Comments on: Project Cycles, Business Cycles, Planning Cycles http://www.jrothman.com/blog/mpd/2007/10/project-cycles-business-cycles-planning-cycles.html Management, especially good management, is hard to do. This blog is for people who want to think about how they manage people, projects, and risk. Fri, 18 May 2012 15:02:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Anil Apte http://www.jrothman.com/blog/mpd/2007/10/project-cycles-business-cycles-planning-cycles.html/comment-page-1#comment-830 Anil Apte Sat, 27 Oct 2007 02:19:18 +0000 http://jrothman.com/blog/mpd/2007/10/project-cycles-business-cycles-planning-cycles.html#comment-830 Don't you think you are stating the obvious? (Business is bigger than the Project) A Project is a change-request on a Product (portfolio). A Product change is caused by a change request from a business. Different "cycles" have to accommodate this ground reality. AA Don’t you think you are stating the obvious? (Business is bigger than the Project)

A Project is a change-request on a Product (portfolio). A Product change is caused by a change request from a business.

Different “cycles” have to accommodate this ground reality.

AA

]]> By: Frank http://www.jrothman.com/blog/mpd/2007/10/project-cycles-business-cycles-planning-cycles.html/comment-page-1#comment-768 Frank Thu, 25 Oct 2007 14:45:53 +0000 http://jrothman.com/blog/mpd/2007/10/project-cycles-business-cycles-planning-cycles.html#comment-768 Another comment... Cycles give the impression that there is rhythm, that it is possible to make a calender of repeating events or activities. Indeed, I think this is possible for projects, planning and business "cycles", since they are purely internal business processes. Technology, competition, marketing usually follow a roadmap - as far as they are predictable. In some cases there are regularities (e.g. Moore's law in semiconductor technology, or Xmas shopping), but usually they are not so cyclic. To manage a portfolio, we have to take into account our project portfolio as well as our product portfolio, taking into account the non-cyclic, external parameters. What do you think? Another comment… Cycles give the impression that there is rhythm, that it is possible to make a calender of repeating events or activities.

Indeed, I think this is possible for projects, planning and business “cycles”, since they are purely internal business processes.

Technology, competition, marketing usually follow a roadmap – as far as they are predictable. In some cases there are regularities (e.g. Moore’s law in semiconductor technology, or Xmas shopping), but usually they are not so cyclic.

To manage a portfolio, we have to take into account our project portfolio as well as our product portfolio, taking into account the non-cyclic, external parameters.

What do you think?

]]> By: Frank http://www.jrothman.com/blog/mpd/2007/10/project-cycles-business-cycles-planning-cycles.html/comment-page-1#comment-763 Frank Thu, 25 Oct 2007 07:57:02 +0000 http://jrothman.com/blog/mpd/2007/10/project-cycles-business-cycles-planning-cycles.html#comment-763 Johanna, These cycles may be quite different in the technology-driven industry. There, it is more often more a matter of "what can you do for the money" (or the timeframe) than "make what I want". Technology is not only derived from universities or "MIT-like institutions. Often, competitors are a far more reliable source of the state-of-the-art in technology. For industry, technology should be past the lab-study phase: they must make working and safe products from it. The technology cycle (what is possible) and the competitor cycle (what is happening) are important strategic cycles too. Johanna,
These cycles may be quite different in the technology-driven industry. There, it is more often more a matter of “what can you do for the money” (or the timeframe) than “make what I want”.

Technology is not only derived from universities or “MIT-like institutions. Often, competitors are a far more reliable source of the state-of-the-art in technology. For industry, technology should be past the lab-study phase: they must make working and safe products from it.

The technology cycle (what is possible) and the competitor cycle (what is happening) are important strategic cycles too.

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