ACT Practice Tests

In this fast-moving and technologically advancing world, companies need to continuously create new products/services to meet and exceed the expectations of their customers. A product manager plays a crucial role here. What does a Product Manager do? To ensure the product meets and exceeds customer expectations and the business remains competitive, a product manager is expected to deeply understand the industry and customer preferences and then come up with a strategy to solve customer problems in a differentiated way.A product manager develops a strategy and vision for a product/service, liaises with teams from other departments to achieve the vision, and defines the product’s roadmap, strategy, and features to meet the end-users’ requirements and needs. As a matter of fact, a product manager handles all the processes required for conceptualizing, developing, marketing, and maintaining the lifecycle of a product/service. What are the important skills every product manager should have? To rise to the top 10 percent of the crowd in product management, you must exhibit, or be willing to develop, the following six skills over time.  Six Must Have Skills for Product Managers Skill 1: A knack for problem-solving The primary reason companies make a new product or refine an existing one is to find a solution to the problem their customers are confronting. As a product manager, you must demonstrate that you have a knack for problem-solving. One of your duties is to define the use of your product and match that with your customer personas to be sure you are targeting the right consumers. More importantly, you should be able to come up with real solutions to the problems that customers need help with. In some circumstances, it may require adding new features to the existing product so as to enhance its performance or create an entirely new product. Good problem-solving skills will help you understand your customer problems, create products that will help solve them, and make strategic decisions for the course of action you need to take to develop and launch such a product.  Skill 2: A general understanding of the product design and development It is imperative that you familiarize yourself with the product design and development processes. This doesn’t mean that you are required to study product design at the university before you can become a product manager, but you will certainly benefit from some rudimentary knowledge about product research, solution ideation, market research, competition research, product development, launch, and marketing. You may need to learn more about these processes throughout your career, but it pays to have an idea of how they work.  Skill 3: Business acumen and strategic thinking Having an MBA can be of advantage in developing your business and strategic thinking, but it is not a compulsory prerequisite for becoming a product manager. At the barest minimum, you must show that you fully understand the benefits of creating a new product or improving the existing ones to your organization. You want to ensure that your organization’s goals or visions are in alignment with the product(s) you are managing. In case of strategic thinking, you must be able to come up with great ideas or suggestions aimed at advancing the objectives of your organization, organize meetings, and hold sensible discussions about the opportunities your organization should take advantage of. You should be able to identify the right stakeholders that can be included in managing a product lifecycle and outline the most appropriate procedures for designing, developing, launching, and marketing the product.   Skill 4:The ability to analyze and interpret data A lot of data is generated in the course of managing a product lifecycle. Hence, it is your responsibility to properly analyze the data and interpret it in a simple, logical, and understandable way so that everyone can grasp the outcome of your research and work. If you are a tech product manager, there is a possibility that some of the people you will be working with might be non-technical, and it becomes your duty to simplify everything for them. Most executives cannot interpret data. As a product manager, it is your job to make sure that they understand everything.  Skill 5: Excellent interpersonal skills Product management is a team-based field which indicates that you will be required to work with many professionals from various departments. As a product manager, you will be liaising with members of sales, marketing, legal, engineering, manufacturing, HR, procurement, distribution teams, and some external stakeholders. So, you must exhibit great ability to manage interpersonal relationships. You should also be able to communicate your ideas clearly to others and display a nature of resiliency and compromise. Most of the time, to get your job done, you will be required to negotiate with others and seek some consensus. You need those people’s support to be able to successfully carry out your duty as a product manager. Skill 6: Customer empathy Last but not least is customer empathy. In fact, it is the most important attribute every product manager should embody. Being sympathetic with your organization’s customers means that you will carefully consider their pain points, champion the development of products/services that will help them overcome their problems, and work with them to see that they derive maximum satisfaction from using those products/services. Product Management Essentials You Always Wanted to Know by Chintan Udeshi, published by Vibrant Publishers. Product Management Essentials: Your fundamental guide to mastering these essential skills All the skill sets expected of a product manager may seem overwhelming at first, but you can learn them gradually through experience, an open heart, and some assistance. A book like Product Management Essentials helps you navigate your Product Manager role seamlessly and build the skillset necessary to ace the role. The book provides practical advice and actionable steps, bringing together everything you need to know to grow into a confident and capable product manager. Product Management Essentials makes learning about product management engaging and approachable, helping you understand complex concepts easily and apply them in real-world situations. Ultimately, it transforms the path to becoming a professional product manager into a structured, enjoyable, and achievable experience. Chintan Udeshi, author of Product Management Essentials You Always Wanted to Know  This blog is written by Chintan Udeshi, author of Product Management Essentials You Always Wanted to Know.  To know more about the book, check out: Vibrant Publishers' New Book Equips Aspiring Product Managers With Must-Have Real-World Skills If this topic piqued your interest, you might also like the following:Top 4 Must-Have Skills to Become a Successful Project ManagerSix Steps To Help You Land Your First Product Management Job

Product management can be simply defined as the process of managing the lifecycle of a product/service. It encompasses planning, developing, launching, and managing the growth of the product/service. Product managers, in collaboration with other teams within an organization, are solely responsible for overseeing the entire process of product management, from the ideation of the products/services to their development and release in the market. Is product management a great career for me? Product management is considered one of the most promising careers in recent years. In addition to its high level of occupational satisfaction, it also comes with high remuneration. Moreover, Product Management is a career that you can switch into from any discipline or role. All you need is subject matter expertise and a few additional skills.  A step-by-step guide to begin your career in Product Management  Many beginners who aspire to become product managers or want to change careers and transition into product management often wonder what steps to take to land their first job. Here is a step-by-step guide for anyone whose ambition is to one day clinch the admirable position of a product manager: STEP 1: Build background knowledge: The very first step is to build your background knowledge. What kind of subject-matter expertise do you have? You'll be intrigued to know that product managers come from different disciplines. Some are engineers whereas some are computer scientists, biologists, educationists, lawyers, and even pharmacists and medical doctors. The course you studied at the university was meant to prepare you to become a subject matter expert. You can now use your background and subject matter expertise to get the role of a product manager in that field. So, if you have studied pharmacy, for example, you can become a product manager at a pharmaceutical company.  STEP 2: Develop your product management skillset: To become a successful product manager, you will need to possess a combination of both hard and soft skills. These include technical and research skills, communication, problem-solving, negotiating, critical thinking, and analytical skills, among others. Product management is a dynamic field, and you will be required to research and design product ideas, analyze data, organize meetings, and clearly communicate your findings with other team members. Without conceptual knowledge and these skill sets, it may be practically difficult to become top-notch.  You can check out various resources available to enhance your skills and upgrade your conceptual knowledge. Take a look at the section “Your ultimate product management resource” at the end of this blog.  STEP 3: Get certified as a product manager: Not many universities globally offer “product management” as a major course. So, whatever course you may have studied, you may still need to get certified as a product manager for value addition. In the United States, some universities, such as Berkeley and Stanford, have about 10- to 12-week product management certification courses. Other independent organizations offer product management certifications, such as Product School, AIPMM, Pragmatic Institute, etc. If you are not in the USA, it is also possible to get certified by your local universities/institutes that offer product management certification courses. STEP 4: Build your product management portfolio: It is time to build your product management portfolio, which is a file that contains relevant examples of work you will be doing if you are hired as a product manager. If you are already a product manager and want to seek an opportunity at another organization, all you need to do is compile the relevant product management projects you have worked on. However, if you are a new entrant into the profession, you may want to provide a hypothetical product management portfolio. This entails that you choose a case study, research it, analyze the outcomes of your research, and present your findings in a vivid and understandable manner. For instance, you may want to produce a hypothetical product management portfolio on how you will solve a technical problem of a tech product, say Apple, Inc.’s iPhone or Microsoft’s Windows. State the product, communicate your solutions to the identified problems, and explain in detail how this can be achieved. When applying for product management jobs, you must include your product management portfolio with your resume to get recruiters’ attention. STEP 5: Establish a solid network in the field: Having made the above-mentioned preparations, it is obvious that you are ready to clinch your first job as a product manager! Surprisingly enough, for every product manager job advertised, there are several other aspiring candidates like you who are anxious to get it. However, the only option that can get you to your dream job quickly is networking with product managers who are already in the field. You can join a local product management group that is open to all certified product managers. Otherwise, you can sign up for membership in one or two product management associations. These associations may offer paid and unpaid memberships. When you interact with professionals who know more about you as far as product management is concerned, you will be properly mentored and advised about how to go about getting your first product management job or transitioning to a better-paying one. One of the secrets in this field is that many of the current product managers were recommended to the positions by other professionals they had networked with. Sometimes, when there are vacancies in some organizations, professionals use their networks to find good and knowledgeable people to fill those jobs, which means they won’t advertise them at all.  STEP 6: Apply and get your first product management job: After applying to some product management job adverts or being recommended by one of your networks, you are on your way to getting your first product management job. When this happens, the clock starts ticking for you to develop yourself as an all-rounder product management professional. There are a lot of new things to learn on the job. If you are transferring from one department in your organization to the product management department, you can utilize your existing knowledge to perform brilliantly in your new position. Your ultimate product management resource To learn more about product management and how you can master it, check out my recent publication, Product Management Essentials You Always Wanted to Know! This book contains all the necessary, helpful information you will ever require as a beginner or an entry-level product manager. As a career-long guide, you will find all the practical steps you will need to master every area of product management in Product Management Essentials, equipping yourself with essential pieces of information that will eventually help you become a successful product management professional. Book cover of Product Management Essentials You Always Wanted to Know This blog has been written by Chintan Udeshi, the author of Product Management Essentials You Always Wanted to Know. Chintan Udeshi, author of Product Management Essentials You Always Wanted to Know Also ReadFour management skills you can ace while you are at homeTop Tips for Cracking Your First Job Interview3 Top Ways to Pick Books for Career Growth Learn more about the book Product Management Essentials here: Product Management Essentials You Always Wanted to KnowVibrant Publishers' New Book Equips Aspiring Product Managers With Must-Have Real-World Skills

Introduction ‘Project management’ and ‘Agile’ are buzzwords in corporate circles today. As organizations make the move towards working smart and not just working hard, the need to ensure that projects flow smoothly takes center stage. Today, project management terminology like ‘agile’ and ‘scrum’ are known to almost every corporate manager and employee. (At Vibrant, too, we recently had an interesting training session on project management, held by the author of the same book—Mr. Kalpesh Ashar). As the workplace evolves and transitions into a seamless mix of hybrid work, shorter workdays, and changing practices, project management is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. In this blog, we’ll look at what project management and Agile are and the numerous careers available in these fields. We’ll also take a look at Kalpesh Ashar’s exciting books, Project Management Essentials You Always Wanted To Know and Agile Essentials You Always Wanted To Know. Read on to get a taste of the disciplines that makes work easy, fun, and profitable beyond measure. In this blog:IntroductionWhat is Project Management?Explore Exciting Careers in Project ManagementAbout Project Management Essentials You Always Wanted To KnowWhat is Agile?Explore Dynamic Careers in AgileAbout Agile Essentials You Always Wanted To KnowEnd Note What is Project Management? According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), “Project management is the use of specific knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques" to deliver something of value to people.” The main aim of project management is to create and deliver something of value to the customer. However, traditional ways of managing projects often contained unnecessary wastages of time and effort and contained loopholes that prevented the project from being 100% productive in value. When modern project management came into the picture, it changed the way projects were traditionally looked at and handled. Now, with concepts like Agile, Scrum, and Six Sigma, project management is no longer about the end-to-end completion of a project but ensuring that shorter project cycles are completed efficiently. This results in deliverables that are put together efficiently and are completely ready at the time of final delivery. Now that we’ve seen what project management looks like in the modern world, let’s explore the careers that this field offers. Explore Exciting Careers in Project Management Project management professionals are in demand today because of the ever-changing requirements of the workplace and the need to accomplish work in a quick, efficient, and optimal manner. According to the Project Management Institute, employers will need to fill nearly 2.2 million new project-oriented roles each year through 2027. Project managers, project team leads, and resource managers, for example, are just a few of the options available for enthusiastic project management professionals.  All salary information comes from Glassdoor & salary.com as of 2024.  1. Project Manager Average annual salary: $143,867Most people who take up project management certifications do so with the intention of becoming project managers. Project managers are responsible for managing the entire life-cycle of a project, right from defining the goals of the project and setting deadlines to allocating resources and monitoring the execution of work at every stage. They guide the team through the stages of the project, ensuring that the work is completed as per the requirements. Project managers are in demand in several industries like construction, healthcare, I.T, and the government, for example. 2. Project Coordinator Average annual salary: $72,566This role is ideal for those just starting to work in this field. Project coordinators assist project managers and usually specialize in the role of project budgeting and funding. They are responsible for devising strategies for projects and handling the coordination among various departments to ensure that things move smoothly. This role requires resource coordination and monitoring of team members to keep the work progress on track. Project coordinators also handle the paperwork-related aspects of the project. 3. Project Management Consultant Average annual salary : $156,548 per yearThis role involves planning, advising, and supervising the team members to ensure that they achieve the desired goals of the project. A project management consultant seeks to improve the project management process, coming up with process improvements and conceptualizing solutions to roadblocks and challenges. They are responsible for implementing the plans for the projects and ensuring that the project is completed according to the plans, as well as identifying potential risks and coming up with ways to address these risks. They usually handle several projects at a single point in time. 4. Project Team Lead Average annual salary :  $99,026A project team lead, as the name suggests, guides and motivates the team members of the project. Project team leads create and structure teams and resolve interpersonal conflicts that may arise. They organize teams, conduct meetings, assign roles and responsibilities, and are tasked with ensuring that the vision for the project is accomplished. Although this role sounds similar to that of a project manager, the major difference is that project team leads are more focused on managing the team members of a project and not just the project as a whole, as in the case of a project manager. 5. Resource Manager Average annual salary : $84,298Resource managers work under project managers and are responsible for hiring and allocating human resources to work on projects. They monitor the workload of employees and work alongside the human resource department of an organization to provide training, compensation, and documentation of resources working on projects. They assess the capacity of a company to satisfy staffing requirements for projects and work on hiring and/or allocating new resources to projects when the need arises. 6. Business Analyst Average annual salary : $92,556A business analyst acts as a consultant between the project management team and the client. They make sure that the client’s requirements are being fulfilled and negotiate with the project manager to find the best possible solution for their client. Business analysts also provide guidelines for the project, conduct trade-off and risk analyses, and undertake a cost-benefit analysis to determine the scope of the project. About Project Management Essentials You Always Wanted To Know So, how do you go about getting a job in project management? Before you embark on a certification, it’s great to learn and understand all you can about the fundamental practices of this field. That’s where Project Management Essentials You Always Wanted To Know can help. It reflects the dynamic nature of projects in the 21st-century and acts as a guide to understanding how to efficiently manage the complexities of modern-day projects. This book takes the learner through the entire life-cycle of the project, explaining the foundational stages of project management, such as project initiation, project planning and budgeting, project execution, project monitoring and controlling, and project closure. The book explores the best practices in the field of project management and explains how budding project managers, team leaders, and supervisors can practically apply the concepts in this book to optimize their projects. What is Agile? Now, let’s take a look at an important sub-field of project management. Agile is an offshoot of project management, and yet is, in some respects, an entire discipline of its own. It has completely changed the way projects are handled in the modern-day workplace. It uses an iterative approach while planning and managing projects so that projects are completed faster and with lesser delays and wastage of time and effort. Agile focuses on an incremental approach to projects. Instead of viewing the project as an aggregate, sum total of work to be done and planned for, it looks at the ways the work can be broken down into smaller increments that are then completed in shorter cycles. This ensures that the resources working on the project have enough time for rework so that as each successive part of the project is completed, the deliverables can be sent out and that stage of the project shelved. Explore Dynamic Careers in Agile Today, the demand for Agile careers like Agile Coach and Scrum Master is increasing rapidly. As companies realize the benefits of managing projects based on agile frameworks, the scope of careers in this field is widening. Let’s look at some of the most popular Agile careers. All salary information comes from Glassdoor & salary.com as of 2024. Scrum Master Average annual salary: $108,869A scrum master acts as a facilitator who coaches the team members in the Scrum methodology and ensures that they follow the processes and procedures properly. The scrum master is not in charge of the project or the development team. He or she is responsible for improving the project process and making changes wherever necessary so that the project workflow is executed smoothly. Scrum Masters conduct daily stand-up meetings, assist the product owner with the product backlog, and remove roadblocks that are impeding the progress of individual members’ work. Agile Coach Average annual salary:  $108,869The responsibility of an Agile coach is to act as a mentor and teach team members the Agile process and its methodologies. Agile coaches train the team in the implementation of Agile processes and the management of specific stages of the product lifecycle. They train and assist product owners in writing user stories and mentor scrum masters. The role of an Agile coach is wider than that of a scrum master and addresses the larger dimensions of the project. Agile Process Consultant Average annual salary: $144,713Agile process consultants make use of their expertise to provide solutions to problems that arise in the operation of projects. They formulate action plans for projects and strategies to implement and resolve issues. They also provide constant feedback and ensure that the project is being executed without any obstacles. Agile process consultants are usually contracted by organizations for a certain period of time to help them meet project objectives. Product Owner Average annual salary: $145,500The product owner is the leader of the project and an important part of the scrum team. Product owners monitor the product development and set tangible goals for the team based on the vision they have for the project. They communicate with stakeholders and define set business objectives which have to be achieved by the team. They create a product roadmap and a strategic plan for the product, based on which the product backlog is decided.  Product owners are in charge of the entire project and are tasked with the responsibility of supervising scrum masters, agile coaches, and team members. About Agile Essentials You Always Wanted To Know If that made you curious about what Agile is, you can read Agile Essentials You Always Wanted To Know. This comprehensive guide offers an exciting look into how the concepts and methodologies of Agile work. With this book, project managers and team leaders will be equipped with the core concepts and terminology they need to execute Agile methodologies such as Scrum. The book provides rich insights into Agile planning and execution, concepts like Kanban board and User Stories, and the characteristics of an Agile team that can lead organizations to success. This book is where readers will find all their questions about Agile answered. Order Agile Essentials You Always Wanted To Know here and start applying the principles of Agile in your organization today. End Note Project Management today is not what it was 20, or 10, or even 5 years ago. Today, the scope of this field is changing and growing to include the demanding requirements of a modern-day workplace that functions on efficiency rather than on just the need to get things done. This field today is therefore attracting diverse talent that has the capacity and skills required to transform the way workplaces handle projects. Today, you cannot work in project management without being up-to-date on terminology and concepts like Agile and Scrum. If you want more information on project management certifications, you can check out the Project Management Institute (PMI) here. Read sample pages of Project Management Essentials here.Read sample pages of Agile Essentials here.

Introduction In the previous blogs of the Stakeholder Engagement series, we explored what the concept is and how it differs from stakeholder management. In this blog, we are going to look at the key skills that can help you become successful at onboarding and engaging a vast network of important stakeholders.       In the second episode of the Vibrant Publishers’ podcast, Empowering Success Through Stakeholder Engagement, Project Management Professional (PMP) Michelle Bartonico talks about the need to “map out” the network of stakeholders you’ll be dealing with. “Lean on your stakeholder register. Your stakeholder register is a document that you create when you’ve identified your list of stakeholders and stakeholder groups,” she advises. “Then, map out how salient they are to your project and what their influence is.” This is needed to balance the needs and demands of every stakeholder in the project process. Her book, Stakeholder Engagement Essentials You Always Wanted To Know, talks about how to get started on the process of identifying and mapping stakeholders, a core skill of project management.       Becoming a successful project manager does not only mean handling projects from start to finish and delivering products on schedule, but also maintaining interpersonal relations with the stakeholders involved in the project. “Honestly, the best advice I can give, which is something that has always worked for me, is exercising as much empathy as you possibly can,” she says. “Empathy means assuming a different role or a different viewpoint when you’re looking at the same project, and it’s really a way to practice coming out of yourself and understanding how might this other person be viewing something.” Approaching the project from a level of genuine curiosity, she feels, changes the way project resources respond and in turn their own work contribution to the project.       When conflict arises, as it invariably does, Michelle Bartonico says it’s time to consult the register again. The project manager needs to assess how influential a stakeholder is to the success of the project and figure out how to smooth over differences as diplomatically as possible. How the project manager responds in a situation of conflict will ultimately either escalate or de-escalate the conflict. Here, the project manager has to take the call whether to mediate in the conflict and bring it to an end, or let it spiral out of control.        Building genuine relationships is what stakeholder engagement is ultimately all about. It is about building trust and connections, not just for the sake of the project, but long-term relationships as well. Stakeholder engagement requires the project manager to be a people-person, skillfully handling a network of relationships and connections that will go a long way even after the project comes to an end as is a people-centric field.   Conclusion In this blog, we discussed the key skills needed to succeed as a project manager. Project managers need to have a mix of technical and interpersonal skills. In order to map out the complex connections between stakeholders involved in a project, project managers need to determine how important each stakeholder is and what they bring to the project. Listen to the full podcast on Spotify.com or check it out on YouTube. Read the first blog in this series here.    

Introduction While researching project management concepts, you must have come across these two terms, stakeholder engagement and stakeholder management. While they are similar-sounding, they are actually very different, as project management professional Michelle Bartonico explains later on. Read this blog to understand the difference between these two terms and why they’re equally important for an organization. Difference between stakeholder engagement and stakeholder management “A stakeholder is anyone who has some sort of stake in a project,” explains Michelle Bartonico, PMP, in the second episode of the Vibrant Publishers’ Podcast titled Empowering Success Through Stakeholder Engagement. “Anyone who has a stake wants to feel engaged at whatever portion or part of the project that makes sense to them.” While not technically different from stakeholder management, understanding the difference in the two is important for project managers. Managers have to successfully engage and interact with stakeholders, keeping them in the loop about the progress of the project, while on the other hand, managers have to maintain control over stakeholders that impact the project outcome. Here, there is a shift in attitude. While the two terms are not technically different, the purpose and approach towards stakeholders will significantly impact the project outcome. When stakeholder engagement comes into play In the previous blog, Why Stakeholder Engagement is Crucial for Project Success, we saw how good project engagement is all about engaging the right stakeholders and maintaining meaningful relations with them. Michelle Bartonico talks about this in her book, Stakeholder Engagement Essentials You Always Wanted To Know. She defines the difference between engagement and management as follows: “Contrary to someone feeling “managed,” when people are engaged, they are motivated, participatory, and more likely to be a resource.” Stakeholder engagement, therefore, is for empowering people and adding value to the project through participatory efforts. There are situations where engagement is needed and situations when managing stakeholders is needed. When stakeholder management is needed Management comes into play in the case of stakeholders who have a direct impact on the outcome of a project, such as employees and project teams. There are five phases of project management, and stakeholders are involved in all of these phases, right from project initiation to completion. To understand the fine line between engaging and managing a stakeholder, you need to look at what the role of the stakeholder is. The stakeholder can be a simple “advocate”, “critic”, or “neutral”. Assessing where your stakeholders lie on the spectrum of stakeholder status can help to define whether an engagement or a management approach will work best. You’ve categorized your stakeholders. Now what? The primary difference between engagement and management is—communication! As we discussed earlier, some stakeholders like investors and senior management may benefit from a more “engaged” approach, while others like vendors or employees are best “managed”. How you communicate with each of these stakeholders, then, will be shaped by which approach you use while dealing with them. The core principles of communication with stakeholders remain the same: focus on building interpersonal relationships and leverage what each stakeholder has to offer in the lifecycle of the project. Conclusion In this blog, we discussed why it’s important to know when to engage and when to manage stakeholders. The difference lies primarily in the contribution each stakeholder provides in the project workflow. Knowing the difference can help streamline project operations. In the next blog, we will talk about the key skills you require to become a successful project manager. Listen to the full podcast on Spotify.com or check it out on YouTube. Read the next blog in this series here.

Introduction In this blog, we’ll discuss the A-Z’s of stakeholder engagement, including its importance, why it’s crucial for any company, and what are the ways one can go about engaging stakeholders. If you’re new to the world of project management and want a quick and easy introduction to the concept and practice of stakeholder engagement, read on.   Firstly–what is stakeholder engagement? Think of stakeholders as entities that either impact an organization or are impacted by its activities in some manner. This can include investors, shareholders, employees, and of course, customers. Stakeholder engagement is a vital part of project management. Veteran marketer and project management professional Michelle Bartonico says that stakeholder engagement is “engaging the right people at the right time and helping them become champions of what [your organization] is trying to achieve.” Stakeholder engagement is, then, a process of collaboration and interaction, ensuring that the organization has the right people onboard to achieve the collective goals.   Why are stakeholders so important? Stakeholder engagement makes all the difference between a good project and an outstanding one, the latter adding value to all the stakeholders involved in the process. A project cannot be completed successfully without adding the inputs of multiple stakeholders at multiple checkpoints during the project process. Stakeholders are present during every stage of a project. Without the right stakeholders, a project will feel more like a list of items to be checked off rather than a process that adds value towards an end goal.   How do you engage stakeholders successfully? In order to successfully engage stakeholders, project managers must be “people-centric”. Being people-centric means approaching stakeholder engagement not as a means to an end but as a way to develop meaningful interpersonal relationships. The first step is identifying the right stakeholders, of course, and then understanding how to map out and analyze the impact that each stakeholder will have on the project in question. In her book, Michelle Bartonico explains that “a project’s destiny” is determined by how well the project manager is able to engage stakeholders. The key to winning over the right stakeholders is mapping out what each stakeholder can contribute and then planning how to remain connected with them at every stage of the project process.   What stakeholder engagement isn’t There is a common misconception that only one particular group of stakeholders is impacted by the project's outcome. However, that is not true. Multiple stakeholders are significantly impacted; whether they are supply chain managers or IT professionals. Michelle Bartonico states that the project outcome is based on “a collaboration between all levels”. Thus, while planning for stakeholder engagement, it is important to remember that every individual involved in contributing to the project—whether directly or indirectly—has their own role to play.   Conclusion Stakeholder engagement is crucial for project success because it gets the project going and helps keep track of who’s doing what. A project cannot be initiated without identifying relevant stakeholders. For a project management professional, project manager, or even a learner curious about the topic, knowing what this concept entails is essential for ensuring all-round project success. In our next blog, we look at the difference between the terms stakeholder engagement and stakeholder management. Listen to the full podcast on Spotify or check it out on YouTube. Read the next blog in this series here.    

Big data analytics has become a powerhouse, completely changing the way we study and interpret enormous amounts of data. This innovative field transcends standard data analytics and is firmly based on artificial intelligence, machine learning, and statistics. It offers insightful analysis and predictions that are essential for decision-making across a range of industries. But what exactly is big data? Big data are those data sets whose dispersion, size, diversity, and/or timeliness necessitate the use of novel technical analytics in order to provide insights that can generate benefits. It's all about managing data that exceeds the storage or processing capacity of traditional systems. Big data can take many different forms, including text files, multimedia files, genetic maps, financial data, and others. You can learn more about how data is stored by reading Introduction to Data Structures. Data Analytics Essentials You Always Wanted To Know is a comprehensive manual for those who want to begin their journey into the world of data analytics. Big data analytics finds use across various industries, promoting growth, efficiency, and innovation. It involves examining, analyzing, and interpreting large and diverse sets of data, to discover patterns, correlations, trends, and insights that can guide decision-making within organizations. To learn more about how data analytics impacts decision-making, read What role does data analytics play in decision making? The book Data Analytics Essentials You Always Wanted To Know by Dr. Bianca Szasz dives into this world of big data, providing those who are intrigued by data analytics with all the ‘essentials’ in a concise manner.  But before you dive into data analytics, you can benefit from knowing the scope and the novel opportunities it produces. Here are three unexpected applications for big data analytics that are revolutionizing the world. 1. Improving Sports Management and Performance The sports sector is home to one of the most fascinating applications of big data analytics. Sports analytics is a game-changer, far beyond the stereotype of data processing in business environments. Predictive analytics and machine learning algorithms are being used by athletes and sports teams to improve strategy, performance, and even injury prevention. Regression analysis, player performance analysis, predictive analytics, and other advanced analytics methods are used to evaluate player fitness, game plans, and even talent scouting. Teams are now using these findings to guide their strategic planning, resulting in a more dynamic and evidence-based method of managing sports. Integration of Wearable Technology and IoT Wearable technologies and the Internet of Things (IoT) are major players in this revolution. Wearables with sensors that athletes can use to monitor their heart rates and movement patterns produce a continuous flow of data. When evaluated with advanced big data tools such as Hadoop or Apache Spark, this data provides athletes and coaches with useful insights. Predictive analytics can be used to lower the risk of injuries in addition to optimizing performance. The Use of Data in Marketing and Fan Engagement Furthermore, big data analytics is used in sports off the field. Sports marketing and fan interaction are being revolutionized by it. Teams and sponsors can optimize their marketing tactics by examining fan behavior and preferences. In addition to increasing fan loyalty, this individualized strategy creates new revenue streams through goods sales and customized advertising. 2. Transforming Agriculture The field of agriculture is seeing a notable increase in the use of big data analytics. The use of data analytics in precision farming is revolutionizing the production of food. Data-driven insights are being used by farmers to make better-informed decisions about when and how to sow, harvest, and manage crops. Predictive Analytics's Role in Agriculture Utilizing tools like satellite photography, farmers are able to keep an eye on the health of their crops over large areas. Better crop management is ensured by predictive analytics systems that help forecast weather patterns, pest infestations, and yield predictions. Through efficient use of resources like water and fertilizers, this method not only increases productivity but also supports sustainable farming practices. Smart farming and IoT Another technological innovation that is revolutionizing agriculture is the Internet of Things (IoT). Field sensors gather information on soil moisture, temperature, and humidity, among other environmental factors. In order to maximize resource efficiency and minimize waste, timely and well-informed decisions on fertilization and irrigation must be made using this real-time data. Big Data in Supply Chain Management for Agriculture Moreover, big data analytics is essential for optimizing agricultural supply chain management. Data analytics helps to make the supply chain more effective and responsive to market demands. It does this by tracking the movement of goods from farm to table and forecasting market demands and price fluctuations. 3. Changing the Development of Smart Cities and Urban Planning Urban planning and the development of smart cities may be two of the most significant uses of big data analytics. These days, city planners have the tools necessary to examine enormous information from a variety of sources, including demographic trends, energy consumption, and traffic patterns. Towards More Efficient Smart Cities: A Data-driven Strategy Everything in a smart city is interconnected, including traffic signals and streetlights, producing data that can be evaluated for improved urban administration. Predictive models are applied to promote public safety, save energy usage, and improve traffic flow. Furthermore, data analytics is essential to emergency response and catastrophe management because it offers timely insights that have the potential to save lives. Improving Urban Life Quality with Data Big data analytics in smart cities aims to improve inhabitants' quality of life in addition to increasing efficiency. Improved waste management techniques, green space development, and effective public transit systems can all be influenced by data-driven insights. In order to create more livable, sustainable, and inclusive urban environments, urban planners must first understand the patterns and behaviors of city people. Big Data Analytics's Future Big data analytics appears to have a brighter future than it does now as we are producing zettabytes of data. Data analytics is becoming more potent and widely available because of the advancement of technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning. Ethical Considerations But immense power also entails great responsibility. The increasing integration of data analytics into our daily lives raises ethical questions about data security and privacy. Adhering to data privacy legislation such as the CCPA and GDPR and implementing best practices in data management is imperative for organizations. Continuous Education Additionally, the importance of data science education is rising as the field develops. Future data analysts must possess a strong foundation in both technological expertise and ethical handling of data. Conclusions To sum up, big data analytics has a wide range of applications that reach into realms we never would have imagined. Big data analytics is not simply a tool for business optimization; it is also a driver for innovation and advancement on a worldwide scale, improving everything from sports performance to agriculture and smart city planning. Our imagination is the only limit on the possible uses of big data analytics as we progress through this digital era. Dr. Bianca Szasz, the author of Data Analytics Essentials You Always Wanted To Know This blog is written by Dr. Bianca Szasz, author of the upcoming book Data Analytics Essentials You Always Wanted To Know by Vibrant Publishers. Also read:Introduction to Data StructuresWhat role does data analytics play in decision making?