top of page


Crash, Float, and the Delhi Metro: A Beginner's Guide to Scheduling
A project runs late. A senior member addresses the issue with: "Add more people. Finish it faster." So you do. And somehow, the project gets more delayed. This isn't bad luck. It's what happens when you schedule without understanding two ideas: crash and float. Let's fix that using one of India's proudest infrastructure stories. New Delhi Station Airport Express Line - Image Credits NDTV The Delhi Metro: A Lesson Hidden in Plain Sight One of the infrastructure projects that r
appliedpm
Jul 10


Tips and Tricks of Good Project Management
Good project management is not about perfect methodology. It is about making sound decisions consistently, across every phase of the work. Here are the habits that separate projects that deliver from those that drift. Tips and Tricks of Good Project Management Start With Your Why Before you dive into the operational tasks of a project, define why the project exists. A well-constructed business case forces you to look at the hard nitty-gritty constraints of the project. It gi
appliedpm
Jul 7


The WhatsApp Project Manager: Why WhatsApp will ruin your projects
"Yes, we talked about this. Check your WhatsApp group". This phrase has become the default answer to every project question in companies. Want to know the project timeline? Check WhatsApp. Looking for the requirement document? Someone has shared it on WhatsApp. Need to understand who has completed the task? Scroll through the group messages on the WhatsApp group. According to 2024 workplace communication data, about 53% of frontline workers use messaging apps like WhatsApp up
appliedpm
Jul 5


Project Lifecycle Phases: Is Execution All That Matters?
Delivery gets the applause. Initiation gets the awkward questions. Closure gets ignored because everyone has already moved on. That is a problem. The project lifecycle comprises four stages: initiation, planning, delivery, and closure. Most teams know these labels. Fewer respect or are aware of what each stage is meant to do. As project managers, knowingly or unknowingly, we behave as if delivery is the “real work” and everything else is administration. This often leads to a
appliedpm
Jul 3


13 Bridges in 18 Days: What Bihar's Collapse Crisis Teaches Every Project Manager
Between June and July 2024, Bihar witnessed 13 bridge collapses in 18 days. Not 13 near-misses. Not 13 structural warnings. Thirteen actual collapses - some mid-construction, some decades old, all captured on camera. The government's response was quick: 15 engineers were suspended, a contractor was blacklisted, and an investigation was ordered. And then, in 2025, the Agwani-Sultanganj bridge, already infamous for collapsing in 2022 and again in 2023, collapsed a third time. T
appliedpm
Jun 29


Project Scheduling Tips for Timely Delivery
Ever felt like your project timeline is slipping through your fingers? Like no matter how hard you try, deadlines creep closer and closer? I’ve been there. Scheduling a project isn’t just about marking dates on a calendar. It’s an art and a science rolled into one. When done right, it’s your secret weapon to delivering on time, every time. Let’s dive into how you can master effective project scheduling and keep your projects on track. Why Effective Project Scheduling Matters
appliedpm
Jun 25


CPO vs CPM vs CPD: Which Certification Is Right for You?
Three certifications. One decision. Here is how to make it without second-guessing yourself. The CPO, CPM and CPD are not interchangeable. They reflect genuinely different career stages, responsibilities and evaluation expectations. The right choice depends on where you are now, not where you hope to be in five years. Certified Project Officer (CPO): For Early-Career Professionals Who it is for: Anyone stepping into project work for the first time, whether as a coordinator, t
appliedpm
Jun 21


The Mumbai Trans Harbour Link : Case Study on Capable Project Management
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (Atal Setu) in January 2024, it marked the completion of India's longest sea bridge; a 21.8-kilometre engineering marvel connecting Mumbai to Navi Mumbai. The celebration was well-deserved. Yet the project's journey reveals exactly why India desperately needs more capable project managers, not just certified ones. A Project Four Decades in the Making The Mumbai Trans Harbour Link wasn't delayed by mon
appliedpm
Jun 18


Is Project Management a Good Career in India?
The short answer is yes, but with an important caveat. India's project management landscape is growing at a pace that is difficult to ignore. By 2027, the country is expected to add 21.8 million project-oriented roles, more than any nation except China.¹ Infrastructure projects worth ₹30.7 trillion are currently underway.¹ Technology transformation is reshaping every major industry. The demand for people who can manage complex work is real, and it is rising. That is the oppor
appliedpm
Jun 16


Essential Project Management Resources for Professionals: Your Guide to PM Learning Resources
Starting a project can feel like setting off on a journey without a map. You know the destination, but the path? Not so clear. That’s where the right project management resources come in. They act like your compass, guiding you through the twists and turns of project challenges. Whether you’re just stepping into the world of project management or you’ve been steering projects for years, having the right tools and knowledge is crucial. So, what are these resources? And how can
appliedpm
Jun 12


Agile Practices: Myth or Reality?
It is a Monday, your project team’s sprint day. A project manager stands in front of a digital board covered in tickets. The development team shuffles their feet. The manager calls out a task, gets an update from the engineer, dictates the deadline, and moves to the next person. They call this a daily stand-up. It is not a stand-up. It is a traditional status meeting, wearing a different hat. We buy the software. We adopt the terminology. We divide the work into two-week bloc
appliedpm
May 15


Is Your Project Running On Biased Decision-Making?
Have you ever latched onto a decision you had made about a project? We’ve all been there, and it is human to still rely on the information you have learned against the information an external data point is providing. You trust your initial instinct. You push the decision through. Six weeks later, the delivery is not getting the desired results. We call this executive leadership. We assume that holding the title of project manager makes us immune to bad choices. It does not. I
appliedpm
May 13


Are You Safe From Your Project Risk Register ?
Every project management course tells you to build a risk register on day one. You list the threats, assign a color, and suddenly, everyone feels safe. They are lying. You cannot manage uncertainty by simply turning a spreadsheet cell yellow. Your tools and knowledge may teach you to catalog risks. It does not teach you how to actually survive them. This begs the question. If we have so many certified professionals meticulously tracking risks, why do so many projects still co
appliedpm
May 12


Are You Guessing Your Costs in Project Management?
You look at a list of past vendor invoices, pick a number that feels safe, and type it into your budget spreadsheet. You call it an estimate. It is not an estimate. It is a wildly optimistic guess. We invest heavily in tracking software and dashboards. We build perfectly sequenced schedules. But when it comes to predicting what the work will actually cost, we abandon logic. We rely on intuition. You know the risk. Underestimating means you will run out of cash before you fini
appliedpm
May 8


The Drama triangle of Project failures
Your project has perfect methodology. Comprehensive planning. Clear deliverables. Adequate resources. Yet somehow, it's drowning in drama. Team members complain about being overwhelmed. Managers swoop in to save the day at the last minute. Someone is always blamed when things go wrong. Nothing feels sustainable. The problem isn't your project management approach. It's the Drama Triangle, a dysfunctional pattern of interpersonal dynamics that sabotages projects from within. Un
appliedpm
Dec 11, 2025


Why India's Rising Project Economy Demands Practical PM Education
India's project management landscape is at a critical inflection point. By 2027, the country will add 21.8 million project-oriented roles. That is more than any other nation except China. Infrastructure projects worth ₹30.7 trillion are currently underway. Technology transformation initiatives span every major industry. India's economic future fundamentally depends on successful project delivery. Yet nearly half of all major infrastructure projects are delayed. Cost overruns
appliedpm
Dec 1, 2025
bottom of page
