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Applying Kanban Practices to Better Manage Context Switching in Software Development

Multitasking can severely impede work output. Use these Kanban practices in your project teams to reduce cognitive load, improve code quality, and meet deadlines with renewed energy and focus.

8-minute readContinue Reading
Vikas Agarwal

Vikas Agarwal

Vikas is a project management expert with rich experience across a range of industries such as education, banking, IT, and e-commerce. A former software developer, he transitioned into a project role working with global companies including Infosys and Publicis Sapient. Vikas holds an MBA in information systems and is an Accredited Kanban Trainer.

How to Use ChatGPT for Project Management

Effective use of generative AI tools like ChatGPT can help project managers boost workplace productivity. Follow this tactical guide to learn best practices, explore project use cases, and understand the technology’s limitations.

13-minute readContinue Reading
Anna D. Lukasiak

Anna D. Lukasiak

Anna is a project manager with experience in ground-up planning, design, implementation, and deployment of business and technology projects. She has worked at prominent multinational companies such as Goldman Sachs, Syngenta, and Volvo. With expertise in systems analysis and application development, she is also skilled in Python, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and C/C++.

Supercharge Your Project Management With Jira and Monday.com Integration

Connecting Monday.com with Jira can enhance efficiency, consistency, and communication. Explore the benefits and drawbacks of both native and custom approaches with this integration guide.

7-minute readContinue Reading
Rick Apichairuk

Rick Apichairuk

Rick is a project management expert with more than two decades of experience in IT. He has worked in various capacities, including as a senior software developer, consultant, CTO, and Scrum master, for international companies such as eBay, Live Nation, Cisco, and Intel.

Using AI in Project Management: Key Applications and Benefits

When it comes to improving project outcomes, AI holds vast potential, but it can be difficult to know which tools to use and how to apply them effectively. This guide details what you need to know.

7-minute readContinue Reading
Dimiter Shalvardjiev

Dimiter Shalvardjiev

Dimiter is a project manager and senior business consultant. He has helped teams at global organizations such as Philips and Hewlett Packard Enterprise solve complex problems using state-of-the-art technology.

Mastering SaaS Implementation: 4 Tips for Success

In today’s competitive business landscape, SaaS products are indispensable. Find out how to spearhead the introduction of these tools and navigate the intricacies of implementation.

11-minute readContinue Reading
Alvaro Villena

Alvaro Villena

Alvaro is a seasoned technical project manager and consultant. He has rolled out numerous SaaS implementation projects and delivered complex cloud and AI-driven projects at numerous companies worldwide.

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How to Use Coaching in Organizational Change Management

Whether it’s introducing a new organizational structure, tool, or process, project managers are often agents of change. Help team members adapt and thrive with these four strategies.

9-minute readContinue Reading
Lir Cowman

Lir Cowman

Lir is a project management expert and certified coach who helps companies navigate organizational change and transform business processes. She has consulted for a number of global companies, including Google and GlaxoSmithKline (now GSK), and holds an MBA in technology management.

When an Agile project has too little time and too few resources, an extra planning boost from the critical chain method can keep a project on the path to success.

11-minute readContinue Reading
Costas Voliotis

Costas Voliotis

Costas is a project and product management expert who specializes in sophisticated technology projects for highly competitive markets around the world. Costas holds a doctorate degree from the National Technical University of Athens and has held multiple C-suite positions during his 25-year career.

CapEx 101: Resolving the Agile vs. Waterfall Conflict With Hybrid Methodology

What do Agile, Waterfall, and the former energy corporation Enron have in common? A strange shared history that may shed light on one of the most well-known conflicts in software development.

8-minute readContinue Reading
Adam Zachary Wasserman

Adam Zachary Wasserman

Adam is a project manager and IT professional with 30 years of experience in all aspects of enterprise and startup software, from development to operations. He has worked for companies like Lincoln Financial Group, OpenText, and Bell Canada, and is the author of The Chaos Factory, a book on methods for improving and scaling enterprise app development.

Implementing a Project Management Office: 4 Steps to Success

A PMO can deliver huge value, but setting one up can be a challenge—especially if it is an organization’s first time. Ensure a smooth launch with this expert PMO strategy guide.

7-minute readContinue Reading
Ayman Dayekh

Ayman Dayekh

Ayman is a project management expert who has consulted for numerous project management offices during his two decades of experience. He is PMP and PMO certified and has been invited to join the prestigious PMO Global Awards Judging Committee on several occasions. He also holds certifications in strategy, leadership, and process improvement and change management from PMI, HEC, and Harvard, respectively.

3 Essential Project Manager Skills and How to Hone Them

Managing projects is largely about managing people. These three soft skills can help project managers build a strong team, gain trust, and create a positive culture.

7-minute readContinue Reading
Kata Török-Pál

Kata Török-Pál

Kata is a project management expert who has consulted for Fortune 500 companies, including Disney and Mercedes-Benz, and Global 500 telecommunications company Telefónica. She has been a servant-leader for international and cross-functional teams, and is an advocate for mentorship and continuous improvement.

Program Manager vs. Product Manager: A Conflict Resolution Strategy

Program managers and product managers often clash. Improving communication at three specific touch points can alleviate tension, develop more positive relationships, and ensure smooth project delivery.

7-minute readContinue Reading
Kamil Imański

Kamil Imański

Kamil is a program manager, project manager, and Scrum master. He has extensive experience overseeing the delivery of large-scale projects at both national and international companies, including BAE Systems, an FTSE 100 company and the largest defense contractor in Europe. He is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, PMP, and PMI-ACP.

Agile Scaling: SAFe Best Practices for Scrum Masters

This article is part of Toptal’s Agile scaling series, designed to guide project managers in their team expansion efforts. In this second installment, Toptal Scrum expert Ammar Raafat discusses how Scrum masters moving into the role of release train engineer can help their teams thrive.

11-minute readContinue Reading
Ammar Raafat Mohamed Bashandy

Ammar Raafat Mohamed Bashandy

Ammar is a SAFe release train engineer and Agile program manager at Vodafone Group, where he leads a multidisciplinary agile release train team of 43 engineers, designers, and product managers. He holds 10 current project management certifications—including Advanced Scrum Master, Scrum Product Owner, and SAFe Agilist—and has an MBA from ESLSCA Business School Paris.

Using Agile Spreadsheets for Discovery Estimation

Estimation tools abound but none is as flexible and accessible as the humble Agile spreadsheet. Here’s why you should consider customizing your own to calculate discovery estimates.

11-minute readContinue Reading
Mauricio Silva

Mauricio Silva

Mauricio is a seasoned project manager who specializes in software and infrastructure projects. During his 30-year career, he has led complex IT projects at multinational companies including IBM and Kyndryl.

Streamline Jira Workflows With These Best Practices

Jira’s flexibility can make managing projects complicated if your setup isn’t optimized for success. Use these Jira workflow best practices to strengthen the efficiency and clarity of your projects.

8-minute readContinue Reading
Kelly Provost

Kelly Provost

Kelly Provost is a business analyst and project manager with more than 20 years of experience leading Agile teams. Her former clients include JPMorgan Chase and IBM, as well as startups and organizations such as BMW Financial Services and the Ohio Department of Commerce.

Automate Your Way to Better Project Management

Software automation tools can help project managers streamline tasks that distract from more crucial responsibilities. We took a deep dive into Jira’s automation capabilities and asked Toptal project managers for their thoughts on how to best automate workflow.

7-minute readContinue Reading
Monica Zaleski

Monica Zaleski

Monica is Lead Editor, Product and Projects, at Toptal and a former editor at the Project Management Institute. She worked in academic and business publishing for more than 15 years on book projects for the University of California Press, as well as on marketing communications projects for Microsoft, SAP, and Synnex. Monica also holds a doctorate in English.

An Introduction to Workarea Commerce Platform

The global eCommerce market has grown from $2.8 trillion to $3.5 trillion over the last year, and the projected growth remains at a staggering 18% per year. Workarea is positioning itself as a highly flexible and customizable offering for enterprise clients to satisfy the growing demand.

9-minute readContinue Reading
Maxim Sterjanov

Maxim Sterjanov

Maxim is a professional Agile project manager, IT consultant, and team leader with 14 years of experience and a solid technical background.

Toptal Project Management Expert

Marco De Stefano

Marco started out as a software developer but moved on to more suitable roles—scrum master and Agile project manager—which he’s been successfully occupying for over the past decade. His technical background and business-oriented mindset facilitate effective communication with development teams and with different business stakeholders. Recently in his latest projects, he also works as an Agile coach to foster scrum adoption.
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