Project And Project Management.

Definition

• Temporary work performed to produce a unique product or service.
• Each project has a start and end date.
• Everything we need to manage a project from start to finish is project management.
• A control process to initiate, planning, executory, and close down of project within a given time constraint and budget to achieve specific goals is project management.
• Project management is done by the project manager.

Why Project Management?

• Defines a plan and organizes it.
• Establishes a schedule.
• Utilize resources.
• Enforces and encourages teamwork. 
• Continuous Oversight.

The phase of Project Management:

Project Initialization :

• Defines different activities that are required to start a new project like the complexity of the project, size of the project, scope of the project, etc.
• Activity performed in this phase are:
  • Establishing the project initiation team, relationship with the customer, project initiation plan, management procedure, project management environment, and project workbook.
  • Developing the project charter.
    

Planning the project:

• Define the activity and the work needed to complete each activity within a single project.
• Activity performed in this phase are:

• • Describing the project scope, alternatives, and feasibility.
  • Dividing the project into manageable tasks.
  • Estimating resources and creating resource plans.
  • Developing a preliminary schedule and communication plan.
  • Identify risk and creating the preliminary budget.
  • Setting a baseline project plan.

Executing the project:

• Plans created in the prior phase are put into action.
• Activity performed in this phase are:
  • Executing baseline project plan.
  • Monitoring project progress against the baseline project plan.
  • Managing changes to the baseline project plan.
  • Maintaining the project workbook.
  • Communicating the project status.

Closing down the project:

• Focus on bringing a project to an end or closing all contracts.
• Discuss what went wrong in the past to prepare for future projects.
• A project is completed only after the product has been delivered to the client.
• Activity performed in this phase are:
  • Closing down the project.
  • Conducting proposal review.
  • Closing the customer contract.

Advantages:

• Since a particular project is handled by a separate project manager he/she will concentrate only on that particular project which makes it more likely to achieve success.
• Making effective use of resources to achieve goals and minimizing wastage would be helpful for cost management. 
• Manage productivity, risk control and achieve the determined objective.
• Generates products in the perfect way that maintains both quality and quantity.

Disadvantages:

• Sometimes it leads to overlapping of authority and responsibility between the top management and project management where they have different plans in mind which leads to confusion among the team members of the project.
• The organization has to spend time training the staff to make them familiar with the project management tools.
• If management selects unskilled staff then the project will be a failure leading to losses for the company.

Conclusion:

• Project management is an important aspect of the development information system.
• Its main focus is to ensure the system development project, meet customer expectations and are delivered within budget and time constraints.
•  The ability to control the potential risks and make solutions is one of the important facts in project management. 

Time-Cost-Scope Triangle in project management