business analysis

Pile of books on a table, photo by Sharon McCutcheon 3 Must-Read Books for a Good Agile Foundation

If you are searching for agile knowledge, there are many books outside the current literature that may enlighten you. Some discuss the underpinnings of concepts we consider agile, while others are contemporary business books that present compelling ways to use agile effectively. Here are three Jeff Payne recommends.

Jeffery Payne's picture
Jeffery Payne
People shaking hands over a negotiation The Spectrum of Negotiation: Using the Right Skills for the Context

Negotiation occurs on a spectrum, and different tactics apply in different situations. For instance, you’d treat a one-time transaction differently from an ongoing client relationship you want to nurture. Have you developed effective negotiating skills? Are you applying negotiating skills appropriate for the context?

Payson Hall's picture
Payson Hall
Cloud 6 Major Challenges of Cloud Computing

Companies of all sizes depend on cloud computing to store important data. However, significant factors such as cost, reliability, and security must not be overlooked. Here are six common challenges you should consider—and develop plans to mitigate—before implementing cloud computing technology.

Ray Parker's picture
Ray Parker
stealth bomber The Balance between Being Stealth and Being Public during Product Development

While end user data protection is important from a business to customer perspective, businesses themselves have their share of data protection problems. Organizations need to find the balance between being in a stealth mode and being too public during product development.

Mukesh Sharma's picture
Mukesh Sharma
Gold bricks The Digital Transformation: Turning Lead into Gold

For years, IT has been seen as support for organizations’ primary internal functions. But IT can enable revolutionary processes—processes that generate revenue, rather than just consume it, and create innovation, helping organizations remain relevant and competitive. How can you transform this idea of lead into gold?

Lee Copeland's picture
Lee Copeland
Computer with "Retired!" sign 7 Good Project Management Practices for Replacing a Legacy System

When you need to replace a legacy system quickly, it’s tempting to set aside good project management practices and push forward recklessly. But doing so results in delays, cost overrun, and organizational chaos. Take time to understand the problem, plan and estimate the solution, and set up your project for success.

Payson Hall's picture
Payson Hall
Evaluating research How to Evaluate the Quality of a Research Study

It’s wise not to accept a research report's findings just because they were published. You may discover the findings couldn’t be replicated, too small a sample was tested, or the results of studies that generated contrary results weren’t considered. Here are some questions you can ask to evaluate research.

Naomi Karten's picture
Naomi Karten
Missed the target 7 Harms Done by Keeping Unrealistic Project Goals

Project management is about supporting informed decision-making. No one wants to break the news that a project is not on schedule, but a good sponsor would want to know that the original goals are no longer realistic. Reluctance to communicate or unwillingness to hear have some real business consequences.

Payson Hall's picture
Payson Hall