To compete in the future, project management professionals will need to “connect the dots” between projects, project management practices, and their company’s business practices. In short, they must develop their business-savvy in addition to their technical savvy. In this informative, content-intensive seminar, Gary Heerkens provides participants with a considerable head start on the path to enhancing their project-related business-savvy.

Mr. Heerkens begins by defining how (and why) project management is steadily evolving from a technically-focused discipline to a business-focused discipline. Participants will receive a “road map” they can use to chart the course to becoming business-savvy, and be asked to consider how they can put the map’s key competencies into practice.

Participants then “roll up their sleeves”, joining Mr. Heerkens in a comprehensive study (including practice on their own laptops!) of five critical business-centric analytical techniques: (1) project financial analysis (ROI calculations); (2) ROI-based sensitivity analysis; (3) ROI-based scope change analysis; (4) business case preparation; and (5) project portfolio evaulation and ranking. In his signature “how to” style, Mr. Heerkens walks participants through the proper execution of all five techniques, step-by-step.

As an added bonus, participants will receive four valuable takeaways:

• A copy of “The Business-Savvy Project Management Learning Map”
• Spreadsheets that automate the process of making project ROI calculations
• A template for ranking projects within a portfolio
• A template (and guidelines) for preparing a comprehensive project business case

A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) areas covered:
Project Integration Management, Project Scope Management, Project Cost Management, Project Quality Management, Project Communication Management and Project Risk Management.

Who should attend?
Project Managers, Program Managers, PMO Directors, Portfolio Managers, Project Directors, Strategic Managers, Business Unit Managers, IS/IT Managers, Functional Department Managers, Project Coordinators, Project Team Leaders, Key Project Team Members.

What will my seminar experience cover?

Module 1: Foundations of Business-Savvy Project Management 

• Redefining project management as a business function
• Charting a course to becoming “business-savvy”
• Core knowledge: a sampling
• project finance and accounting
• organizational management
• cost management

Module 2: Project Economics

• Overview (project cost versus benefit analysis & ROI revealed)
• Foundational principles (time value of money & NPV revealed)
• Preparing project cash flow analysis using different models
• Performing a comprehensive project financial analysis
• Case Study, Part I: Project Financial Analysis: The F-21 Project

Module 3: Applying Risk Analysis to Project Economics

• Sources of business uncertainty
• Performing a sensitivity analysis
• Displaying risk analysis outputs
• Case Study, Part II: Performing a Project Sensitivity Analysis 

Module 4. Related Issues and Practical Applications

• Understanding the effects of budget overruns and project delays
• Examining quality from a business perspective
• The expected value of information
• Tracking and measuring actual project benefits after project completion
• Scope changes, piggybacking, and project economics
• Case Study, Part III: Dealing With Scope Change From a Business Perspective

Module 5. The Project Business Case Process

• Business case vs. business plan
  What is a business case?
• Benefits of the business case approach
• Key players in business case preparation
• Recommended business case structure
• Case Study, Part IV: Evaluating a Business Case You’ve Been Handed

Module 6. Project Portfolio Management (PPM)

• Understanding project portfolio management
• Establishing a framework for PPM
• Administering the PPM cycle
• Maintaining the portfolio
• Case Study, Part V: Preparing and Presenting a Portfolio Analysis to Business Unit Executives

WRAPUP: Implementing a Business-Savvy Approach to Projects

How will I benefit?
Develop and enhance the contributions you make to your organization by being able to:

• Appreciate the interface and interaction between the business world and the project world
• Anticipate what organizations should expect from projects in terms of business results
• Prepare a self-development road map for becoming project business-savvy
• Calculate key “return on investment” metrics for projects
• Perform a financially-based project sensitivity analysis
• Deal with scope creep and scope changes from a business perspective
• Prepare a comprehensive business case document
• Work with other organizations (such as Business Units) to construct project portfolios

Valuable Takeaways:
A template for delivering a stand-up business case presentation to executives

Reference Book:
Seminar includes the book “The Business Savvy Project Manager” by Gary R Heerkens, PMP, CPM, CBM, CIPA, PE, MBA

What instructional materials will be used?
Lectures, group discussions, individual case study exercises, and team exercises.