Project management is the essence of the process

 
Project management is a branch of management that can be called a lifeline for an organization in which there is an urgent need for change. Project management in the enterprise is carried out together with operational or current activities, but is radically different from it. The methods by which such project management is carried out are based on the implementation of well-known projects.
 

Essence and features of project management

Within the framework of the science of project management, the concept of project is presented as a kind of separate process in the enterprise, which has features, in contrast to the usual daily business activities, considered as a standard.

When launching a project, they are waiting for:

•    changes;
•    innovation;
•    creation of a new unique product, service.
 

When project managers choose a strategy and follow it, they perform project management (project management) in the organization.

Reasons for the start

There must be reasons to separate an area of activity into a separate project and to exercise special control over such work performed by designated staff.

So, project management forms a task or a group of tasks into a project if one of the following conditions is present:

•    there is a need to create a new product;
•    some business area of the company's work needs investments (costs), while at the same time benefits are expected in case of successful completion of the project;
•    it is necessary to return to control the human resources of the company (such a situation occurs when the same employee reports to the heads of several departments of the organization at once);
•    it is urgent to reduce critical risks (when failure to fulfill the task assigned to the company entails negative consequences for the entire enterprise).

Features

Unlike the usual approach to management, project management has the following features:

•    there are specific goals and restrictions on resources, deadlines, quality;
•    the desired result is more important than the methods used to obtain it;
•    to achieve the set goals, a non-standard approach is needed, so a team of professionals is recruited separately;
•    workflows should be calculated for a limited number of resources, not the other way around.
 

Advantages over conventional management

The advantages of project management include the ability to quickly complete long-term tasks in a certain short time, give new characteristics to the old product and achieve a more rational use of any resources of the company.

Thus, project management in any enterprise has four key principles:
•    clear focus on the result;
•    allocation of controlled business processes leading to the achievement of the goal;
•    the presence of a mandatory triple limitation (in terms of resources, execution time and quality of execution);
•    following the life cycle of the project.
 

The application of project management developments is noticed mainly in such areas as IT activities, construction and reconstruction, development of new products for industrial production, research, and design development.

Project management methods

Project management cannot be carried out without the choice of one methodology or the compilation of several. There are project management tools with different parameters. Thus, the traditional (cascade) approach involves the sequential, linear execution of tasks (completion of stages), as in the construction of a house.

Agile as a framework for project management

To better understand what project management is, it is also worth considering non-classical project management strategies. Agile or "agile" strategy is based on the allocation of several, sometimes parallel business processes.

On its basis, such effective methods of project management as, for example, the Japanese Kanban, as well as Scrum or Crystal, have been developed. Project management uses these tools as frameworks or frameworks to create an original management strategy in each case, because each project is unique.
The Scrum method combines classic and Agile traits and at the same time breaks down the task into subprojects. At the same time, there are intermediate working results that should be further refined and improved. These are called product backlogs or backlogs.

Lean Tools

The Lean method (translated from English as "dry") is another popular approach in such a discipline as project management. This tool assumes flexibility and a clear spelling of stages for each individual task. Unlike Agile techniques, the "dry" concept implies an increased importance to the quality of task performance.

The Kanban method, which is merged with Lean, expands the possibilities and methodology of the Lean methodology, because it does not even impose strict requirements for the timing of achieving project goals. Visually, the Kanban tool is designed in the form of a board, where tasks (cards) are placed at the intersection of working flows (columns) and parameters or conditions (rows), which, if necessary, move to the desired cell. An example would be a workpiece of a part that moves to be machined from one machine to another to produce a finally formed, finished part.

Six Sigma is another method of project management, based on the provisions of the Lean method. Here (unlike Kanban) more planning was added, due to which an increase in quality is achieved, a decrease in the number of defective products, inappropriate results. Tracking the correctness of the chosen path is carried out by evaluating the intermediate results by the customer or sponsor. Six Sigma is ideal for difficult, complex, ambiguous projects.

PRINCE2

The PRINCE2 strategy or "Projects in a Controlled Environment-2" does not use iterative or discrete, repetitive actions, but is more like the traditional (classical) approach to project management. A feature of the application of the methodology under consideration is the constant monitoring of the usefulness of the goals set and achieved. More suitable for large-scale projects.

Stages of the project

Project management is divided into several stages: initiation, planning, implementation, control, project closure.

Initiation

The origin of an idea or the initiation of the start of a project is its starting point. This initial project phase should include the creation of a draft charter that defines the goals to be achieved and on which all the attention of the participants is focused (assembled for the implementation of the team). At the same time, it is very important to have approval for the use of the necessary resources of the company. 

Also, the statutory document contains data on it:

•    the reasons for the creation;
•    objectives;
•    participants;
•    assumptions;
•    evaluation criteria.
 

It's important! Approval of the composition of the team is often allocated to a separate stage of initiation.

Planning

If the project is started, and the initiative is supported, it is necessary to proceed to the planning of the processes that need to be launched and in the future to monitor their implementation.
The result of the positive completion of the second stage of project management is a project plan that includes the following sections:

•    summary (summary and essence of the project);
•    enumeration of assumptions and requirements;
•    the action plan itself;
•    organizational structure;
•    legal support;
•    budget or financial plan;
•    team composition.

It's important! At the planning stage, sponsors are searched, risk assessment and budget calculation are performed.

Implementation of the project

Project management is necessary for the successful implementation of the project, so the most significant stage is implementation. When performing the tasks set, it is important not to deviate from the planned plan. To accompany the execution process, the project manager communicates with the participants, ensuring that they are provided with the necessary resources. Improvements in results can and should be achieved through appropriate motivation of performers.

Monitoring

Project management includes control over the implementation of project tasks and the achievement of project goals. The monitoring phase takes place along with the implementation. Managers of different levels of the enterprise can be appointed as controllers. This stage is no less important than the previous one, since without proper guidance or control over the progress of work, the project will not be able to be completed or will last an unreasonably long time.

Closing

One of the key differences between the project and the operating activities of the company is the limited timing of the project or its emphasized temporary nature. To determine the success of the project, you need to evaluate the final results, sum up the results.

A project can finish for one of three reasons:

1.    It's sold.
2.    The initiative brought losses.
3.    The project has become one of the usual processes taking place in the organization.
 

Importantly! A project activity is considered successful if it is completed for the third of the reasons.
Project management is needed to solve organizational problems in the presence of a high level of uncertainty. For the successful implementation of the project, special tools based on the theory and practice of project management are used.