Category: Information Technology, IT

Business Analyst typical day example

Business Analyst typical day example

Senior Project Manager vs Project Manager vs Program Manager

Senior Project Manager vs Project Manager vs Program Manager

Mark Whitfield HP NonStop Tandem experience & Project Management Templates

Mark Whitfield is an experienced IT Project Manager and software developer who has spent over 22 years specialising in HP NonStop (formerly Tandem) systems. He is currently an Engagement Project Manager at Capgemini. 

Career & Expertise

Whitfield’s career in HP NonStop began in 1990 and includes significant technical and leadership roles across the financial and technology sectors: 

  • Software Development: Early in his career, he worked as a programmer for The Software Partnership (later Deluxe Data/FIS), focusing on electronic banking software like sp/ARCHITECT on Tandem mainframes.
  • Insider Technologies (1995–2013): He spent 18 years at Insider Technologies as a Senior Development Engineer and Project Manager. His work involved:
    • Developing monitoring and diagnostic software such as Reflex 80:20, Reflex ONE24, and RTLX (Real-Time Log Extraction) for payment systems.
    • Managing the first HP OpenView Operations Smart Plug-In certification for the NonStop platform.
    • Designing XPERT24, a performance tracking product for ACI’s XPNET layer.
  • Capgemini (2016–Present): As an Engagement Project Manager, he has led digital projects for major clients in the automotive, government, and aerospace sectors, including a cloud migration for UK Government applications. 

Technical Contributions

  • Publications: He has authored articles for globally published journals like The Connection (2013), discussing topics such as querying terabytes of legacy transaction log data from NonStop mainframes.
  • Project History: He has managed high-value projects, including a £5 million initiative to migrate legacy HP NonStop software to AIX-based technologies for a large UK retail bank.
  • Training: He is trained in various NonStop-specific technologies, including TAL (Transaction Application Language), COBOL85, PATHWAY, and NonStop SQL. 

Whitfield also maintains a professional website, mark-whitfield.com, where he provides project management templates and resources related to HP NonStop and Tandem systems. 

Mark Whitfield provides a comprehensive bundle of over 200 editable project management templates designed for Agile, Waterfall, and PRINCE2 methodologies. These templates are based on over 30 years of project delivery experience and are available for purchase via his official website or Etsy shop. 

Key Template Categories

The bundle includes a wide variety of tools across different formats (Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and MS Project): 

  • Planning & Scheduling:
    • Plan on a Page (POaP): Over 30 PowerPoint slide examples for executive-level summaries.
    • Detailed Project Plans: MS Project (MPP) and Excel templates for SDLC, PRINCE2 7th Edition, and Agile Scrum projects.
    • Gantt Charts: Built-in tracking views for both MS Project and Excel.
  • Tracking & Control:
    • RAID Logs: Comprehensive logs for tracking Risks, Actions, Issues, and Dependencies, plus additional tabs for Change Requests and Lessons Learned.
    • RACI Matrix: Templates to define project roles and responsibilities (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed).
    • Finance Trackers: Tools for internal and external forecast vs. actual costs, including margin and variance tracking.
  • Agile Specific Tools:
    • Burn Down & Burn Up Charts: Excel-based alternatives when tools like Jira are unavailable.
    • Agile Story Dependency Tracking: Specifically for managing dependencies between agile stories and external suppliers.
  • Reporting & Governance:
    • Status Reports: Weekly and monthly templates in Word and PowerPoint formats.
    • Stakeholder Analysis: Power/interest mapping and engagement plan templates.
    • Benefits Realisation: Plans to track project outcomes against initial business goals. 

Purchase Benefits

  • Lifetime Upgrades: Once purchased, all future additions and updates to the template package are provided for free.
  • Compatibility: Templates are designed for Microsoft Office 365 but also include Excel versions compatible with earlier software.
  • Support: The package typically includes walkthrough Word documents to guide users on how to use each major template.

Mark Whitfield HP NonStop Tandem experience & Project Management Templates

Key Skills for the Project Manager

Key Skills for the Project Manager

Project Quality Plan PQP in QA/QC Overview

Project Quality Plan PQP in QA/QC Overview

The primary purpose of a Project Quality Plan (PQP) is to define the standards, tools, and processes required to ensure a project’s deliverables are “fit for purpose” and meet all stakeholder expectations. It serves as a strategic roadmap for the project team to maintain consistent quality throughout the project lifecycle rather than treating it as an afterthought. 

Core Objectives

A PQP is designed to achieve several critical goals: 

  • Define “Quality”: Translates vague stakeholder needs into measurable criteria and specific benchmarks.
  • Prevent Defects: Establishes Quality Assurance (QA) processes to proactively “build in” quality from the start, reducing the risk of errors.
  • Detect and Correct Issues: Outlines Quality Control (QC) activities, such as testing and inspections, to identify and fix defects before they reach the customer.
  • Clarify Accountability: Assigns specific roles and responsibilities so every team member knows who is responsible for performing, checking, and approving work.
  • Ensure Compliance: Guarantees the project adheres to relevant internal policies, legal regulations, and industry standards like ISO 9001. 

Strategic Benefits

Implementing a structured quality plan provides tangible advantages for project management: 

  • Reduced Costs and Rework: By catching errors early, the team avoids expensive last-minute fixes and wasted resources.
  • Improved Efficiency: Standardised workflows and clear metrics allow the team to focus on production rather than constant troubleshooting.
  • Increased Stakeholder Trust: Providing objective evidence through audits and reports gives sponsors and clients confidence in the final outcome.
  • Continuous Improvement: The plan often includes feedback loops and lessons-learned processes to refine and enhance quality for future project phases.

Project Quality Plan PQP in QA/QC Overview

Technical Program Manager Roadmap

Technical Program Manager Roadmap

Agile Framework Executive Summary Overview Snapshot

Agile Framework Executive Summary Overview Snapshot

Project Management, Pre-Contract vs Post- Contract Phase

Project Management, Pre-Contract vs Post- Contract Phase