4. The Five Modules
The five modules for the Project Business Masterclass are:
Module 1: The High Stakes of Project Business
Customer(-facing) projects are different from internal projects.
Both entail project risks, but customer projects add business risks and legal risks. At stake in these projects is not only delivery on scope, time, and budget, but the well-being and often survival of the own organization.
Most risks in project business, if they are foreseen early, can be managed with effective responses. The module helps identify the common elements of project business risks and discusses measures to address them.
Method: Following the Project Business Study Book.
Module 2: International Contracting for Project Business
In a customer project, the single most important document for the contractor is the project contract.
A contract differs from other project documents: While project schedule, HR plan, cost plan, etc. are binding for the project, the contract is binding for the entire organization. Tasked with meeting contractual obligations, project managers in project business must not only understand its contents, but also the legal environment in which it is used, and the often severe consequences of breaches of contract.
Things are getting particularly difficult, when project business spans over two or more countries with different contract cultures and legislations. The module prepares project managers to understand these difficulties and deal with them to protect their organization.
Method: Interactive Workshop
Module 3: Situational Approaches to Project Business between Predictive and Agile
Agile methods are used in many customer projects to serve paying customers. This comes with benefits, such as the openness for discoveries and creativity on all sides and the ability to adapt to fast-changing requirements. However, it also comes with limitations in predictability and order, the home-turf of predictive methods.
Situational approaches to project management become particularly important in project business, when customer happiness, profitability, and cash-flow depend on choosing the right methods. The module describes, how to ensure success with these methods for the contractor and the customer.
Method: Interactive Workshop
Module 4: Roles and Ethics in Cross-Corporate Projects
Cross-corporate projects are a major challenge for the integrity of individuals and organizations involved. The amounts of money transferred are high and so is the value of goods and services that need to be supplied in return.
However, ",,,once you involve yourself in the murky world of bribery it is not open to you to simply opt out whenever you like..." (G. Penzhorn). Corruption is threat to cross-corporate project success and to the well-being of individuals, organizations, and entire societies.
Based on the Code of Conduct of the Project Business Foundation, the module teaches how to implement and enforce a protective system for the project.
Method: Interactive Workshop
Module 5: Resolving Crises in Project Business: Benefit Engineering
Project business managers must often deal with conflicts between contractual obligations and economic interests of the own organization. The price billed to the customer may not be sufficient to cover the costs, or deadlines may be impossible to meet. Contractual deliveries may not be doable, and so on.
A solution for these problems is Benefit Engineering. It builds on the profound knowledge of the customer and on the ability to resolve problems by developing and agreeing on win-win solutions.
The final module of the Project Business Masterclass introduces to this highest art of project business management.
Method: Interactive Workshop
