Building a Project-Driven Enterprise: How to Slash Waste and Boost Profits Through Lean Project Management

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Summary: A Prescription for Projects
Review: Author Ronald Mascitelli has done an excellent job of explaining complex project management concepts in a language familiar to professionals versed in manufacturing concepts and techniques. Mascitelli's writing style is conversational and clear. He holds the reader's attention by sprinkling the book with intriqauing and seemingly spontaneous asides that might spring from one of his seminars or training classes. If you and your organization implement just one or two of the twelve lean methods Mascitelli outlines, you will be well on your way to substantial productivity increases.

Rating:
Summary: A Prescription for Projects
Review: Author Ronald Mascitelli has done an excellent job of explaining complex project management concepts in a language familiar to professionals versed in manufacturing concepts and techniques. Mascitelli's writing style is conversational and clear. He holds the reader's attention by sprinkling the book with intriqauing and seemingly spontaneous asides that might spring from one of his seminars or training classes. If you and your organization implement just one or two of the twelve lean methods Mascitelli outlines, you will be well on your way to substantial productivity increases.

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Summary: Achieve both efficiency and high standards of excellence
Review: Building A Project-Driven Enterprise: How to Slash Waste and Boost Profits Through Lean Project Management by project management expert and Certified Management Consultant Ronald Mascitelli is a no-nonsense, go-getter book offering straightforward, "user friendly" advice on how to best minimize costs and maximize performance in project management. From twelve different ways to simplify and improve decision-making processes to step-by-step methodology for reducing wasted effort, Building a Project-Driven Enterprise paints a broad canvas of useful and thought-provoking ways to succeed in today's driven business world. Enhanced with extensive Notes, References, and an Index, Building A Project-Driven Enterprise is highly recommended reading for anyone wanting to achieve both efficiency and high standards of excellence in their particular entrepreneurial or corporate project.

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Summary: A fresh approach to lean
Review: Ron has a unique approach to waste elimination that extends lean thinking from processes to projects. He introduces the notion of the Project Driven Enterprise and describes in detail how to create a lean product development process. Highly recommended!

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Summary: Practical Advice from a New Perspective
Review: There have been only three real breakthroughs in project management in the past 7000 years: earned value, critical chain, and lean methods. This book provides the reader with a practical methodology to apply the concepts of Lean Thinking to real project and product development work situations.

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Summary: Add another tool to your toolbelt!
Review: This book describes how every task and activity within a project should create value. After a few chapters of theory and laying a foundation, the author describes twelve "Lean Methods". Each is reviewed in detail and then summarized in a one-page "Method at a Glance." Each "at a Glance" is broken into six sections: Overview, Waste-Slashing Benefit, When to Apply, Who Can Use It and Typical Implementation Profile. Photocopy these twelve pages when you finish the book to always remind yourself about "keeping lean."

After reading Building a Project-Driven Enterprise and learning about Lean Project Management, you will have another tool in your tool belt. Use it as you would other tools, such as the theory of constraints, Total Quality Management, Six Sigma, Balance Scorecard, or the Project Management Book of Knowledge. There is much to use here while not being burdened with monotone, textbook dribble.

The book is easy and yes, fun to read. It is peppered with case studies, anecdotes, and stories, well written in a light, conversational tone. The author asks you questions throughout to make you think and form your own answers prior to reading his approach. I believe anyone in business will find value in this book, but project managers will relate closely with the waste-slashing ideas.