kunwei2005

PMP is one the hottest certificates according to http://www.certcities.com/ , especially in Asia. I guess the reason is it has a magic word "Management" in it. The exam is not so easy and very expensive. And it may not guarantee you will become a project/programm manager just because you have a PMP paper. To get more info, always refer to PMI official site http://www.pmi.org. PMP is a computer based exam. Before you can register to the exam, you first need get the 35 hours of education credits. If you search the internet, there are plenty to offer this service. The one I used is http://www.pmstudy.com/ . Besides to earn credits, you need read very well on the PMBOK Guide. A Guide To The Project Management Body Of Knowledge (PMBOK Guides) (Paperback) Paperback: 380 pages Publisher: Project Management Institute; 3rd edition (October 31, 2004) Language: English ISBN: 193069945X Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.5 x 0.9 inches Once all done, take the exam and good luck. I s...

In quality management, statistical sampling and standard deviation are two key concepts. In statistical sampling, sample size usually is determined by Sample size = 0.25 x (certainty factor/acceptable error). Desired certainty Certainty factor 95% 1.960 90% 1.645 80% 1.281 6 σ - In a normal distribution, 68.3% of the population is within 1 σ . 95.45% within 2 σ . 99.73% within 3 σ . 99.9937% within 4 σ . 99.999943% within 5 σ . 99.9999998% within 6 σ .

Make it clear that management is committed to quality Form quality improvement team with representatives from each department Determine where current and potential quality problems lie Evaluate the cost of quality and explains its use as a management tool Raise the quality awareness and personal concern of all employees Take actions to correct problems identified through previous steps Establish a committee for the zero-defects program Train supervisors to actively carry out their part if the quality improvement program Hold a ‘zero-defect day; to let all employees realize that there has been a change Encourage individuals to establish improvement goals for themselves and their groups Encourage employees to communicate to management the obstacles they face in attaining their improvement goals Recognize and appreciate those who participate Establish quality councils to communicate on a regular basis Do it all over again to emphasize...

Another cool VoIP joins the game . Check out their website http://www.gizmoproject.com/index.html. The technology is mature (crystal sound quality, call mobile and landphone, cheap long distance...), the market is increasing, and big fish eat small fish begins.

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Bus and MRT subway : Most Singaporean commute everyday by bus and MRT subway. Personally I think bus is the worst way to get around. Some buses don't even have air conditioning. It is very slow and stops very often. You can buy a ezLink cashcard at major bus terminal stations. The card can be used to pay bus and MRT fare. Remeber to tap the card when you get on and get off. Taxi : If you are new in Singapore, taxi is the best choice - the air-con is strong, cheap and fast. Much cheaper in US, who takes taxi anyway in LA? The taxi drivers are usually very friendly. No tip in Singapore. The major taxi companies are Comfort, CityCab. I usually call 6552 1111 if I need to book one. As always there is a taxi truth - when you really need it, you can't get it. Own a car : Buy a car is expensive in Singapore, but the overhead (COE) is getting cheaper. If you spend more than 1 hour on the public transportation everyday to commute, maybe it is time to consider buying a car.

You can drive temporarily with your foreign driver license and international driver license. For the long term, you need convert you foreign driver license to Singapore local. It is much simpler than to get one from the scratch for local people. You need go to one of 3 driver centers in Singapore with your passport, pass and foreign driver license. The young ladies work there are nice and pretty. Fill the simple paper work, pass eyesight test, pay around S$7, and book the Basic Theory Driving Test (BTT). When I book it, it needs 1 MONTH waiting time. Before you leave, remember to buy the booklet for BTT, which costs S$3. After 1 month waiting, you need go back with your passport, pass and 2 passport size photos. Don't be late because 15 minutes late, you will have to book and wait another month. You need answer 50 questions within 1 hour. If you read that booklet, you should be able to pass the test within 30 minutes. Once BTT is passed, in the same building, you can convert your f...

Yahoo bought Dialpad . Google release Google Talk. Skype open up its platform. Microsoft buy Teleo . Singapore local VoIP MediaRing make a positive turnaround, and get investment from Venture One. More breaking news coming...

PMI Code of Professional Conduct. Please refer to http://www.pmi.org/info/PDC_PMP.asp --disclaimer-- This documentation is personal study notes I prepared during my PMP certification study. The source for this study notes is partially from PMBOK 2000, PMP Exam Cram 2, and www.pmstudy.com. I only take notes on knowledge areas that I thought was useful for me. In the real exam, the contents covered are much broader and more difficult than any reference books. So I think real life experience is very important.

Procurement planning Solicitation planning Solicitation Source selection Contract administration Contract closure Evaluation Criteria are used to rate or score proposals. They may be objective (e.g., "The proposed project manager must be a certified PMP") or subjective (e.g. "The proposed project manager must have documented previous experience with similar projects) The objective of a procurement audit is to identify successes and failures that warrant transfer to other procurement items on this project or to other projects within the performing organization. Correspondence: Contract Terms and conditions often require written documentation of certain aspects of the buyer/seller communications, such as warnings of unsatisfactory performance and contract changes or clarifications. --disclaimer-- This documentation is personal study notes I prepared during my PMP certification study. The source for this study notes is partially from PMBOK 2000, PMP Exam ...

Risk management planning Risk identification Qualitative risk analysis Quantitative risk analysis Risk response planning Ultimate decision on how to deal with risk is based part on Project Manager's tolerance for risk this is measured by Utility function. Decision Tree Analysis > Solving the decision tree indicates which decision yields the greatest expected value to the decision-maker when all the uncertain implications, costs, rewards and subsequent decisions are quantified. Active Acceptance may include developing a contingency plan to execute, should a risk occur. Reports commonly used to monitor and control risks include Issues Logs, Action-item Lists, Jeopardy Warnings and Escalation Notices. Monte Carlo analysis can identify the points of schedule risk. --disclaimer-- This documentation is personal study notes I prepared during my PMP certification study. The source for this study notes is partially from PMBOK 2000, PMP Exam Cram 2, and www.pmstudy.com. I...

Communications Planning Information Distribution Performance Reporting Administrative Closure Project managers spend more than 85% of their time communicating. For N people, the number of communication channels = N * (N 1)/2. Project archive - indexed project records Common formats for performance reports include bar charts (also called Gantt charts), S-curves, histograms, and tables. Administrative closure consists of documenting project results to formalize acceptance of the product of the project by the sponsor, or customer. --disclaimer-- This documentation is personal study notes I prepared during my PMP certification study. The source for this study notes is partially from PMBOK 2000, PMP Exam Cram 2, and www.pmstudy.com. I only take notes on knowledge areas that I thought was useful for me. In the real exam, the contents covered are much broader and more difficult than any reference books. So I think real life experience is very important.

Organization planning Staff Acquisition Team developing Herzberg (1959) Theory: Hygiene factors - company policy, supervision, interpersonal relations, working conditions, and salary. The absence of hygiene factors can create job dissatisfaction, but their presence does not motivate or create satisfaction. Motivators - achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility, and advancement. These motivate or create satisfaction. The satisfiers relate to what a person does while the dissatisfiers relate to the situation in which the person does what he or she does. Handling conflict Confrontation Forcing Compromising Smoothing Withdrawal Conflict intensity decreases in the order of: Schedules Priorities Manpower Technical issues Administration Personality conflict Cost Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Self actualization > Doing what one can do best, full realization of potential Esteem > Self-esteem, reputation, ...

Quality planning Quality assurance Quality control Conformance to requirements and fitness for use Pareto Diagrams - a histogram, ordered by frequency of occurrence, that shows how many results were generated by type or category of identified cause. Rank ordering is used to guide corrective action - the project team should take action to fix the problems that are causing greatest number of defects first. Cost of quality prevention costs appraisal costs failure costs. Prevention refers to keeping errors out of the process, whereas inspection refers to keeping errors out of hand of the customer. Attribute sampling determines whether the result confirms or not, and variables sampling determines the degree of conformity. Tolerance determines if the result falls within acceptable range, but control limits are used to determine if the process is in control. Just in time Manufacturing is a process that continuously stresses waste reduction by optimizing the processes and ...

Resource planning Cost estimating Cost budgeting Cost control Definitive (+- 5%) Capital Cost (+- 10% - 15%) Appropriation (+- 15% - 25%) Feasibility (+- 25% - 35 %) Order of Magnitude (> +- 35%) Chart of account describes the code structure of performing organization to report financial in to its general ledgers. Larger projects may have multiple cost baselines to measure different aspects of cost performance. E.G.A spending plan or cash flow forecast is a cost baseline for measuring disbursements. Net present value (NPV) - the bigger, the better. Because money values decrease every year, PV = FV/ (1 + r) n [PV = Present value. FV = Future value. r = discount rate. n = years] Internal Rate of Return (IRR) Discount rate on an investment which makes present value of cash inflows equal present value of cash outflows. The bigger, the better. Select a project with lower payback period. For 2 projects having same investment, select a project with lower Life C...

Activity definition Activity sequencing Activity duration estimating Schedule development Schedule control Activity dependency: Discretionary Mandatory External Precedence Diagramming Methods (PDM) Arrow Diagramming Methods (ADM) Conditional Diagramming Methods GERT (graphical evaluation and review techniques) System dynamics Critical path method (CPM) > calculates a single, deterministic early and late start and finish date for each activity based on specified, sequential network logic and a single duration estimate. Project evaluation and review technique (PERT) Duration compression Fast tracking Crashing Simulation - Monte Carlo analysis Project schedule Project network diagrams Bar charts and GANTT charts Milestone charts PERT Value (Expected duration) = (Pessimistic + 4*(Most Likely) + Optimistic)/6 Standard Deviation (Sigma) = (Pessimistic - Optimistic)/6 EF = ES + D, LS = LF D, Float = Slack = LF - EF = L...

Initiation Scope planning Scope definition Scope verification Scope change control Project scope > sum of the total project integrated manage control plans When properly defined, the scope of the project - the work to be done - should remain constant even as the product characteristics are progressively elaborated. Project scope is defined in project management life cycle, while product scope is defined in project life cycle. Signed contact can serve as a Project charter. Benefit/Cost analysis Net present value NPV ROI Payback period WBS is a deliverable-oriented grouping of project components that organizes and defines the total scope of the project. WBS is the output of scope definition. Product Selection Methods: Benefit measurement methods Comparative approaches Scoring models Benefit contribution Economic models Constrained optimization methods (Decision models) Mathematical models using linear, non-linear, dynamic, integer and mul...

Project plan development Project plan execution Integrated change control Earned Value Analys is ­ most common performance measurement Assumption > For plan purpose, factors are real, certain and true. Need to be identified, documented and validated. PMIS is integrated part of Communication management plan Preparing a financial plan requires both project management plan and industry specific skills. Change control system Formal Paperwork Tracking system Processes Approval levels Project manager should determine if changes are actually required and look for alternatives to minimize the impacts of changes. Type of Change Approval Authority Change to project charter > Person who approved the project charter Change in the project direction impacting cost, quality, time etc > Management Small changes managed within project plan > Project Manager Configuration management Subsi...

39 project management processes, 5 project management process groups and 9 project management knowledge areas. Project > temporary, unique and progressively elaborated Project may not be strategic to performing organization. Stakeholder in favor of customer and realize the buy-in and share ownership Organization > Functional, weak matrix, balanced matrix, strong matrix and projectized. Resources allocations are more efficient in functional organization Career paths are well defined in functional organization In a balanced matrix, project manager reports to functional manager Program > group of projects Project management life cycle Initiation Planning Execution Control Closeout PMIS is primarily used for project execution. In Project life cycle, factors that increase with project duration and decrease sharply when project nears completion: Cost of project Staffing Levels In Project life cycle, factors increasing with project duration: Pr...

Hardware ======== PenguinComputing Dual Pentium Pro Server 00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation 440GX - 82443GX Host bridge 00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 440GX - 82443GX AGP bridge 00:0c.0 SCSI storage controller: Adaptec 7896 00:0c.1 SCSI storage controller: Adaptec 7896 00:0e.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82557 [Ethernet Pro 100] (rev 08) 00:12.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation 82371AB PIIX4 ISA (rev 02) 00:12.1 IDE interface: Intel Corporation 82371AB PIIX4 IDE (rev 01) 00:12.2 USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82371AB PIIX4 USB (rev 01) 00:12.3 Bridge: Intel Corporation 82371AB PIIX4 ACPI (rev 02) 00:14.0 VGA compatible controller: Cirrus Logic GD 5480 (rev 23) 01:0f.0 PCI bridge: Digital Equipment Corporation DECchip 21150 (rev 06) 02:04.0 PCI bridge: Digital Equipment Corporation DECchip 21154 (rev 02) 02:07.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82557 [Ethernet Pro 100] (rev 08) 03:08.0 Co-processor: Digital Equipment Corporation StrongARM DC21285 (rev 04) 0...

Chapter I Installing and Deploying XP Professional Only Windows 2000, NT4 (SP6), 98 and ME can upgrade to XP. Chkupgrd.exe tool – Readiness Analyzer • Click Upgrade options • D:\i386\winnt32.exe /checkupgradeonly F6 for SCSI/RAID controllers FAT, FAT32, NTFS – compression, quotas, encryption, mount points and remote storage Uninstall • Can’t uninstall if convert from FAT to NTFS • Can’t uninstall back to NT/2000 • Can uninstall back to 98/ME • Added/removed application will behave strangely. winnt.exe for 16bits DOS • /u:answer —Used for an unattended installation • /s:sourcepath—Points to the location of XP installation files. • /udf:id—Used in conjunction with a UDF file, which overrides the values of the answer file. winnt32.exe for 32bits Win98, 2000 • /unattend • /makelocalsource—Copies the contents of the CD-based installation to the local hard drive for future reference, wh...