Premium Essay

Why Project Management?

In:

Submitted By JoeyMoon
Words 1488
Pages 6
WHY PROJECT MANAGEMENT?

Project Management has become increasingly important for any corporation, organization, government agency, and even small businesses in the last couple of decades. Project Management, as defined in the text, is the application of knowledge, skills, and techniques to accomplish projects successfully and proficiently. It is a tool utilized to keep projects and its tasks organized, but if not used correctly, can bring down the entire project operation. I have witnessed, first hand, a Project Manager (PM) accomplishing his goals and tasks successfully for a particular project. Everything was running like a well oiled machine, when what I can only explain as “a god complex” intervened and halted the project three weeks prior to the final deadline. The PM’s Division Chief made numerous changes to the scope which required tasks, which were already completed, to be redone. In this essay I will define a project and its many attributes and goals. I will also show why Project Management works, but also explain the many pitfalls that can accompany even a successful project.
You may find it interesting that the techniques to project management were mainly developed by the U.S. military. It is now a template largely utilized by organizations and corporations, throughout the world, for both small and large project needs. A project, as defined in the text, is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result. A project is made up of many attributes; importance, scope, life cycle with a finite due date, inter dependencies, uniqueness, resources, conflict, and non projects and quasi-projects.
Importance is the most essential attribute to a project. The project must be important enough for the organization to work on, however; it may be considered a waste of time and an inadequate use of organizational resources.
Scope is the

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Emotional Intelligence and Why Is It Important in Project Management

...is emotional intelligence and why is it important in project management? How did you score on the emotional intelligence mini-assessment? What areas do you need to strengthen in order to raise your own emotional intelligence? Describe the characteristics that would make a Project Manager "emotionally intelligent". Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the ability to realize, understand and control self emotions and that of others and groups. The application of Emotional Intelligence would result in creating deep relationships, surround you with content people and help build a successful journey both professionally and personally. This significant personal trait of EI is needed as a project manager, as the main focus of the PM is to plan, manage, monitor and control work and tasks done by others. EI is as important as using project management processes and tools. It helps in people management, building teams and becoming an inspiring leader. EI is important to Project Managers as is for any leader. It would be even more important for PMs, as a project is for a fixed duration with a set deliverable. It is not an on-going operation with regular people working on it through out the course. Project Managers are responsible for moving the project forward. They would have to work with different sets of people, make sure there is harmony in the team, resolve conflicts, maintain integrity and lead everyone towards the project’s objective. Project Managers have shorter duration...

Words: 554 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Determine What Is and What Is Involved in Project Scope Management and Analyze Why It Cover a Big Importance on an It Project.

...what is and what is involved in project scope management; second analyze why it (its quality) cover a big importance on an IT project. Introduction: Defining the scope of a project is one of the most difficult part of project management. There are different factors that are involved to contribute in a project success, like the user participation, have clear objectives and a good planning about people and budget (Schwalbe, 2011). Project Scope Management (PSM) – what is and what involves: It is possible to define a project scope management (PSM) as an activity that defines the domains, limits and the boundary of a project through the identification of all requirements (as software elements for example) that have to be delivered following a defined plan (Woolridge, R,Hale, D,Hale, J,&Sharpe, 2009). According to Schwalbe (2011) there are five main processes that are involved to define a PSM: 1. Collecting Requirements: Collect and document all needs and expectation from the customer point of view and the processes that have to be used for their realization. 2. Defining Scope: create a scope statement document based on previous requirements and processes identified. In this phase the project document is updated. 3. Creating the Work Breakdown Structure: WBS has purpose to subdividing all project deliverables identified, into smaller and more manageable components. 4. Verify Scope: is the phase where all involved stakeholders check and control the project document created in the three...

Words: 616 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

10 Major Causes of

...Preventing Project Failure Welcome 10 Major Causes of Project Failure getpmtraining.com 1 Centreline Solutions Inc. Project Management Institute Global Registered Education Provider #2029 Why Projects Fail v.2005.02.18 Copyright, 2004 © Centreline Solutions Inc. Preventing Project Failure getpmtraining.com 2 Why Projects Fail v.2005.02.18 Copyright, 2004 © Centreline Solutions Inc. 1 Preventing Project Failure In this seminar we will cover: What is project failure? The impacts of project failure? The Top 10 problems that result in project failure • The cause of the problem • How to fix the problem • How to prevent the problem from happening again getpmtraining.com 3 Why Projects Fail v.2005.02.18 Copyright, 2004 © Centreline Solutions Inc. Why do I.T. Projects Fail? Why do I.T. Projects Fail? getpmtraining.com 4 Why Projects Fail v.2005.02.18 Copyright, 2004 © Centreline Solutions Inc. 2 Why do I.T. Projects Fail? Because nobody stops them from failing! getpmtraining.com 5 Why Projects Fail v.2005.02.18 Copyright, 2004 © Centreline Solutions Inc. Iron Triangle Manage the Iron Triangle, or it will manage you getpmtraining.com 6 Why Projects Fail v.2005.02.18 Copyright, 2004 © Centreline Solutions Inc. 3 I.T. Project Disposition I.T. Projects have a bad attitude. They WANT to fail. • • • • • New technologies are difficult to use or predict Aggressive time schedules...

Words: 2599 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Project Management First Assingment

...Chapter One Questions (1) There are five main functions of management; Planning: Management decide what to do, how to do, why to do, where to do and who will be responsible for doing is planning. Organizing: Organizing is the process of defining and grouping activities and establishing work to be done. Directing: Interact with people , leadership and supervision are the elements come under the function of management. Directing function should influence the work performance and the behavior of the employees and groups. Controlling and monitoring: Manager always watch work performance according to organizational objectives goals. It stimulate high performance among the staff and management personnel Feedback (change and goal): The fifth function assessing to other function to how they perform. If it is necessary to adjustments on the functions, according to results manager rearrange the function. All the five functions of the management should performed by managers. Also managers must be adaptable to the different possible situations to execute these functions. (6) In my opinion traditional management like military style of management. That types of managements are very hierarchical, organized, disciplined. according to hierarchical order the person who has ordered, can't tell his or her idea. The ability of management is derived from the power of the position not from management. However the project management mostly depends on soft skills - consensus building, relationships...

Words: 726 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Critical Analysis of the Clift Village Shopping Centre Project Management Plan

...analysis of the Clift Village Shopping Centre Project management plan 1/31/2011 Executive Summary This paper has been prepared to critical analyse the project management plan (PMP) of the Clift Project Village shopping centre barrier guard upgrade. The shopping centre multistorey car park was audited by its public liability insurer and they deemed the perimeter barrier fence not compliant to Australia standards and a danger to the public, the fence had to be replaced with a complaint fence. TJA Industries was approached to fix the problem which it completed with an Ingal anti-climb system with an integrated car barrier. The paper discuss the need and justification of the PMP for this construction project, areas that are discussed further in this paper are the audiences of the PMP and why they need to sight the PMP, the major stakeholder, the project owner (Village Investments) is found to be the main audience for this projects as the project owner needs to approve the PMP for the project to continue. In the last section of the body of the paper, it identifies the PMBOK guide as the base of the structure and contents of the PMP, it identify the PMBOK’s nine functions of project management are in the Clift’s PMP in some way with the major function having a lot more detail put into them. The major functions discuss were scope, time, cost, HR, quality and procurement management. One major lesson to be learnt is in the HR management plan with the stakeholder analysis, the school...

Words: 3217 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Engineer

...Project Management – Simple Answers to Simple Questions Originally I wrote this for one of my clients in 1991. The idea was to develop a brochure to promote project management in one of the client's departments. Today, project management is well established in the organization, but the answers to the questions are just as valid. R. Max Wideman 01 What is a project? A. The term project seems to be a buzzword that means a lot of different things to different people. Anything, for example, from a secretary's "project" to clean out an old filing cabinet to an engineer's "project" to create a multi-million dollar facility. Even these extremes have one thing in common: the application of work or effort to create a new situation or product, where "product" is used in its broadest sense. So a project can be any undertaking with a definite starting point and one or more defined objectives the completion of which spell out the end of the project. It should be added that for one reason or another most projects are restricted by limits imposed on resources (effort, equipment and materials) time and money. 02 Why do I need project management? A. Another way of asking this question is "What if I don't bother with project management?" The fact is, all projects demand some degree of attention to make them happen. Even the secretary needs to deliberately plan to set aside some time to clean out that filing cabinet, otherwise the job will never get done! Believe it or not exactly the same holds...

Words: 3911 - Pages: 16

Premium Essay

Week 2 Chapter 3 & 4 Review Questions

...of a project manager. Which skill do you think is most important? Why? Common skills of a project manager include: interpersonal skills, leadership skills and technical skills. Interpersonal skills include the skills needed to effectively communicate with others what needs to be done and the process that should be taken to get it done. Leadership skills are important because as the project manager is in charge of the project, they must be able to successfully lead their team from initiation to completion of the project as efficiently as possible. Technical skills are the skills needed to understand all aspects of the system that is to be created or modified and what it takes to make that happen. Common activities of a project manager include: leadership, management, customer relations, technical problem solving, conflict management, team management and risk and change management. I believe that the most important skill that a project manager must possess is leadership. I think that with the right team, the PM can get assistance on the interpersonal and technical aspects of the project. However without the proper leadership, even the best team will ultimately fail, or at least have many difficulties. Also, many of the activities that a project manager must do are leader/management based. 4. Describe the activities performed by the project manager during project planning. The activities performed by a project manager during project planning are: describing the project scope...

Words: 766 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Why Is Project Managment Important

...Why Is Project Management Important Why Is Project Management Important Nelson Santiago PM3110 Abstract What’s project management first of all? According to the PMBoK guide it reads as follows, “a project is defined as “a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service.” Think About how amny times we have done project management in our everyday lives. Even if I didn’t take this class I would still be using some of the key principles of project management as defined in our book even though I might not know exactly what they are called the process is still the same. Why is Project Management Important Project management is a very important part of business epically in the information technology field where technology is always changing. If you really think about how businesses use project management its mainly used to try to gain a competitive edge on their competitors, to draw customers to their products or services. You may not realize it but you use project management in everyday life such as writing a paper, taking this course and even trying to graduate. It can be as simple as doing homework or as complex as building a new football stadium where millions of dollars are on the line. . Why is it important to have project management? I think it can be describes in one word structure. Without structure it would make things very difficult to accomplish anything worth doing. It would make things very chaotic and disorganized without it. Structure...

Words: 449 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Project Management

...1.0 Why project management is important Project Management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities in order to meet project requirements. Project management involves in a series of organizing components of a project. Such activities on the project are like development of new products, launching of a new service and marketing campaign. Project management also involves in planning, organizing, leading and controlling the resources both human and physical to reach the project’s goals effectively and efficiently. Therefore, project management has a very broad term of explaining it, as it covers different techniques, methods, process and strategies and the main purpose of all of them that is to minimize the chances of loss or failure of any projects (MAJEED, 2013). Project management gives a system to help finish objectives. Every project is different, however all impart their beginnings in a thought what could be and a potential for a decent conclusion if that thought is guided into reality. Thus, project management is really essential in determining the success of that current projects. Project Management is important because it monitors closely and control processes and schedules and this can more effectively complete each projects according to its given time, cost and scope. Increasing or decreasing each of these three elements will impact one another. • Timeline The importance of project management is because it gives a clear...

Words: 1495 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Proj 587 Week 3 Quiz Set

... Product Description Version 1 1. Question: (TCO A) You are the CEO for Skipper Products. The business has had a great year and you see that a PPM is needed to manage all the projects that are currently in progress, along with future projects. You must convince the board of directors to accept this change in order to implement it. You have decided to give a presentation at the next meeting that covers the information below. • What is a PPM? • Compare PPM, PgM, and Project level. • Benefits of each (PPM, PgM, and Project) • Why should Skipper Products implement a PPM? Create a detailed outline that covers all the areas listed above. 2. Question: (TCO B) There are three central processes that are required to develop a portfolio strategic plan. Describe each of them. Why are these processes important to the success of an organizations strategic plan? 3. Question: (TCO C) Cost management is used to help manage projects as investments and to evaluate project management performance using Earned Value Management (EVM). What is EVM? Describe the benefits of using EVM. 4. Question: (TCO C) The following acronyms are used in a network diagram: LS, ES, LF, and EF. What do these acronyms mean, how are they calculated, and how would a project manager use these in relationship to project schedule and budget? Version 2 1. Question: (TCO A) You work for Holt consulting company, which has been asked to recommend organizational improvements for CDC Software Company....

Words: 2480 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Test Bank

...Project Management: Achieving Competitive Advantage, 3e (Pinto) Chapter 1 Introduction: Why Project Management? 1.1 True/False Questions 1) Projects, rather than repetitive tasks, are now the basis for most value-added in business. Answer: TRUE Diff: 1 Section: 1.0 Introduction Skill: Factual AACSB Tag: Reflective 2) Projects are typically ongoing, day-to-day activities that have goods and services as outputs. Answer: FALSE Diff: 2 Section: 1.1 What Is a Project? Skill: Definition AACSB Tag: Reflective 3) A typical project stays within functional and organizational boundaries. Answer: FALSE Diff: 2 Section: 1.1 What Is a Project? Skill: Definition AACSB Tag: Reflective 4) The special nature of projects relieves project managers from their routine of planning, organizing, motivating, directing, and controlling. Answer: FALSE Diff: 2 Section: 1.1 What Is a Project? Skill: Factual AACSB Tag: Reflective 5) A project exists outside of the standard line organization. Answer: TRUE Diff: 2 Section: 1.1 What Is a Project? Skill: Factual AACSB Tag: Reflective 6) Product life cycles are longer now than twenty years ago. Answer: FALSE Diff: 2 Section: 1.2 Why Are Projects Important? Skill: Factual AACSB Tag: Reflective 7) The emergence of global markets has made project management skills more critical. Answer: TRUE Diff: 1 Section: 1.2 Why Are Projects Important? Skill: Factual AACSB Tag: Reflective ...

Words: 5855 - Pages: 24

Premium Essay

Project Mgt

...recommend that Stacey Thomas select to serve as project manager? Why? • What are the characteristics of the candidates that you would attribute to a competent project manager? • What important skills do you think the candidates are lacking? Why are they important? Organizational Project Management or OPM is where an organization’s culture, style, and structure influence how its projects are performed & managed by accomplishing its purpose throughout its project lifecycle by how it is conducted and progress (Institute 20). The competencies of a manager are knowledge, performance, and personal. In (Institute 17) defines it as follows: •Knowledge - what the project manager or PM knows about the project. •Performance - what the PM is able to do while applying his or her knowledge. •Personal – the effectiveness of the PM core characteristics (leadership, communication, technical skills) & attitude which provides the ability to guide the project team. The characteristics of the candidates, Bill & Andy that contribute to a competent PM: They have organizational, technical, & management skills, communicates with senior management, a problem solver, service & goal oriented, and most importantly deliver project on time (Jr. 74). Bill: promoted to CIS department (functional) manager, friendly competition with staff while working long hours, maintain projects budget. \ Andy: completed Quantum management training in various departments, a highly...

Words: 616 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Porject

...Advanced Program Management - Week 8 Final Exam - Devry * ------------------------------------------------- * ------------------------------------------------- * ------------------------------------------------- * ------------------------------------------------- * ------------------------------------------------- 1. (TCO B) Some believe that a project management office (PMO) is nothing more than yet another level of management with the associated added cost and bureaucracy. Project Management experts tell us that this is a good thing. Which of these points of view is correct, and how do you (in your own words, though you may cite your readings to support your view as necessary) justify your conclusion? Remember that business thinks primarily in terms of dollars and benefit/cost ratios. (Points : 20)   2. (TCO B) One of the most traumatic decisions a project manager must sometimes make is to cancel a project. In an article titled "How to Fail In Project Management without Really Trying," Business Horizons Reprint No. BH010, the following (whimsical but true) reasons that projects go out of control were identified: 1. Ignore the project environment, including stakeholders 2. Push a new technology to market too quickly 3. Don't bother building fallback positions 4. When problems occur, shoot the one most visible 5. Let new ideas starve to death from inertia 6. Don't bother conducting feasibility studies 7. Never admit a project is a failure ...

Words: 876 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

The Importance of Project Cost & Communication Management

...Research Proposal: The Importance of Project Cost & Communication Management Project Management in general is based on the methodology of the triple constraint. Where the effective management of time, cost and scope/quality can define the success of a project. It is generally expected that the number one concern for project managers is to manage the triple constraint. Although, project managers used the triple constraint to evaluate and balance these competing demands in a project, it also became a measurement of project success. With today’s marketplace and the complexities they bring the triple constraint is not enough to properly define when a project was actually successful. There is evidence where projects have been delivered on time, within budget and meeting all project specification and still not perceived as successful by the stakeholders. The reasoning behind these results is that there are obviously other criteria just as important as the triple constraint to truly classify a project as successful. How to identify project success Identifying the success of a project is not based solely on whether the project was completed on time, there are other factors to measure. Learning from failed projects is also a critical part of creating success in the overall results. Projects can be evaluated in a manner that works for the industry or business the evaluation is being conducted for. This process is not rigid in essence, it may include things such as online surveys...

Words: 2791 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Custom Woodworking Company

...Project Concept and Strategy Was the Woody 2000 project well-conceived? The objective had been clear at project inception but was never communicated No project plan documented or no qualified project manager This project was unlikely to be successful What were Woody's real objectives that could and should have been articulated? Expand production capabilities Meet increased demand and new market vacancies Maintaining the same quality Objectives should have been communicated to all of the stakeholders What strategies were there for achieving these objectives? What would you recommend? Current strategy was to appoint an inexperienced project manager and hire a contracting company to manage and complete the project. Recommendations: Consult with any of the 850 SMEs throughout project lifecycle, develop a plan to maintain production, house a backlog of products on site as part of a contingency plan. Did they consider other solutions? Project was planned in a “vacuum” Pricing research was only conducted after original high quote by EID Did not pursue other options Project Scope Planning and Scheduling Cost Estimating Project Planning Quality Progress Monitoring and Control Cost Control Contracting for Engineering and Construction Services Communication and People Management Risk Identification and Management Facility Startup and Project Closeout Why do you suppose renovation of the President and Executive Vice President's offices...

Words: 1807 - Pages: 8