Fundamentals of Technology Project Management (Paperback)

~ (Author), Erika McCulloch (Author) "A project without a project manager is like an orchestra without a conductor..." (more)
Key Phrases: customer support guide, project closure meeting, client acceptance criteria, Daryl Johnson, Project Proposal, Paulette Green (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Designed to provide college students, software engineers, and IT professionals with an understanding of the fundamentals of project management in the technology/IT field, this book provides a practical introduction to project management. Examples and case studies are based on technology projects, and there are sample documents that can be used as templates for all phases of the project-from the initial RFP to closing reports and different meeting agendas, status reports, cost analysis, and technical specifications. The included CD-ROM provides document templates as well as PowerPoint slides that can be modified and used for reporting progress to users and management.

About the Author

Colleen Garton has worked in project management positions for successful technology and financial services companies such as LPL Financial and Intuit Inc., and has owned and operated two management and technical consulting companies. She lives in San Diego, California. Erika McCulloch is a former project manager for technology services and distribution companies such as IBM and Ingram Micro. She is currently working as a consultant and teaching industry-specific business practices and project management courses at California high schools. She lives in Oceanside, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 495 pages
• Publisher: Mc Press (January 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1583470530
• ISBN-13: 978-1583470534
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #66,622 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

72 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most comprehensive and easy to read PM book ever!, March 3, 2005

By	Jules (San Antonio, TX) - See all my reviews

I love this book!! I have read quite a few PM books over the past few years. This is the first one that I have really been able to use to quickly increase my knowledge and understanding of project management. I use this book on a day to day basis to help me in my job. The document templates are outstanding. What a difference it has made to my project to be able to use these and feel confident that I have all my bases covered. A lot of the documents I had never created before as I was not really sure what information needed to be in them. These templates are great and make it really easy to ensure that your project is fully documented. I found other PM books lacking in information on "how" to implement the processes needed. Most them just tell you what you need to do and often do not cover the whole process from start to finish and leave some areas completely unaccounted for. This book however, tells me what needs to be done and then goes on to explain in detail how to do it. The book leaves no stone unturned. Every single step in the process is covered including the people aspect of project management. The examples are great - they have helped me to understand where I have been going wrong and with just a few adjustments to my management style, my projects are running more smoothly and my team is much happier! What I especially liked about this book is that the authors understand that no matter how well you plan, things will always go wrong. They give practical advice on how to track the health of your project and how to plan for the unplanned. The authors also understand that you need to know about other areas of the business in order to effectively manage and coordinate with other departments. The information on QA was invaluable to me. I had never fully understood the difference between white box and black box testing nor really understood what the QA manager meant when he talked about regression testing and acceptance testing. It was all just jargon to me. The concise and informative overview of how QA works has enabled me to have intelligent dialogue with the QA manager about testing without feeling intimidated or confused. I wish this book had been available when I started my first PM job - I would have done a much better job!! Since reading this book, I feel myself changing from a reactive project manager into a proactive project manager and it is truly amazing how much difference that makes. I feel calmer and less stressed about my project and don't panic when things go wrong. This book is very easy to read and has just the right amount of humor and real world examples to keep it really interesting. It is must have for any Technology Project Manager whether just starting out or a more seasoned PM like myself.

20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best roadmap ever created for technology projects!, March 9, 2005

By	Dora L. Wood (California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have always wondered about how to effectively manage an IT project. I have experience on managing projects but as I needed to expand my horizons in regards to IT projects, this book allowed me to become very familiar with this process.

I particularly liked the section on how to be an effective leader of a project. Very insightful and useful book! I recommend it to anyone who has to lead a technology related project!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for Beginners, February 28, 2007

By	Patsy R. Caldwell "Computer Forensics in Big D" (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have taken on a new task as a Program Manager so this book was excellent. It really laid out the processes and what you need to be an effective Project Manager. If you're new to technical PM, this is great. If you've got the experience, this book may not be for you. The CD that came with the book is full of great templates! The author made some very interesting points and is just a good book all around.