Category: Finance

Project Management Templates inventory by category

Mark Whitfield’s PROject Templates consist of a comprehensive bundle of over 200 fully editable delivery templates. Designed specifically to bridge the gap between structured Waterfall frameworks (like PRINCE2) and iterative Agile Scrum execution, the inventory covers real-world artifacts across Microsoft Project (.mpp), Excel, PowerPoint, and Word formats.

1. Project Management Templates inventory by category
Plan on a Page example, 30+ in Zip pack

The detailed breakdown of Mark Whitfield’s template inventory by core management category includes:

1. Project Planning & Timelines

These templates provide multi-layered scheduling depending on whether you require micro-level tracking or high-level stakeholder summaries.

2. Project Management Templates inventory by category
Another POaP example in MS PowerPoint
  • Detailed Project Plans: Comprehensive Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) templates available in Microsoft Project (MSP .mpp) format as well as standalone MS Excel detailed plans for environments without dedicated project software.
3. Project Management Templates inventory by category
Microsoft MPP Project Plan example
  • Plan on a Page (POaP): High-level, visual Gantt chart timeline templates in Excel and PowerPoint used to present milestones and core roadmaps to executives.
  • Critical Path Analysis (CPA): Structural templates mapping out sequential, dependent tasks to isolate the project’s critical path.

2. Risk, Governance & Issue Tracking

Built to operationalise PMO toolkits, these documents streamline governance and day-to-day item control.

4. Project Management Templates inventory by category
RACI template example in MS Excel
  • Comprehensive RAIDs Logs: Extensive MS Excel workbooks equipped with built-in charts featuring dedicated tracking tabs for Risks, Actions, Issues, Opportunities, Lessons Learned, and Dependencies.
  • Change Requests & Variations: Specific registers within the RAIDs ecosystem to log scope creep, contract management deviations, and formal modifications.
  • RACI Matrices: Role assignment trackers specifying who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed across project milestones.

3. Financial & Resource Management

These templates bypass complex corporate accounting tools to provide lightweight, transparent budgeting directly inside spreadsheet architectures.

5. Project Management Templates inventory by category
Project Budget tracker in Microsoft Excel
  • Project Financial Trackers: Multi-currency ledgers charting forecasts vs. actual costs, profit margins, variation overheads, and project revenues.
  • Client Cost Summaries: Simplified external expense templates meant to be packaged and securely shared directly with clients.
  • Resource and Leave Trackers: Resource allocation grids accounting for internal/external team capacity, annual leave, and resource hierarchy organization charts.

4. Agile & Iterative Delivery Worksheets

For hybrid or purely iterative structures, the package includes functional Excel equivalents to modern project tracking tools.

6. Project Management Templates inventory by category
MS Excel template for an Agile Scrum Burndown chart
  • Velocity Tracking: Standalone, manually updatable Agile Burn Down and Burn Up charts.
  • Sprint Dynamics: Templates designed for managing Scrum backlogs and release cycles.
  • Team Performance: Includes functional icebreakers like the Project Team Quiz template to introduce light relief into daily stand-ups.

5. Communications, Onboarding & Reporting

Designed to cover critical communication pathways, from inception contracts to routine progress updates.

7. Project Management Templates inventory by category
Microsoft Excel Template project status report
  • Status Reports: Standardized weekly and monthly reporting templates distributed across one Word variation and two tailored PowerPoint styles.
  • Mobilisation Kits: Comprehensive PowerPoint decks built as a unified Programme Mobilise / Team On-boarding Kit.
  • Stakeholder Analysis Plans: Impact mapping grids that chart Stakeholder Influence vs. Impact to categorize communication strategies into Involve, Inform, Consult, or Monitor.
  • Core Governance Files: Standard administrative files including formal Meeting Minutes, Statement of Work (SOW) guidelines, and Benefits Realisation plans.

The complete toolkit is available directly via the official PROject Templates platform or via his authorized marketplace storefront, ProjectTemplatesSoft on Etsy. Both options include a lifetime guarantee of free additions and package upgrades.

IT Project Management toolkits feature over 200 tailored, editable Microsoft Office templates

The IT Project Management (PM) toolkits created by Mark Whitfield feature over 200 tailored, editable Microsoft Office templates designed to structure, track, and report on software delivery lifecycles (SDLC), bridging Agile sprint execution and structured governance frameworks like PRINCE2 and Waterfall.

Project Management toolkits feature over 200 tailored, editable MS Office templates
MS Excel Project & Budget Tracker Example

Below is the structured breakdown of the primary templates categorized by their project purpose, function, and file format.

📅 Project Planning & Scheduling

  • Category: Project Planning | Templates: Detailed SDLC Project Plan (.mpp/.xlsx) & Plan on a Page (POaP) (.pptx/.xlsx) | Description: These tools cover stage-gate structures, resource scheduling, and visual executive updates for software projects.

⚠️ Risk, Governance & Tracking

  • Category: Risk & Issue Management | Template: Comprehensive RAIDs Log (.xlsx) | Description: A multi-tab workbook to track Risks, Actions, Issues, Opportunities, Dependencies, and Lessons Learned.
  • Category: Governance | Templates: RACI Tracker & Change Request Log (.xlsx) | Description: Tools to define roles/responsibilities and manage project scope modifications.

💰 Financial & Resource Management

  • Category: Project Finances | Template: Project Financial Tracker (.xlsx) | Description: Monitors forecasted vs. actual costs, variances, and expenses.
  • Category: Resource Management | Template: Resource & Leave Tracker (.xlsx) | Description: Tracks team availability, capacity, and absences.

🏃 Agile Delivery

  • Category: Agile Scrum | Templates: Burn Down/Up Charts & Story Dependency Tracker (.xlsx) | Description: Provides metric-driven velocity tracking and dependency mapping between stories or external suppliers.

📊 Communications & Stakeholders

  • Category: Stakeholder Management | Template: Stakeholder Analysis Plan (.xlsx) | Description: Maps influence vs. impact to plan communication needs.
  • Category: Project Communications | Templates: Status Report & Kick-Off Deck (.docx/.pptx) | Description: Standardized templates for project updates and project launches.

IT PM toolkits feature over 200 tailored, editable Microsoft Office templates

UK, Paying back your university student loan after course completion

In the UK, you do not need to take manual steps to start paying back your university student loan, as repayments are deducted automatically through the tax system once you graduate and earn above a specific salary threshold.

Here is a summary of the exact steps, thresholds, and your repayment options.

4 Simple Steps to Post-Course Repayments

  1. Wait for eligibility: You become eligible to start repaying in the first April after you finish or leave your course.
  2. Deduction via employment: If you are traditionally employed, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will automatically inform your employer to deduct 9% of everything you earn above your plan’s threshold from your payslip.
  3. Deduction via self-employment: If you are self-employed, you must calculate and pay your student loan repayment manually through your annual Self Assessment tax return.
  4. Notify when leaving the UK: If you move abroad for more than three months, you must update your employment details directly with the Student Loans Company (SLC) to set up direct repayments, otherwise you will incur financial arrears.

Repayment Plan Thresholds Summary (Undergraduate)

You only pay 9% of your income that goes over the threshold. If your income drops below this number, your repayments stop automatically.

  • Plan 1 (Started course before Sept 2012, or Northern Ireland): Repayments trigger when earning over £26,900 a year (£2,241 a month).
  • Plan 2 (Started course between Sept 2012 and July 2023 in England, or all Wales): Repayments trigger when earning over £27,295 a year (£2,274 a month).
  • Plan 4 (Scotland): Repayments trigger when earning over £31,395 a year (£2,616 a month).
  • Plan 5 (Started course from Sept 2023 onwards in England): Repayments trigger when earning over £25,000 a year (£2,083 a month).
  • Postgraduate Loan (England & Wales): Repayments are 6% on earnings over £21,000 a year (£1,750 a month).

Extra Payment Options

  • Voluntary Overpayments: You can log into your online SLC account to make manual, extra payments via card or bank transfer at any time to clear the balance faster.
  • Note: Financial experts like MoneySavingExpert generally advise against voluntary extra payments unless you are a very high earner, because any remaining loan balance is completely written off after 30 to 40 years anyway (depending on your plan).

UK, Paying back your university student loan after course completion

Project Management Templates with FREE upgrades

The IT Project Management (PM) toolkits created by Mark Whitfieldprovide a comprehensive digitized repository of over 200 tailored, editable Microsoft Office templates designed to structure, track, and report on software delivery lifecycles (SDLC).

Hosted on his platform PROject Templates, these artifacts bridge the gap between fast-paced Agile sprint execution and structured governance frameworks like PRINCE2 and Waterfall.

Here is an overview of the core template categories and artifacts included in the toolkit:

📅 Schedule, Planning & Timelines

  • Detailed SDLC / PRINCE2 Project Plans: Native Microsoft Project (.mpp) and Excel (.xlsx) files featuring stage-gate structures, resource sheets, and milestone tracking.
  • Plan on a Page (POaP): Over 35 PowerPoint variations and simplified Excel dashboards used to present high-level, visual timelines to executives and senior stakeholders.
  • Agile Scrum Sprint Planner & Delivery Plan: Templates constructed in Excel to track sprint velocity, capacity planning, and product backlogs.

⚠️ Risk, Governance & Tracking

  • Comprehensive RAID Logs: Centralized trackers mapping Risks, Actions, Issues, and Dependencies, including secondary tabs for opportunities, lessons learned, and change requests.
  • RACI Matrices: Responsibility assignment matrices used to formally define team roles (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) across delivery workstreams.
  • Project Charter Blueprint: A foundational setup template used to establish formal authorization, align stakeholders, and outline scope boundaries.

📊 Performance & Financial Tracking

  • Project Financial Tracker: Metric dashboards containing charts for measuring internal and external forecast versus actual costs, profit margins, and expense variances.
  • Agile Burn Down & Burn Up Charts: Standalone spreadsheet alternatives built specifically for environments where dedicated Agile software like Jira or Azure DevOps is unavailable.

📢 Status Reporting & Communication

  • Weekly/Monthly Status Reports: Formatted templates available in Word and PowerPoint summarizing project health, milestone progress, and immediate priorities for internal and client updates.
  • Project Kick-Off Slide Decks: Presentation baselines to align teams, outline deliverables, and walk members through execution workflows at launch.

Download Free Upgrade Project Management Templates

The full toolkit of Mark Whitfield’s Project Management (PM) templates is structured below according to structural focus areas, overview of utility, and native file formats. Free upgrades and additions after purchase.

📅 Project Planning & Roadmapping

  • Focus: Schedule design and milestone visualization for SDLC, PRINCE2, and Agile.
  • Overview: Builds work breakdown structures (WBS), tracks timelines, and presents milestones to stakeholders.
  • Format: Microsoft Project (.mpp), Excel (.xlsx), and PowerPoint (.pptx).
  • Included: Detailed plans, Excel Gantt trackers, over 35 Plan on a Page (POaP) slides, and spreadsheet-based timelines.

⚠️ Risk, Governance & Operational Control

  • Focus: Threat tracking, dependency mitigation, and accountability.
  • Overview: Ensures structural control and compliance, managing risks, issues, and resource ownership.
  • Format: Excel (.xlsx) and Word (.docx).
  • Included: Comprehensive RAIDs log, RACI tracker, stakeholder analysis map, and meeting minutes templates.

💰 Financial Management & Tracking

  • Focus: Cost control, margin maintenance, and expenditure reporting.
  • Overview: Tracks internal/external resources, supplier fees, and expenses with visualized budget usage.
  • Format: Excel (.xlsx) with pivot tables and charts.
  • Included: Project financial tracker, FAV basic tracking template, and client-facing external cost tracker.

🏃 Agile Delivery & Metric Performance

  • Focus: Iterative delivery, velocity tracking, and roadblock visibility.
  • Overview: Used for manual tracking of sprint metrics and third-party dependencies when native tools are unavailable.
  • Format: Excel (.xlsx).
  • Included: Burn down/up charts, and agile story dependency trackers.

📢 Communications & Project Status Reporting

  • Focus: Executive updates and onboarding consistency.
  • Overview: Standardizes project reporting, status updates, and organization charts.
  • Format: PowerPoint (.pptx) and Word (.docx).
  • Included: Project status reports, kick-off decks, organizational charts, and benefits realization plans.

Mark Whitfield @ Wincor Nixdorf – Timeline of technical focus areas

During his tenure as an IT Project Manager at Wincor Nixdorf (Banking Division) from 2013 to 2014, Mark Whitfield focused on large-scale retail banking software modernisation and multi-vendor hardware migrations.

He spearheaded a £5+ million workstream on-site for Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) as part of their Self-Service Software Replacement (SSSR) programme.

The focus areas and technical outputs of his work during this era are detailed below.

🏛️ Era Focus Areas (2013–2014)

  • Legacy ATM Modernisation: Managing the transition of core banking infrastructure away from legacy terminal systems to prevent service outages and meet stricter post-2008 operational risk regulations.
  • Multi-Vendor Integration: Directing complex hardware and software integration streams to ensure Wincor Nixdorf solutions successfully paired with third-party banking frameworks.
  • International Technical Liaison: Acting as a qualified management link between the local UK delivery teams and Wincor Nixdorf’s central engineering base in Paderborn, Germany, for advanced subject matter expertise.
  • Methodology Pivot: Implementing project governance frameworks that bridged strict PRINCE2 Waterfall structures with Agile Scrum delivery models.

💻 Technical Outputs

  • ATM Terminal Driving Migration: Transferred critical automated teller machine (ATM) driving responsibilities away from legacy BASE24 Classic running on HPE NonStop mainframes over to Wincor’s ProClassic Enterprise (PC/E) product suite deployed on an AIX platform.
  • OS Lifecycle Upgrades: Successfully planned and executed the infrastructure upgrade of the Lloyds Banking Group ATM hardware estate from the end-of-life Windows XP operating system to Windows 7.
  • Database & Platform Architecture: Delivered backend systems alignment leveraging Oracle databases integrated across distributed UNIX/AIX environments.

ISO 20022 Message Structure explained and broken down

ISO20022 Message Structure explained and broken down
ISO20022 Message Structure explained & broken down
ISO 20022 Message Structure
explained & broken down

PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) is a global security framework

PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard)
PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry
Data Security Standard)

PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) is a globally recognized set of security guidelines designed to ensure businesses that accept, process, store, or transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment to protect cardholder data.

Who Needs It

If your business takes payments online, over the phone, or in-store, PCI DSS applies to you. It is mandatory for all merchants, financial institutions, and service providers handling card data, regardless of the company’s size or transaction volume.

The 12 Core Requirements

The standard consists of 12 fundamental requirements organized into 6 main control objectives:

  1. Network Security: Install and maintain network security controls (e.g., firewalls) to protect cardholder data.
  2. Secure Defaults: Never use vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords and other security parameters.
  3. Protect Stored Data: Safeguard stored account data via encryption, hashing, or truncation.
  4. Encrypt Transmissions: Strongly encrypt cardholder data across open, public networks.
  5. Malware Protection: Protect all systems and networks against malicious software.
  6. Maintain Secure Systems: Regularly update software, apply security patches, and develop secure systems.
  7. Restrict Access: Restrict system and cardholder data access on a strict “need to know” basis.
  8. Authenticate Users: Identify users and authenticate access to system components.
  9. Restrict Physical Access: Control and restrict physical access to cardholder data and hardware.
  10. Log and Monitor: Log and continuously monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data.
  11. Regular Testing: Regularly test security systems and network processes for vulnerabilities.
  12. Information Security: Maintain formal policies that address information security for all personnel.

Why Compliance Matters

Achieving compliance—often demonstrated through a Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) or a Report on Compliance (RoC)—protects your customers and your business from data breaches. Non-compliance can result in devastating penalties, forensic investigation costs, loss of merchant processing privileges, and heavy brand damage.

For more specific details, requirements, and self-assessment tools tailored to your business, refer to the official PCI Security Standards Council website.