Author: Alpha Ziman, PMP, PBA 

The PMI Switzerland Chapter was delighted to welcome Antonio Morisco, Program Manager at Swissquote, to the Agile Community of Practice event. At this event, hosted by Swissquote on June 27th, Antonio delivered insights on Value Stream Management (VSM). As organisations pursue greater efficiency in their agile transformations, the understanding and optimisation of value streams is crucial. Antonio's expertise and practical insights offered attendees a solid foundation to apply VSM in their own contexts.

What is Value Stream Management (VSM)?

Value Stream Management is a lean business practice, focused on the improvement of the flow of value to customers, through the management and optimisation of the sequence of activities involved in producing a product, or delivering a service. Examination of an entire lifecycle (from concept to delivery), through the lens of VSM, assists organisations in the elimination of waste, enhancement of efficiency, and ensures that every step in the process adds value.

Key takeaways from Antonio Morisco's presentation:

1. Holistic View of Value Streams - Antonio emphasised the need to view value streams as end-to-end processes that cross departmental boundaries. He also highlighted the need to extend from a team-level to an organisational level approach to support true agility. Successful implementation of these would ensure alignment with the overall business objectives.
2. Identifying and Eliminating Waste - A core principle of VSM is identifying non-value-adding activities, or waste. Antonio shared strategies for identifying inefficiencies and bottlenecks within value streams, which would allow teams to streamline processes, mitigate or eliminate delays, and reduce time-to-market.
3. Enhancing Collaboration and Communication - Effective VSM requires transparency across the entire workflow, as well as robust collaboration and communication across all organisational levels. Antonio highlighted tools and techniques that could enhance alignment and coordination between teams, which would foster a culture of continuous improvement.
4. Metrics and Measurement - Antonio discussed the importance of metrics in VSM. By tracking Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), such as 'Cycle time', 'Lead time', and 'Throughput', organisations can benefit from data-driven decisions and quantify the impact of activities.

Conclusion

Antonio Morisco's presentation on Value Stream Management was a significant contribution to the Agile Community of Practice, equipping members with knowledge and tools from Lean, Flow and Theory of Constraints, to support their agile transformations. Through the adoption of VSM principles, organisations can achieve a more streamlined, efficient, and customer-focused delivery process.

Stay Connected

Stay tuned for upcoming events and webinars for more expert insights and knowledge than can be applied in practice, to advance your agile journey.

Author: Philip SPRINGUEL, PMP

Dear colleagues, members and friends of PMI Switzerland,

This month, we begin with a "Message from the Board" by Joachim Dehais, VP Volunteers, who offers valuable career advice on leadership and learning.

We’re also delighted this month to present a number of pre-event announcements, most important of which is a call for speakers for our 2024 edition of the Swiss Chapter’s PM Conference, an ideal opportunity for you to submit proposals!

A feature article from Swiss Chapter VP Communications, David Puippe, offers a fundamentally important review of PMI:Next, a must read for all players in the project management arena. Another contribution this month includes a fascinating AI event recap from Six Group’s Wolfgang Steindl, telling the tale of a journey to Mars and beyond!

7 new members are profiled, and again through your monthly newsletter, we offer many reasons to sign up for critical learning and networking events, such as urgently joining Agile or AI-themed communities of your Swiss Chapter and beyond.

Philip SPRINGUEL,

Newsletter Copy Editor

Author: David Puippe, PMP, ACP, PBA, and VP Communications 

Dear PMI Switzerland Members,

PMI is a leading global authority in project management, committed to advancing the project management profession. We maximize project success to elevate our world. We empower project professionals around the globe to excel in project management practices through a growing global community, knowledge sharing, and best-in-class certifications, driving positive change in organizations and communities.

As the landscape of project management evolves, so must the strategies that guide it. In this article, you will enter PMI:Next, PMI's latest initiative designed to future-proof the field and keep project managers at the forefront of innovation.

What is PMI purpose?

PMI purpose is more than a statement. This is the force that guides everything that we do, including at a chapter level. We defined our purpose by answering one simple question: "How can we leverage our superpowers to impact the world?" We have always been a purpose-driven organization, and with intentional focus and a clearly articulated purpose statement and commitments, we are ensuring our founding principles are core to success.

What is PMI:Next?

In 2024, PMI is building momentum by sharpening its purpose, evolving its strategy, and strengthening its values to deliver on a clear, common, and shared purpose. This clarity will help all chapters to maximize their impact to drive meaningful change. The meaning of Next is the following:

N - Nurture Our Purpose & Values
E - Empower Ourselves
X – eXpand Our Impact
T - Tighten Our Focus

PMI:Next in a nutshell:

Our guiding stars which do not change over time are our purpose and value. These fundamental elements of PMI:Next strategy, which defines your chapter strategy as well, are structured as below:

Purpose: We maximize project success to elevate our world.
Values: Make it Easy, Aim Higher, Be Welcoming, Embrace Curiosity, Together We Can.

The key parts of PMI:Next strategy, for now, are:

• Who we serve: Current and aspiring project professionals
• Where we play: Community Generated Knowledge Platforms & Resources; Career Long Learning & Development; and Most Trusted “Gold Standard” Professional Certifications
• How we operate: Focus on the profession; Activation Model; and Internal Capability Building

The Swiss Chapter Board is currently utilising these guidelines to further develop the local community, and contributing to the future of our profession.

Want to know more about PMI:Next?

• Find details on the PMI website: https://www.pmi.org/about
• Watch PMI:Next summary video with PMI CEO Pierre Le Manh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA54rZqI1rI
• Download PMI’s detailed 14-page PDF strategy document: https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/about/pmi-next_p_v3_feb-6.pdf?rev=6b2a9eb557a944a1a3314b4667ef62b3

Authors: Eric Jelenje, PMP, and Joachim Dehais, PMP

The hype is here, you cannot avoid it. Artificial Intelligence is in every mouth, newspaper, website, seminar.

If you are tired of talking, and are ready to get your hands dirty, join our evening AI practice workshop online on the 25th of June 2024.

Long gone are the days of two-layer perceptrons, now AI has nearly as many brain cells as we do, and if we listen to business consultants, it is ready to take our jobs. Not quite, and yet, better have a look, in case its brain cells decide to mimic 'Idiocy' more than 'Intelligence'. AI is to intellectual work what machines were two centuries ago, a potential, a workhorse, a promise.

You have a chance to adapt to the technological shift and its societal implications. Come to learn how the tech works, how it doesn’t, what you have to be careful about, and how you can leverage it.

Through examples and hands-on experience, we offer you a space to experiment, to learn, to ask, and to come out in charge, capable of using it, as well as improve your work and workplace. We will go through some theory, examples, and serious practice sessions on use cases from the PMBOK. So have a read, ponder, and choose to join us and many professionals working towards the future.

Has that piqued your interest? Then, see you there!

Info and registration: here