1. PCW03 Maximizing the Ajera Project Management Tools for YOUR Firm.
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2. We have a LOT of ground to cover in the next few hours!!
Welcome!!
Login to Ajera click on the Internet Explorer icon on your desktop to launch Ajera
User Name: used to register for class
Password: Not2Easy!
You will be prompted to change your password. We suggest: Here2Win!
Once you have logged in please launch the Project Command Center
We have a LOT of ground to cover in the next few hours!!
Please put away cell phones.
Check s and phone messages during breaks.
The House Rules

3. Valerie Higgins
Deltek PMO Leader North America SMB Professional Services
Val brings 29 years of management experience in the A/E consulting industry into each of her engagements. A/E specific experience includes resource and project management, contract negotiations, business development processes and financial management. Having worked in Vice President, CFO, and Project Controls positions in Civil and MPE Engineering firms Val brings a blend of experience from both the Accounting and Project Management perspectives into each of her engagements. She has worked with many clients to help their teams succeed in the adoption of best practices for successful Project Management and to maximize the benefit of the project management tools in Ajera.
Today as the PMO Leader of North American SMB Professional Services Val partners with the Delivery Leaders & Consulting team to continually improve delivery content, quality, and to add value for our clients throughout the various stages of conversion, implementation, and daily use of Ajera.
Please feel free to reach out via to arrange a time to talk about your Ajera training experience or needs.
Phone
LinkedIn

4. AGENDA 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM 10:40 AM – 12:00 PM
Introductions
Top 10 Things that Effective Project Managers Do
Business Development
Project Budgeting Methods and Techniques
10:30 AM Break - 10 Minutes
10:40 AM – 12:00 PM
Resource Allocation & Schedule Manager
Project Maintenance
Project Closeout
Dashboards & Widgets

5. Icebreaker
Come up with 10 things effective project managers need to do?
Take ownership
See the Big Picture
Communication
Client Management
Know Your Team
Define Scope, Budget, Schedule
Continual Project Oversight
Change Management
Effective Billing & Collections
Project Closeout

6. Top 10 Things Effective Project Managers Do

7. Top 10 Things Effective Project Managers Do
#1 Take Ownership!
Project Managers have to take the good and the bad.
Ethics, leadership, mentoring, walk the talk.
Project Managers are Motivating, Innovative, & Creative
Finds the solution.
Take ownership and ask for access

8. Top 10 Things Effective Project Managers Do
#2 See the BIG Picture
Your organization’s success relies upon your abilities as a Project Manager
Understand the Company’s common goals
Understand your piece of the puzzle
Establish and practice Project Management Standards
Understand ALL aspects of your project (multi discipline, contractors, etc.)
Business Development & Dashboard Reporting
® Deltek, Inc. - All Rights Reserved

9. Top 10 Things Effective Project Managers Do
#3 Know Your Team
Understand team members’ capabilities
Mentor and build team skills
Identify Discipline Leads – people you can lean on
Track performance through utilization & budget vs actual
® Deltek, Inc. - All Rights Reserved

10. Top 10 Things Effective Project Managers Do
#4 Client Management - know your value, know your client.
Communicate your value to your client
Project Management isn’t free … 10% Rule
Create a relationship with your client
Understand your client’s product & processes
Become an expert that your client can rely on
Tap into client/contact records & notes
® Deltek, Inc. - All Rights Reserved

11. Top 10 Things Effective Project Managers Do
#5 Communication
Communicate constantly – to your team and your client
Set expectations for communication
Project kick off meetings – every team member should walk away knowing
Their scope
Their budget
Their deadlines
Project status meetings
Prior period review - no items should lag more than 1 period
Current period review – more financial & timeline focused than technical
Next period action items – PMs are the bulldozer meant to remove all obstacles blocking your team from meeting deadlines – do that
Document everything
Take corrective measures immediately
Utilize tasks, Project Plan report, and the Schedule Manager
Top 10 Things Effective Project Managers Do
® Deltek, Inc. - All Rights Reserved

12. Top 10 Things Effective Project Managers Do
#6 Define Scope, Budget, and Schedule
Define success by establishing a Baseline
Establish milestones – Yours and Your Clients
Budget using resources
Define budget and schedule with consultants
Use phases, resources, and tasks in the Manage Tab
® Deltek, Inc. - All Rights Reserved

13. Top 10 Things Effective Project Managers Do
#7 Continual Project Oversight
Ensure project spending is accurate
Review time & expense charges weekly
Project maintenance
Utilize dashboards/widgets & reports to track KPIs and project spending
® Deltek, Inc. - All Rights Reserved

14. Top 10 Things Effective Project Managers Do
#8 Change Management
Document to client and
EITHER obtain formal authorization for additional services
OR stop out of scope work
Communicate to the client and the team that the PM is the Gatekeeper for the project
Communicate with the team
Scope
Schedule
Budget
When scope creep occurs
break out a separate phase immediately.
Document with timesheet notes
® Deltek, Inc. - All Rights Reserved

15. Top 10 Things Effective Project Managers Do
#9 Effective Billing & Collections
Touch base with client after submitting invoices
Verify they have everything they need to approve and process invoices
This is a time when the client will feel most compelled to tell you what they truly think about the services/progress on the project
Every “soft touch” communication with the client is an opportunity to strengthen your relationship
Asking for feedback after the project is complete is bad practice; it leaves no opportunity to:
address client concerns
change the overall result from the Client’s POV
strengthen your firm’s standing with the Client
Project Managers should participate in AR collections efforts
Review AR and make monthly calls
Be clear on your client’s payment terms
Use Paperless Billing Review & AR Collections Notes
® Deltek, Inc. - All Rights Reserved

16. Top 10 Things Effective Project Managers Do
#10 Project Closeout
Why close projects? Who starts the process? What is the closeout process?
Who closes a project?
Lessons Learned meetings are valuable
What did we do well?
Do better?
Never again?
Define and publish your firm’s project closeout process
Review baseline vs final results by utilizing the Project widgets
Record Lessons Learned and historical information (construction cost, sf, project details) utilizing custom fields and the Business Development area of the project.
® Deltek, Inc. - All Rights Reserved

17. Top 10… Wrap Up Take Ownership See the Big Picture Know Your Team
Client Management
Communication
Define Scope, Budget, and Schedule
Continual Project Oversight
Change Management
Effective Billing & Collections
Project Closeout

18. Four Project Management Sins
Level 1
Letting the job get into trouble
Level 2
Not knowing it’s in trouble
Level 3
Knowing, but not asking for help
Level 4
Hiding the fact it’s in trouble
Take Ownership!

19. Project Budgeting Methods &Techniques

20. What is Bottom-Up Budgeting?
Project Budgeting Methods and Techniques
Estimating is the process of forecasting or approximating the time and cost of completing project deliverables.
What is Bottom-Up Budgeting?
Bottom-up budgeting: detailed estimates of work packages made by those who are most familiar with the task. Each task is budgeted with resources building the overall contract for the project.
Accuracy: -10% to +30%
Bottom Up

21. What is Top-Down Budgeting?
Top-down budgeting: usually are derived from someone who uses experience and/or information to determine the project duration and total cost. An example would be taking the overall construction cost and estimating your fee as a percentage of that cost. $1,000,000 construction cost, fee is 8% or $80,000. The estimated fee is pushed down to phases by pre-determined %.
Top Down
Accuracy: -20% to +60%

22. Effective Budgeting Requires Multiple Methods Real World Top Down
Proposed Budget/Fee
Bottom Up

23. Business Development Demonstration
Add a BD Opportunity
Budget a BD Opportunity
Define the Baseline in a BD Opportunity
BD Reporting

24. Hands On Setup BD Tools & BD Opportunity
Review/Build BD Stages
Review/Build BD Final Disposition Reasons
 Build a Business Development Opportunity
Build a Business Development Opportunity using your template
Include resources, hours, dates BY PHASE – Build the Baseline
Review Business Development Dashboard with Instructor
Review Project Workload report with Instructor
Review Employee Workload report with Instructor

25. Winning the Work Resource Allocation Schedule Manager 10 minute break
Up next….at 10:40
Winning the Work
Resource Allocation
Schedule Manager

26. Resource Assignment & Schedule Manager
Winning the Work:
Simple steps to transition from Opportunity to Active
Triggers Win/Loss reporting for trending & opportunity to improve BD processes
Resource Assignment Provides:
Ability to report budget vs actual to project teams
Ability to assign tasks & receive completion feedback from project team
Ability to review man hours by employee type for staffing assessment
Transfers ownership for scope/budget to team members
Sets up the Schedule Manager for easy use & reporting
Schedule Manager:
Ability to report schedule & budgeted hours to project teams
Ability to review team workload and adjust as necessary
Ability to share project schedule to clients when required

27. & Schedule Manager Demonstration
Resource Assignment
& Schedule Manager Demonstration
Winning the Work
Resource Assignment
Schedule Manager
Time Entry

28. Hands On Win Work, Resource, Schedule, & Add Time Schedule Manager
Win Your Project
Assign a project number
Update the BD records to transition from Opportunity
Complete the BD stage that is In Progress
Assign a Final Disposition Status & Reason
Review project info and make changes where necessary
Resource Assignments
Add resources in the Manage Tab (do not assign all phases)
Add a consultant in the Manage Tab
 Schedule Manager
Add resources to remaining phases via Schedule Manager
Schedule employee hours on your project
Time Entry
Add hours to your project
Review budget to actual and schedule to actual hours on your project

29. Project Maintenance
&
Project Closeout

30. Project Maintenance & Project Closeout
Maintaining Projects Regularly:
Results in real time and accurate data that your team can rely on
Engages Project Managers to be accountable for their project budgets & timelines
Provides up to date and accurate information to share with clients
Project Closeout Process:
Provides an opportunity to engage in a Lessons Learned meeting
Provides an opportunity to record important data for future use
Results in a clean database
Results in more relevant and quick reporting
Process should be developed from team collaboration
Accounting
Technical Teams
Project Management
Business Development

31. Best Practices for Project Managers - Ajera Project Maintenance
Daily
Input time daily
Review Project summary widget
Weekly
Project maintenance – dates, status, & budgets
Weekly PM time review
Bi-Weekly
Update Reported Percent Complete
Update Business Development Opportunities; notes & % Chance of Winning
Aging reports – WIP & Client Invoice Aging
Collection calls Be clear on the payment requirements for your client before calling.
Ask for help if the time is not available.
Create a schedule specific to your company’s requirements and PUBLISH it.
You cannot hold your team accountable if requirements are not in writing.

32. Project Maintenance Demonstration
Update phase status
Update Reported Percent Complete (RPC)
Update dates & input Actual Completion Date
Add project notes
Review AR & WIP Balances on Project Managers Dashboard
Business Development Maintenance
Update % Chance of Winning
Update BD Stage, Notes, Due Date
Time Review
Review timesheet approval process
Review Daily Time Entry widget

33. Hands On Update your Project Maintenance
Update a phase (or two) status to shut it down from time entry
Open a timesheet and confirm the completed phases are not active
Update the Reported % Complete on a Phase (or two)
Update the Reported % Complete on the Project
Update the Actual Completion Date on Phase(s) put on Work Hold
Update dates on Phase(s)
Add project notes
Review the AR and WIP Balances on your Projects
Review the AR and WIP balances on the Project Manager dashboard
 Update you Business Development Opportunities
Review the process of updating the % Chance of Winning
Review the process of updating BD Stages/Notes/Due Dates
Time Review
Review the process to approve time on your projects
Review the Daily Time Entry widget

34. Dashboards
&
Widgets

35. Dashboards & Widgets Dashboards & Widgets: Dashboard Security:
Information at your fingertips in real time
Easily customizable for YOUR firm’s requirements & KPIs
Widgets should be organized onto dashboards by role & purpose
Principals
Accounting
Project Managers
Division/Department Managers
Employees
Dashboards & widgets should not be stored outside of Ajera
Dashboard Security:
Dashboard security s/b assigned by Role rather than Employee whenever possible
Drilldown or child dashboards will not be available to employees until security is set at all levels

36. Dashboard & Widget Tour
Instructor will provide a tour and explanation of the BONUS dashboards provided as part of this class.
These dashboards are available for download in the Kona space you were invited to prior to the class.
If you have not joined the Kona space please see the instructor during a break.

37. Let’s Review!

38. Project Templates Business Development Resourcing & Scheduling
Solid Foundation for consistency & accuracy
Should do 80-90% of the work for a Project Manager
Project Managers shouldn’t build templates but they MUST have input
Business Development
Provide pipeline tracking & revenue projections
Gives transparency into tracking tasks to win work
Provide reporting for future workload/hours projections
Provides win/loss trending reporting
 Resourcing & Scheduling
Ability to report budget vs actual to project teams
Ability to assign tasks & receive completion feedback from project team
Ability to review man hours by employee type for staffing assessment
Transfers ownership for scope/budget to team members

39. Project Maintenance Project Closeout Paperless Billing Review
Results in real time and accurate data that your team can rely on
Engages Project Managers to be accountable for their project budgets & schedules
Provides up to date and accurate information to share with clients
Project Closeout
Provides a clean database & quicker reporting
Opportunity to review results in comparison to baseline
Record Lessons Learned & historical data for future Business Development efforts
 Paperless Billing Review
Expedites billing process by electronically routing through the office
Transparency into the billing cycle – you can see where all invoices are at any time
Allows for Principals and PMs to work on billing outside of the office
Allows for easy collaboration for multi discipline invoicing
Creates billing review history

40. Security Roles Custom Fields Dashboards & Widgets
Safe and effective collaboration between Project Managers & Accounting
Allows for different levels of access based on employee role
Allow employees access required to do their job without compromising confidential (payroll) information
Custom Fields
Track information pertinent to YOUR firm
Easily report on information stored in custom fields
Custom fields are available on all primary records in Ajera
 Dashboards & Widgets
Information at your fingertips based on user requirements & KPIs
Easily customizable
Dashboards should be relevant and organized
Widgets can be organized onto dashboards by role & purpose

41. Questions?

42. Additional
Training Options

43. Custom PM Adoption Boot Camps
Our PM Adoption Consultants guide you through
Template setup
Security setup
Dashboard modification & security
Everything taught in the 2 Day workshop customized for YOUR team
Onsite or remote Boot Camps taught on your data
Take your Project Managers to the next level!
Always here to help with your Project Management Adoption training.
Contact our PM Adoption sales team for more info.
Michael McCaffrey

44. Ajera Workshops!! Project Management Financial Widget Design
Consider attending one of our 2 day hands on workshops!!
See the full schedule:
Project Management
Financial
Widget Design
Best Practices for Project Management
Financial Workflow/Reporting
Hands on Widget Design Training
Understanding and Optimizing Ajera PM Tools
KPIs Benchmarking Against Industry Standards
Hands on Inquiry Training
Hands on Training for Business Development & Project Setup & Reporting
Improve Accuracy of YOUR Firm’s Financial Reporting
Learn the Most Effective Use of Ajera’s Reports and Reporting Tools
BONUS Dashboards
Customized Boot Camp Available
Individual Training Available

46. Michael McCaffrey – Solution Sales Specialist
Thank You!
Always here to help with your Project Management Adoption training. Custom onsite and remote packages available. Contact our PM Adoption sales team for more info.
Michael McCaffrey – Solution Sales Specialist