Chapter 1 : Introduction to Project Management
Topics covered in this snack-sized chapter:
Project Management is the discipline of planning, organizing, securing, and managing resources to achieve specific goals.
- Project: A group of milestones or phases, activities or tasks that support an effort to accomplish something.
- Management: It is the process of planning, organizing, controlling and measuring.
Project management consists of following areas:
It is a set of activities to plan, monitor, coordinate, and review a goal.
Project management process consists of:
- Project Planning: It is a discipline for stating how to complete a project within a certain timeframe, usually with defined stages, and with designated resources.
- Project Scheduling: The Project Schedule is a calendar that links the tasks to be done with the resources that will complete them.
- Project Control: Project Control process can be applied in a collaboration of its various sub-disciplines.
- Project Team: Made up of individuals from various areas and departments within a company.
- Matrix Organization: A team structure with members from functional areas, depending on skills required.
- Project Manager: A project manager is the person responsible for accomplishing the stated project objectives.
Management activities consist of:
- Estimation of project cost.
- Preparation of development schedule.
- Application of effective development process.
- Development process consists of numerous steps starting with identifying requirements and ending with delivery of product.
- Preparation and evaluation of proposals.
It is necessary to track or measure the progress we have achieved towards a goal that we wish to accomplish.
We use Project Management to aid us in maximizing and optimizing our resources to carry out our goals.
It helps us to think systematically and thoroughly.
Incomplete, ambiguous, inconsistent requirements and specifications.
Poor or no planning/estimating.
No clear assignment of authority and responsibility.
Inadequate “End User" involvement during development.
Lack of adequate experience, tools and techniques.
Dependencies on external sources:
- Vendors, Subcontractors, Counting on Inventions.
High staff turnover or inadequate training.
Management is a multi-purpose way that manages the business, the workers and their work.
Management is the act of getting people together to accomplish the desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently.
Management comprises of planning, organizing, staffing, leading or directing, and controlling an organization or effort for the purpose of accomplishing a goal.
Four basic management functions are as follows:
Defines Project Vision
Defines Project Mission
Define Project Objectives
Define Project Goals and Milestones
Division of labour
Delegation of authority
Departmentalization
Coordination
Influencing is also referred to as staffing, directing and motivating.
Staffing: It includes:
Directing: It includes:
Motivating:
- Motivation is also a basic function of management because without motivation, employees cannot work effectively.
Establishing standards based upon objectives
Measuring and reporting performance and then comparing the two.
Taking corrective/preventive action.