Project managers can take stroll on PM Boulevard
Project managers don't need chat rooms: Now they have a Web portal site of their own.
By Patricia DaukantasGCN StaffProject managers don't need chat rooms: Now they have a Web portal site of their own.The site, called PM Boulevard and at , went live in July, said Patricia Davis-Muffett, marketing director for site developer Robbins-Gioia Inc., a consulting company in Alexandria, Va.Sometimes managers need advice 'on a quick, targeted basis,' which is where PM Boulevard comes in, Davis-Muffett said. The site provides both free and fee-based services.Davis-Muffett described the free areas as a Web meeting place for project managers. There are weekly columns written by Robbins-Gioia staff members and guest analysts, business news articles, a bulletin board for networking with other project managers, and lighter items such as a management-themed crossword puzzle.PM Boulevard's training section offers interactive classes, which cost $295 each. Students need not be portal subscribers to take them, Davis-Muffett said.Paid subscribers log in using a user identifier and password. The members-only area contains downloadable documents about project management methods, templates, best practices and government regulations. Much of the information is culled from Robbins-Gioia's nearly 20 years of experience in project-management , Davis-Muffett said.In PM Boulevard's Knowledge Center area, users can browse the eight 'structured business methods' defined by Robbins-Gioia or search the site for keywords.Subscribers also get a finite number of consulting hours to spend in the Ask the Expert and Assessment areas of the members-only section. Subscribers can submit detailed questions and receive a response within two business days. Two sample questions in the guest area of the Web site have identifying details removed from the postings, Davis-Muffett said.In the Assessment area, anyone can take a self-scoring quiz to get a rough estimate of a project's management requirements, Davis-Muffett said.Paid subscribers can take part in detailed surveys about topics such as scheduling, risk management and cost management.Subscriptions start at $5,000 per year for an individual, which includes 26 hours of live consulting and unlimited access to the members-only areas. Trial subscriptions of three to six months are available. The largest enterprisewide site membership would cost about $60,000, Davis-Muffett estimated.Alyson D'Ambrisi, communications manager for Robbins-Gioia, said 26 consulting hours would amount to 12 inquiries per year.A typical Robbins-Gioia consulting contract takes six to 18 months to complete and costs at least $200,000, Davis-Muffett said.
Company designed Web site as a place to get advice and hold discussions on latest technology topics
www.pmblvd.com
Word association
Contact Robbins-Gioia at 703-548-7006.
 | A free quiz on the site gives project managers an idea of where trouble spots might be. Surveys on the site cover topics such as scheduling and cost management. |
Company designed Web site as a place to get advice and hold discussions on latest technology topics
www.pmblvd.com
Word association
Contact Robbins-Gioia at 703-548-7006.
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