Rebles Guide to PM

• Exploring the differences: Projects vs operations examples

  

  Projects and operations are both necessary for businesses to succeed, but they require different approaches. When it comes to managing them effectively, understanding the differences between projects and operations is key.

  From examples of project activities in a business versus operational activities to strategies for balancing projects and operations simultaneously -- this article will help you understand the differences and consider the similarities.

  Projects vs operations

  The short answer to the question: “What’s the difference between projects and operations?” is this.

  Projects change the business. Operations run the business.

  In my experience, that creates tension. Ops managers want (and seek) stability so they can manage process performance. The status quo is good but project managers keep changing things!

  However, the two sides of any organization can live in harmony. Projects vs operations is not a battlefield and you can navigate the tightrope to keep them both balanced.

  Let’s look first at examples of projects and why they are needed, and then we’ll do the same for operations, so you can see how they both fit together and ensure the business remains resilient, profitable and stable.

  

  The context for projects

  All organizations need to do projects.

  Projects are what keeps an organization moving forward towards its business goals. Projects help deliver strategy. They introduce new products, help companies reach new market sectors and keep the business competitive when the environment changes.

  Projects usually require project management practices to help them get delivered. Even if you aren’t using a formal lifecycle or specific methodology, you’ll still be planning, executing, controlling, and monitoring tasks in order to meet objectives – that’s project management.

  The project management skills required to lead and deliver a change successfully include:

  • identifying objectives
  • defining scope
  • creating schedules
  • allocating resources
  • coordinating teams (even if that’s just you, you still have to manage your own time)
  • managing risks
  • tracking progress
  • measuring performance against set targets
  • making adjustments when needed
  • reporting results.

  Examples of projects

  Examples of projects include building a new office space or renovating an existing one, developing a new website or mobile app from scratch or revamping an existing one, launching a new product line or expanding into new markets.

  More examples could be research, design, events, replacing manual work with digital or automation, construction or legal work on a case.

  Lots of companies work through ‘transformation’ projects which are designed to create large-scale organizational change such as mergers and acquisitions or culture change, or meeting the expectations of technology use through implementing digital strategies.

  All these require careful planning and execution in order to be completed successfully within budgeted timelines without compromising on quality standards set by the organization itself, its customers, clients, and stakeholders.

  Here are some of the projects I have worked on:

  • Updating an intranet
  • Adding staff from more subsidiary countries and companies to an international online ‘phone book’ for a global company
  • Rolling out new software (as an IT project manager for many years, I’ve done this many times)
  • Implementing new processes
  • Making sure our organization was ready and compliant with new legislative changes.

  Plus many smaller initiatives like organizing staff training, organizing a team building day out, setting up a series of lunch and learns and more.

  To be honest, I even put my wedding in Microsoft Project. I mean, why not? Weddings are fixed date projects. You’ve probably organized a family event, or helped out with school events, planned a party or a sports fixture or a neighborhood barbecue. They are all projects.

  Tip

  You are probably have more experience working on projects than you think you do. Look around your personal life for all of the projects you are managing as well.

  Finding case studies of projects

  There are lots of case studies available to read about projects. For example, in the UK, the National Infrastructure & Service Transformation Authority (NISTA) manages projects and shares best practices for UK government projects. The National Audit Office publishes reports each year on major project performance, and those reports regularly include examples and case studies.

  In addition, the Major Projects Association publishes regular reports and articles that draw on large projects, such as the Grand Paris Express.

  In the United States, the Government Accountability Office publishes regular reports into major projects.

  These are all great sources of examples of projects.

  Next up, examples of operations management.

  Operations management

  Operations management is the process of managing and organizing resources to ensure the efficient production of goods or services.

  In other words, making sure you can serve your customers. It doesn’t matter if those customers are high-net-worth individuals wanting bespoke financial services, or frazzled parents shopping in a budget supermarket: the goal of business operations is to make sure they get what they need (and ideally come back again as a repeat customer).

  After all, if you don’t have any customers, you can do all the projects you like, but you won’t be in business this time next year.

  Operations managers are involved in and responsible for planning, organizing, directing, controlling, and coordinating activities within an organization in order to meet customer needs. Operations management focuses on maximizing efficiency while minimizing costs.

  Projects cost money and mess up efficiency by changing ways of working, but when a project finishes, the end product is handed over into the operational environment. More on that later.

  Examples of operations

  Operations is the name given to any team that is involved in overseeing and managing the operations of an organization. In other words, the parts of the business that keep the lights on.

  This includes both the ‘front-line’ services and the ‘behind-the-scenes’ services.

  Let’s say you work for a clothing retailer. The front-line operations will include:

  • Shop managers and retail staff
  • Warehouse staff who receive orders and unpack boxes of clothing for the shop floor
  • Facilities managers that oversee the maintenance of each building
  • Security managers that ensure the right people have access to each shop and that staff badges let them into the right areas.

  Behind-the-scenes operations staff include the teams that make it possible for the shops to operate consistently, including:

  • Human Resources who recruit, train and support staff, and manage payroll
  • IT teams that manage the point of sale software and the company’s website
  • Legal teams that draw up contracts with clothing suppliers
  • Quality teams that ensures the clothing supplied for sale is made ethically and meets the company’s standards
  • Branding team who ensures the company’s brand is consistent across all shops and media mentions
  • Designers who work out the fashions for the next season and source appropriate new products to stock
  • Finance team that manages the money, making sure bills are issues and paid.

  Typically, a business is likely to have Marketing, Sales, Customer Service, and any other functions specific to its purpose. In healthcare, for example, we have a Pricing team that sets prices for services and manages the huge catalogue of different things people come into a private hospital for. You might have a Research team, or something different that is key to your industry.

  Tip

  All these departments can generate ideas for projects so if you have a business case template or project review group, it’s good to include stakeholders from every function in the decision-making.

  All these activities help organizations run smoothly by ensuring they have what they need when they need it at a reasonable cost without sacrificing quality standards.

  Operations management is an essential part of any business, and understanding its key principles can help managers ensure projects are completed successfully, with the minimum disruption to continuing to offer a service to customers.

  Next, we will discuss project management and the differences between it and operations management.

  Differences between projects and operations

  Projects and operations are two distinct activities that require different approaches when it comes to management. However, as we’ve seen, they are two sides of the same goal: we want to do the best thing for customers and hit the strategic business objectives for the firm, so we need them both.

  Generally, operations sets the strategic plans and vision, and the projects side of the organization delivers the improvements and changes required to get there.

  The table below highlights the differences between projects and operations.

  	Projects	Operations
  Goal	Create something new or improve on an existing product, service or process	Keep the business functioning and serving customers; smooth running of day-to-day activities
  Timeframe	Has a defined beginning and end date, short-term effort	Ongoing, long-term effort
  Change impact	Creates change	Seeks consistency
  Resources	Dedicated resources for the life of the project only	Resources required on an ongoing basis
  Project role	Delivers change and hands it over to operational teams	Receives deliverables from a project team
  Outputs	Often includes tangible things like software applications, products, process manuals	Often includes intangible things like customer satisfaction surveys and process performance reports
  Results	One-time result	Recurring results over time
  Processes	Creates and changes processes	Carries out business process management
  Task type	One-off tasks, unique activities	Repetitive tasks

  Similarities between projects vs operations

  There are differences as we’ve seen, but there are also similarities. For example, many projects use resources from operational teams. They have to, as the ops people are the experts in the process, goals, customer expectations and specialist knowledge areas.

  They both cost money to do. They both require resource planning so people are available to work on them. They both need great communication skills, ongoing reporting, people management skills and open, trustworthy leadership.

  Ops and projects both seek to deliver the same long-term goal: meeting strategic objectives, which could be to make more money for the business or something else.

  They also both have similar methods for staff recognition for a job well-done. Managers will reward and recognize people involved in projects and those who are responsible for keeping the organization going.

  

  Strategies for managing both projects and operations simultaneously

  Managing both projects and operations can be a difficult task, but it is necessary to ensure optimal results. Often, the same management team will be responsible for both the operations side of things and also ensuring that projects are prioritized and resourced – that’s what your board or C-suite is for.

  Prioritizing tasks and allocating resources wisely is key in managing both projects and operations simultaneously. This means understanding the scope of each project or operation, determining which tasks are most important, and assigning time and people to them accordingly. It also involves ensuring that teams have enough resources to complete their work on time without sacrificing quality.

  That basically means making sure there are enough staff available to do the work.

  In my experience, one of the most frustrating things for both project team members and subject matter experts in operational teams is not having enough people. We’re always struggling to meet the organization’s need with the resources we have, because there is always more we could do.

  Before you go

  If you are looking for more inspiration, here's another case study: How I used video for project communications

  If you are interested in studying project management, then I can recommend the Google Project Management certificate as that includes a worked case study of Plant Pals and also a Capstone project for Sauce & Spoon – both hands-on (albeit fake) projects for you to learn about and work with. When you work through a project, you’ll quickly see how all of this translates to real life.

  This article first appeared on Rebel's Guide to Project Management and can be read here: Exploring the differences: Projects vs operations examples

• Brain Sensei vs PM PrepCast

  

  I’ve long used products from Cornelius Fichtner of The Project Management PrepCast fame for my own professional development. But I also know the team behind Brain Sensei.

  So how does Brain Sensei compare to the PM PrepCast? That’s what we’re covering in this article. I’ve used them both, I’ve had conversations with both teams, and over the year’s I’ve come to appreciate what they are both good at. Let’s do the comparison of their PMP training!

  Packages

  For a start, both companies offer Project Management Professional (PMP)® training.

  Brain Sensei offers:

  • A self-paced PMP prep course that includes video-based training
  • The exam simulator which is bundled into the training or you can buy as a separate option.

  The PM PrepCast has a lot of different options:

  • Basic is just the video-based training
  • Elite offers the training plus the exam simulator
  • You can also buy the exam simulator separately.

  For the purposes of this review, we’ll compare the self-paced Brain Sensei course with the PM PrepCast Elite package, as those both have the videos and exam simulator included.

  

  Training method

  The main difference between Brain Sensei and the PM PrepCast is the teaching approach.

  Brain Sensei videos are animated and interactive. There are exercises and it’s engaging. For example, you are invited to click on elements to reveal definitions. You keep clicking to work through the material and advance the slides.

  

  However, there are also slides that look like the text on them has been taken direct from the PMBOK® Guide, that don’t have any narration on them at all.

  The PM PrepCast videos are not interactive – they are totally different. You get Cornelius as your instructor talking you through the concepts with a slide presentation that looks like a PowerPoint deck. In my view, the slide design is not super modern either.

  The video modules are broken up into short lessons but you don’t have to engage with them. Just watch and take notes. Each module ends with a review question, but you have to pause the video to answer it in your own time (or not, as you choose), before the answer is revealed on the next slide.

  If you need to click the screen to stay engaged with your learning, then the interactive elements of Brain Sensei might be better for you.

  Personally, I think I prefer the video learning style as I don't like so much clicking on the screen and I can take my own notes.

  User interface

  There is not much to choose between the different learning management systems that the courses use. Brain Sensei is built on Articulate, which is fine but make sure to use a compatible browser like Chrome.

  The PrepCast uses a different LMS (I don't know which one) and it feels a little more old-fashioned.

  They both have a lot of material inside, so there are nested lessons and lots to scroll through in the menus.

  Personally, I found both systems a little clunky, but I don't think I've yet found an LMS I particularly like to use at all! Neither of them feel as clean as a course set up on Teachable, but then the courses I've done on that platform have a lot less content.

  You'll get used to either, regardless of which one you choose, it's honestly not worth worrying about.

  

  

  Support and community

  The PM PrepCast has a huge community behind it and active forums with community moderators (including me, for full disclosure), so you can always ask a question. Their support team is responsive and there is extensive online help as well as active social media profiles.

  Brain Sensei also has online help. It doesn’t have a student forum but it does have a very active and helpful Facebook community. There are the normal social media profiles too and the team always get back to you if you get in touch via the help button.

  Military scholarship

  Brain Sensei are one of the few training courses for project managers that I am aware of that offer a scholarship for military personnel. There is an application process that requires you to prove you are in service (or have retired from active duty).

  The scholarship is worth either 10% of the course fees or 100% of the course fees and is awarded in the form of a discount code that you use when you buy the course.

  The PM PrepCast used to offer scholarships (to anyone meeting the eligibility criteria) via PMIEF but they no longer do that due to a change in PMIEF’s policy.

  Refund period

  Brain Sensei has a 30-day refund period, assuming you haven’t taken more than one practice exam (for both the CAPM® and the PMP® courses).

  The PM PrepCast also has a 30-day refund period, with similar conditions. You can’t have started or completed the final exam, printed your contact hours certificate or intend to claim any contact hours, or taking one or more quizzes or exams.

  There’s no real difference here. You have a month to make your choice about whether your learning style matches the way the instructors teach, and if you don’t feel you can pass with the resources, you can request a refund.

  Guarantee

  Brain Sensei has a 100% pass guarantee, which means if you fail the PMP exam within a year of buying the course, they will give you another 90-days of access to go through the material again. If you fail a second time, they’ll give you another 90-days. The third time you fail, you get your money back, assuming both second and third attempts happen within 6 months of your first attempt. Three failures in 18 months is going some, but I suppose they are confident in their product and willing to refund if it is not a good fit for you.

  This is broadly the same guarantee as they have for their CAPM training, except for that one, all 3 attempts at the exam must happen within a year of your purchase date, so you have less time to cash in on the guarantee.

  The PM PrepCast does not have a pass guarantee, but it will offer you an extension to the PM Exam Simulator product if you failed your test one or two times to help you prepare for the retake.

  In summary

  To wrap up:

  • Both provide 35 contact hours.
  • Both cover the full range of things you need to know for the exam.
  • Neither are part of the Authorized Training Partner program with PMI although both used to be in the Registered Education Provider program before it changed.
  • Both offer a huge amount of study material and practice questions.

  The one you choose is a personal preference and I honestly think it comes down to which pedagogical method you think you are going to get the most out of.

  Which one will you choose? Or why not check out both Brain Sensei and the PM PrepCast to see which one you think will best fit your learning preferences?

  This article first appeared on Rebel's Guide to Project Management and can be read here: Brain Sensei vs PM PrepCast

• How to Create a Powerful PMO Mission Statement

  

  There's a lot riding on getting your PMO mission statement right.

  After all, the mission statement is what will guide the PMO as it strives to achieve its goals and objectives. Creating a powerful PMO mission statement doesn't have to be difficult - but it does require some thought and careful planning.

  Why have a mission statement for the PMO?

  The PMO is responsible for ensuring that an organization's projects are well-organized, well-run, and produce the desired results. A key part of a PMO leader's job is to develop and maintain project management standards and processes and to support the people doing the delivery – project managers, program managers, and teams.

  One way to easily explain what you do and why you do it is to create a mission statement for the PMO.

  It should explain what the PMO does and why it exists. It also presents a vision of the future, what’s possible for the team, and where the PMO wants to be.

  The mission statement should be easy to understand and should be aligned with the organization's strategy.

  Creating a mission statement for the PMO can help to:

  • Define the role of the PMO in the organization
  • Clarify the PMO's purpose
  • Communicate the PMO's value to the organization – very important given that PMOs seem to come and go as a disposable asset in the business
  • Guide the PMO's decision-making process.

  A well-crafted mission statement can be a powerful tool for the PMO. It can help to focus the team’s efforts and ensure that it is working towards the right goals.

  And it’s a great communication tool to use with the higher-ups.

  

  What goes into a mission statement?

  Your mission statement is the foundation of your Project Management Office. It's a guiding light that will help you make decisions, big and small.

  So, what goes into a mission statement?

  Your purpose

  First, you need to identify your department’s purpose. Ideally you'd do this when setting up a PMO, but you can do it at any time.

  Why do you exist?

  What do you do?

  What kind of PMO are you?

  Perhaps you provide a document repository of project management templates. Perhaps you’re a supportive PMO that provides coaching and development to project teams. Perhaps your major role is advising upwards to provide a strategic overview of the portfolio.

  Your values

  Next, you need to think about your team’s values.

  What do you believe in?

  What guides your decisions?

  Many companies already have corporate values that you can draw from. If you don’t have them, or they don’t seem relevant, you can co-create your own with the team.

  Values are often single words like simplicity, productivity, trust, integrity, honesty and so on.

  Your goals

  Finally, you need to consider your department’s goals.

  What do you want to achieve as a PMO?

  What difference do you want to make to the organization?

  For example, it could be:

  • Improving project success rates across all our portfolios through robust governance and project controls
  • Resource allocation (or resource management more generally)
  • Managing enterprise risk
  • Engaging customers
  • Delivering innovative products on time, on budget
  • Performance tracking for projects
  • Supporting the implementation of agile approaches across the organization.

  Goals can change every year, so don’t worry about it. When you meet one, add another!

  A goal statement helps you focus on what's important, and it will guide you through tough decisions. You can add specific targets like % change for customer expectations and so on.

  How mission statements link to PMO core values and vision

  A mission statement is a reflection of the core values and vision of an organization. It is a brief statement that defines what the team does, its purpose, and its goals.

  A mission statement should be clear, concise, and easy to remember. It should also be inspiring and motivating. Quite an ask!

  An effective mission statement will guide the actions of the PMO and its members and help to focus and direct the team’s efforts while reflecting the PMO's core values and vision.

  The PMO's mission statement should be reviewed and updated on a regular basis to ensure that it remains relevant and aligned with the organization's values and vision.

  Got all that? Great. Now you are ready to craft a mission statement that captures it all. Get it on a slide!

  Example PMO mission statements

  Montclair University

  Montclair University has published their PMO mission on their website. Here’s an extract:

  The Program Management Office's mission is to:

  • Establish a standardized and repeatable process to understand the University’s strategic objectives and how technology can be used to help meet those objectives
  • Create a portfolio view of all investments in IT, including priorities and dependencies
  • Establish the process of defining the projects that provide the greatest value to the University in order to establish the priority for investments in IT projects

  Their full vision and mission statement is 265 words and well worth a read if you are looking for inspiration.

  

  Ministry of Works, Government of Bahrain

  The Ministry of Works has a website that doesn’t look like it is maintained in English any longer. But if you can get over the terrible clipart, there is a good section on the mission, vision, and goals of the PMO

  As an example vision statement, here’s an extract from their page:

  In everything we do, the PMO will:

  • Be approachable
  • Promote a culture where collaboration is a core value
  • Be respectful of differing ideas and values
  • Nourish a positive and supportive environment
  • Be passionate about project management
  • Support the Mission and Vision of the MoW [Ministry of Works]

  

  State of Maine Office of Information Technology

  Here’s another example from the PMO for the State of Maine’s IT division. The link on the main MaineIT website has been removed last time I checked in July 2026, but you can still access the archive of the mission statement on the Wayback Machine.

  The Project Management Office (PMO) is a leader in establishing and implementing project management best practices that promotes effective and successful project outcome, increases efficiency, and ensures the successful delivery of projects that support State of Maine policy and program objectives.

  The PMO's mission is maximizing the value of State initiatives in the public interest through the successful implementation and management of best project management practices.

  The PMO provides guidance throughout a project or initiative's lifecycle; through all phases of completion.

  • Discovery: What must the project deliver to meet policy and program objectives
  • Alignment: How do we maximize the value of project outcomes for the agency and wider State Government imperatives
  • Selection: Determination of the best products, services, approaches and models to increase the long-term sustainability of solutions and services
  • Implementation: Apply government bests practices to minimize risk and maximize opportunities for successful outcomes.

  How the Project Management Office supports customers:

  • Meets your team where they are. No matter where you are in your project, we can help improve your outcomes
  • Define the needs or vision for project outcomes supported by policy and program imperatives
  • Facilitate definition of goals & objectives supported by evidence and measures
  • Conduct Project health assessments that assure conditions remain positive for successful outcomes
  • Business process definition and assessments that support smooth organizations change.  What is the action here?
  • Provide Expert project resourcing recommendations, recruitment, and assignment
  • Project executive oversight, and independent validation and verification
  • Transformation Management supports agencies adaption to change and adoption of new processes, tools and structures

  

  University of Mary Washington

  Finally, here’s an example from the University of Mary Washington Information Technology department.

  This is their vision statement as published on their website:

  Vision Statement

  • Support faculty, staff, students and the UMW community as a source for project management leadership and expertise
  • Promote best practice standards, quality, and methodologies into a project management discipline
  • Utilize PMBOK-based methodology as well as support ‘best fit’ approach for project management at UMW
  • Provide a channel of communication for project status, financial health, and mitigation of issues, risks, and dependencies across projects, departments, and/or divisions
  • Build project management maturity at the organization level

  

  If you are looking for more examples, universities and government departments often publish their goals and mission statements, so start there with your search.

  How to create a mission statement collaboratively with the team

  Crafting a mission statement can feel like a daunting task, especially if you're doing it alone. But it doesn't have to be!

  In fact, it absolutely should not be. In all the organizations I’ve worked in where the company wanted to refresh the values, it was a huge team effort. In one company, a team of leaders self-nominated themselves to take part in the exercise. They then sought input from a large group, then presented the findings to the exec.

  I also remember consultants coming in to help craft company messaging at one point and the exec having a two-day offsite to try to finalize what we stood for.

  It’s a big job.

  If you involve your team in the process, you can come up with a statement that accurately reflects your company's values and goals.

  I wouldn’t recommend a two-day offsite for this exercise for your PMO. Just put half a day aside and see how you get on.

  Here's how to create a mission statement collaboratively with your team.

  Step 1. Brainstorm values that are important to your company

  Start by brainstorming a list of values that are important to your company. These can be values that you want to uphold in your portfolio management work, or they can be values that you want your team to be known for.

  Some examples of values that you might want to include are:

  • Quality
  • Innovation
  • Customer satisfaction
  • Teamwork
  • Integrity.

  Step 2. Draft a mission statement that reflects these values

  Once you have a list of values, you can start drafting a mission statement that reflects them. Keep it simple and to the point.

  And make sure that everyone on your team agrees with the statement before moving on.

  Step 3. Make it actionable

  A good mission statement is not only a reflection of your company's values, but it's also actionable. In other words, it should guide the way you and your teamwork.

  Step 4. Review and revise as needed

  The mission statement now becomes part of your PMO Toolkit, one of the resources you can use regularly to communicate and bring people bck to the core mission of the team.

  Once you have a draft of your mission statement, review it periodically to make sure it still accurately reflects your company's values. And don't be afraid to revise it as needed.

  Creating a mission statement collaboratively with your team is a great way to ensure that it accurately reflects your company's values. And it can help you and your team stay focused on what's important.

  Key takeaways

  • A good mission statement should be reflective of the team’s values.
  • It should be actionable – something you can live your work by.
  • A mission statement should identify your team’s purpose, values, and goals.

  

  This article first appeared on Rebel's Guide to Project Management and can be read here: How to Create a Powerful PMO Mission Statement

• How to make a SIPOC diagram in all the tools (with PowerPoint template)

  

  Process mapping creates value as it helps people understand the business context of the work they are doing. One tool to do this is the SIPOC diagram, which I use and I learned about on my Black Belt training.

  Get a free PowerPoint SIPOC diagram template. Join the Project Management Resource Libraryto get the template and lots of other free project management templates, checklists, and guides.

  Whether you want to understand how customers move through your small business, or mapping the processes used on a major civil engineering project, SIPOC is a visual process mapping tool that can help you see the big picture, identify the individuals involved and then plan more effectively – especially if you intend to change a process.

  But what’s it all about? Read on…

  

  What is a SIPOC diagram?

  A SIPOC (say: sigh-pok) diagram is a simple way of recording an end-to-end business process.

  SIPOC diagrams have 5 steps and SIPOC stands for:

  1. Suppliers
  2. Inputs
  3. Process
  4. Outputs
  5. Customers

  It’s a visual process mapping technique, and it is used to create clarity before digging into the deeper levels of the business process.

  In other words, it’s a good way to get everyone on the same page before you start mapping the detail. You end up with a SIPOC diagram that shows the process at high level.

  

  SIPOC example

  Here’s a totally generic SIPOC example that gives you an idea of what the end result should look like.

  

  As you can see, it’s a visual tool for process management that gives you the process (and more) on a page. Perfect for drawing out on a flip chart! Write the name of the process at the top.

  If you don’t want to spend the time creating a fancy diagram, table format works just fine. Or you can get my SIPOC template which is an editable PowerPoint file to give you a headstart.

  Let’s look at the different areas of the SIPOC template in more detail and how you can put one together for your own project.

  1. Suppliers

  Every process starts with the suppliers of the inputs: the people who provide the stuff that the process needs to get going.

  Typical suppliers include your own staff (all the different departments involved) and customers. You may also have third-party suppliers providing other information.

  For example, let’s use an example of the process to register an account on your company website. A supplier might be the web hosting company.

  In project management terms, these are the people identified as your project stakeholders.

  Action: Make a list of the people who supply information, services or other types of input to the process.

  (For all these actions, work with your team. You might want to create a straw man sample to throw up on the screen during a meeting, but the final version needs to be done collaboratively.)

  2. Inputs

  Inputs are what are required by the process. These are transformed into what the customer needs during the process.

  Typical process inputs could be pieces of information, raw materials, or the technical environment. In the example of creating an account on a website, inputs would include credit card details, customer name, address, and so on.

  Tip: Don’t forget the external inputs: things you need from other teams or other projects.

  Action:Make a list of all the key inputs to this process.

  3. Processes

  At this step you define the high level process. By now you’ve got clear on what and who are helping this process happen. Now you have to plot out the five to seven major process steps.

  These should be at a really high level. You’re not trying to map out the exact step-by-step flow here. It’s only to give a flavour of what is happening at the most basic level.

  This would be your Level 1 process. It gives you the building blocks to create a more detailed process map or flow diagram later, which will have the level of detail required to show someone exactly what happens step-by-step.

  The SIPOC process is more to ensure everyone is clear about the big picture and that you can easily identify what’s happening.

  In our website registration process, the steps would be something like:

  1. Customer arrives at website
  2. Customer navigates to account page
  3. Customer enters details
  4. Account is created
  5. Email confirmation is issued to customer

  Action:Record the high level steps of the process. This isn’t a detailed overview, so keep your mini-process map to around 5 items.

  I’ll say it again: you don’t need much detail at this point! Keep it big picture but do include the entire process.

  4. Outputs

  This is exactly as you’d expect – what comes out of the process. Once your inputs have been transformed by the process, this is what you get at the end: the outputs of the process. Drop these into the appropriate column.

  In our SIPOC example for the website build, if you register on a website, what the process produces is a new customer account, and maybe you’d want to identify that as a new marketing lead as well.

  One of the process outputs for the customer would be the email notification, and perhaps a welcome email offering a discount off your products, for example.

  Action: Complete your SIPOC template by making a list of the outputs of this process.

  5. Customers

  These are the key customers of the process. This could look like a similar list to the suppliers list that you put together at the beginning, or it might look significantly different.

  Common customers on projects include staff in different departments, the end user (the customer on the street) and third party vendors who then take the output and do something else with it.

  The customers of the website registration process would be your end user (the customer who has registered on the website) and the sales and marketing team who can take that customer data and use it for marketing purposes. There may be other people in the business who would use the information created in the process who would count as internal stakeholders.

  Often, the people we think of as the customer are not the 'true' customer. Who is after our internal colleagues? How do we meet their customer expectations? Challenge the content for this section to make sure you are identifying all the relevant customers.

  I like this step the best because it forces our team to think of the voice of the customer and to make sure that their experience gets the priority it deserves.

  Action: Make a list of customers and add it to the SIPOC template.

  

  Tip: You can extend the diagram by also adding a note of customer requirements e.g. top success criteria as judged by the customer.

  Why use SIPOC?

  You want to know why you should be using this powerful tool, beyond the fact that it gives you a visual representation of a process as a high-level overview? OK! Here are some (more) reasons why you should consider using SIPOC on your project.

  • The SIPOC map is a good tool for creating understanding and understanding the scope and key elements of the process
  • The SIPOC gives you a common language for talking about what the process does now and how you want it to change
  • It forces you to think about the requirements of the customers, not just the requirements of the people who shout the loudest
  • It’s a way to provide some focus and structure to a brainstorming session, especially if you don’t have much facilitation experience and need a hand working out how to actually get this project started.

  You might ask why it’s important to do process mapping for a process you understand well, if you are about to change it. It is worth doing: because you can only appreciate the impact of a process change if you know what the process is in the first place.

  That’s why plenty of projects start off with creating a high level process map, or at least reviewing the last time process mapping was done and ensuring that whatever business process flow was produced back then is still accurate for today’s project.

  Then you can refer back to the diagram and create the relevant process documentation to support it.

  SIPOC and Six Sigma

  I was asked the other day if SIPOC is Lean or Six Sigma. It's from the Six Sigma tool set.

  

  I learned SIPOC on my Six Sigma training

  It’s part of the Define phase in the DMAIC methodology and has become a much-used tool in industries like lean manufacturing. It’s perfect for continuous process improvement initiatives and any type of process review or Lean Six Sigma effort where you are looking for potential gaps in the way things are done.

  Having said that, you don’t need to be a Six Sigma Black Belt to make use of the tool on any continuous improvement project.

  How to create a SIPOC diagram...

  A SIPOC diagram is supposed to be a creative, collaborative endeavor. Get all the team members involved, talking openly and bouncing around ideas. It should be a team effort to produce the chart, and if you get the relevant stakeholders to help, it will be packed with relevant information that will shape the next stage of the project.

  The easiest way to create your process map is to work with your colleagues in a workshop-style setting. Grab your mindmapping software, start from a blank page (or a template) and start getting your ideas down. You can always edit them later.

  ...in PowerPoint

  That's easy! Just download my free template and customize it. Add in your brand colors and make it suit your needs.

  PowerPoint is very flexible, and as a SIPOC diagram is a visual way of presenting information, slides work very well. You might have to resize information to get everything on the page.

  Remember you can change your slide size if you want to make the canvas bigger (and don't mind scrolling).

  ...in Excel/Google Sheets

  Excel is not the easiest of tools to use for predominantly text-based content, but you can create 5 columns, one for each of the elements.

  Give each column a heading, add shading to differentiate it from the other columns and then add in your text. For the process column, simply list out the steps within the column itself.

  You can add an extra box at the bottom for notes if you need to.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8707qCd83kA

  ...in Visio

  If you're lucky enough to have a charting tool, you might find there is a template -- check any libraries called 'workflow diagrams' or use the search feature.

  I use Boardmix, which is a bit like Visio in some respects, but more like Miro or other whiteboarding tools. It has a template, so you might find your charting tool does too.

  

  If you don't have a template pre-built for you, you'll have to create the shapes and connectors on screen to get the look you want. I imagine that could be quite time-consuming, but no more so than doing the same work in PowerPoint.

  ...in Word

  You can whip up a Word version easily.

  Start with your page orientation as landscape. Add a title (as it's hard to add text on afterwards if your table is the first thing on the page). Then add a 5-column table and enter your text.

  You can use the drawing tools to add call-outs for your process steps if you don't want to add them directly as text within the table, and that might make it look a bit more 'visual' too.

  

  Limitations of SIPOC

  The SIPOC model is only really good at drawing out the high level process. It’s not going to give you the detailed steps required to, say, put together a training manual or write a user guide.

  And let's not get on to complex processes. You really have to dumb it down or breakdown the process into sub-processes to get anything of value, and by the time you've done that, is the output really valuable at all?

  This type of business process analysis is quite simplistic but it does act as a good starting point with key steps that help you move forward.

  Could you see a value for this in your business?

  Your next steps

  • Hop over the Resource Libraryto grab your template
  • Think about what project you could use this on (although if you're already reading this article and you've got this far, you probably have one in mind)
  • Make a draft version with what you know
  • Gather the team to discuss and agree on the contents to gain consensus

  This article first appeared on Rebel's Guide to Project Management and can be read here: How to make a SIPOC diagram in all the tools (with PowerPoint template)

• GanttPRO Review + Mini Tutorial

  

  Are you looking for an online tool that offers powerful Gantt chart templates and all the other bits you need for collaboration like file sharing, exporting and resource management? GanttPRO might be just the solution for you.

  Read on:

  (Full disclosure: I was originally compensated for my time in 2020 preparing this review, but the 2026 update has not be compensated. I am not an affiliate for GanttPRO either.)

  General Information

  Name: GanttPRO

  Vendor: DPM Solutions

  Hosting options: Online solution (desktop). The mobile app is available for iOS and Android.

  Languages: English, Russian, Spanish, German, Portuguese, and Korean (available on the app)

  Cost: There is no free plan (although there is a free trial). Pricing plans cover Core, Advanced and Business with an Enterprise plan. The cheapest plan for 5 members is about $8 per month.

  First impressions

  The power of GanttPRO is -- as you've guessed from the name -- in the Gantt charting.

  First impressions: it's really good.

  I tend to compare things to Microsoft Project because that's the tool I know the best and have used for years. Having said that, I rate myself as a 'normal' user of MSP because I don't use a lot of the advanced cost tracking features etc.

  GanttPRO is Microsoft Project good. I enjoyed using it, and it's easy. If you've used any other Gantt chart project planners, you'll be able to pick this one up with a teeny learning curve. They also have a free .mpp viewer --useful if you have stakeholders without Project, or are a bit stuck now that Microsoft Project Online is no more.

  Creating a Gantt Chart

  Create a new project and set the duration
  you want to work with. The Duration step gives you the option to set hours,
  days, weeks or months. Then set your working days and hours, so you can give
  your team a generous lunch break if you like.

  Once that's done, you see the Gantt chart view.

  There is also an AI Gantt Chart maker if starting from a blank piece of paper (or screen, these days) is a worry for you. Type in what you want and the Gantt chart magically appears! This reminded me of the functionality in Tom's Planner, which was the first AI-powered Gantt chart maker I was aware of and still is one of my favorites.

  

  Task hierarchy

  The highest level on your project Gantt chart is a sub-project. This could represent a workstream, group of tasks or literally a sub-project, if you are planning a program.

  Under that you can add tasks, and the additional 'three dots' menu lets you add subtasks infinitely. Click Enter to add another task, or add a sibling task at the same level as where you currently are.

  You can drag and drop anything on the Gantt
  chart even to indent/outdent tasks.

  Task icons in GanttPRO

  Each task has three icons:

  Information: Contains the name and description of the task. You can use the description as a way to communicate key information to other users as you can hover over the task and see that info pop up. Personally, I wouldn't want to rely on anyone hovering to get any critical information, but I'm sure I could find some use for that field.

  Settings: Contains
  basic task parameters (start/end date, priority, estimate). You can force a
  deadline of a certain date. That shows you a fire icon on the Gantt chart.

  It's a very visual way of seeing a fixed date. The fire icon doesn't affect the scheduling -- your task can still run late. But as soon as you hit the deadline the Gantt chart shows you a message saying your task is overdue.

  I love this feature -- what a great way of showing people the impact of late delivery.

  The settings icon also gives you
  information on dependencies, status (open/closed etc), duration, type
  (task/milestones), and task attachments (which you can add from the desktop, drag
  and drop, or add from Google drive or One Drive).

  Delete: If
  you want to delete the task.

  https://youtu.be/sUlIN3i0jEM?si=xCmLQbDIiQs1Ep2L

  Creating dependencies

  It's easy to create a dependency in GanttPRO. You can do it from the task settings or drag and drop the tasks together on the Gantt chart.

  You can set a lag if you need to. And you can use the 4 classic dependency types which is good. I have seen simple tools that don't allow for lag or some of the dependency types e.g. FF.

  Notifications

  You can see the notifications you've received from the Notification menu and also have the option to email and push notifications (push only show when you are in the tool).

  You can tag people in task comments with @ and that flags a notification. You can tailor notifications too -- very important if you are trying to manage information overload.

  You can set a notification for a fixed
  deadline as well, to help you get control over the deadline, by sending you an
  email a few days in advance (or whenever you want to be alerted about the
  upcoming deadline of doom).

  Milestones in GanttPRO

  It's easy to add a milestone in GanttPRO. Choose the option in the list of tasks, or change the type of any existing task.

  Change the color of your milestone by clicking on the color box next to the milestone name. I would do this, because the default milestone color is fuchsia, and that's a bit bright for my stakeholders.

  Gantt Chart Columns

  The default columns on the Gantt chart are the task name, assignee and status. But you can show any from the long list of
  options.

  You can sort your tasks by the filters e.g.
  all the tasks that are Amber can be filtered. And you can save a filter! So you
  can create custom filters e.g. for showing all milestones at risk for your
  monthly report.

  Resource management

  You can invite people via email invitation. As I understand it, you'll need to set up each project manager as an administrator, as the alternative role (a member) has limited edit rights.

  Members can only edit tasks to which they have been assigned, and they can't change task start and end dates. It's a limited role. I can't think of anyone on my teams I'd want to give that to, to be honest.

  There's also the 'owner' role which acts as system admin and has access to all projects and billing information.

  You can also add virtual resources, which
  can be:

  • A physical resource like a server or a piece of equipment
  • A role type like designer or tester
  • The name of a person you want to allocate tasks to but you don't want them to have a login to the software.

  Resources can have a cost associated with
  them (if you want) e.g. price per hour or a fixed cost.

  At the bottom of the Gantt chart you can
  see a workload report.

  The resources are listed and you can see
  their hours scheduled to work per day. Red means overloaded, blue is
  underloaded and green shows you resources are sufficiently allocated.

  You can create personal calendars for resources to allow for holiday time, or part-time members on the team -- if you then try to assign people to tasks on those days, the workload report shows in red (it won't stop you from doing it, though).

  Tracking effort and duration

  You can do duration and effort-based planning -- genius. So task duration can be 1 week but the estimate for effort is 8 hours. The cost column is calculated based on the effort estimate (or fixed cost, if you are using a resource with a fixed cost).

  Having said that, I've found that there is limited use for this kind of cost tracking on projects. Unless you are enforcing timesheets to track actual hours worked, budget tracking of resource time is fraught with difficulties.

  In GanttPRO there is no way to distinguish
  between billable and non-billable time (you could set up different generic
  resource types and allocate billable and non-billable tasks to them I guess).

  Anyway, those issues with tracking the cost
  of internal hours are not GanttPRO specific.

  Time tracking

  You can track hours spent which creates actual cost. There is a timer built in to the app, so you don't have to be reliant on people tracking their time outside the app and you (or them) copying it in.

  Progress is changed manually based on percent complete. That effects the fixed cost of a fixed cost resource. I'm not sure that's a useful feature for fixed cost resources. Even if the task turns out to be 6 hours and not 8 hours, a fixed cost is the fixed cost. I would say that the cost is incurred as soon as the task is completed.

  However, lots of people still track using percent complete so if it's important to you, the feature is there.

  Reports

  The reporting function is much improved since I last looked at this product in 2020, but they are only available on business and enterprise plans, which seems a bit limiting to me. You can pull progress, budget or time on task (timesheet-style) reports.

  

  GanttPRO Integrations

  You can integrate with Microsoft Teams, Google Drive, Slack, OneDrive, calendars and Jira.

  You'll need an admin to set the integrations up. There is an API if you want to integrate it further.

  GanttPRO Billing

  There's a free 14-day trial (no credit card needed) and then you'll need to sign up for a paid plan.

  GanttPRO billing is on an annual basis for individuals, so you are tied into your subscription for the full year. Team plans can be billed monthly as well as annually. It's very competitively priced, though. And you'll probably only need paid licenses for your project managers, as many of the people doing tasks can be created as generic resources.

  Kanban Board in GanttPRO

  If Gantt View isn't for you, switch to Board View.

  The Board View defaults to Open, In Progress, Done (by the assignee) and Closed (by the PM).

  

  Baselines

  You can save as many baselines as you need.
  Turn on the baseline and you can see the comparison against your current
  schedule, on the Gantt chart and in the columns (with the original
  dates/progress etc shown in report).

  Sharing your plans with other people

  Option 1: Export

  You can export as PDF, PNG, XML, and Excel.

  You can manage the columns you are going to
  export so you only get what you need, which is handy.

  Option 2: Public URL

  If you don't want to create a document, or your schedule is too large to be put into a document easily, you can share a public URL to your plan for anyone to look at.

  You can control the information that is being shared -- apply a filter to tailor exactly what you want to show. By default, the URL is dynamic and will show the schedule in real time. That's great news for stakeholders who don't want to have to use a different link each time they look at the latest status on the schedule.

  If you only want to provide a fixed moment in time view, tick the 'snapshot' box to share what the schedule looks like right now.

  These link sharing options are great for the CTO or executive who wants evidence there is progress and wants to see the Gantt chart, but you don't want them to meddle with it!

  Save as template

  Save the project as a template and then
  tick to share the template with your team so they can use the template.

  Help options

  I always like to look at the help options
  because then you know how much support is available to you if you need to find
  feature or make something work properly. I was impressed with the customer
  support available for GanttPRO.

  There are links to the Learning Center for YouTube videos etc. Each customer gets an account manager, which is great, and customer support managers are available online for live chat. The online help is good and there were articles available for the things I searched for.

  If you want a tool with robust support,
  GanttPRO fits the bill.

  GanttPRO vs Microsoft Project

  GanttPRO is a Microsoft Project online alternative. I have already confessed to not being a power user of MSP, but the features I do use in it are all replicated in GanttPRO.

  I couldn't find anything I wanted to do in GanttPRO that I couldn't, using the standard Gantt chart features out of the box.

  In summary

  GanttPRO is a solid product for managing individual projects, but wouldn't be suitable for a team where the PMO needed to see consolidated reporting, unless they were prepared to put this together manually.

  GanttPRO is targeted at small and medium businesses that do need fully featured Gantt software but without some of the other 'agency' add ins like invoicing. If you care about having the Board View for other purposes or your smaller projects, or personal To Do lists, that's there too.

  The learning curve is small, especially if
  you have experience using other Gantt chart tools.

  I loved the Gantt chart, and it's refreshing for an online SaaS tool to have such a robust Gantt chart.

  This article was first published in 2020 and has been updated in 2026.

  This article first appeared on Rebel's Guide to Project Management and can be read here: GanttPRO Review + Mini Tutorial