Techniques that project managers should know

There are many different ways to manage projects. in this article, for those in charge of project management, we will introduce the meaning of knowing the management method and 13 management methods that you should know. let's make good use of it and use it for project management.

what it means to know how to manage projects

"project management" refers to management that manages the entire project from all perspectives, including work schedules, costs, progress, and risk management in a project, so that the project is successful. it is important to know how to manage projects to ensure a smooth project management. knowing how to manage your projects will help you manage them more efficiently.

To learn how to manage projects, it is effective to learn "PMBOK". PMBOK stands for Project Management Body of Knowledge and refers to the classification and standard of management called the Project Management Knowledge System Guide. PMBOK includes a total of 10 knowledge areas, including project integration management and project human resource management, which will help you acquire the wide range of knowledge necessary for project management.

Here are 13 management methods that project managers should know. There are various types of management methods such as Gantt chart, timeline, PERT, etc., but in order to make good use of each, it is necessary to know what each is. In addition, the project management method introduced in the future can be used for project management related to one or more knowledge areas of PMBOK.

WBS

WBSstands for Work Breakdown Structure and means Work Breakdown Diagram. WBS subdivides and explains the overall work required to complete the project.

this approach is done to clarify the details of the project. by clarifying detailed work, not only can you know the schedule of who has to do what, by when, and what, but by checking the diagram as a whole, you can check the missing and omission of work and have a common understanding of the scope of work.

When you create a wbs, you may not be able to break down what you need to do over schedule. in such a case, it is good not to forcibly subdivide, and to gradually identify the work contents while working in the previous stage. in addition, instead of recreating each project, you can avoid mistakes in finding out work and reduce creation time by rewriting what you have created in advance.

When creating WBS, it is recommended to use tools such as Excel and web.

gantt charts

The gantt chart is a management method that is also used in many projects around the world, and is sometimes the oldest scheduling method. the key is that you can represent the work process and progress of the project in a tabular format and see it at a glance. in addition, it is common to use gantt charts in combination with wbs instead of using them alone. therefore, it is a good idea to create it together when creating wbs. in the gantt chart, tasks are filled out sequentially from the top of the table, and each schedule and work time is displayed with a bar showing the start date on the left and the completion date on the right. in addition to running tasks sequentially, they can be executed in parallel or in duplicate. by creating a gantt chart with wbs, you can accurately calculate the effort estimate for the project and visualize the work schedule.


gantt charts can be easily created using project management software, so consider using these tools.

mind map

"Mind map" is known as a tool that allows you to manage tasks with more flexibility than normal project management methods. By creating mind maps, you can break down complex projects into smaller tasks and analyze problems. The tasks decomposed here can also be used to create WBS. In mind maps, you can also place photos and files on the map and link them.

calendar

calendar is the easiest and easiest way to use schedule management. schedule management using calendars is familiar and easy to incorporate because many people use it even in private. if you want to take advantage of the calendar feature in project management, fill in the project time schedule in an easy-to-understand manner. by calculating the time to the delivery date backwards and filling in, time management in project management can be executed smoothly.

it's a good idea to keep your calendar available to everyone in the project. instead of relying on personal management, it is safe to share a calendar with all members and manage projects while checking the work schedule and status of each member.

timeline

you can use timeline to view project tasks on time and on a line. you can view tasks in chronological order, so you'll have a visual idea of what you need to do by when. on the other hand, it is convenient to be able to display such a display, but there are restrictions on how the progress and completion status of the work is displayed, so it may be a little inconvenient.

it's a good idea to use the timeline creation tool to create. the authoring tools allow you to create timelines for different designs, as well as easily change colors and resize them. there are also tools that you can use for free, so be sure to check it out.

waterfall

"waterfall" is a method of scheduling work processes while stacking them in order and starting one by one in chronological order. in system development, we will assemble a schedule referring to the flow of the project, such as customer interviews, design, and operation.

this method is simple and easy to understand, so it is said to be suitable for managing projects that are large and take a long time to complete. it is also suitable for projects where the work process does not change every time.

however, if the project policy may change in the middle of the work, the disadvantage is that it is difficult to respond because it takes extra effort to change. this makes it unsuitable for short-term projects or projects that may change the flow of work. in recent years, waterfalls seem less recommended because they are prone to fluctuations due to customer needs and environments.

agile

agile is a management approach that is easy to respond to changes, and is attracting attention as an alternative to waterfall. this approach is characterized by managing projects in short periods of one to four weeks. we will proceed with the project by setting goals and plans for each divided period and repeating them.

planning for a short period of time makes it easier to respond to changes along the way. on the other hand, agile is recommended for short-term projects because it has the disadvantage of making it difficult to manage the whole project for a long period of time.

tracking

"tracking" refers to the method of tracking the progress of a project. not only can you see how each task is progressing, but you can also visualize the work status of members. you can clarify the progress of tasks and who is working, so you can manage the whole thing smoothly. in addition, since the progress of the task is displayed in %, it is easy to understand how much more work is required to complete.

QFD

"QFD" is an abbreviation of "Quality Function Deployment" and means "Quality Function Deployment". QFD is a management method originating in Japan that understands the needs of customers and clarifies how to respond to customer needs while ensuring quality, such as what kind of technological ingenuity can be used to meet customer needs. It can help you get effective suggestions and design drafts to bridge the bridge between customers and developers.

qfd includes five types, including quality and cost deployment. in addition, it is effective to create a "quality feature deployment table" to visualize qfd. the quality feature deployment table starts by listening to customer requirements and summarizing them into a hierarchical structure. after examining what characteristics should be considered technically, we will construct it while clarifying the planning quality and design quality.

CCPM

CCPM stands for Critical Chain Project Management and is often used in large projects. By performing project management with CCPM, you can expect the effect of preventing waste, shortening the schedule, and giving the entire project more leeway. By using this method, it is possible to prevent workers from working until the last minute, and even if there is a delay in work, there is an advantage that there is no need to affect the delivery date because a schedule that can afford in advance is set.

LAWSUIT

"PERT" is an abbreviated method of "Program Evaluation and Review Technique", and it is a method of charting and understanding the relationship between the processing order of tasks and work. In the diagram, include tasks, work hours, work start dates, and finish dates. In addition, by connecting tasks with arrows, it is possible to clarify the interrelationships and order relationships of each other, so it seems to be often used in complicated projects. By implementing this approach, you will be able to understand the points and issues that should be focused on the project.

PPM

PPM stands for Project Portfolio Management. It is a holistic approach to managing the entire project, which helps you manage multiple projects.

ppm is characterized by applying products to the four concepts of "problem child", "flower business", "tree consisting of gold", and "underdog". based on these concepts, it is used to consider which projects resources across the organization should be allocated to.

P2M

"P2M" is an abbreviation of "Project & Program Management" and incorporates elements of program management into project management. It was developed in Japan in 2001 under the leadership of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. This approach allows you to control individual projects and integrate multiple projects with a bird's-eye view of the whole. It can be said that it is a method that enables the overall management of multiple projects, which was said to be a problem of PMBOK.

Summary

there are all kinds of project management methods, including gantt charts and mind maps. by using these management techniques, you will be able to work smoothly until the project is completed. there are also tools that you can deploy for free, so be sure to consider them for better project management.