9755.Frontmatter 10/31/00 9:40 AM Page ix
Foreword
To win a decathlon requires the extreme best from the participant. It is a very grueling and demanding set of events. The decathlete is usually very good and in fact the best in one or two events and in good standing in the other eight or nine events. The objective is to be the overall best in all ten events. Decathletes like most athletes must complete in head to head events to know if they are able to win the overall decathlon. They must study their competitors in the greatest detail and know their strengths and weakness. They must learn from the other decathletes what allows them to put out that extra 5% that means the difference between winning and just participating. They must also compete in an environment where the performance standard required to win is always becoming higher. Being a project manager is similar to the decathlete and in the business of projects, the field is very competitive. Similar to a decathlon there are events (nine knowledge areas) in the Project Management Body of Knowledge. The decathletes in project management are the companies that are controlling costs, schedule and quality on a project level. The project-driven companies must find ways to learn “best practices” in a competitive world and apply these lessons to their processes, systems, and tools. This method of continuous improvement through measuring and comparing is referred to as benchmarking as described by Dr. Kerzner. Nortel aspires to win the decathlon prize, but realizes it is not possible without both internal and external benchmarking measurements and continuous improvements. The internal benchmarking is similar to intramural decathlons where learning comes from watching the friendly decathletes. A significant opportunity for learning and continuous improvement occurs when the “best in class” have entered the decathlon. Nortel has particapted in the Kerzner five-step Project Management Maturity Model survey for the last year and a half. The five steps measure the desired diix