Project Quality Control Basics
A single poor quality deliverable can create not only a problem with the customer, but an internal cycle of low performance whereby an environment is created where project quality is not valued as it should be. Project team members then get into the habit of avoiding the extra effort to....
What is Project Management?
The Project Management Institute (PMI) defines project management as follows: The application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements. The profession of project management includes the application of many skills, which include: Dividing the project into tasks Creating schedules (deadlines) Estimating budgets Determining project....
What is a Project?
The Project Management Institute's (PMI) definition of a project is considered by many to be the official definition: A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result. Two words within that definition are the key to understanding what a project is and isn't: Temporary: A project has a....
Initiating the Project
In this first out of five project management processes, the project is created and defined to the extent necessary to begin planning the project. This step involves the project setup, and ensures that the performing organization is clear about the purposes and priorities surrounding the project. There are usually certain....
The Project Sponsor
The project sponsor is an integral part of the project management organizational chart. In fact, every project has a sponsor in one form or another. It is a central cog in the wheel in the existence of a project. The project sponsor is NOT a personal financial contributor to the....
Project Management Steps
Like many things in life, project management is an art form as well as a science. But fortunately also like most things in life, a strong knowledge of the science helps you practice the art form with considerably more skill. Some people are naturally good at the art side of....
Project Scope Management according to the PMBOK
Scope management, or rather the lack of it, is one of the biggest reasons for project failure. Correctly defining what is and is not included in the project is absolutely foundational to good project management. I've seen many projects go south even though they had the right expertise, schedule, high....
Determining Project Resources
Once the tasks within the project have been defined, the resources required by each task must be determined. To do this, we consult the PMBOK's Estimate Activity Resources process. PMBOK, 5th Edition, Section 6.4, "Estimate Activity Resources" Estimate Activity Resources is the process of estimating the type and quantities of....
Closing a Project in Style
It amazes me that project closure is one of the most visible aspects of a project to senior managers and executives, yet it is also the phase that is most often skipped or shortened. I realize that project budgets are often used up (or seriously stretched) in the final phases....
The Critical Chain Method
The Critical Chain Method is a relatively new concept in project management. It was developed and popularized by Dr. Elihayu M. Goldratt in his book Critical Chain (1997), which is written as a novel but outlines the methods used to ensure that projects complete on time. The Critical Chain method....
