FrugalPMP

Summer Will Be Here Before You Can Say "I want to go on a Carribean Cruise."

2012-01-11T09:30:00.000-08:00

That being said, pass your PMP exam before you go on vacation this summer so you have something to feel proud of and even brag about to your fellow vacationers (you never know who you may meet - perhaps a C-Level executive vacationing at the same place as you who is mulling over hiring a PMP when he gets back to work! Get my Project Management Professional Exam Simulator (click here for details and ordering) - you will be glad you did!

Connect With Me On LinkedIn

2012-01-11T09:21:00.000-08:00

Connect with me on LinkedIn (click here), to see hundreds of contacts that support my Cert Exam Sim efforts, including many Project Management Professionals, some of which you may know or want to contact - many are successful entrepreneurs as independent consultants (like me). And if you have not yet passed your PMP Exam - get my one of a kind Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam Simulator for Windows Computers - diagnostic and works with all versions of Windows and hardware from laptops to servers to tablets.

Holiday Offer Running Out - My Sim is All You Need to Pass

2012-01-06T13:18:00.000-08:00

Buy my PMP Exam Simulator, and get rid of all those boring bookish study materials. The PMBoK will certainly help, but if you answer every question in my simulator you will pass.My limited time holiday offer is running out. Soon it will be time to raise prices!

Software Support is Key - Even for An Exam Simulator

2012-01-06T10:25:00.000-08:00

As an MBA/PMP Software Engineering professional, managing projects at the Enterprise level for rich client server and commercial turnkey products, I found early on that quality control and assurance along with tight, responsive customer is key to a wildly happy customer. Even well written software, with few (it is rare that software has no bugs) bugs, or few to no issues, may find users who want to dive into a new interface needing some help to get them in the right direction. I provide that with my Exam Simulators for Windows. You can email me or call me - email questions get answered within 12 hours.

All in all the user interface to my PMP Exam Simulator (and others) is straightforward. Help is only a button click away. The software gives you the opportunity to test yourself manually, in a random setting, or pick questions according to Knowledge Area - all in a diagnostic format. The manual, or non auto (test center) mode, follows the think, write, act paradigm, so you choose the question from the list of question hints with your KA or all KAs, then think about it, formulate your answer, then display the available answers and record it. This paradigm eliminates guessing and actually builds good managerial acumen as a bonus. You can't loose. Buying my sim is the best professional investment you will ever make.

Working Feverishly on Mobile PMP Exam Sim

2011-09-09T08:23:00.000-07:00

Yes, in my spare time, after a 8 to 6 consulting day's work, I typically spend a few hours working on the i-versions of my PMP Exam Sim. But, you can get the existing windows version to work on an i-device, i.e., iPad, iPhone, by using TeamViewer, a free app that enables remote viewing of your windows desktop. So, head for my site for the cheapest, best PMP Exam Sim ever, usable with TeamViewer, as a mobile app, and still great for your PC at work, or your notebook on the go.

PMBoK + PMP Exam Simulator = PASS

2011-08-18T07:34:00.000-07:00

As a PMP candidate, the application process with PMI attests to your experience and education requirements as fulfilling that required of a PMP. All that is left is to pass the Prometric computerized exam.

More than 80% of the material on the exam is taken directly from the Project Management Body of Knowledge or PMBoK, so that should be at the top of your study list. I read it about five times when I studied for the exam.

An exam simulator is the big gun in your arsenal, packing a lot of punch for the money. You can simulate exam conditions and practice questions in your diagnosed weak areas at your own pace to fit your schedule. Using my PMP Exam Sim along with PMBoK study will get you a pass on your first attempt - guaranteed.

MAS90 ERP with Crystal Reports XI - Hands on PMP

2011-05-17T13:48:00.001-07:00

Yes, I am a PMP, still certified (since 2006, I think), and times are still indeed tough. If you have a project management job and are happy there, I say stay - don't look elsewhere - unless you are not certified. More and more businesses and organizations are recognizing the value of the Project Management Professional Certification. This growing recognition has even spread to certification programs for large ERP software vendors.

Sage MAS90, a mid-range Enterprise Resource Planning software tool, currently in Version 4.4+ and licensed to perhaps thousands of customers has a certification program that gives special precedence to PMPs. Certified project managers can opt out of some of the coursework or something (check with them for the details), but beyond that, the course of study to get the certification has a beneficial side-effect in getting us cognizant of risk, time, quality, schedule and other management areas that are crucial to developing strategic and tactical level reports on this platform or any ERP platorm, I presume.

I am currently consulting to a manufacturer of industrial shipping supplies, primarily pallets at Treen Box & Pallet, Inc. In my job, I administer the ERP system (MAS90 V4.4) and another ERP for the industry, PalMate. In addition, I write reports almost daily, using Crystal Reports XI R2.

If you are not yet certified as a PMP you may want to check out my home-grown Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam Simulator for MS Windows (soon to be available for phones). And by the way, I have also built a Crystal Reports, Business Objects Exam Sim.

Getting either sim will help you pass an exam or a difficult job interview, and so are way worth the nominal price. Getting both may help you get a job like mine, I see more and more call for PMPs with ERP, specifically PMP expertise. It used to be a CPA domain, but I think our background is broad and deep enough to surpass that of a CPA. Certified Public Accountants are great, but often their expertise is limited to taxes and financial reports and the GL.

A PMP who Knows something about the CISSP certification, and others.

2011-04-21T12:48:00.000-07:00

I am a PMP with an MBA degree. I do have a lot of experience and education in security of the CISSP kind. I would love to get that credential, so to help me study and to help others to pass the test, I developed a CISSP back end to my flagship PMP Exam Simulator for Windows. It is a great way to learn the material FAST!

To become a fully certified CISSP you need to have 5 years of professional experience in 2 or more of the Ten Domains of the Common Body of Knowledge. This combined with passing the exam and having a sponsor (someone already certified as a CISSP and in good standing with ISC(2)) are what a student needs to become a CISSP.

Here is a list of the Ten Domains of the Common Body of Knowledge for the CISSP (all covered and selectable in my CISSP Exam Simulator:
• Access Control
• Application Security
• Business Continuity Planning and Disaster Recovery Planning
• Cryptography
• Legal, Regulations Compliance, and Investigations
• Operations Security
• Physical (Environmental) Security
• Security Architecture and Design
• Information Security and Risk Management
• Telecommunications and Network Security

If a student doesn't have the prerequisite 5 years of professional experience they can still take the exam, and if they pass they are designated as an Associate CISSP until they reach the minimum years of professional experience. This doesn't mean that they are unable to perform the duties of a full CISSP; it just means that they haven't accrued the requisite number of years of professional experience. Once they have that time served they are granted the certification of a CISSP.

Currently, I offer Certification Exam Simulators or Test Trainers or Personal Test Centers for Windows computers, laptops and notebooks in the following certs:

These Personal Exam Simulators can be extended to cover additional professional certifications upon your request, or with our developer's kit you can develop question, answer, and explanation content and plug it into our simulator for a low license fee and then profit by distributing your own version to your students, job candidates, or via a sales venue. We help you roll your own exam simulator.

If you are an employer, ensure you hire talent by testing job candidate aptitude with an exam simulator.

My day consulting job as an MBA, PMP for Treen Box & Pallet, Inc., has me responsible for MAS90 and Crystal Reports Support, PalMate ERP support, along with Network, computer and other IT support tasks, along with development of the company website (just started it), and a PHP app for front-ending incoming business from the field sales group and inside order takers ala "Action Book". It's a great place to work as unlike bigger more "corporate" offices everyone is usually smiling here and means it.

Dress Your Project for Success

2011-03-23T11:57:00.001-07:00

Remember what you were taught in Kindergarten or that first year or "semester" of the entry level to grammar school as we call it here in the US? I think we were early on taught that "neatness counts" or something to that effect. Presentation and promotion of your project is just as important, or more so than promotion of the product or service that happens once the project is successfully completed. Without project promotion, there may be no product promotion. Proper project promotion and presentation to stakeholders gets buy in, i.e., "sells" the project effort to the stakeholders, and is generally, almost intuitively, automatically, value driven. To promote and present is to attempt to show the growth in value of what your are doing or plan to do - to "show your work" in the best light.

If you are a PMP, you have learned and been tested on the detailed tactics for accomplishing just this, via communications, planning, integration and so on. Not a PMP you say? Well add some value to both your project and your career by becoming certified.

My favorite presentation and promotion tool for prospective candidates is my diagnostic PMP Exam Simulator for MS Windows (all versions - and tablet). Good luck!

Exam Simulator Alive and Well

2011-03-22T10:54:00.000-07:00

When I studied for the PMP Exam, I could not afford the almost $250 (at that time) for the popular PMP Exam Simulator by RMC. I did realize, that answering questions was the most effective way to prepare myself for a test center administered professional exam when I had limited study time available. So that is what I did, used my PMBoK and constructed questions out the material and practiced. And once I passed, the software engineer in me developed the PMP Exam Simulator and still sell it, with its' diagnostic format and over 1400 questions from my website via Paypal here.

In collaboration with other subject matter experts, I also offer Exam Simulators for the CISSP, EA, PHP, Java, BO/CR, Oracle, IT Tech, and even Fly Fishing Instructor (my hobby).

Because I consult as a project manager, making Gantt charts, project plans, doing resource management, and software/systems engineering and more by day, my Exam Sim website does not get daily attention. It is alive, and well, and up to date for the current exams, (PMP - PMBoK 4th edition). Buy my exam sim for MS Windows. You will not be disappointed. You will pass the exam - I guarantee it! Exam sims are also great tools for preparing for difficult tech interviews in this tight labor market. Get the job! Pass the exam! Good luck!

Open Source Project Management Tool

2011-02-09T06:35:00.000-08:00

I do not have a copy of MS Project. I did recently download a copy of OpenProj 1.4 by Serena Software. Thus far I've produced a somewhat organized first draft of my current systems conversion project as a task list with Gantt chart. It looks impressive. When I printed my project out on 8.5 X 11 sheets and taped it all together into a traditional newspaper sized list and diagram and showed it to my client I could see he was impressed as well. It's free, i.e., open source. According to the "About" menu item, I've opened it all of 7 times since downloading and maybe found one or two glitches, but for the most part I got my Gantt chart accomplished with intuition developed likely from experience with MS Project and my PMI PMP certification study. From download to useful and artistic Gantt chart hand off to client in perhaps 5 days or 14 hours of work.

Now, if you are looking for that MS Project alternative, I endorse OpenProj. If you are looking to pass your Project Management Professional (PMP) exam, get an exam simulator. One costs hundreds of dollars. I could not afford it when I was studying. Mine costs much less and is perhaps better. It is diagnostic, selectable by Knowledge Area, has test center (auto) and practice modes and a graphic histogram to show just how bright you are in each KA at a glance. Order my PMP Exam Simulator at www.askaguide.net

Cliff Munyan, MBA, PMP on Twitter

2010-09-15T18:51:00.000-07:00

http://twitter.com/askaguide

Frugal PMP Gone

2010-09-05T08:09:00.000-07:00

We are now at: www.askaguide.net...

A YouTube Tour of My PMP Exam Simulator...

2010-08-01T18:13:00.001-07:00

A Holistic PMP Exam Simulator

2010-07-23T09:25:00.000-07:00

General systems theory as applied to project management is back in vogue, returning as trendy fashions do to become classics that are continually in style. The 1970s and 80s saw management thinking turn more toward viewing events and actions to be considered in their proper context and in their myriad connections, including their relationships with the natural environment. To save ourselves as well as nature, we must renounce the idea that nature must be conquered and enslaved and accept that enterprises, businesses and human organizations of any sort belong to the same ecosystem. Systemic thinking is the first step toward understanding system dynamics and appreciating that every action is the culmination of meshing or mashing causes and effects. My Performance Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam Simulator for MS Windows computers, is diagnostic in the systemic thinker sense par excellence - according to hundreds of happy users who are now PMPs.

PMPs as Program Managers Make Great Salaries Even in this Depressed Job Market

2010-07-13T15:28:00.001-07:00

Here is a recent excerpt from a job board - I won't say which, but please check it out and I hope it spurs you to get certified and then go on to get PMI's PgMP cert.

Description: Main Duties
• Reporting to senior stakeholders, milestone tracking, RAG status reporting and steering committees.
• Risk mitigation and issue resolution
• Budgeting, forecasting, resource management
• Managing projects through the lifecycle

Main Function
Senior Program Manager within Reference Data IT to lead our most important programs, which have C-level visibility and stakeholders from every area of the firm.

The succesful candidate will have a proven track record of delivering large scale programs, involving multiple workstreams. Leadership and influencing skills are a must as well as the ability to dive into signfiicant details.

Candidates with experience of Client, Security or Product reference data of particular interest

* Location: New York
* Compensation: $150K - $250K

My PMP Exam Sim can help you on your way...

PMP Exam Simulator Version 6 Features

2010-07-04T12:15:00.000-07:00

Now with over 1200 questions, in a diagnostic, test center simulator format, my PMP Exam Sim for Windows computers is a sophisticated way to prepare for your exam.

This thumbnail screen shot shows the main test panel, with, from the right, the view into the questions database, the question and answer panel, and the diagnostic panel with breakdown by knowledge area to the left, with KA chooser and strength weakness assessment.

In this thumbnail above, the Exam Simulator's "Coach" button has been pressed to show the answer to the question of interest and often and explanation to go with it. The Coach feature is available in Practice, or manual mode, not Auto or Test Center mode.

Here we see the diagnostic panel on the left begin to reflect strength/weakness assessment in a couple of Knowledge Areas as the test session progresses. Knowledge Areas can be selected so that test sessions can be customized to specifically target your study plan. When you are studying Scope Project Management, you may want to deselect all KAs except for Scope to test yourself and gauge your progress in that area. More than one up to all KAs, both PMBoK and ancillary test material KAs can be selected.

See a more detailed feature listing...

A PMP with Lymphoma

2010-06-13T19:06:00.001-07:00

OK, this is startling, to think that PMP Training icon Rita M. died recently from cancer. Coincidentally, I developed - content and programming for what I and many of my successful student customers think is the best PMP Exam Sim for learning and getting familiar with the test center environ where you will finally sit for the exam.

Check out my product details then buy it. You will not only do yourself a service, but will help a PMP (me) with Lymphoma, who cannot seem to get corporate work (hmmmmm), continue to develop training materials for the profession. Right now even with hundreds of customers, the foreclosure of my little house in the North Georgia Mountains is looming.

You will not regret the purchase. Good luck in your PMP Candidate endeavors.

My PMP Exam Sim now includes values and ethics questions.

2010-06-07T15:57:00.000-07:00

9% of the PMP exam is based upon the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct (http://www.pmi.org/PDF/ap_pmicodeofethics.pdf). I now include those kind of questions in my PMP exam sim software for Windows.

A frugal way to study for the exam, cram if you will, is to buy the PMBoK and get my PMP Exam Simulator for Windows.

And then make sure you buy my PMP Exam Simulator.

Training - Literally

2010-05-21T10:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was training - from Philadelphia to North Florida. The day before yesterday, I sat myself on the couch in front of my laptop and compared the costs of traveling from my apartment outside Philadelphia to my wife's home in Jacksonville, that is, jet vs. train vs. bus. Although the bus is cheapest at around $130, it's not all that much different from Amtrack service via the Silver Meteor at $157. On short notice they both beat out flying any airline by a wide margin. I bought a one-way train ticket and am here in Jacksonville today writing this blog entry after a overnight train trip that was both adventure and relatively relaxing.

To begin the trip, I packed my laptop, a change of clothes, toothbrush and prescriptions into my rucksack and walked the mile to the River Line light rail that connected me to the PATCO train to Philadelphia, and from there to the subway to 30th Street Amtrack station where I waited about two hours inside that cavernous facility for my train departure at around 5PM.

The train to Florida was on time. The 30th Street station is a hub for all the Northeast corridor trains, including the Acela's bullet service between Washington, DC and Boston. From my frequent glances at the arrivals board, I gathered that unlike most projects, most trains ran on schedule. Although the station's crowd density was nowhere near what I've experienced at Grand Central in NYC, the riders queuing for the commutes stretched to respective 50 yard lines.

Many of the riders queuing wore suits that had to be in the $1000 range. The management jobs are obviously out there. Are you a Project Manager wanting to prove your competence and wear that Brooks Brother's suit with confidence? Get certified. A frugal way is to buy the PMBoK and get my PMP Exam Simulator for Windows. A guaranteed pass on the first try if you answer all the questions in the Sim.

And then make sure you buy my PMP Exam Simulator.

Save $1000 and pass the PMP Exam!

2010-05-10T19:48:00.000-07:00

All you need to pass:

experience as a Project Manager

a few reads of the PMBoK

practice taking the test in a test center environment - my PMP Exam Sim will give you that edge.

Take it from me: C.Rich Munyan, MBA, PMP

The Iron Man PMP

2010-05-10T18:49:00.000-07:00

After watching "Iron Man 2" twice at the AMC Max Mall Movie, I think that Tony Stark could have used a PMP certified assistant instead of the obvious non-qualifications of Pepper Potts. Pepper has a great figure and long legs and a sweet demeanor, but no technical acumen for running a project the complexity of developing, 'er, redeveloping Iron Man 2 and the power source that will ultimately save Tony Stark's life and give him the ultimate power he needs to overcome the bad guy who ripped off his father's Iron Man suit design.

A plan would have helped, along with a QA, risk management and so on, ala PMBoK. Not familiar with the PMBoK?

And then make sure you buy my PMP Exam Simulator. PMBoK and Exam Sim are the quickest way to a pass first time.

Niching

2010-05-09T13:57:00.000-07:00

A shorthand definition of niche is how an organism makes a living. The ecological niche describes how an organism or population responds to the distribution of resources and competitors. Is this paradigm applicable to project managment?

The niche concept was popularized by the zoologist G. Evelyn Hutchinson in 1957. Hutchinson wanted to know why there are so many different types of organisms in any one habitat [a project - bear with me, please].

The full range of environmental conditions (biological and physical) under which an organism can exist describes its fundamental niche. As a result of pressure from, and interactions with, other organisms (e.g. superior competitors), species are usually forced to occupy a niche that is narrower than this, and to which they are mostly highly adapted. This is termed the realized niche. The ecological niche has also been termed by G.E. Hutchinson a "hypervolume." This term defines the multidimensional space of resources (e.g., light, nutrients, structure, etc.) available to (and specifically used by) organisms. The term adaptive zone was coined by the paleontologist, George Gaylord Simpson, and refers to a set of ecological niches that may be occupied by a group of species that exploit the same resources in a similar manner.

Not yet a PMP? Then get my PMP Exam Sim.

Ecology of a Project - Part 1 in a Series

2010-04-26T16:00:00.000-07:00

Listen to this podcast on "Ecology of a Project", and while you are at it, if you have not yet passed your PMP Exam, get my exam simulator.

Ecology of a Project - Part 1

Project Management Consulting for a 1099

2010-03-30T13:23:00.000-07:00

April 15th is bearing down on us. If you are a Project Management consultant who bills time gross as I do, then get a form 1099 from your client at year-end there are expense categories you should be tracking to make your business return easier to finally file. Here's the short list (I use an Excel spreadsheet with the same column headings):

Home Office - and associated mortgage interest, rent, utilities

Car mileage

Depreciation on computers and other office equipment or furniture

Supplies

Telecommunication services

Business Travel

Advertising

Legal and Professional Fees (*your Project Management Institute membership is expensed here)

Taxes and Licenses

Meals and Entertainment

Health Insurance

Commissions

Project Support Labor

Interest Payments

Rental Payments

Repairs and Maintenance

Utilities

Other Miscellaneous
*Aha, so you are a Project Manager who consults, but not yet a Project Management Professional? With experience, study of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBoK), and a Project Management Professional Exam simulator you can pass (and deduct your study costs, test fee, and then professional association fees. My PMP exam simulator is not an Internet web app, but a Windows software (all versions) rich client, that is diagnostic and revolutionary as an exam readiness tool (see the latest Star Trek remake and how Vulcans learn). You can use it on a train or plane, or when the staff meeting droning gets to you and the WI-FI is weak. As an additional benefit, the sim's content may inspire you with an idea for spicing up that dull project meeting or help get that wayward project back on track.

And oh, BTW, if you are a tax maven like me and my compatriots, we also offer, several other professional and technical exam sims that include one for the Enrolled Agent Exam.

War Room Paperhanging

2010-03-24T16:54:00.000-07:00

As a consulting PM for an accounting/ERP system conversion, the artist/architect/engineer in me loves to diagram and hand print, then plaster walls of the "war room" with these neat sheets from a 34" x 27" easel pad that list and diagram the following:
-System Diagrams
-To Do Lists
-Highlights of Project Plan Changes
-Issues
-Objectives
-Important Notices and Developments

These project artifacts help me keep my users and stakeholders up to date and well informed with some 80s archival impact. I like a nice black wide tip marker and 32 point or so (approximate) font, hand printed, of course, with bright colors for emphasis of exceptional conditions or issues. I hang these sheets (like wallpaper) in a "war room", which in our project's case is a room of half a dozen workstations used for training and testing of the new system. My office also gets it's share of similar sheets. My client, project stakeholders and future system users can't help but notice and learn "the big picture".

If you are a project manager seeking the big picture for Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, get my PMP Exam Simulator for MS Windows rich client software to diagnose your readiness and progress as you study and practice over 1000 typical PMP Exam questions. But if you prefer some artistic hand-penned war room wallpaper study guides for the PMP exam or other certs, contact me and I will be glad to oblige for a reasonable fee.

Studying for Test Center Professional Exams

2010-03-14T08:53:00.000-07:00

Be it a Project Management Professional(PMP), Enrolled Agent (EA), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), or some other hot professional certification exam - you sit for each one in a computerized, proctored, test center. The grueling hours you spend answering the hundreds of multiple choice questions during that crucial professional turning point should not have gone unrehearsed. Ask anyone who passed a certification exam on their first sitting. Did they practice questions? The answer will certainly be affirmative. The more questions you practice, particularly practice in a simulated test center environment - will greatly increase both your comfort level with the material and answering in the pressure of the test center. My PMP Exam Sim is a diagnostic, Windows rich client application that does not require Internet to get you up to speed answering over one thousand typical exam questions. Pass on your first sitting when you use my exam simulator.

Other exam simulators are available:

Certified Information Systems Security Professional - CISSP

Enrolled Agent - EA

PHP Zend Engineer

Java Developer

Business Objects/Crystal Reports

Oracle Developer/Admin

Network/IT Tech

The PMP Exam Tests Your Aptitude and Test Taking Skill

2010-02-27T02:03:00.000-08:00

The PMP Exam tests project management professional aptitude. In other words, the PMP Exam tests acquired or learned or developed components of project management competency to do the work of project management according to the nature of the profession promulgated by the PMBoK 4th Edition.

To pass the Project Management Professional Exam, a candidate minimally needs to achieve three levels of ability:

-The requisite innate experience as a project manager.
-Thorough study of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (4th Edition).
-Skill answering questions on the tested material in a simulated test center environment.

The Peformance PMP Exam Simulator helps you reach the necessary Project Management Professional aptitude and skill leveraging your busy schedule to practice exam conditions so crucial for demonstrating your competence as a passing score on your first actual PMP exam sitting. Particularly if you only have a few weeks to prepare, a PMP exam simulator is the best way to study for the exam, because: 1) it diagnoses your experience level as a Project Management Professional, 2) it assesses your knowledge of the PMBoK 4th Edition while reviewing the material in answers, and 3) alleviates any test center stress by giving you the confidence that you have been there before, practicing pertinent PMP questions in a test center environment on your own MS Windows computer (all versions through Windows XP, Vista, and Win7).

PMPs Rate High as Accounting Software Consultants

2010-01-25T07:12:00.001-08:00

I recently took on a consulting assignment where I plan to implement a systems conversion from some legacy accounting software to Sage Software MAS 90. I was pleased to find out that Sage's certification program for MAS 90 consultants holds Project Management Professional's (PMP) in enough regard to warrant that a PMP can opt out of the travel to on-ground training portion of their cert program. As a PMP who once sat for the Certified Public Accounting exam (CPA), I feel particularly proud that our professional designation has made inroads to accounting systems and the conversion thereof.

Not yet a PMP? If you are a PM, and want to study and pass the PMP Exam on the first sitting, there is no better way than simulating the test center where you will take the exam right on your own computer. Get my PMP Exam Simulator, a diagnostic program for Windows (all versions), with over 1,000 questions and answers on PMBoK 4th Edition material at: www.frugalpmp.com

Quick YouTube Tour of PMP Exam Sim

2009-11-30T18:30:00.000-08:00

The latest version of my PMP Exam Simulator features over 1000 unique questions, diagnostic review, and testing by knowledge area, PMBoK 4th Edition coverage, and much more. View the video and/or visit my products page at www.frugalpmp.com. The video:

Business Landscape of 2010 - Part 1

2009-11-15T15:47:00.000-08:00

I was recently asked by Raymond Smith, MBA, CISA, PMP, ITIL: "What do you think the world business landscape would look like in 2010 and what viable strategy should businesses adopt given the current environment?"

There are many ideas spinning in my brain on just that subject or thereabouts. I will say in this installment of an answer to that question that off the top of my noggin I can say that the business educational landscape in 2010 and beyond will be characterized more by certifications than traditional education. You can see the movement of traditional colleges and universities toward their support of the well endowed certs like CPA, EA, PMP and so on. They have always been supportive of MD, AIA, bar exams and other test-driven professional designations. The trend continues with great aggression. Why not get ahead of the curve by adding to your certification study arsenal an Exam Simulator. Mine is best for the PMP and EA and others. It is diagnostic and as Windows software does not require an Internet connection. Get going, pass your cert on your first sitting by practicing questions. The blog sidebar has the links, or go to for PMP or for EA, CISSP, Oracle, PHP, Java, Networking, BO/CRCP, and more ....

Exam Simulators rigorously keep your study program honest and well budgeted. Take it from me, as it helped me become a PMP and more...

PMP Exam Simulation by Knowledge Area

2009-11-10T11:36:00.000-08:00

Ok, there are a few exam simulators on the market. Mine is the best. It is developed by an accomplished programmer, experienced with MS Windows development since 1985, and who also happens to be a Project Management Professional. Unlike other exam simulators developed on contract or from a "kit" for "pure PMPs" (who don't write code), mine is very flexible, allowing you to choose amongst KAs - knowledge areas, and use simulation software as a complete diagnostic learning platform. Have you seen the new Star Trek movie? In that movie, the Vulcan's - an advanced race of humanoids learned everything by Question/Answer/Explanation and simulation. My simulator and the PMBoK is about all you need to pass your exam on the first sitting. I guarantee that if you simulate 80% of the more than 1000 questions in my software in several test sessions over the course of your PMBoK study you will pass your exam. Take a look at the feature list for my PMP Exam Sim. I am constantly improving it. I listen to my customer suggestions, and unlike other PMP simulators, there are no middlemen between my customers and me, so the PMP is the programmer. I get it done! Do yourself a professional favor and buy my PMP Exam sim.

Qualifying New Hires for Your Team

2009-09-02T11:51:00.000-07:00

One of your biggest responsibilities as a Project Manager is to build a winning team. Building that team means recruiting and hiring the best people. In difficult economic times, resumes typically become extreme hyperbole. One study found that 70% of candidate resumes over stated their skill set mastery by a significant margin. Isn't it better to have a concrete assessment in hand to gauge a particular candidates skill set? Require your candidates take a skill set test. There are many candidate assessment web services. One thing they all lack is the ability to control the test taker candidate's access to sites that can help with the answers. A job candidate taking a web-based skills assessment has a world of reference material available to use as a "crib". The better policy is to use a stand-alone computer at your facility for testing candidates. My certification exam simulators, originally built as rich client Windows software to help PMPs, EAs and other IT professionals become certified can be customized to your specs as an in-house secure, proctored, test center for job candidate validation. A web service may be an "easy and high-tech" testing platform, but don't you want candidates who answer using their brain and not the brain of the "global community of the Internet"? Contact me, the frugal PMP for more information.

Automation for Lean Times

2009-08-17T09:50:00.000-07:00

Every organization today wants to get faster, better, cheaper results. One way to achieve this is to apply one or more of the many available virtual business process automation tools. These tools are built to script, and or via visual IDEs, hook together both Windows and Web applications into composite apps, dashboards, new virtual working environments and even work flow existing legacy with newer web service apps to create end to end business processes that have little to no seams between them, i.e., "seamless" interfaces. These virtual automation tools are often immature pieces of software, so be prepared to team or partner your interested existing SME/non-programmer types with an experienced dual or more platform (Win/Web/OS) experienced analyst and get kinks worked out with the vendor until a solution is reached. Documented requirements should not go by the wayside either. As always, it helps to make sure everyone is on the same page with a solid sheaf of requirements and plan. A PMP should be able to help negotiate the still turbid waters of cross-platform automation tooling with her background in requirements writing and team management. You are not a PMP? Well, then, there is no better way to pass your Project Management Professional exam than to simulate the test center environment with my simulator at: www.frugalpmp.com.

The Benefits of PMP Exam Prep with an Exam Simulator

2009-06-25T10:13:00.000-07:00

Only a fraction of candidates who sit for the Project Management Professionals (PMP) exam pass on their first sitting. Understandably the likelihood of passing on subsequent attempts increases with each attempt to pass, because after all practice does make perfect as the old saw goes.

Isn't it more cost effective to sit for your PMP exam once and pass the first time? Failure to pass that first time may cause you professional harm, and certainly cost to re-take the exam and time to continue your study.

Use of an exam simulator, particularly mine for practice of exam center conditions with exam caliber questions has several benefits:

Easy to use
Lowers your risk of failing
Increases your chance of passing on the first sitting
Instead of exam practice with the real exam you practice before you get there
A software product developed by a PMP for PMP candidates
A truly dynamic, interactive learning tool, sans droning lectures or static material
My PMP Exam Simulator diagnoses your strength and weakness by PMBoK knowledge area
Helps you budget your last minute preparation

It works. I used an early version of about 100 questions to help me pass the exam on my first sitting. Now with ten times that number, updated to conform to the new PMBoK 4th edition, I offer it to help you pass on the first try.

To purchase securely with paypal goto: www.frugalpmp.com I guarantee you will be delighted.

PMP Exam Simulator works on Apple

2009-06-22T15:20:00.000-07:00

By permission, I am quoting a user of my PMP Exam Sim for Windows who got it to easily work on a MAC: I have VMware Fusion running Windows-Vista home for my PC needs. Works Great (especially when I am forced from Merlin to Project). BUT I often forget that I can not extract all files in the Mac environment then import them into the Windows environment? Once I dropped the ZIPed file into the folder I created in Windows then uncompressed from there, she started up.

Thanks for creating this... It will be a big help for me.

Project Management Diplomacy

2009-06-10T11:37:00.000-07:00

So often we we meet people who are Project Managers by political influence.

Who completes your federal tax return? HR Block or a CPA. I prefer a CPA. There is no way that I have yet found to treat PMs who have no desire to be PMPs to the benefits of our profession. They are there and that's it. They may be sincere and try their best to "manage", but often they do not carry their people with them by anything but brute force, not to mention completely ignore even the basics of integration, scope, time, risk, and other areas of formal management that are second nature to a PMP.

It may sound a bit too dramatic to say that a shadow hangs over the project management profession. What I mean to say is that yes there are some non-PMP project managers who are good ones. Because of the stringent requirements for experience and testing, and a strict code of ethics it is much more likely that a PMP is a good PM. I have met far too many project managers who had little experience, formal education in management, and people acumen to be worthy of their project manager title.

If you have a desire to be a PMP and thereby prove that you have satisfied the basic requirements of a true profession, then you may want to consider buying my High Performance PMP Exam Simulator to help you practice questions diagnostically. Practicing exam questions under exam-like conditions is one of the best ways to ensure you budget your study time wisely and then pass your PMP exam.

FrugalPMP Exam Simulator Updated to PMBoK 4th Edition

2009-05-14T18:26:00.000-07:00

The PMBoK 3rd Edition is valid for PMP Exams through June 2009. From then on you will need to know the 4th Edition PMBoK. My PMP Exam Simulator is now updated to the new PMBoK, with hundreds of new questions, bringing the total questions almost to 1000! What a bargain!

Economists as Social Scientists

2009-05-04T16:57:00.000-07:00

Since Adam Smith published his Wealth of Nations in 1776, economists have claimed to be social scientists. Does economics rank among the sciences? In a present economy in so much turmoil where is the economist hero with a solution? In 1969 the Nobel Prize for economic science was established, so here we are in 2009 very much in need of an economic panacea. Where is the mathematical and statistical analysis that will trump the vague literary economics that as a minimal line of reason escapes the laymen? Let us return to a tome from E.F. Shumacher who subverted economic science by calling it all into question? Click here to find Shumacher's text and many others that will tune you into what is going on today.

Better for the PM to not be a "know it all"...

2009-04-16T18:01:00.000-07:00

Charles Dickens wrote in the classic "Hard Times": "If he had only learned a little less, how infinitely better he might have taught much more!"

A quick way to passing your PMP exam: FrugalPMP.com

2009-04-16T11:42:00.000-07:00

John Madden announced his retirement today. So what has that got to do with PMPs or becoming one? I will tell you that a search of the PMBoK 4th edition .pdf file for the word "coach" gets a first hit on page 41 where "...a primary function of a PMO is to support project managers in a variety of ways which may include ... Coaching, mentoring, training, and oversight". Isn't that neat, that we can look to John Madden as a role model?

If we Google Wikipedia, we find that "Coaching" includes motivational speaking, as well as the commonly presumed instruction and training activities. Sooo, as "coaches" are we not relating to the communication knowledge area of the PMBoK? I think we are.

My PMP Exam Simulator, by the way, now includes (version 5) a "Coach" button that explains the practice exam answers, and in many cases provides a reference or source. This exam simulator is one of the proven quickest ways to study and pass your PMP Exam on the first sitting - and at a fraction of the cost of the more well-known exam sims (by RM - but who is mentioning names here). Buy it - and you will pass at: www.frugalpmp.com

Watch football and become a better coach!

SOA and BPM

2009-02-08T15:50:00.001-08:00

Service oriented architecture (SOA) is a popular tech topic these days. SOA involves Web services standards and promises improvement in support of enterprise software.

SOA has many forms, including XML, BPEL, UML and other related acronyms. I think some of the features of SOA that are worth considering, particularly for those of us who have to maintain booger software are:

Component Reuse
Organizational Agility
Leveraging Existing Systems

You may want to see the Crosstalk article by Geoffrey Raines, copyright 2009 by the Mitre Corp. on Leveraging Federal IT Investment With Service Oriented Architecture, as it provides a solid definition of SOA today amongst context for Federal system engineering.

Perusing BPM on the web as I have of late, I find BMP to be closely related to SOA. SOA may in fact be the services that BPM requires as processes to manage in the ultimate sense.

There is a myriad of standards, including BPEL, that may help provide the linkage to SOA. Any analysis toward the SOA end likely requires charting of the processes involved, and UML 2.0 may be a good starting point.

Frank Saladis Speaks at PMI Northeast FL Chapter

2009-01-26T19:55:00.000-08:00

Frank Saladis, current Chairman of EdSig for the PMI gave a rousing after dinner talk this evening to the Northeast Florida Chapter of the PMI. His topic was "Team Building and Influencing Skills for Project Leaders". I came away from the meeting a little smarter I think and will relay a sketchy list of points I remember that may be worthy of further thought and discussion:

Influencing is about improving communication skills. All project should be WOW projects, get excited about the project and so will your team. Ask good questions. Deal with problems, get a hold of the problem. Ineffective project managers don't ask and don't listen.
Acknowledge people. The world is full of people who deserve to be acknowledged. Acknowledge someone near you. Acknowledge someone you are jealous of.
A leader in motion stays in motion, like Newton's first law says. Influence is all around us.
Forcing someone does not work. First understand, then strive to be understood. Bullying does not work. Communication is two way.
Listening is important, active listening is even more important.
Communication is %80 non-verbal.
Technical skills are not as important as leadership, organizing and planning, interpersonal, negotiation, team building, and being technically credible.
Characteristics of influential people include vision and humility.
In a high performance team the team selects the MVP.
Teamwork includes seizing setbacks, keeping one set of books, and a winning attitude which excites others to get on board.
Participative leadership shares responsibility, aligns on purpose, gets others to support the same vision, and understands what teams want.
First impressions are very important.
You don't have to like everyone. Get past dislikes, focus on what needs to be done.
Show sincere interest in people.

If you are not a Professional Project Manager (PMP) already, consider becoming certified. One way to an exam pass on the first try is to practice all the questions you can in a test center setting. My PMP Exam Simulator may help you do just that.

PMBoK Guide 4th Edition - PMP Candidates for 2009

2009-01-21T08:11:00.000-08:00

The PMBoK Guide 4th edition has been released by the PMI. If you are a Project Management Professional (PMP) candidate who plans to sit for the exam prior to July, 2009, you should know the PMBoK 3rd edition backwards and front. From July onwards, make sure you know the differences between the new edition (4th) and the old (3rd). My PMP Exam Simulator featured at www.frugalpmp.com has over 750 questions,answers and explanations, and can help you study, budget your study time (it is diagnostic), and boost your chance of passing on your first sitting. It currently reflects the 3rd edition material, but I am in the process of updating to be ready for those of you planning to sit after June, 2009. If you buy now, you will get a free update of the software updated for PMBoK 4th edition. Please check it out. It is one of the best investments in your future you will make. I am an MBA, PMP, practicing technical PM, and professional educator. I know how you need to study.

V_Grep, the better Windows explorer...

2009-01-16T16:32:00.000-08:00

Microsoft would do well to check out V-Grep, a program distributed freely, as PostCardWare, where you can download the software for free, then send a postcard to the developer, Piotr Chodzinski, who has, by offering this powerful program to help you search your Windows computer or server, the power of Unix/Linux GREP with a visual interface, supporting regular expressions. Software Engineering, certified frugal, PMP that I am, I jumped on this, sent a postcard from Blue Ridge, GA, and hope Piotr gets an offer of virtual employment from a solid, progressive software company soon, if not already. Check it out!

Slow emails in the virtual team...

2008-12-22T11:34:00.000-08:00

PMing a Virtual Team where teammembers are slow returning emails...

What to do: Propose a Communications Plan to address the issue.

Virtual Team Member Communications

Similar to industry SLA's and their corresponding window, we shall abide by no greater than 45 minute response time for any given mission email thread between team members or project stakeholders.

When team member email and/or phone discussion threads involve issue discussions, the issue submitter or assignor should precede and/or accompany any such discussions with at least a written statement of the issue, problem, assignment or need. At minimum, a couple sentences clearly stating the issue, purpose or goal so all involved in the solution have a clear understanding of the goal, the customer need or requirement.

If the nature of the email and/or phone conmmunication is to solve an existing issue, then minimum informal written descriptions should include the problem or issue to be solved and the agreed upon solution. If performance of the solution is required then enough clear written information should be disseminated to enable the accurate performance of the solution work.

Virtual teams rely primarily on clear informal written email and verbal phone conversations to accomplish team work. If someone cannot understand either form of communication, then you are not being clear. Communication is a two-way process.

Often team members, particulary members new to the team particularly rely upon answers to what may be considered simple questions by veterans. When a simple question appears in your inbox from a team member, give back a simple answer, but do answer. Our informal team communication is primarily email, since, we as developers are typically at our computers during working hours. We are not so busy that we can afford to leave team member queries in suspense, waiting for perhaps an easy answer. An effective development environment requires expedient communication between team members.

And to get even more respect, get certified. The quickest way to a pass is to study as many questions as you can get, particularly if the questions are simulated like a test center. Check out these frugal certification exam simulators for: PMP, CRCP, Networking and TIA,
Java, PHP, and Enrolled Agent (EA) certifications.

Job Opportunities and Business Solutions

2008-12-11T16:39:00.000-08:00

As an Applications Consultant (and MBA-PMP) with CDI Corp., I may be able to help provide you with cost-effective, single-source provision of high-value engineering and information technology outsourcing solutions and professional staffing. My company has more than 50 years in the industry and annual revenues in excess of $1 billion, with expertise, speed and scale to help clients achieve a faster and higher return on capital investment.

We offer tailored business solutions to clients in a variety of industries worldwide through four integrated operating units:

CDI Engineering Solutions – a provider of high-value engineering outsourcing services to clients in the Aerospace, Life Sciences, Process & Industrial and Government Services sectors

IT Solutions – a provider of information technology staffing, consulting and project outsourcing

AndersElite Limited - a professional staffing and services firm focusing on the construction and engineering markets in the United Kingdom and Australia

MRINetwork™ - one of the world’s largest executive search and recruitment organizations with 1,000 offices in over 35 countries

CDI also offers recruitment process outsourcing, staffing solutions and managed services of contingent labor including vendor administration and management through its CDI-Talent Management division.

All of these services and solutions can be customized and bundled to meet client needs and are delivered through a single point of contact, enhancing client value and return on capital investment.

If you would like to find out more, from a FrugalPMP, contact me.

2008 Holiday Offer - PMP, EA, Java, PHP, Networking Sims for $19

2008-11-30T11:44:00.000-08:00

Performance Exam Simulator V5 Walk Through Video on YouTube

2008-11-06T14:35:00.000-08:00

Cliff's Healthy Hearty Hot Project Team Black Bean Soup

2008-10-14T10:42:00.000-07:00

Cliff's Healthy Hearty Hot Project Team Black Bean Soup

One Pound of Dried Black Beans
One Large Sweet Onion (Vidalia if possible)
Canned Whole Tomatoes (Organic if possible)
Garlic crushed, 3 to five cloves.
3 to 5 Jalapeno Peppers
3 to 5 Carrots
Oregano
See spices list below.

Soak the beans overnight in enough water to cover them, allowing for their expansion, about two quarts should do it.

If there is a seasoning packet with the beans, put its' content in your compost pile, particularly if the first two are salt and sugar. We will season the soup ourselves.

Sautee a large sweet onion and about three to five Jalepeno peppers, cut into hearty pieces. I put in the seeds too. Your heat tolerance may vary so add pepper accordingly.

Add a pint can of no salt added or organic whole tomatoes into a large pot that has a cover, into about three tablespoons of Canola oil. Crush the tomatoes roughly with your hands. After the onions and peppers have sauteed for about 10 minutes, add them then turn the heat to medium on the pot. Drain and add the beans. Add three tablespoons of garlic more or less according to your taste, then add about the same of dried real orgegano. Add about two cups of raw carrots cut into 1/4 inch rounds or so. Make sure you have enough water to keep all the vegetables covered in the pot, with some room for bubbling. Now, get these vegetables almost bubbling.

In the meantime, cook some lean ground beef in a skillet until brown. Drain it well on paper towl and add it to the vegetable pot. Add the following spices to the mix:

Tsp Ground Cumin
Tsp Curry Powder
Tsp Cayenne Pepper
Tsp Sea Salt if you want.

Bring the heat up to a rolling boil stirring occasionally, for at least a 20 minute boil, then bring the heat to simmer, just an occasional bubble, not a rolling boil. Go study for your Professional Project Management Exam (PMP) for an hour or two, taking a break every 10 to 15 minutes to stir your pot of Black Bean Soup. Add some water to top off any boiled away, enough to cover the soup.

In a couple hours, have a cup of delicious soup with some Feta sprinkled on top, and practice exam questions with your Performance PMP Exam Simulator.

Don't forget to take the rest into your team for a lunch and lesson's learned...

My First YouTube Posting

2008-09-10T16:36:00.000-07:00

Entrepreneur Beware the UPC Code Trap

2008-08-26T14:34:00.000-07:00

After testing my PMP Exam Simulator with about 100 users, and now confident that it is indeed a product that will help candidates practice questions and thereby pass the difficult PMP exam I called Amazon.com support. My question to the seller support rep was simple. What do I need to list an item on Amazon.com? "Go to gs1us.org and apply for a UPC code." Sounded simple enough.

I was daunted by the $750 application fee price tag at gs1us.org, the international registry of uniform product codes, but kept going at the thoughts of posting the fruits of my hard labor for the last year or so on the web's premier bookseller.

After giving my credit card number for $750 and, receiving a member email response from gs1us, I used their supplied web link to create the bar code for my "Frugal PMP Exam Simulator". Then when I went to Amazon to in turn use that new bar code for my breakthrough Amazon listing I found that a UPC code was not needed! Amazon does not even require an ISBN, which is what the Amazon rep should perhaps have advised, but will assign an ASIN in lieu of an ISBN. So my $750 expenditure was moot! Arrrghhh!

The big business world has no mercy on small entrepreneurs. I am now in the process of trying to get a refund of my $750. gs1us.org may do it, but take a $250 administrative fee in any case. For that they pretty much ignore your emails and phone calls until you persist...