Metrics
Derek Huether
Most Important Metric for an Enterprise

As an executive, you will be faced with the choice to do the pivot (if you can) or persevere (if you have no other choice). This will lead to a series of “bets”. You lead with a hypothesis that the things you change will allow you to operate at pre-event levels. But, how long will it actually take for you to validate your hypothesis and have a bet pay off with pre-event levels? If you run out of time to figure it out or run out of bets you can place, then you either lose your standing in the market or worse risk going out of business.

Derek Huether
How to identify dependencies with Tableau and ...

Regardless of the organization or institution, there will always be dependencies. The larger the organization, the greater chance of the existence of dependencies.
This template is available for download from Tableau Public

Video
Derek Huether
Value Stream Management

In the following interview (both video and audio), Dave Prior and I explore why Value Stream Management is so important, how it works, the connection to Value Stream Mapping, and how you can get started with it.

Derek Huether
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Key performance indicators (KPIs) are metrics that are used to evaluate the performance of an organization or individual. They are used to measure progress towards achieving specific goals or objectives and to determine whether an organization or individual is meeting their targets.

Enterprise Insights, Jira Align, Metrics, Tableau
Derek Huether
How Atlassian Jira Align Supports Flow Metrics

I keep getting asked, does Jira Align support Flow Metrics, as defined in the Flow Framework and SAFe? The short answer is yes. If you believe these metrics will help unlock the potential of your teams, use this community post to see working examples of Tableau reports I have created using Jira Align and Enterprise Insights.

How Atlassian Jira Align Supports Flow Metrics

PERT

Formulas To Remember For The PMP Exam

Use this formula on the PMP exam to calculate the variance of an activity
Use this formula on the PMP exam to calculate the variance of an activity

I think back to when I sat for the PMP exam and remember taking the first few minutes to quickly write down the following formulas.  It was my cheat sheet.  There was enough to think about for the next few hours and worrying if I could remember some key formulas was not one of them.  So, here is a bit of advice.  If you're preparing[1] to take the PMP exam, MEMORIZE these formulas.  The exam won't come right out and ask you to identify the correct formula for a variance of an activity. Rather, it will offer a question like:  Your current activity was pessimistically estimated at 65 hours and optimistically estimated at 40 hours.  What is the variance of the activity?  (you can use this formula for both time and cost) You can see how knowing the formula is going to make you or break you on this question.

Do yourself a favor.  Make flash cards, get a tattoo, it doesn't matter.  Commit these formulas to memory and you'll save yourself some pain and suffering (and a few points on the exam).

The Formulas

Acronym

Title

Formula

PERT

Program Evaluation and Review Technique

Use this formula on the PMP exam to calculate PERT
Use this formula on the PMP exam to calculate PERT

P = Pessimistic Estimate M = Most Likely Estimate O = Optimistic Estimate

Standard Deviation of Activity

Use this formula on the PMP exam to calculate standard deviation of an activity
Use this formula on the PMP exam to calculate standard deviation of an activity

Variance of an Activity

Use this formula on the PMP exam to calculate the variance of an activity
Use this formula on the PMP exam to calculate the variance of an activity

Total Float

LS - ES or LF - EF

Communications Channels

[N(N-1)] / 2

CV

Cost Variance

EV - AC

SV

Schedule Variance

EV - PV

CPI

Cost Performance Index

EV / AC

SPI

Schedule Performance Index

EV / PV

EAC

Estimate at Completion

BAC / CPI

AC + ETC

AC + (BAC - EV)

ETC

Estimate to Complete

ETC = EAC - AC

VAC

Variance at Completion

BAC - EAC

CPI

c

Cumulative Cost Performance Index

Σ

EV /

Σ

AC

TCPI

To-Complete Performance Index

Use this formula on the PMP exam to calculate TCPI
Use this formula on the PMP exam to calculate TCPI
,

PERT Formula

,

PERT - Program Evaluation and Review Technique.If you’re going to take the PMP exam, you MUST remember this formula.  I’ve used it countless times in the real world and it works with surprising accuracy.

Formula: (P+4M+O)/6

Optimistic time (O): the minimum possible time required to accomplish a task, assuming everything proceeds better than is normally expected. Pessimistic time (P): the maximum possible time required to accomplish a task, assuming everything goes wrong (excluding major catastrophes). Most likely time (M): the best estimate of the time required to accomplish a task, assuming everything proceeds as normal.

How does it work?

Obtain three time estimates (optimistic, pessimistic, and most likely) for every activity along the critical path.  Plug your numbers into the formula and then sum the totals.  Though people will challenge you, you WILL have a more accurate critical path estimate.

I will speak to “Standard Deviation of an Activity” and “Variance of an Activity” at a later time.   They both leverage the same values but in different formulas.