Ants Project Management Consultants is focused on providing project management consultancy services to public and private sector companies in central and southern Africa. In 2007, Ants expanded its service to include training and accreditation in PRINCE2™. These training events empower clients through the transferal of skills, knowledge, and expertise. “We were so impressed with the process-based methodology and the advantages this method provided our clients that we started Ants Training and Development in association with UK based SPOCE Project Management,” enthuses Matium van Antwerpen, PRINCE2™ Accredited Trainer. PRINCE2™ is internationally accepted as the leading best practice project management approach. Used by the private and public sectors, the method is scalable and can be tailored to any type and size of project.
In the business world today, more emphasis is being placed on deliverables, especially when it comes to new projects. However, with reduced staff complements, tighter budgets and higher productivity expectations, it is becoming extremely difficult to not only manage individual projects, but to also be completely in control of projects across multi-disciplinary functions. To cope, many companies resort to project management software packages. “While most of these packages are excellent, their full potential will not be realised unless the users thereof are familiar with project management principles,” explains Philip van Antwerpen, PRINCE2™ Accredited Practitioner. “Successful project completion is dependent on project management and, when used in conjunction with PRINCE2™, the successful outcome is further enhanced and magnified.
Ants Project Management Consultants provides that knowledge in a practical and relevant manner.” Matium further notes that this accredited course is suitable for any organisation or individual who recognises the need for a controlled approach to managing its projects. It is suitable for project managers, project support, team members and managers from any discipline. Senior managers will also benefit from understanding how decision/support information is created and passed on to appropriate managers. “APM Group, the accrediting body for PRINCE2™, has approved these courses and they are suitable for all who want to adopt and get certified on an internationally renowned Project Management methodology,” he says.
Ants Project Management Training and Development’s unique offering continues to flourish as it prides itself on its unparalleled approach to its service provision by applying a rolled-up sleeve practice in directing the company. “We do not maintain expensive structures such as offices, keeping our overhead costs low and enabling us to offer more appealing fee structures to our clients,” says Philip. “We like to compare ourselves to the best without losing our personal touch.” “We also value our clients and believe in building and maintaining long-term relationships of the highest possible standards,” concludes Matium.
About PRINCE2™ PRINCE2™ (Projects in Controlled Environments) is a written description of how to manage a project in a logical, organised way, following defined steps. It is not a tool or a technique but a structured project management process, which emphasises the importance of an organised and controlled start, middle and end to a project. Owned by the UK Office of Government Commerce, and launched in its current version in 1996, PRINCE2™ is not only the UK’s de facto standard process for all types of projects but is now rapidly becoming an international standard, with organisations around the world using it as their preferred approach to managing projects. PRINCE2™ is considered internationally as the best practice framework for project management.
PRINCE2™ provides a defined set of processes for successful management of projects and can be tailored to suit a variety of organisations, large or small. It encompasses the essentials for running a project, from planning to implementation, and delivery of measurable outcomes. Effective use of PRINCE2™ can minimise risk of project failure. It can also lead to increased productivity and will help to achieve higher levels of customer satisfaction. All courses are available in-company, enabling Ants to meet the needs of specific delegate groups or to support the overall aims and objectives of each organisation. Once Ants establishes and analyses each organisation’s training requirements, it will propose a programme that will provide the organisation with flexibility in terms of duration, size of group, timing, and venue.
Benefits of using PRINCE2™
- Clear terms of reference
- Defined structures and roles
- Manageable stages
- Management by exception
- Improved communication
- Project meetings at key points only
- Users and suppliers at quality reviews
- Projects under control.
- For senior management PRINCE2™ uses the ‘management by exception’ concept, where senior managers are kept fully informed of the project status without having to attend regular, time-consuming meetings.
