Project Management Introduction
Obviously, project management is nothing new. Before we get into project management, we need to define what exactly a “project” is. Sure, you’ve probably been given countless “projects” at school or at work, but what’s the actual definition?
A project is a temporary endeavor designed to produce a single product, service, or result with a defined start and end (usually time-bound and often limited by funding or personnel) undertaken to achieve unique goals and objectives, generally to bring change or added value benefits.
There are a few key things to notice in this definition:
The word “temporary” means that projects must have a defined start and end. This means that each project should include a timeline, scope, and resources. The fact that it is temporary with a start and an end also mean that it is not part of the current operations.
The goal of a project should be to “create a unique product, service or result”. This means that a project will be initiated in order to achieve a specific objective that is generally outside the realm of typical day-to-day business operations. This means that the project team can include people who do not typically work together and require resources that are generally outside the scope of day-to-day operations.
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History of Project Management
Until 1900, civil engineering projects were generally managed by architects, engineers, and creative builders themselves. In the 1950s, companies began to systematically apply project management tools and techniques to complex engineering projects.
As a discipline, project management has evolved from several application areas including building construction, engineering, and heavy defense activities. Two ancestors of project management are Henry Gantt, called the father of planning and control techniques, who was responsible for his use of Gantt. The chart is famous as a project management tool (alternatively Harmonogram first proposed by Karol Adamiecki) and Henri Fayol for his creation of the five management functions which form the basis of the wealth of knowledge related to project and program management. Gantt and Fayol were both students of Frederick Winslow Taylor’s scientific management theories. His work pioneered modern project management tools including Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and Resource Allocation.
The 1950s marked the beginning of the era of modern project management when major fields of engineering came together to work together. Project management was recognized as an independent discipline that emerged from the discipline of management with an engineering model. In the United States, prior to the 1950s, projects were managed on an ad hoc basis, primarily using Gantt charts and informal techniques and tools. At that time, two mathematical models of project planning were developed. The Critical Path Method (CPM) was developed as a joint venture between DuPont Corporation and Remington Rand Corporation for the management of facility maintenance projects. The Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) was developed by the US Navy Special Projects Office in conjunction with Lockheed Corporation and Booz Allen Hamilton as part of the Polaris Missile Submarine Program.
Along with the development of project planning models, the technology of project cost estimation, cost management, and engineering economics has developed through the pioneering work of Hans Lang and others.
Project Management Definition
There are many published definitions of project management but the following definition covers all important parts:
The planning, monitoring, and control of all aspects of a project and the motivation of all those involved in it, in order to achieve the project objectives within agreed criteria of time, cost, and performance.
While this definition encompasses the basic criteria of time, cost, and performance when it comes to the management aspect the keyword is motivation. A project will not be successful if all (or at least most) of the participants are not only competent but also motivated to achieve a satisfactory result.
To achieve this, a number of methods, procedures, and techniques have been developed which, combined with general management and human skills, allow the project manager to respond as effectively as possible to the specified time and performance/quality criteria.
Purpose of Project Management
Why is project management so important? Because nothing is done without creating a project plan, and no project plan is executed without the right environment or the right processes. Project management is the action that helps create and execute this project plan. He applies managerial and interpersonal skills to successfully lead a project from its conception to its realization according to the defined requirements.
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Skills Required for Project Management
The skills required for project management can be divided into categories – Hard skills and soft skills. This classification is not correct, as some of the skills are clearly interrelated. Additionally, it depends on the type of organization, the type, and size of the project, the credentials of a project manager, and the topics listed for a particular project that fall within his area of ​​responsibility.
Hard skills include topics such as business cases, cost control, change management, project lifecycles, project structure plan, project organization, network analysis, earned value analysis, risk management, quality management, calculation, analysis of tenders, and procurement.
Soft skills include health and safety, stakeholder analysis, team building, leadership, communication, information management, negotiation, conflict management, conflict resolution, value management, configuration management, financial management, marketing and sales, and law.
A quick look at the two types of topics shows that hard skills are mostly only required for the management of specific projects, while soft skills can be classified as general management and are more or less necessary for each type of operation.
Approaches of Project Management
A 2017 study found that the success of any project depends on how well four key aspects align with the contextual dynamics of the project, these are called the four Ps:
Aim & Expectations: What are the aims & Expectations of the project.
Plan: The planning and forecasting activities.
Process: The overall approach to all activities and project governance.
People: Including dynamics of how they collaborate and communicate.
Power: Lines of authority, decision-makers, organograms, policies for implementation, and the like.
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References-
1.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_management
2.https://www.wrike.com/project-management-guide/faq/what-is-project-management/
3.https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/project-management.asp
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