz: http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/5767608/Ready-for-movies-in-the-cloud

Seems the TV and Movie industry is finally recognising they actually need to do something along the line of providing a proper business model around the issues of digital content delivery. Especially after the controversial "sky-net" laws passed here in New Zealand recently.

Man, what a busy weekend when you need to be operating in US time zones and you live in New Zealand! Product launch ended up working out at about 3am NZ time on Saturday morning... needless to say my weekend was non-existent but I have time-shifted it to the start of this week.

I was busy working in with a joint venture between to companies here in New Zealand that managed to pull together an amazing bundle of the web's premium online guitar and singing lessons.

My role was to provide IT support, payment system integration and fulfillment services while working in with all the bundle partners to make sure we could deliver their products. If you want to check out the websites there are links below and product banners on my blog to click through to them.

Pretty much this bundle deal is an asspiring singer/songwriters dream set of products to help them on their way up and adds to the ever popular "bundle offering" that seem to be happening more and more at the moment as a way to offer excellent value to customers and get product creators working together.