Management and Careers

Project Management Topic Center

Trends, in-depth analysis and more about how to successfully run IT projects

California's $500M state pension software system wracked by backlogs

An expensive and long-troubled software program for California's pension system that went live last year has stumbled out of the gate, with some areas of service dealing with significant backlogs, according to a report released by officials at the California Public Employees' Retirement System.
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Citrix buys Podio for social collaboration, project management software

Citrix said Wednesday it has acquired Podio, maker of a cloud-based software platform for project management and collaboration. Terms were not disclosed.

How to Avoid the Perils of Virtualization and Cloud Stall

Virtualization and cloud computing offer the promise of cost savings, efficiency and flexibility, but organizations must plan their transitions carefully or risk finding themselves stuck with a bundle of sunk costs and no path forward.

Watchdog agency report shows beleaguered state of US military software projects

Public-sector ERP (enterprise resource planning) software projects historically have experienced some of the industry's most dramatic cost overruns and delays, a fact that a new report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office brings into sharp relief.

10 hard truths for software developers

On most days, programming is a rewarding experience, with no problem too challenging to solve. Perseverance, intuition, the right tool -- they all come together seamlessly to produce elegant, beautiful code.

What IT managers say to get the CIO's OK

When data center and facility managers meet with the CIO about new equipment, the conversations are rarely easy. The equipment they seek is often expensive, in the six- or seven-figure range, and justifying the expense can be challenging.

FinancialForce.com rolls out enhanced accounting, services applications

FinancialForce.com announced a string of enhancements to its cloud-based applications for accounting and professional services automation on Wednesday, heating up its rivalry with the likes of NetSuite and its OpenAir division.

Microsoft Visual Studio 11 embraces DevOps

Sensing the growing interest in DevOps, Microsoft will incorporate a number of new tools in its next edition of Visual Studio that will allow developers to work more closely with operations personnel.

Auditor: Big Aussie SAP project behind schedule, over budget

A major SAP ERP (enterprise resource planning) software project being conducted by the New South Wales Department of Education and Communities has hit a rocky patch, with projected costs for the first phase ballooning from A$153 million (US$157 million) to A$210 million (US$215 million), according to a new report by the Australian state's auditor.

Intacct goes for ERP trifecta with Salesforce.com, Clarizen

Intacct is hoping to build on its stake in the cloud ERP (enterprise resource planning) market via a three-way integration with Salesforce.com's CRM (customer relationship management) application and project management software from Clarizen.

The Grill: TASC CIO Barbie Bigelow

CIO Barbie Bigelow led the effort to build an IT organization and infrastructure from scratch when the TASC systems engineering operation was spun off from Northrop Grumman. Her team completed the cutover in just under 12 months.

Paul Glen: We techies can put users on edge

When we hear a good idea, we often start to explore its edges until we find an exception that we then just have to blurt out. Surprise! Users hate that. Insider (registration required)

Career advice: Careers in the cloud

P100 IT Leader Allan Hackney also has advice on abandoning IT, résumé writing and more.

Turning Long Demands Into a Short List

IT is under pressure to get more agile in its delivery methods and pursue flexible prioritization strategies to work with, not against, the burgeoning needs of the business.

One CIO's Answer for Improving Healthcare IT

How Yale New Haven Health's CIO tackled integrating three IT systems into one while keeping customer care front and center

Governance at the speed of change

The right approach to governance -- using real-time metrics -- can enable more reliable applications, more agile IT, more satisfied business owners and, ultimately, happier customers. Insider (registration required)

Life with a large cloud: Lessons learned

IT leaders who already manage large clouds have advice for those just getting started. Here's one of the most important tips: Don't forget the training and personnel issues.

Is Your Cloud Project Ready to be Agile?

Agile development and the cloud are like hand in glove. But Agile can be dangerous if your organization isn't ready for it. Here are some questions you need to consider to determine if your IT organization is seriously ready to implement Agile.

Prioritizing tech projects: How managers make a short list of long demands

IT is under pressure to get more agile in its delivery methods and pursue flexible prioritization strategies to work with, not against, the burgeoning needs of business.

Paul Glen: The 'Low Affect' Effect

Business people expect their colleagues to express enthusiasm openly, and they don't recognize hard work as an expression of commitment to their goals.