Six Benefits of Hiring a Project Management Consultant

Project Management Consultancy

Due to some issues such as uneven project performance, potential for loss of credibility, lack of experience in a particular type of project, and lack of in-house dedicated project management professionals, executives hire consultants to provide project management assistance. Project management consulting firms can provide experienced professionals who deliver high-quality solutions to the complex problems that any team may face. Here are six reasons why hiring a project management consultant can benefit your company:

1. Troubleshooting projects

When a project is at risk, it causes the manager to recognize that a better project management approach is required. Consultants are often brought in to address various project-related issues, such as: poor on-time performance (deadlines are not being met), poor financial results (unnecessary spending to meet deadlines), dysfunctional team dynamics (poor communication, internal fights, and distraction) and complicated team composition (multilocation members, language barriers, external collaborations, others).

By providing the right methodology, project management training, resources, and technology, a project management consultant can help executives determine how to most effectively focus on the resources they have available. Moreover, it can also help preserve the integrity of project deliverables by ensuring that issues are identified in a timely manner and milestones are consistently met. These tools and support solutions help improve metrics across the project, while enabling teams to work more efficiently and effectively in high-stress environments.

2. Covering a gap

Projects are sometimes launched without taking into consideration the experience of the team. Additionally, the complexity, scale, and uniqueness of a project can be a major concern for even the most experienced teams. Finally, the experience in the domain of project management required to effectively lead a project initiative may not exist or is insufficient. In these cases, a project management consulting firm can provide the necessary expertise to lead the project to a successful outcome.

3. Contribution of advanced management analysis

In many cases, senior management have difficulty evaluating project performance and making informed decisions because they do not have access to key project information. A specialized consultant can provide the necessary reports and analyses to equip managers with key information about future obstacles, possible project difficulties, and potential resource constraints. When this type of information is incorporated as part of a more inclusive project management approach, the consultant can turn standard project information into a predictive analytics tool.

4. Set a proactive approach

Many projects, by default, are managed using a reactive problem-solving approach. This style of project management creates an environment where “putting out the fire” is the norm and the latest emergency demands attention. A proactive project management approach allows teams to identify roadblocks early, enables teams to make better decisions, and provides more cost-effective solutions. By implementing the right mix of project management training, consulting, and advanced tools, a project management consultant can establish an early warning system that provides managers with future projections to ensure the project is executed as planned.

5. Project security

Some projects are so critical to the success of a business that failure is simply not an option. In such cases, business owners cannot leave any room for ambiguity and need to ensure that the project at hand is delivered successfully. Hiring a project management consultant can help deploy advanced risk mitigation tools and provide expert scrutiny of existing project schedules which would elevate the probability of a successful project delivery.

6. Short term support solutions

The lack of qualified personnel to support the congested pipeline of projects is a constant concern for many companies. Hiring and training full-time employees and mentoring them consumes a lot of time. So, hiring a project management consultants can fill the gap between the immediate need for assistance and the company’s current capabilities.

Conclusion

Project management consultants can provide a combination of experience, knowledge and advanced tools that are not available instantly in most of the companies. By combining these capabilities with an understanding of project management best practices, it’s easy to see how the benefits of hiring a project management consultant can far outweigh the out-of-pocket expenses.

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Secure Password Protocols

Password Policies

Your organization can take every precaution to prevent a cyber-attack – firewalls, antivirus, antimalware, spam filter, etc. - but their greatest vulnerability is not lurking in the cyber shadows, they are sitting in your office. The failure to adhere to the employee password policy requirements could put your whole business at risk. 

How to Enforce Password Policies for Your Business 

Putting a password policy in place for your staff is only the first step towards ensuring a higher level of security. If this policy is not enforced, your staff could still be reverting to out-of-date password rules. 

Fortunately, you don’t need to spend hours educating your team on password best practices to get peace of mind. You can enforce technical password requirements using the server located in your office or in the cloud. 

7 technical password policy requirements 

To protect your company data, your technical password policy should include the following: 

1. Rethink password expiration policies 

Studies have shown that requiring employees to change passwords often could do more harm than good. When forced to update passwords regularly, people tend to choose weaker and more predictable passwords that hackers can easily crack. 

There are many cases where passwords need to be updated. For example, if passwords may have been compromised, ask your employees to update them. 

2. Protects against hashing and duplicate passwords 

Make sure team members cannot repeat previously used passwords. This includes password hashing, where the letters of old passwords are replaced with symbols and numbers. Algorithms can now guess hash patterns with impressive precision. 

3. Do not allow passwords containing usernames 

Including your name in your password is weak and predictable. Be sure to establish rules that do not allow this practice. 

4. Enforce the length rules 

Passwords must be at least 8 characters long. Give employees helpful tips to create even more secure passwords, such as using phrases or sentences. 

5. Require password complexity 

Strong passwords include an uppercase letter, a lowercase letter, a number, and a special character. Set these prerequisites for all employee passwords. 

6. Use passphrases 

Choosing phrases for your password that have a personal connection to your life, rather than words, is more difficult for someone to hack. 

Use phrases like “I love puppies,” but make it unique by altering some of the letters to be numbers or symbols to get “Il0ve the Cub $ 2017”. A phrase about a sports team that you like is easy to remember and creates the required complexity. 

7. Use two-factor authentication 

Not only does it require a username and password, but multi-factor authentication also requires information that only the user knows. For example, the user will enter their username and password and then they will be asked to enter their phone number. The system will then send a unique code to the user’s phone and ask them to enter that code into the system before login is granted. This means that a hacker would need the credentials for the user’s mobile phone and account. 

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