Home > White Paper

White Paper

Programs and the Future of Project Management
Simon Dekker and Vance Kotrla
Although project management has now become a mainstream management practice, there have been growth issues. Increasingly, organizations are finding that many projects within a corporate project mix are managed differently and use PM tools in different, sometimes incompatible, ways. The inability of enterprises to harness project management for objective corporate reporting of capital and production projects has lead to a growing emphasis not on project management, but on program management.
more...
Dekker PMIS Internet Smart Client Configuration
Dekker, Ltd.
Project Management applications are typically deployed through a traditional thick client environment. This environment, however, introduces certain limitations, imposing constraints on accessibility, network security configurations, maintenance, upgrades, and feature options. Dekker, Ltd. recognizes the deficiencies posed by both the thick client and web applications. Understanding these limitations, Dekker has incorporated an Internet Smart Client deployment into the Dekker Project Management Information System (Dekker PMIS) 7.3.
more...
What is the Difference Between a Project and a Program?
No longer a discipline strictly relegated to the information technology industry, project management has taken the modern business world by storm. The four-stage process of defining, planning, executing, and delivering products and services has become the standard mode of operation for various types of public and private organizations around the globe.
more...
ANSI/EIA Standard 748-A and TRAKKER
Earned Value Management has become a very important consideration for all organizations working with and for the federal government due to substantially increased pressure by the federal government. Earned Value Reporting is required by the Department of Defense ANSI/EIA Standard 748-A (ANSI Standard) for all government contractors, and the pressure to meet these requirements is continually increasing.
more...
The Benefits of Continued Training
Jacque Keats
Maintaining a training curriculum adds immense value to an organization in terms of its efficiency and profitability. But just how much value does a formal approach to continuous training bring? How do you determine the return on investment for training and re-training? Jacque Keats, Vice President of Dekker, Ltd. Enterprise Project Management Solutions, outlines the benefit of training, and reveals some surprising insights into the immense advantages to developing formal approach to organizational training programs.
more...
Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance
Bruce Bartells
CEO, Bartells & Associates Financial Consultants
Bruce Bartells dispells some of the confusion about what Sarbanes-Oxley is, what an organization should be concerned about, and how to comply with the Act with the use of modern technology and software applications. "Complex record keeping, detailed tracing of responsibilities, and the documentation of the fulfillment of those responsibilities necessitate the utilization of software that accomplishes these tasks with a minimum of extra effort." View this article to find out what your organization can do to stay compliant with the Sarbanes-Oxley act.
more...
Understanding the use of Incentives In Performance-Based Service Contracting
Ron Romonchuk
President of Performance Management Associates, Inc. The objectives of Performance-Based Service Contracting (PBSC) clearly call for a business relationship that is based on “shared common goals.” In a performance-based contracting environment, the business case must drive the development of the incentive relationship/strategy. The approach to incentives and disincentives stems from FAR 37.6, which states: “performance-based contracting methods are intended to ensure that required performance quality levels are achieved and that total payment is related to the degree that services performed meet contract standards” – which can only be implemented through the use of incentives and disincentives.
more...
It's All About Performance!
Ron Romonchuk
President of Performance Management Associates, Inc. The implementation of Performance-Based Service Contracting (PBSC) has been the most significant development in federal programs during the 21st century. This new paradigm aims to advance the industry through a revolutionary approach by not focusing on how to manage a program but instead on what results the program must achieve. This development is a major paradigm shift in Government contracting and is posing a major challenge for both Government and Industry.
more...
The Growing Significance of Earned Value Management (EVM)
Wayne Abba
SAIC's Project Management Quarterly Bulletin for January 2004 features an article by Dekker Vice President Wayne Abba titled "The Growing Significance of Earned Value Management (EVM)." The article explains the legal and regulatory requirements that are driving the resurgence of EVM. SAIC is an industry leader in responding to the new requirements. In 2003, the SAIC Space, Air & Information Group partnered with Dekker to develop leading management solutions that earned high praise from the customer.
more...
Objective Weekly Earned Value
Wayne Abba
Earned Value Management (EVM) evolved from a monthly government reporting requirement to a widely accepted management technique, effectively integrating work scope, schedule and resources with risk management. The former McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Company (later acquired by The Boeing Company) pioneered weekly EVM in its Integrated Management Information Control System (IMICS). IMICS helped to achieve unprecedented management success on several programs, beginning with the Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.
more...
Activity Based Costing: A Concept Whose Time Has Come
Simon Dekker, President and CEO of Dekker, Ltd.
Barry A. Knight, Professor, Rogers State University
Sandy Zingo, Instructor, Tulsa Community College This paper was published by FBD (Federation of Business Disciplines – http://www.fbds.org/) and will be presented at their 2003 proceedings on March 4-8, 2003 in Houston, TX by Dr. Barry Knight. The article courtesy of Federation of Business Disciplines
more...
Next Generation for ANSI X12
Jacque Keats
The current ANSI/ASC X12.839 Standard (X12) has proven to be an effective means of meeting the government requirements for reporting contract performance. Although X12 has been well-received by government contractors, it fails to address a number of key issues critical to promoting the collaboration required by both industry and government. The current standard, as it relates to performance measurement, simply provides electronic versions of the Cost Performance Report (CPR) and Cost/Schedule Status Report (C/SSR).
more...
Red/Yellow/Green Program Ratings: Good Management or Perverse Incentives?
Wayne Abba
“Good management information.” Customers demand it in their contracts and conduct management reviews to ensure it can be produced. But what is it and why is it so elusive? Expectations to see “green” program status actually may work to the detriment of good information and, it would follow, good management. Contracts may incentivize undesirable behavior and a company’s internal management information system may mirror those external pressures.
more...
Subcontractor Management
Jacque Keats
Subcontractor management is an integral element of contemporary programs. Indeed, for some programs subcontractor effort represents the majority of the endeavor. This presents a number of challenges for the prime contractor and the analysts who are responsible for integrating information from the subcontractors while ensuring its timeliness and integrity.
more...
Resource Scheduling for Capacity Planning with Rotating Days Off and Multiple Shifts
Jacque Keats
Resource Scheduling for a production or Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) environment using Dekker TRAKKER is the focus of this article. The techniques for doing Capacity Planning for a 24/7 operation with multiple shifts and rotating days off are described in detail.
more...
Enterprise System Advantages
Jacque Keats
Mr. Keats briefly explains the evolution of Executive Information Systems used by corporate America today and why it is necessary to be able to integrate various management systems on an enterprise-wide basis.
more...
IPM
Simon Dekker
This brief but thorough article provides a definition of Integrated Project Management and the importance of its employment.
more...
Management Accounting for the 21st Century
Simon Dekker
An historical overview and personal essay on the future of management accounting and how traditional Cost/Schedule Control Systems Criteria can garner advantages in a constantly evolving management world.
more...
TPM - The Missing Link
Simon Dekker
Mr. Dekker presents a detailed explanation of Technical Performance Measurement - its definition and dimensions. He addresses the communication gap between scheduling and costing professionals and how to merge the two effectively.
more...
ABC Data Points
Simon Dekker
This article is a detailed synopsis of the working principles that drive the practice of Activity Based Costing and how this discipline applies to service and manufacturing oriented enterprises. It explains two-phase cost attributions, events-to-cost linkage, and unilateral time phasing. A glossary of Time-phased Cost Data Points is included.
more...
ABC Management System
Simon Dekker
The four basic modules of the Activity Based Costing accounting system are defined in this article. The types of information that each module captures are also described with a general discussion on the differences between traditional General Ledger accounting and ABC accounting.
more...
ABC Project Management meets GAAP
Simon Dekker
Today’s management needs demand Project Management systems be integrated with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles systems for the highest possible efficiency standards. This article discusses that need and explains the unique ability of Dekker TRAKKER® to accomplish this task efficiently and cost effectively.
more...