The organizational structure implemented may not be the same structure used throughout the life cycle of the project due to changes in priorities, available resource, project personnel, laws, and other contingencies. Regardless of the project management structure chosen, management must realize that a dynamic state of equilibrium between limited personnel and financial resources and the objectives of the project will be necessary if project management is to be successful in their particular organization.
Later, I will list the benefits that the tools and techniques of project management bring to the systems analysis process. Nearly every activity within an organization could be labeled as a project possessing unique characteristics and varying levels of importance to the organization. A project is defined as a planned undertaking of related activities to reach an objective that has a beginning and an end. Seven primary characteristics of a project include:[ 11 ].
In the past, a company typically decided to undertake a project effort, assigned the project and the "necessary" resources to a carefully selected individual and assumed they were using some form of project management. Organizational implications were of little importance. Although the basic concepts of project management are simple, applying these concepts to an existing organization is not.
Richard P. Each task requires a particular mix of these tools and techniques structured to fit the task environment and life cycle from conception to completion of the task. Employing project management technologies minimizes the disruption of routine business activities in many cases by placing under a single command all of the skills, technologies, and resources needed to realize the project. The skills required depend on each specific project and the resources available at that time.
The greater the amount of adjustments a parent organization must make to fulfill project objectives, the greater chance exists for project failure. The form of project management will be unique for every project endeavor and will change throughout the project. The project management process typically includes four key phases: initiating the project, planning the project, executing the project, and closing the project.
An outline of each phase is provided below. Initiating the Project The project management techniques related to the project initiation phase include: [ 16 ]. Project Management. Monitoring and Managing Projects. Resource: Project Management Tips. Project Risk. Identifying and Defining Problems. Powerful Tips for Project Management Success. Project Management in Organisations. The Phases and Processes in Project Management. Tips on Writing an Outstanding Project Specification.
Project Management Tools. Fishbone Diagram Example. Creating a Critical Path Analysis. Gantt Charts. How can you use Gantt Charts in Project Management? Gantt Chart Example. Amusing Project Management Analogies. Project Management: Skills and Techniques Powerful Tips for Project Management Success This article outlines rules, processes and tools for project planning and project management.
While project management skills are obviously important for overseeing projects, the methods and tools that project managers use can be helpful for everyone. Project management techniques and project planning tools are useful for any tasks in which different outcomes are possible - where risks of problems and failures exist - and so require planning, assessing of options, organising activities and resources to deliver a successful result.
A 'task' does not necessarily have to be called a 'project' in order for these methods to be very useful in its planning and implementation. Even the smallest task can benefit from the use of a well-chosen technique or tool, especially in the planning stage. Project management is chiefly associated with planning and managing change in an organisation, but a project can also be something unrelated to business - even a domestic situation, such as moving house or planning a wedding.
Therefore, these methods and tools can be used far more widely than people assume. In organisations and businesses, project management can be concerned with anything, particularly introducing or changing things, in any area or function, for example: People, staffing and management Products and services Materials, manufacturing and production IT and communications Plant, vehicles, equipment Storage, distribution, logistics Buildings and premises Finance, administration, acquisition and divestment Purchasing Sales, selling, marketing Human resources development and training Customer service and relations Quality, health and safety, Legal and professional Technical, scientific, research and development New business development Large or complex projects in big organisations often require some sort of executive 'sponsorship' or leadership.
The same principles used selectively and appropriately, also apply to smaller tasks. The Phases and Processes in Project Management These are the 8 basic phases and processes which will be review in more detail below: Agree precise specification for the project - 'Terms of Reference' Plan the project - time, team, activities, resources, financials - using suitable project management tools. Communicate the project plan to your project team - and to any other interested people and groups. Agree and delegate project actions.
Manage and motivate - inform, encourage, enable the project team. Check, measure, monitor, review project progress - adjust project plans and inform the project team and others. Complete project - review and report on project performance; give praise and thanks to the project team. Project follow-up - train, support, measure and report results and benefits. Why is a Project Specification Important? A precise specification for a project is essential in that it creates measurable accountability for anyone wishing at any time to assess how the project is going or its success on completion.
Project terms of reference also provide an essential discipline and framework to keep the enterprise on track, to work towards the original agreed aims and parameters.
A properly formulated and agreed project specification protects the supervisor from being held to account for issues that are beyond their control or outside the original scope.
Who is Responsible for Writing a Project Specification? Tips on Writing an Outstanding Project Specification The largest projects can require several weeks to produce terms of reference. Here are some general tips that can be followed: Brainstorming : can be a helpful process by which all relevant Terms of Reference criteria can be identified and structured.
A template for a project specification: Describe the purpose, aims and deliverables. State parameters timescales, budgets, range, scope, territory, authority. State people involved and the way the team will work frequency of meetings, decision-making process. Establish 'break-points' at which to review and check progress, and how progress and results will be measured.
This is the stage to agree on special conditions or exceptions with those in authority. Once you've published the terms of reference you have created a very firm set of expectations by which you will be judged. So if you have any concerns, or want to renegotiate, this is the most suitable stage to be doing so. For more information see also Terms of Reference in the business dictionary section and project sponsorship. These tips are useful when completing this phase: Involve your team in the planning where possible and certainly where necessary Work backwards from the end aim, identifying all the things that need to be put in place and done, in reverse order.
Use brainstorming to help gather points and issues and to explore innovations and ideas. Project planning tools help everyone concerned keep track of project requirements and deadlines. Some of the most popular project planning tools include the following:. The stakeholders might include the project manager, the customer, or the team. The first step is to identify and meet the stakeholders to discuss their expectations and establish the project scope.
Project scope involves determining a list of specific project goals, deliverables, budgets, and deadlines. Project scope helps in establishing boundaries of the project and responsibilities of each team member. The objectives are set and prioritized once the expectations of stakeholders become certain. More exquisite detail to initial ideas is given, which serves as a reference point throughout the project.
Deliverables are the reason why the projects are created. It is one of the most critical steps of the project planning to determine what these deliverables will be and how they will be delivered in time. The project schedule outlines when different tasks of a project are supposed to begin and end. For example, the project is about network installation of which Musorodzata is the head of the whole project. Each work item is then assigned to an individual.
For example, Johnston will do the planning and Alice will do the measurement. Table 3. To show who is responsible for each work item a Y is usually used. Responsibility Matrix for the Telecommunication Installations. For example, Collen is involved in the Civil works as well as the equipment installations. In a Responsibility Matrix, individual activities can be clearly spelt out by the individual responsible for each work package. An activity can be defined as a clearly spelt out task that consumes time.
From figure 3. The network diagram indicates the right sequence and inder- dependence needed to achieve the project scope. Although it is an older version it is simple to interpret.
It simply consists of a bar chart which shows the interrelationship between activities. A Gantt chart has basically 3 rows the First is the Activity, second is the person responsible and third is the number of days the activity will take to be completed.
The estimated time an activity will take is indicated by a continuous line or bar. The first activities, for the purposes of this Gantt chart, which is acquisition, will take 3 days to accomplish. The second activity is the design and will take two days to complete and the same explanation goes on like that for the rest of the activities. Some activities will run concurrently while the whole project will be completed within 16 days.
The co-ordination of execution of tasks is simplified by the use of the Gannt Chart. The scheduling and planning of activities occurs simultaneously. This makes it difficult to make alterations to the Gantt once it has been completely done. This is especially true if an activity at the beginning of the project is delayed and thus many of the remaining lines or bars have to be redrawn, Clements and Gido For smaller projects, the Gantt chart may be used with minimum difficulties but becomes cumbersome as the project becomes bigger and complex.
Gantt chart for a Telecommunication Installation works. It enunciates that programs should clearly be defined from start and end times. One important aspect of PERT is that it allows us to identify the path through the network for which the total activity times are the greatest — the critical path, Tooley and Dingle It is applicable to all forms of projects from construction, Telecommunication, Aeronautic, software among many.
Any project with dependencies can make use of CPM. With CPM the earliest and latest times the project takes can be calculated. Critical activities can be determined and prioritized for easy and effective management. Figure 3. A network is a diagram which shows the dependencies between the activities in a project.
It is used to schedule these activities and plan the optimum use of resources, Lake C It brings order to project work flows. For one to be able to produce a network diagram successfully, a WBS should be completed first. A Project Manager should include the team members when coming up with a network diagram.
0コメント