M

Main Data Facility (MDF) The primary location where the servers, telephony gear, routers, and demarcation points are kept. (Note that in some cases the demarcation points are at a separate place in the building, but cabling is run to the datacenter for purposes of connecting the computer and communications equipment.) Unless the servers are kept elsewhere, another name for the MDF is the datacenter.

Major deliverables Outputs that must be produced to bring the phase or project to completion. Deliverables are tangible and can be measured and easily proved.

Make or buy analysis Looking at the trade-offs between doing something in-house versus procuring it outside the organization.

Managerial reserve An amount set aside by upper management to cover future situations that cannot be predicted .

Mandatory dependency A relationship between two tasks that is created by the type of work the project requires.

Materials A catchall category of project resources that includes software, utility requirements such as electricity or water, any supplies needed for the project, or other consumable goods.

Mathematical analysis Calculating theoretical early and late start and finish dates for all project activities.

Matrix management Using people from different business entities in a project for at least a part of their time; team members report to both their functional manager and the project manager. Matrix management is common in IT projects.

Matrix organization An organizational structure where employees report to one functional manager and at least one project manager. Functional managers assign employees to projects and carry out administrative duties , while project managers assign tasks associated with the project to team members and execute the project.

Metric A standard of measurement that specifically defines how something will be measured.

Milestone A major deliverable or key event in the project used to measure project progress.

Multiple business unit project A project that is initiated by multiple business units.