Summary: Information Technology
Management Project
Management
Paul Driessens
,
,Chapter 1 – Introduction to Project Management
What is a project?
A project is “a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.”
Projects are different from operations in that they end when their objectives have been reached or the project
has been terminated. It is important to note that people focusing on operations and projects must work together
for a smooth transition.
Project Attributes
Projects come in all shapes and sizes. The following attributes help define a project further:
A project has a unique purpose. Every project should have a well-defined objective.
A project is temporary. A project has a definite beginning and end.
A project drives change and enables value creation. A project is initiated to bring about a change in order
to meet a need or desire.
A project is developed using progressive elaboration.
A project requires resources, often from various areas.
A project should have a primary customer or sponsor.
A project involves uncertainty.
Project Constraints
Triple constraint: To create a successful project, a project manager must consider scope, time,
and cost and balance these three often-competing goals:
1. Scope: What work will be done as part of the project? What unique product, service, or result does the
customer or sponsor expect from the project? How will the scope be verified?
2. Time: How long should it take to complete the project? What is the project’s schedule? How will the team
track actual schedule performance? Who can approve changes to the schedule?
3. Cost: What should it cost to complete the project? What is the project’s budget? How will costs be
tracked? Who can authorize changes to the budget?
Managing the triple constraint involves making trade-offs between scope, time, and cost goals for a project. For
example, you might need to increase the budget for a project to meet scope and time goals.
Some people, in fact, refer to the quadruple constraint of project management, which includes quality as well as
scope, time, and cost. project team may meet scope, time, and cost goals but might fail to meet quality standards
and satisfy the sponsor.
, What is project management?
Project management is “the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet
project requirements.”
Project managers must not only strive to meet specific scope, time, cost, and quality goals of projects, but also
facilitate the entire process to meet the needs and expectations of people involved in project activities
or affected by them.
Project Stakeholders
Stakeholders are the people involved in or affected by project activities, and include the project sponsor, project
team, support staff, customers, users, suppliers, and even opponents of the project. These stakeholders often have
very different needs and expectations.
Stakeholders’ needs and expectations are important in the beginning and throughout the life of a project.
Successful project managers develop good relationships with project stakeholders to understand and meet their
needs and expectations.
Project management Knowledge Areas
Project management knowledge areas describe the key competencies that project managers must develop. The
center of Figure 1-2 shows the 10 knowledge areas of project management.
Project Management Tools and Techniques
Project management tools and techniques assist project managers and their teams in carrying out work in all 10
knowledge areas. See page 13 – 14 of the book for a list of examples. (Or pdf: 39-40)
Project success
How do you define the success or failure of a project? The list that follows outlines a few common criteria for
measuring the success of a project:
1. The project met scope, time, and cost goals.
2. The project satisfied the customer/sponsor
3. The results of the project met its main objective, such as making or saving a certain amount of money,
providing a good return on investment, or simply making the sponsors happy.
Management Project
Management
Paul Driessens
,
,Chapter 1 – Introduction to Project Management
What is a project?
A project is “a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.”
Projects are different from operations in that they end when their objectives have been reached or the project
has been terminated. It is important to note that people focusing on operations and projects must work together
for a smooth transition.
Project Attributes
Projects come in all shapes and sizes. The following attributes help define a project further:
A project has a unique purpose. Every project should have a well-defined objective.
A project is temporary. A project has a definite beginning and end.
A project drives change and enables value creation. A project is initiated to bring about a change in order
to meet a need or desire.
A project is developed using progressive elaboration.
A project requires resources, often from various areas.
A project should have a primary customer or sponsor.
A project involves uncertainty.
Project Constraints
Triple constraint: To create a successful project, a project manager must consider scope, time,
and cost and balance these three often-competing goals:
1. Scope: What work will be done as part of the project? What unique product, service, or result does the
customer or sponsor expect from the project? How will the scope be verified?
2. Time: How long should it take to complete the project? What is the project’s schedule? How will the team
track actual schedule performance? Who can approve changes to the schedule?
3. Cost: What should it cost to complete the project? What is the project’s budget? How will costs be
tracked? Who can authorize changes to the budget?
Managing the triple constraint involves making trade-offs between scope, time, and cost goals for a project. For
example, you might need to increase the budget for a project to meet scope and time goals.
Some people, in fact, refer to the quadruple constraint of project management, which includes quality as well as
scope, time, and cost. project team may meet scope, time, and cost goals but might fail to meet quality standards
and satisfy the sponsor.
, What is project management?
Project management is “the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet
project requirements.”
Project managers must not only strive to meet specific scope, time, cost, and quality goals of projects, but also
facilitate the entire process to meet the needs and expectations of people involved in project activities
or affected by them.
Project Stakeholders
Stakeholders are the people involved in or affected by project activities, and include the project sponsor, project
team, support staff, customers, users, suppliers, and even opponents of the project. These stakeholders often have
very different needs and expectations.
Stakeholders’ needs and expectations are important in the beginning and throughout the life of a project.
Successful project managers develop good relationships with project stakeholders to understand and meet their
needs and expectations.
Project management Knowledge Areas
Project management knowledge areas describe the key competencies that project managers must develop. The
center of Figure 1-2 shows the 10 knowledge areas of project management.
Project Management Tools and Techniques
Project management tools and techniques assist project managers and their teams in carrying out work in all 10
knowledge areas. See page 13 – 14 of the book for a list of examples. (Or pdf: 39-40)
Project success
How do you define the success or failure of a project? The list that follows outlines a few common criteria for
measuring the success of a project:
1. The project met scope, time, and cost goals.
2. The project satisfied the customer/sponsor
3. The results of the project met its main objective, such as making or saving a certain amount of money,
providing a good return on investment, or simply making the sponsors happy.
