Project management is a carefully planned and organized effort to accomplish a specific task or set of goals. It is the organized discipline of managing resources (e.g. people, facilities, and supplies) in such a way that the project is completed within defined cost, time, and quality. A project is an endeavor to create a unique scientific achievement, product, or service. Project management includes developing a project plan, objectives, and goals. Project management specifies mile stones and the step by step process to achieve the central goal. It requires leadership to ensure that everyone and everything is staying on the "critical path" to bring the project to successful completion. Project management usually follows major phases, with various titles for these phases (mile stones), including feasibility, evaluation, planning, implementation, and maintenance.
The project manager is required to ensure that a project is delivered within defined constraints. The next challenge is to maximize the efficiency and accuracy of the procedures and objectives. A project is a carefully defined set of activities. It should correctly use resources (people, risk, money, communication, quality, materials, and energy) to achieve the pre-defined objectives.
The foregoing was obtained from, “Wikipedia,” the free encyclopedia. To obtain greater information, visit the following web site:
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Contents
History of Project Management
The Traditional Triple Constraints
Time
Cost
Scope
Project Objectives
Approach
Closing and Maintenance
History of Project Management
As a discipline, Project Management developed from different fields of application including construction, engineering, and defense. In the United States, the forefather of project management is Henry Gantt, called the father of planning and control techniques, who is famously known for his use of the "Gantt" chart as a project management tool, for being an associate of Frederick Winslow Taylor's theories of scientific management, and for his study of the work and management of Navy ship building. His work is the forerunner to many modern project management tools including the work breakdown structure (WBS) and resource allocation.
The 1950s marked the beginning of the modern project management era. Again, in the United States, prior to the 1950s, projects were managed on an ad hoc basis using mostly Gantt Charts, and informal techniques and tools. At that time, two mathematical project scheduling models were developed: the "Program Evaluation and Review Technique" or PERT, developed by Booz-Allen & Hamilton as part of the United States Navy's (in conjunction with the Lockheed Corporation) Polaris missile submarine program; and the "Critical Path Method" (CPM) developed in a joint venture by both DuPont Corporation and Remington Rand Corporation for managing plant maintenance projects. These mathematical techniques quickly spread into many private enterprises.
In 1969, the Project Management Institute (PMI) was formed to serve the interest of the project management industry. The premise of PMI is that the tools and techniques of project management are common even among the widespread application of projects from the software industry to the construction industry. In 1981, the PMI Board of Directors authorized the development of what has become A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), containing the standards and guidelines of practice that are widely used throughout the profession. The International Project Management Association (IPMA), founded in Europe in 1967, has undergone a similar development and instituted the IPMA Competence Baseline (ICB). The focus of the ICB also begins with Knowledge as a foundation, and adds considerations about relevant Experience, Interpersonal Skills, and Competence. Both organizations are now participating in the development of a ISO project management standard.
The foregoing was obtained from, “Wikipedia,” the free encyclopedia. To obtain greater information, visit the following web site:
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The Traditional Triple Constraints
Like any human undertaking, projects need to be performed and delivered under certain constraints. Traditionally, these constraints have been listed as scope, time, and cost. These are also referred to as the Project Management Triangle, where each side represents a constraint. One side of the triangle cannot be changed without impacting the others. A further refinement of the constraints separates product 'quality' or 'performance' from scope, and turns quality into a fourth constraint.
The time constraint refers to the amount of time available to complete a project. The cost constraint refers to the budgeted amount available for the project. The scope constraint refers to what must be done to produce the project's end result. These three constraints are often competing constraints: increased scope typically means increased time and increased cost, a tight time constraint could mean increased costs and reduced scope, and a tight budget could mean increased time and reduced scope.
The discipline of project management is about providing the tools and techniques that enable the project team (not just the project manager) to organize their work to meet these constraints. Another approach to project management is to consider the three constraints as finance, time and human resources. If you need to finish a job in a shorter time, you can throw more people at the problem, which in turn will raise the cost of the project, unless by doing this task quicker we will reduce costs elsewhere in the project by an equal amount.
The foregoing was obtained from, “Wikipedia,” the free encyclopedia. To obtain greater information, visit the following web site:
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Time
For analytical purposes, the time required to produce a deliverable, is estimated using several techniques. One method is to identify tasks needed to produce the deliverables documented in a work breakdown structure or WBS. The work effort for each task is estimated and those estimates are rolled up into the final deliverable estimate.
The tasks are also prioritized, dependencies between tasks are identified, and this information is documented in a project schedule. The dependencies between the tasks can affect the length of the overall project (dependency constrained), as can the availability of resources (resource constrained). Time is not considered a cost nor a resource since the project manager cannot control the rate at which it is expended. This makes it different from all other resources and cost categories.
The foregoing was obtained from, “Wikipedia,” the free encyclopedia. To obtain greater information, visit the following web site:
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Cost
Cost to develop a project depends on several variables including (chiefly): labor rates, material rates, risk management, plant (buildings, machines, etc.), equipment, and profit. When hiring an independent consultant for a project, cost will typically be determined by the consultant's or firm's per diem rate multiplied by an estimated quantity for completion.
The foregoing was obtained from, “Wikipedia,” the free encyclopedia. To obtain greater information, visit the following web site:
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Scope
Requirements specified for the end result. The overall definition of what the project is supposed to accomplish, and a specific description of what the end result should be or accomplish. A major component of scope is the quality of the final product. The amount of time put into individual tasks determines the overall quality of the project. Some tasks may require a given amount of time to complete adequately, but given more time could be completed exceptionally. Over the course of a large project, quality can have a significant impact on time and cost (or vice versa).
Together, these three constraints(Time, Cost, and Scope) have given rise to the phrase "On Time, On Spec, On Budget." In this case, the term "scope" is substituted with "spec(ification)."
The foregoing was obtained from, “Wikipedia,” the free encyclopedia. To obtain greater information, visit the following web site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_management
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Project Objectives
Project objectives define target status at the end of the project, reaching of which is considered necessary for the achievement of planned benefits. They can be formulated as S.M.A.R.T.
Specific,
Measurable (or at least evaluable) achievement,
Achievable (recently Acceptable is used regularly as well),
Realistic and
Time terminated(bounded).
The evaluation (measurement) occurs at the project closure. However a continuous guard on the project progress should be kept by monitoring and evaluating.
The foregoing was obtained from, “Wikipedia,” the free encyclopedia. To obtain greater information, visit the following web site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_management
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Approach
There are several approaches that can be used to manage a project. Regardless of the approach that is used, careful consideration needs to be given to clarify the project objectives, goals. Adapt the fallowing principals to best suit your needs. A traditional phased approach sets up a series of steps that need to be completed. In this approach, there are 6 parts, 4 main phases in the development of a project, 5 if the process is to be repeated ,and the control and monitoring system:
1 The initiation phase;
2 The planning or design phase;
3 The execution or production phase;
4 The completion phase;
5 The collect data, analyze, and repeat phase;
6 The controlling and monitoring system.
The fifth phase is an important step if a project is to be repeated. Before starting a project over, analyze all the available information from the previous run of the project. Catch and fix problems before starting again. Also determine what changes need to be made to improve the process and improve the bottom line.
The reason for constant control and monitoring is to keep the project on track, and if need be, to terminate the project before completion. If, for some reason, it is determined that a project will not succeed, then it should be stopped to cut losses. Control and monitoring will determine if one or more phases need to be repeated. It is also used to catch problems at the earliest possible time to be repaired and keep them from becoming stumbling blocks to the project.
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Closing and Maintenance
When a project has been completed, and is not to be repeated, it is important to determine if a maintenance system is needed. That essentially means to continue the monitoring and therefore repair of the project. For example, many software programs on the market have constant upgrades, to maintain customer satisfaction. It is also important to archive all data on the project, for later reference.
Maintenance is an continuing process of correcting errors, and updating the project over time. It is also important to continue the support of the end users, and to how effectively and quickly user’s problems are resolved.
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Some of the foregoing was obtained from, “Wikipedia,” the free encyclopedia. To obtain greater detail of the information, visit the following web site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_management
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