Cost of Poor Quality - Are you ready for a treasure hunt?

Quality is an integral function of projects these days. At a conceptual level, it is really simple. You are supposed to ensure "conformance to requirements". Going by the simplistic representation in the project management triangle, controlling scope, schedule and cost will lead to the expected quality. But we hardly live in an ideal world and every project manager is aware of the complexities involved in balancing the triple constraint. A full understanding of the "cost of quality" is therefore essential to make the right decisions.

Cost of quality is not just the cost associated with the maintenance of quality or ensuring the "conformance to requirements" as the words would imply, but also the costs incurred because the product or service was not done right first time. Philip Crosby refers to this as cost of good quality and cost of poor quality respectively in his book "Quality is Free".

Some of these costs are more obvious and visible like rejections at customer site, rework, repair costs etc. They represent only tip of the iceberg. Many of the other costs of quality are hidden below the surface of the water in the iceberg and are difficult to identify by formal measurement systems.

Project managers while doing the great balancing act need to be aware of these as well and take them into consideration. Many of these create conflicting situations where one needs to be sacrificed for the other. e.g. In order to avoid late penalties because of missing the planned schedule, employees could be requested to work overtime. However the cost of working overtime needs to be weighed against the late penalties. If the cost is higher, financially it would not make much sense to call for the overtime but considering additional aspects like further delay in project and/or customer dissatisfaction, decision could be made to work overtime regardless of it being higher cost.

It is practically impossible to discover all the hidden factors or take them into consideration while making decisions; but the Pareto principle can be of use here. Project managers need to find the 20% that impact the 80%. Projects are unique by nature. So these high impact items will vary from one project to another.

Most of these 20% are unlikely to be on the tip of the iceberg. They are deep down there in the water. It is important to dive deep and dig beneath the iceberg to discover the real hidden problems. Once the real problems are discovered, handling them is a less complicated affair. Fixing some of them yields savings that were unthinkable - like unearthing a hidden treasure. Of course not all problems can be fixed but the awareness helps to address them minimizing the impact to the best possible.

Source

The iPhone 5 Might Look Like This [PICS]

Sebelum masuk ke area tulisan, saya bilang keren banget..... kapan bisa beli yah :d

The iPhone 5 is rumored to be coming later this year, with an official announcement expected in June around Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC).

Based on some of the latest rumors regarding the phone and what we can expect, one artist, Jon Fawcett, created some concept pictures of what he thinks Apple’s newest iPhone will look like when it hits store shelves.

Rumor has it that the next version of the iPhone will be made of LiquidMetal. A mix of several different metals, LiquidMetal could allow the phone to be more durable. Light like plastic but durable like aluminum, it would also allow the phone to weigh less and have a thinner profile.
SEE ALSO: New iPhone: Tantilizing Details Revealed

Measuring at 4.14″ x 2.25″, Fawcett’s concept phone is just 7mm thick and has a 4-inch widescreen multitouch display. The phone has a 10-megapixel rear-facing camera, 5-megapixel forward-facing cam for video chatting, and quad speakers for listening to tunes or watching videos in both portrait and landscape mode.

Fawcett isn’t affiliated with Apple in any way, and doesn’t really know what the newest version of the phone will look like — the pictures, however, are pretty impressive and can offer a glimpse at what might potentially be in store for us later this year.
SEE ALSO: Apple Still Undecided on Final iPhone 5 Design?

Beyond aesthetics, the newest iPhone is also rumored to have updated specs under the hood, including a faster processor and NFC capabilities.

Check out the gallery below for a look at the concept iPhone 5. Do you think Apple’s next iPhone will look like this?

source : http://mashable.com/2012/05/13/iphone-5-concept/#63827LiquidMetal-iPhone-5-Concept

Sedang Mencari Pekerjaan Di Lampung

Dear Pembaca Setia Blog Saya,

Dengan ini saya memberitahukan bahwa keinginan saya untuk pindah ke lampung adalah bulat, dikarenakan alasa keluarga semua ada di lampung, istri juga di lampung. Jika ada perusahaan yang berminat meminang saya, dengan senang hati saya buka selebar-lebarnya. Baik yang ada di lampung maupun ada pekerjaan di lampung.

Syarat dan ketentuan berlaku :
1. Saya Agung Budi Prasetio, ST, M.Eng
2. Lulusan Universitas Gadjah Mada, Magister Teknologi Informasi
3. Lulus dengan IPK 3.39
4. Kualifikasi yang saya miliki bisa di katakan komplit, mulai dari sistem informasi, infrastruktur, management project dll.

tactics of IT outsourcing companies

IT service providers are big on talk of innovation these days except when it comes to their own sales practices. It seems as if many vendor sales teams have been pulling from the same bag of frustrating and ineffective tricks to try to win deals since the dawn of IT outsourcing.



We narrowed the long list of the offending outsourcing sales techniques to the ten least-effective and often-offered suggestions for how IT service providers can reshape their peddling processes for the benefit of their potential customers and themselves.



1. Can You Hear Me Now? Some outsourcing sales folk have a knack for selective listening. "Customers have specific requirements, needs and objectives that they expect to accomplish through outsourcing," says Marc Tanowitz, prinicipal with outsourcing consultancy Pace Harmon.

"However, we frequently see [outsourcers] packaging services based solely on their own business needs and approaches." It's the most common customer complaint about outsourcing sales, says Ron Walker, principal for KPMG Advisory Services.

Michael Engle, managing partner at outsourcing consultancy HfS Consulting, calls it the "hammer looking for a nail" technique: "They simply bend the client's needs to better fit their [own] proposed solution, and then delude themselves into thinking they have a winner."

Alternative for IT service providers: Take time to listen to customer needs before launching into a standard pitch. "This approach enables providers to align better with what customers are actually looking for and to present solutions in the way that is most meaningful to them," says Tanowitz.



2. A Little Knowledge Is a Dangerous Thing Then you have the salesperson who does just enough research to do real damage. "It is always interesting to watch a sales team that is smart enough to know what not to do, but not quite adept enough to know what to do instead," says HfS Consulting's Engel. "They come into a meeting loaded-for-bear, then just start blasting away: How will this impact your EBITDA? What is your current Premium-to-Loss ratio? Will this model be accretive to your business? All good questions when asked in the right context, but not as the lead punches in mid-level room."

Alternative for IT service providers: Put sales on mute. "Salespeople play a critical role in any pursuit, but they should be seen and not heard," says Esteban Herrera, COO of outsourcing analyst firm HfS Research. "Clients want to speak with subject matter experts."



3. Death By a Thousand Slides If you've ever sat in on a sales call, you might wonder whether commissions were based on size of PowerPoint presentations. But these electronic one-way conversations do little to further the outsourcing pursuit.

Alternative for IT service providers: Ditch the preso. "Clients are so used to slides that what will stick out in their mind the most is someone who came to have a conversation with them, not talk atthem," says Herrera. "You know all your competitors are going to attempt PowerPoint murder, so why not stand out in the crowd?"



source : http://www.networksasia.net/

Kompetensi yang harus di miliki Project Manager

Seorang manager proyek merupakan seorang professional dalam bidang manajemen proyek. Manajer proyek memiliki tanggung jawab untuk melakukan perencanaan, pelaksanaan dan penutupan sebuah proyek yang biasanya berkaitan dengan bidang industri kontruksi, arsitektur, telekomunikasi dan informasi teknologi. Untuk menghasilkan kinerja yang baik, sebuah proyek harus dimanage dengan baik oleh manajer proyek yang berkualitas baik serta memiliki kompetensi yang disyaratkan. Lalu apa saja kompetensi yang dimaksud?

Seorang manajer proyek yang baik harus memiliki kompetensi yang mencakup unsur ilmu pengetahuan (knowledge), kemampuan (skill) dan sikap (attitude). Ketiga unsur ini merupakan salah satu faktor penting dalam menentukan keberhasilan proyek. Sebuah proyek akan dinyatakan berhasil apabila proyek dapat diselesaikan sesuai dengan waktu, ruang lingkup dan biaya yang telah direncanakan. Manajer proyek merupakan individu yang paling menentukan keberhasilan / kegalan proyek. Karena dalam hal ini manajer proyek adalah orang yang memegang peranan penting dalam mengintegrasikan, mengkoordinasikan semua sumber daya yang dimiliki dan bertanggung jawab sepenuhnya atas kenberhasilan dalam pencapaian sasaran proyek.

Untuk menjadi manajer proyek yang baik, terdapat 9 ilmu yang harus dikuasai. Adapun ke sembilan ilmu yang dimaksud antara lain :

1.      Manajemen Ruang Lingkup

2.      Manajemen Waktu

3.      Manajemen Biaya

4.      Manajemen Kualitas

5.      Manajemen Sumber Daya Manusia

6.      Manajemen Pengadaan

7.      Manajemen Komunikasi

8.      Manajemen Resiko

9.      Manajemen Integrasi

Seorang manajer proyek yang baik juga harus mempersiapkan dan melengkapi kemampuan diri sendiri yang bisa diperoleh melalui kursus manajemen proyek. Adapun panduan referensi standart internasional yang kerap dipergunakan dalam bidang manajemen proyek adalam PMBOK (Project Management Body Of Knowledge). Setelah seorang manajer proyek dirasa cukup menguasai bidang pekerjaan yang sedang dijalani, maka disarankan untuk dapat mengambil sertifikasi manajemen proyek. Mereka yang berhasil mendapatkan sertifikasi ini akan memperoleh gelar PMP (Project Management Professional) dibelakang namanya sebagai bukti dimilikinya kemampuan terkait.

Silahkan menilai diri masing-masing, apakah anda sudah memenuhinya?

Memproyeksi Manajemen Waktu dalam Project

Manajemen waktu proyek merupakan salah satu kompetensi yang harus dimiliki oleh seorang manajer proyek. Manajemen waktu proyek dibutuhkan manajer proyek untuk memantau dan mengendalikan waktu yang dihabiskan dalam menyelesaikan sebuah proyek. Dengan menerapkan manajemen waktu proyek, seorang manajer proyek dapat mengontrol jumlah waktu yang dibutuhkan oleh tim proyek untuk membangun deliverables proyek sehingga memperbesar kemungkinan sebuah proyek dapat diselesaikan sesuai dengan jadwal yang telah ditentukan.

Terdapat beberapa proses yang perlu dilakukankan seorang manajer proyek dalam mengendalikan waktu proyek yaitu :

1.      Mendefinisikan aktivitas proyek.

Merupakan sebuah proses untuk mendefinisikan setiap aktivitas yang dibutuhkan untuk mencapai tujuan proyek.

2.      Urutan aktivitas proyek.

Proses ini bertujuan untuk mengidentifikasi dan mendokumentasikan hubungan antara tiap-tiap aktivitas proyek.

3.      Estimasi aktivitas sumber daya proyek.

Estimasi aktivitas sumber daya proyek bertujuan untuk melakukan estimasi terhadap penggunaan sumber daya proyek.

4.      Estimasi durasi kegiatan proyek.

Proses ini diperlukan untuk menentukan berapa lama waktu yang dibutuhkan untuk mencapai tujuan proyek.

5.      Membuat jadwal proyek.

Setelah seluruh aktivitas, waktu dan sumber daya proyek terdefinisi dengan jelas, maka seorang manager proyek akan membuat jadwal proyek. Jadwal proyek ini nantinya dapat digunakan untu menggambarkan secara rinci mengenai seluruh aktivitas proyek dari awal pengerjaan proyek hingga proyek diselesaikan.

6.      Mengontrol dan mengendalikan jadwal proyek.

Saat kegiatan proyek mulai berjalan, maka pengendalian dan pengontrolan jadwal proyek perlu dilakukan. Hal ini diperlukan untuk memastikan apakah kegiatan proyek berjalan sesuai dengan yang telah direncanakan atau tidak.

Setiap proses diatas setidaknya terjadi sekali dalam setiap proyek dan dalam satu atau lebih tahapan proyek.

Semoga sukses Guys

Best Practice Frameworks

Best Practice is a management idea which asserts that there is a technique, method, process, activity, incentive or reward that is more effective at delivering a particular outcome than any other technique, method, process, etc. The idea is that the appropriate processes, controls and testing, a desired result can be delivered with fewer problems and unforeseen complications. Best practices can also be defined as the most efficient (less effort) and effective (best results) way of accomplishing a task based on repeatable procedures that have proven themselves over time for many people .
Casewise has built a unique library of best practices frameworks, which are highly valued by many organizations and companies strongly recognized by leading analyst. Theses frames have been designed specifically to help accelerate your organizational operations and projects easily and efficiently.

APQC: FrameworkSM Classification Process (FCP)
The PCF is the world under the most widely used process and enables organizations to speak a common language on the functions, processes and activities independent of the structure. Updated annually, the PCF is organized into 12 distinct categories, five categories of operating areas and seven support areas. Each category contains groups of processes and activities which, when considered together, represent the operations of an organization.
COBIT
COBIT is an IT governance framework and tools that allows managers to bridge the gap between control requirements, technical issues and business risks. The framework allows the development of clear policies and good practice for IT control organizations.

eTOM
The TM Forum NGOSS (Next Generation Operations Systems and Software) Business Process Framework is represented by the improved operating Telecom ® Map, also known as eTOM. eTOM is the standard most widely used and accepted for business processes in the telecommunications industry.
eTOM provides a model for business process / framework for use by service providers and other organizations in the telecommunications industry and sector. The framework describes the full range of business processes required by a service provider and defines key elements of how they interact creating a guide that has become the language of business in the telecommunications industry.
Casewise has a long and established with the TM Forum, and serves as the official repository of the eTOM model. Developed using Casewise is highly regarded Corporate Modeler modeling tool, the eTOM model is a model for the management process and provides a neutral reference point for internal process reengineering needs, partnerships, alliances and General Arrangements to work with telecommunications providers. Using the model, the telecommunication organizations can adopt the framework to model, analyze, integrate and streamline their own operations.
(ITIL versions 2 & 3)
The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL ®) is a framework for best practice approaches intended to facilitate the delivery of high quality technology (IT).
ITIL defines a complete set of business process management procedures which are intended to support businesses in the construction of two high-quality financial and value in IT operations. These procedures are supplier-independent and have been developed to provide guidance on the breadth of IT infrastructure, development and operations.

CMMI
Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) is a process improvement approach that helps organizations improve their performance. CMMI can be used to guide process improvement across a project, division or an entire organization. CMMI helps "to integrate separate organizational functions, traditionally, to set goals for process improvement and priorities, provide guidance for quality processes, and provide a benchmark for evaluating current process .
CMMI is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office by Carnegie Mellon University.SCOR
The Supply-Chain Operations Reference-model (SCOR) is a process reference model that was developed and approved by the Supply-Chain Council as the cross-industry standard diagnostic tool for managing supply chain. SCOR enables users to process, improve communication and management practices of supply chain within and between all interested parties.