Chapter 1: Introducing Project Management

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This chapter provides an overview of project management, exploring its five processes-memorize them. These five processes will guide you through the life of a project, and, more importantly, through the PMP examination.

We'll also examine the project framework, general management expertise, and other related areas of project management. The information you'll learn in this chapter will help you succeed in the world of PMP, so let's get started!

Defining What a Project Is-and Is Not

Meet Jane. Jane is a project manager for her organization. Vice presidents, directors, and managers with requests to investigate or to launch potential projects approach her daily-or so it seems to Jane. Just this morning the Sales Manager met with Jane because he wants to implement a new direct mail campaign to all of the customers in the sales database. He wants this direct mail campaign to invite customers to visit the company web site to see the new line of products. Part of the project also requires that the company web site be updated so it's in sync with the mailing. Sounds like a project, but is it really? Could this actually be just a facet of an on-going operation?

Projects vs. Operations

In some organizations, everything is a project. In other organizations, projects are rare exercises in change. There's a fine line between projects and operations, and often these separate entities overlap in function. Consider the following points shared by projects and operations:

  • Both involve employees

  • Both typically have limited resources: people, money, or both

  • Both are hopefully designed, executed, and managed by someone in charge

So what is a project-and how do you know if you're managing one? The definitive book from the Project Management Institute, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (simply referred to as the PMBOK), defines a project as 'a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service.' Temporary means that the project, thankfully, has an end date. Unique means that the project's end result is different than the results of other functions of the organization.

On the Job 

In your organization, projects may be defined slightly different than here. Some organizations qualify every action as a project.

In the preceding example, Jane has been asked to manage a direct mail campaign to all of the customers in the sales database. Could this be a project? Sure-if this company has never completed a similar task and there are no internal departments that do this type of work as part of their regular activities. Often projects are confused with general business duties: marketing, sales, manufacturing, and so on. The tell-tale sign of a project is that is has an end date and that it's unique from other activities within the organization. Some examples of projects include

  • Designing a new product or service

  • Converting from one computer application to another

  • Building a new warehouse

  • Moving from one building to another

  • Organizing a political campaign

  • Designing and building a new airplane

The end results of projects can result in operations. For example, imagine a company creating a new airplane. This new airplane will be a small personal plane (like one of those bubble cars from The Jetsons) that would allow people to fly to different destinations with the same freedom they use in driving their car. The project team will have to design an airplane from scratch that'd be similar to a car so consumers could easily adapt and fly to Sheboygan at a moment's notice. This project, to create a personal plane, is temporary, but not necessarily short term. It may take years to go from concept to completion-but the project does have an end date. A project of this magnitude may require hundreds of prototypes before a working model is ready for the marketplace. In addition, there are countless regulations, safety issues, and quality control issues that must be pacified before completion.

Once the initial plane is designed, built, and approved, the end result of the project is business operations. As the company creates a new vehicle, it would follow through with their design by manufacturing, marketing, selling, supporting, and improving their product. The initial design of the airplane is the project-the business of manufacturing it, supporting sold units, and marketing the product constitutes the ongoing operations part of business.

Operations are the day-to-day work that goes on in the organization. A manufacturer manufactures things, scientists complete research and development, and businesses provide goods and services. Operations are the heart of organizations. Projects, on the other hand, are short-term endeavors that fall outside of the normal day-to-day operations an organization offers.

Once the project is complete, the project team moves along to other projects and activities. The people who are actually building the airplanes on the assembly line, however, have no end date in sight, and will continue to create airplanes as longs as there is a demand for the product.

Progressive Elaboration

All projects begin as a concept. A project concept, to create a new product or service, typically includes a broad vision of what the end result of the project will be. The temporary project results in the unique product or service through progressive elaboration. Progressive elaboration is the incremental design and refinement of the initial concept toward the project plan.

As a project moves closer to completion, the identified needs that launched the project are revisited and monitored. Complete understanding of the needs-and the ability to fulfill those needs-comes from progressive elaboration. Progressive elaboration is an iterative process designed to correctly and completely fulfill the project objectives. This is evident in how the planning and execution processes each contribute to one another. A similar example can be seen in the process to create a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). The WBS begins with the project vision, which is then elaborated upon to create the project scope, and then expanded again into the WBS, and so on.

Consider a concept to build a new building that would handle the manufacturing and shipping of blue jeans. It would begin broadly, with materials delivered, the assembly equipment, and the outward-bound shipping bays. As the project team continues to research the needs and expectations of the project, the project vision would be refined, honed, and polished to a detailed outline of what the project would deliver. As you can see in Figure 1-1, through incremental steps, the project plan is developed and the unique project deliverables are created.

click to expand
Figure 1-1: Progressive elaboration is the refinement of project concept to project plan.



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PMP Project Management Professional Study Guide
PMP Project Management Professional Study Guide, Third Edition (Certification Press)
ISBN: 0071626735
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 209

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