Customer Reviews

The Memory Jogger Plus + Featuring the Seven Management and Planning Tools

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The 7 Management & Planning tools that are featured in this book have been around for a while. The author puts them all together in one book with some handy removable cards that act as 'cheat sheets' to using these tools so you don't have to carry the book around with you.

The tools presented in this book are -

1. Affinity Diagram - used when you are trying to find the most important factors from a large number of ideas, opinions, and issues.
2. Interrelationship Diagraph - used when you are trying to find the cause and effect relationships in your data by using graphical techniques.
3. Tree Diagram - used to get from a high level to a low level detail (goals to tasks).
4. Prioritization Matrices - used when you are trying to prioritize tasks, issues or options based on weighted criteria.
5. Matrix Diagram - used when you are trying to map between two sets of information (example - sets of current and future processes).
6. Process Decision Program Chart (PDPC) - excellent risk management tool.
7. Activity Network Diagram - most often used as an activity sequencing tool.

You will see these tools mentioned in various Project Management books because they are very effective as planning tools. Time does not seem to diminish their value for this purpose. They are very handy planning tools that can be used alone or in combination depending on the type of situation you are in. Originally, the people working in the Quality departments of large organizations used these tools more than anyone else. But in the present, every project manager needs to know at least some of these tools.

In about 300 pages, the author goes into great detail about the purpose of each of these tools and how to use them with examples. There are also a couple of chapters on the requirements at the personal and organization level necessary for the usage of these tools to be most effective.

Bottom line, this book is most useful for Project Managers or Quality personnel in any industry. The tools don't take much time to master and once you start using them, you WILL be hooked. You may not use all of the tools but you will have your personal favorites depending on the type of industry you are in and the type of problems you face on a daily basis. Enjoy learning the tools and benefiting from their usage!

The test was very helpful and an easy read. Had it with me when I was traveling. Great purchase wand will recommend it to others.

this book was acceptable since it was required for the class. I wasn't excited about the layout, but it is functional.