David Cotgreave

If you like David's blogs - he is now a published author - Straight Talk on Project Management (VOLUME III)- Free eBook. Why not download your copy today. http://www.stoneseed.co.uk/ebook David Cotgreave MBA, BSc (hons), PRINCE II, is Professional Services Director at Stoneseed, with over 20 years’ experience in IT Consulting. David has worked with organisations such as BT Engage IT and KPMG, before founding Stoneseed in 2009 and has gained considerable business experience whilst working with a wide range of organisations across the UK and Europe carrying out a range of strategy, review and implementation projects. David is currently responsible for leading the Programme and Project Management services offered by Stoneseed. Project Management as a Service (PMaaS) from Stoneseed offers clients access to Project Management staff, resources and tools at a flexible and predictable cost via a fully Structured Managed Service. www.stoneseed.co.uk

Written Articles

A laptop that says Risk Management

How to make risk management pay: The ROI of Business Analysts and PMOs

Posted in ,

Risk management in IT projects has often been considered a defensive discipline, intended to catch issues before they “snowball” into full blown disaster!

Given the current economic climate, where businesses are measuring the ROI on everything, at Stoneseed we’ve applied a growth mindset to risk management and identified that, with proactive risk management, you can unlock real, measurable financial value.

A pair of hands holding a clipboard and another pair with his fingers interlocked

Why Stoneseed is Rated as an Outstanding Place to Work

Posted in , , ,

When it comes to finding the perfect workplace, independent employee reviews tell the real story. According to anonymous reviews on Glassdoor – a platform where companies cannot alter or remove employee feedback – Stoneseed’s story is overwhelmingly positive, with an exceptional 4.8 out of 5 stars rating and an impressive 94% of employees recommending the company to friends.

These unfiltered insights from real employees provide an authentic view of what it’s truly like to work at Stoneseed.

Game controller

Avoiding “GAME OVER”! Delaying Delivery to Protect and Perfect Your Project Outcomes

Posted in ,

Completing an IT project and releasing it into service is always an extremely exciting and satisfying moment and delivering it within a pre-determined timeframe and budget certainly ramps up the joy … but also the pressure!

When your confidence in going live is shaken by bugs or issues, and your stakeholders are breathing down your neck, what do you do?

When PM friend Fiona found herself in this exact position recently, she gained a valuable insight, not from an experienced colleague, or a trusted IT Advisory partner. Fiona’s mentor was her teenage son!

Person reading an ebook on phone

8 is the magic number

Posted in , ,

Straight Talk on Project Management is Stoneseed’s eBook, your go-to resource for practical, no-nonsense project and programme management anecdotes and advice!

It’s perfect summer holiday reading!!

At Stoneseed, we write at least 48 blogs a year covering everything from agile transformations to stakeholder engagement, always with our trademark passion and a light-hearted touch that gives you a fresh perspective on project management. The hope is that they’re never too technical, sales-pitchy or high-brow – we’ll save that for when we work together on your project!

Cartoon of people sitting around a desk with robots

GPT vs KPIs! AIs vs PMs!! OMG!! When Artificial Intelligence meets project reality

Posted in , ,

AI continues to shape conversations across IT project management, increasingly augmenting and assisting project delivery.

PMs and BAs etc who have successfully integrated AI into their work now tell me it feels less like a tool and more like a colleague!
Interesting!

The other day I read a very funny article which defined the “human personalities” of various AI engines – as if the AI’s were real people.

This got us thinking: could the way these AIs handle information “mirror” how our Business Analysts, Project Managers, PMO analysts, and Change Managers tackle their roles? Also, what could we learn by mapping these AI traits to the roles that drive successful projects at Stoneseed?

A rollercoaster

Roller coaster delivery: Managing IT projects with theme park energy

Posted in , ,

IT Project Management can be a bit like a theme park of rollercoaster rides – thrilling at first, but quickly full of twists, sudden drops, unexpected loops, and that one terrifying moment when you realise the track ahead looks … er … unfinished.

One minute you’re cruising through planning, and the next you’re free-falling through shifting priorities, budget changes, or surprise stakeholder input. That’s why you need someone riding beside you—steady, experienced, and holding your hand.

Bottles of cleaning products

A breath of fresh air FOR IT projects: the power of a spring clean

Posted in ,

Have you just had your budgets for the next financial year? Are you expected to deliver more with less money? What better time to make your operation as efficient as possible?!

A Spring Clean for IT Project Management is a great way to refresh processes, improve efficiency, and reduce risks.

Man juggling

The IT project jugglers guide to achieving the evolutionarily impossible

Posted in ,

According to Multicosts of Multitasking by Kevin P Madore and Anthony D Wagner: “We have a hard time multitasking because of the ways that our building blocks of attention and executive control inherently work. To this end, when we attempt to multitask, we are usually switching between one task and another. The human brain has evolved to single task.”

an image with an orange background that says 'Skills Stock Take'

Taking stock! How to identify and fill IT project talent skills gaps

Posted in ,

If I were to ask you what skills, presently, your IT project team has, could you open a skills matrix and show me?
Could you articulate which skills your IT projects will need in 6 or 12 months? Could you align these with your current inhouse talent?
Do you know how frequently your organisation will need specific skill sets?

3 people gathering around a laptop

IT projects: postpone or press ahead?

Posted in ,

With the UK facing rising employer NICs, against a backdrop of other rising costs, most businesses and organisations are tightening their belts

Whether it’s seemingly small changes (like reviewing janitorial products you purchase) or larger, strategic decisions, like staff layoffs, each of the choices you make now has an impact.