How You Can Benefit from a Project Audit

How You Can Benefit from a Project AuditHow You Can Benefit from a Project AuditEvery project can benefit from an audit from time to time. But dont worry, its not as scary as it sounds. A project audit is where an impartial person reviews your project and provides guidance on what could be done differently to improve its chances of being successful. This article explains everything and takes you through how to prepare for a project audit. How Formal a Project Audit Is A project audit is normally a formal exercise. The informal equivalent is normally called a peer review. This is where a colleague looks over your project and the associated documentation and gives you feedback on where you should be spending a bit mora time. Project audits are formal in that they usually have a defined platzdeckchen of questions and are carried out by someone who does that kind of thing regularly. Who Carries Out Project Audits The person doing your project audit might be another project manage r (probably someone with a great deal of experience in running projects) but it is more likely to be someone from the Project Office who runs audits frequently. It is going to be someone who can consider themselves impartial so it wont be your line manager or project sponsor. It could even be a team of people, depending on the size of the project. How to Prepare for A Project Audit The first, and main, thing to get organized is to have copies of your project documentation for the auditor to review. If you have a project coordinator, ask them to pull together a pack of documents (preferably electronic). You should have all your information easily accessible but even if you do, this step can still take some time. As a minimum, make sure that you have the project plan, risk log, issue log, budget, and schedule available for the auditor. Who Needs To Be Involved This depends on the kind of things that the auditor wants to look at. You, as project manager, will have to spend some time with them. Expect your team members to also be called in to chat to the auditor. Bear in mind that the longer they spend working on audit-related tasks, the less time they have for project work, so you may have to reschedule some activities and work more slowly during the audit period. How Long a Project Audit Takes There is no fixed time period for a project audit. On large projects, you will find it takes a lot longer. On small projects, the auditor could be done within a few hours. As soon as you know that your project is going to be audited, ask your audit team how long they anticipate their work taking. What the Audit Looks For If the audit was called because of a particular concern, such as failure to hit quality targets, then expect it to probe that area deeply. A routine audit will look broadly at the different areas of project management and the deliverables that the project is working on. It will cover the time, cost and quality of your project, and stakehold er engagement. The objective of the audit is to find out whether the project is going to meet its objectives or not. If the auditor feels that based on current performance the project will not hit those objectives, he or she will put forward recommendations for action. Recommendations Depend on What Is Found The recommendations in the auditors report will depend on what they have found. Expect them to be positive and phrased in a way that should allow you to adopt them easily. They should be practical. At one extreme, the auditor may recommend that your project is closed, although this would only happen if they felt that there was no chance that any project work from this point forward would deliver any kind of value for the organization. Look on your project audit as a positive experience. It should give you early warning of any signs that your project is in trouble and its an opportunity to work with an experienced project professional. Implementing their recommendations shoul d make you, your team and your project more successful, and that can only be a good thing.

5 quick things you can do to spring-clean your office for maximum productivity

5 quick things you can do to spring-clean your office for maximum productivity5 quick things you can do to spring-clean your office for maximum productivityIts officially the first day of springWhether youre already soaking up the sun on a park benchor still digging your home outfrom recent winter weather,warmer temperatures are around the corner- its time to lighten things up in your workspace. Heres how.The best office workspace is round and colorfulColors can influence how you feel at work, so you might as well incorporate deskorganization tools in colors and shapes that you like.Colors have a notable effect on productivity, a study published in Science found. Red helps recall and attention to detail, while blue fuels creativity and imagination.In fact, the exacting, focused power of red may be why The New York Times chose the color to accent its newsroom walls.Another factor choose desktop items that are cylindrical or round.A 2012 study published in Environment and Behavior fou nd that rounded furniture could be more pleasing than pieces with straight edges.The right colors and shapes just might do the trick to get you into the spring mood.Clean your desk and get rid of clutterWe all know the trend started by organizational expert Marie Kondo respectfully discard anything that doesnt bring you joy.The same principle is applicable to your desk and files toss anything that doesnt bring you productivity.That means, yes, set aside some time toclean out your email inbox heres our advice on how to do that.Keep pleasant-smelling things on your deskCertain scents can benefit your productivity and your health, so why not bring them to your desk? Aromatherapy, or using scents to heal, may be helpful for worries ranging from anxiety to insomnia. There are no human studies to show that aromatherapy is as effective as, say, pills, but in offices filled with recycled air, it cant hurt to have something pleasant nearby.For a way to bring your favorite scents to your work space, check outGood Housekeepings video on how to make your own essential oil diffusers.Two things to watch out for keep a tight lid on any scents, since colleagues may have allergies or sensitivities to certain scents. It should be something you can smell, but which wont push your choices on the entire office.Grab a bouquetTake advantage of Mother Nature at this time of year. Since you probably wont be able to work outside for a whole day, consider bringing a piece of the outdoors inside, like a bunch of your favorite flowers or apottedplant.A 2014 study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology Applied found that plants can help workers. That happened by changing lean stripped and depersonalized office spaces into green ones with plants. The study specifically found that simply enriching a previously spartan space with plants served to increase productivity by 15%.A little bit of greenery can go a long way, however a small plant is all you need, and it should be hardy enough to survive being left alone during three-day weekends. House Beautiful has a handy list of the best office plants.Use attractive notepaper or stationery to jot down thoughtsRemember that side project you stopped working on when you started your new job? Carve out time to focus on it again andmake a list of goals you want to accomplish this season.Mark Banschick, M.D., told Greatist about how to get your creative juices flowing. He suggested brain dumping (also known as free association). Its a method of brainstorming that involves writing down all your thoughts in the present moment (no matter what they are), and if you want, revisiting them later to cut out ideas you dont need.To make it more appealing, use attractive notepaper, or supplies that make you feel creative or powerful. Pinterest always has good ideas that may inspire you.Spring is about renewal, so making gains toward something you havent made progress on in a while is sure to boost your sense of purpose, and hel p you take on other challenges you face at your day job.Our workspaces could use a little spring cleaning after this past winter season.

Customize this Outstanding Insurance Customer Service Associate Resume Template

Customize this Outstanding Insurance Customer tafelgeschirr Associate Resume TemplateCustomize this Outstanding Insurance Customer Service Associate Resume TemplateWriting the Customer Service Associate Resume TemplateCreate Resume When first entering or changing jobs in the insurance customer service industry, your resume can go a long ways in helping you land a position with an employer. A well-written resume should focus not only on content, but also needs to be presented in a professional manner. Use the following template as a guide to help you find your next Customer Service Associate position within the insurance field.Resume Template for Customer Service AssociateClint BrownProfessional SummaryProfessional Customer Service Associate experienced in the sale and servicing of HMO and PPO plansboth medical and dental. Proven ability to increase ausverkauf while managing the needs of a current customer base. Committed to ensuring that all calls and inquiries are solved within the established company time goals without sacrificing customer service levels.Core QualificationsWashington State Insurance LicenseCustomer Service ManagementCall DeescalatingCTI ToolbarMulti-line Phone SystemMicrosoft ApplicationsExperienceLead Customer Service Associate, September 2010 PresentLiberty Mutual Insurance Spokane, WashingtonSupervise floor of 25 customer service call representativesDe-escalate transferred trouble calls and ensure customer satisfactionDevelop and implement sales floor call goalsTrain new call floor staff and provide on the floor mentoringCustomer Service Agent, May 2007 August 2010Guardian Life Insurance Spokane, WashingtonAnswered phone calls regarding dental PPO plansTook payment over the phone for new and existing clientsHelped callers locate in network dentistsChanged caller personal information and plan types in software databaseEducation2006 Associate Degree, BusinessSpokane Community College Spokane, WashingtonCustomize Resume