Project Management

Understanding Project Management

By : Author

Date : December 8 , 2006

Abstract

Those who found themselves beset in the corporate arena quickly become aware that project management occurs in practically each industry . For executives , this concept of managing numerous tasks while maintaining profitability is key to financial and corporate success . In the eyes of project managers this means better control while using existing corporate resources . This emphasis on internal resolutions rather then external resources has led to a rather modern look at managing corporate activities . This term will look at various

aspects of project management , and how this management style achieves a competitive advantage in today 's society

Contents

1 . Introduction

2 . Initially setting a goal

3 . Role and Skill-set of a project manager

4 . Birth and Growth of the Project

5 . WBS (Work Breakdown Structure

6 . Organization impacts and structural appearances

7 . Pitfalls

8 . Time management and PERT /CPM

9 . Graphical appearances of project management

10 . Quality

11 . Conclusion

12 . References

Introduction

The scope of project management is all about the responsibility of organizing , administering , and bringing a project successfully to its conclusion . Of foremost importance is defining the goal of the project Too often those in such a position quickly leap into seeking to accomplish a task without the due diligence of understanding what the original problem is . Initially , a cause-and-effect data gathering must be done . This process looks at the initial situation through objective eyes . By gathering vital information , a project manager can incorporate the value of completing a project while understanding any potential downstream impacts . Here is a basic example : In a well-balanced corporate environment most work is completed between 9 AM to 5 PM . In some cases , some individuals may wind up carrying the majority of the weight behind the projects and work til 7PM while others leave punctually at 5PM . A project manager can ask `why ' such a condition exists and anticipate if the workload is not being distributed evenly This initial data gathering allows for data acquisition to occur and thus a goal to be set

Initially Setting a Goal

A goal allows for all parties to be aware of what requires to be accomplished . This goal indicates that each stakeholder is aware of specific aspects of the project . This objective look shows that the target goal is being accomplished , and allows for all problems or potential opportunities to be plainly listed out by the identified stakeholders (Pinto , 2007 ,

. 38-39 . Each problem or opportunity is defined and a reality check is done to make sure that each goal is feasible or even if it is worth doing . This planning process indicates that the project is of value . In addition , it is a practical and effective way to brainstorm the structure and feasibility of the project . In some cases , a larger project requires due diligence in comprehending which key players are required to perform which tasks This in turn determines what results are expected to occur at the conclusion of the project . Often such...