Project Management is an interdisciplinary and integrated approach to planning, organizing, motivating, and controlling resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve project objectives and goals in a specified period of time. It involves the coordination of tasks by multiple team members to complete a project successfully, on budget, and within a given timeframe. Project management enables an organization to complete projects and create successful deliverables in a timely and cost-effective manner.
Project Planning
Project planning is a critical step in the project management process. It involves setting clear, measurable objectives and developing a timeline to identify key deadlines and milestones. Additionally, determining the resources needed for the project – both in terms of personnel and materials – is essential. Accurate project planning enables organizations to keep track of details such as spending and progress throughout the lifespan of the project.
Project Organization
Once the project objectives have been established, project organization is the next step in the project management process. This involves creating a structure that outlines the different team roles and responsibilities, as well as their reporting structure. It is important to ensure that everyone is aware of their responsibilities and has the authority and resources needed to complete them. Additionally, it can be useful to create a project plan document to track participants, tasks, priorities, processes, and schedules.
Project Execution
Once the project plan is established, the project team can start to execute the project. Project execution involves identifying tasks and assigning deadlines, as well as allocating resources to ensure that the project is in line with the agreed-upon project plan. It is also important to keep track of any issues that arise and to be able to quickly identify potential risks and develop strategies to mitigate or eliminate them.
Project Control
Project control is a vital step in the project management process and involves tracking, overseeing, and optimizing the project’s progress. This means keeping track of costs and milestones, as well as any issues, to ensure that the project is progressing as efficiently and effectively as possible. The project manager should use their resources to monitor the project, address any risks, and ensure the project is staying within the agreed-upon budget and timeline.
Project Closure
Once the project is completed, the project manager should carry out project closure. This involves reviewing the project as a whole and assessing its overall success. It also involves archiving project documentation or materials, as well as thanking team members and rewarding them for their work. Closure is important for evaluating the success of the project and improving future projects.
Example
A good example of project management practices in action is the construction of a new office building. This project requires resources such as materials and funding, as well as personnel with the relevant skills to design and build the building. When constructing a new office building, project managers must plan, organize, execute, and control the project, determining resources and assigning tasks to ensure that the project is completed according to schedule and budget. Additionally, project managers should ensure that project closure is carried out to fully evaluate the project’s success.
« Back to Glossary Index