Horine - Project Management Absolute Beginners Guide, Third Edition

Absolute Beginners Guide

Third Edition

Gregory M. Horine

800 East 96th Street,
Indianapolis, Indiana 46240

Project Management Absolute Beginners Guide, Third Edition

Copyright 2013 by Que Publishing

All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Nor is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

ISBN-13: 978-0-7897-5010-5
ISBN-10: 0-7897-5010-4

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data is on file.

First Printing: October 2012

Editor-in-Chief
Greg Wiegand

Executive Editor
Loretta Yates

Development Editor
Charlotte Kughen

Managing Editor
Sandra Schroeder

Project Editor
Seth Kerney

Indexer
Heather McNeill

Proofreader
Jovana Shirley

Technical Editor
Todd Meister

Publishing Coordinator
Cindy Teeters

Book Designer
Anne Jones

Compositor
Bumpy Design

Trademarks

All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be trademarks or service marks have been appropriately capitalized. Que Publishing cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark.

PMBOK is a registered trademark of the Project Management Institute, Inc.

Warning and Disclaimer

Every effort has been made to make this book as complete and as accurate as possible, but no warranty or fitness is implied. The information provided is on an as is basis. The author and the publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damages arising from the information contained in this.

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Gregory M. Horine is a certified (PMP, CCP) business technology and IT project management professional with more than 23 years of successful results across multiple industries using servant leadership principles. Primary areas of expertise and strength include the following:

Project management and leadership

Complete project lifecycle experience

Regulatory and process compliance

Package implementation and integration

Quality and risk management

Enterprise solution development

Effective use of project management tools

Microsoft Project

Project and portfolio management tools

Complex application development

Data analysis and transformation

Business process analysis and improvement

Vendor and procurement management

Mind mapping tools

In addition, Mr. Horine holds a masters degree in computer science from Ball State University and a bachelors degree in both marketing and computer science from Anderson College (Anderson, Indiana).

Through his servant leadership approach, Mr. Horine has established a track record of empowering his teammates, improving project communications, overcoming technical and political obstacles, and successfully completing projects that meet the targeted objectives.

Mr. Horine is grateful for the guidance and the opportunities that he has received from many mentors throughout his career. Their patience and influence has helped form a rewarding career marked by continuous learning and improvement.

When not engaged in professional endeavors, Mr. Horine hones his project management skills at home with his lovely wife, Mayme, and his five incredible children: Michael, Victoria, Alex, Luke, and Elayna.

This book is dedicated to the students that I constantly visualized in my mind as I developed this bookthe bright and caring family that surround my life, including my wife, parents, siblings, in-laws, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents.

This book is also dedicated to the parents, families, practitioners, and researchers who are diligently fighting to rescue children from autism spectrum and bipolar disorders.

This book is dedicated to my key inspirational sources: my incredible wife, Mayme (I still wake up everyday with a smile in my heart knowing I am married to her), and my fabulous five children: Michael, Victoria, Alex, Luke, and Elayna (each one is a hero to me).

I am grateful for the patience, support, and teamwork demonstrated by the following individuals: my editor, Loretta Yates; the Que Publishing team, my family; and my parents, Carla and Bud.

In addition, I want to acknowledge the talents and professionalism of Mr. Craig Thurmond for his graphical design contributions to this book.

As the reader of this book, you are our most important critic and commentator. We value your opinion and want to know what were doing right, what we could do better, what areas youd like to see us publish in, and any other words of wisdom youre willing to pass our way.

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As organizations continue to move toward project-based management to get more done with fewer resourcesand as the demand for effective project managers continues to growmore and more individuals find themselves with the opportunity to manage projects for the first time.

In an ideal world, every new project manager candidate would complete certified project management training programs and serve as an apprentice before starting his first project manager opportunity, but...this is the real world. In many cases, a quicker, more accessible, and more economical alternative is needed to guide these candidates in managing projects successfully the first time.

The Absolute Beginners Guide to Project Management, Third Edition, is intended to provide this alternative in a helpful, fun, and practical style.

The objectives of this book include the following: