Project Management

Project Management is a methodical approach to planning and guiding project processes from start to finish.  According to Project Management Institute the processes are guided through five stages: Initiation – Planning – Executing – Controlling – Closing.

Project management can be applied to almost any type of project and is widely used to control the complex processes of software Development Projects.

There are four basic elements a successful project manager must manage simultaneously.  All these elements are inter-related.  Each has to be managed effectively; at the same time all elements must be managed together if the project and the manager have to succeed.

• Resources :  People, equipment, material,
• Time   :  Task, duration, dependencies, and critical path,
• Money :  Costs, contingencies, profit,
• Scope  :   Project size, goods, requirements.

The fourth element 'scope' is vitally important, and it is the first and last task for the success of the project manager.

The project scope defines what the project is supposed to accomplish and the budget (of time and money) that has been created to achieve these objectives.  Any change in scope, automatically leads to change in budget, either time or resources.  The manager cannot effectively manage the resources, time and money in a project unless he actively manages the scope.  Hence the project scope must be clearly identified and associated to the timeline and budget and other elements to complete the project successfully.

Project Management Processes:

• Agree precise specification for the project: “Terms of Reference”.
• Plan the project: Time, team, activities, resources, financials – using project     management tools. 
• Communicate the project plan to your project team and to other interested people and groups.
• Agree and delegate project actions.
• Manage and motivate: Inform, encourage, enable the project team.
• Check, monitor, measure, review project progress: adjust project plans and inform      project team and others.
• Complete project: Review and report project performance: Give praise and thanks to    the project team.
• Project follow-up: Train, support, measure and report results and benefits.

Questions:

• Definite Project Management.
• What are the various processes of project management?