Defining project management

Defining project management

A project is a short-term effort to create a product

To understand project management, you must first get to grips with the concept of what a project is. A project is a short-term effort to create a product such as software, hardware, services, or even skills and knowledge, with specific dates to start and finish on, a clear objective, and an agreed budget. Projects contain elements that must be managed. These elements are

• schedule

• costs

• performance risks

Project management is the set of techniques, practices, and principles that help managers to control these elements. A project manager starts a project by mapping out practical objectives and establishing the scope of work to be completed within the given elements.

A problem may arise if the scope of a project gradually increases

Scope refers to the size of a project. It depends on the number and complexity of the tasks required. A project manager must consider the scope of a project when planning one. A problem may arise if the scope of a project gradually increases as changes in schedule, cost, or performance affect it. Usually, these changes are quite small, but they add up over time. This phenomenon is called scope creep and, if not controlled, can be detrimental to the success of a project. Certain stages in the project cycle are particularly susceptible to scope creep if not monitored.

There are five stages in the design/development project cycle:

• business process/functionality design

• technology/architecture design

• implementation/development

• pilot/parallel

• cutover/live

The first stage involves determining the objectives and scope of a project. A scope matrix document is completed to organize a project's scope and structure and a business requirements document is completed, which identifies the customer's needs. It can include the goals of the project, the budget, deadlines, and other relevant information.

The budget is a likely contender for scope creep.

The second stage covers planning the design of a project with modification of the scope. Realistic resources and deadlines are established and the schedule and budget are decided. A technical architecture document contains the formal specifications of the product. It is important to have a formal specification for the budget, as it is a likely contender for scope creep.

The third stage involves developing the product. The project needs careful monitoring during this stage, as deviation is likely here due to factors such as a decrease in resources, conflicts, loss of focus, lack of communication, or rescheduling. Intervention may be needed during this stage if the project is to stay on course.

The fourth stage involves inspecting and testing the product. If it does not comply with the project plan, modifications or a complete redesign might be required. Obviously, this would have unfavorable effects on the project scope.

Once a product is deemed acceptable, it passes to the last stage, in which it goes for release. From a project management position, this is the final step and the goal has been achieved.