Project Management at a Glance

The Art of Project Management

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ARTICLE | 23 AUGUST, 2014  | BY Jibran Ali

Project Management is a procedure that organizes and managesresources in order to deliver and execute the task necessary to accomplish a project within a defined cost, range and time. It is a management approach for setting and achieving objectives while effectively using numerous resources such as time, funds, manpower equipment, energy, space etc. over the course of a project.

Project management is an artistic science that is driven by goals.

Approximately,almost every individual and every business activity engages in working on different tasks to reach their desired goals. However, it is not necessarily to assume that everyone practices project management.

Every project iscarried out on a one-time attempt to accomplish a few specifiedresults within a clearly defined time frame that has a starting and an ending point. For a project to be successful, it must have a procedural and scientific approach. This art of management secures the best possible outcomes with nominal efforts resulting in maximum prosperity and satisfaction both for employees and employers.

There is a significant difference between undertaking simpler tasks that include few individual business objectives opposed to projects that include complex blends of people, resources, budgets and time. Therefore,technical skills and philosophy, scientific procedure, and organizational methodology achieved the requirement and development of project management today.

Any assignment that involves a number of activities, and is organized effectively with a start and a finish point to reach particular objectives is a project; and every successful project entails a management system.

A successful project involves having an effective solution that delivers the standards required within the established time and cost limits. Project management is a process that includes a sequence of activities working on getting things done with members of a project team to reach a project schedule, cost and technical performance objectives. It also involves combining the systems, techniques and workforce in order to control and observe activities carried out within the project.

Project management organizes the resources necessary to successfully complete the project. A successful project execution is the main objective in project management. A project will only be successful if it has achieved the specified level of quality, completed on time and within the budget.

Prime characteristics of project management are as follows:

1. Objectives oriented
2. Change oriented
3. Functional coordination
4. Planning and control
5. Constrains of time, cost, and quality
6. Knowledge of multiple disciplines and resources
7. Better utilization of resources and tools.

Technical competencies for successful project management:

1. Risk Management
2. Integration Management
3. Scope Management
4. Procurement Management
5. Time Management
6. Communications Management
7. Budget Management
8. Quality Management
9. Human Resource Management

Project management ensures responsibilities that are defined clearly and resources that are focused on specified goals. It also includes a process that offers a structure for communication within and across organizational boundaries. Projects all share similar features and processes. This has led to the development of tools and techniques within project management that can be applied to all projects, no matter how diverse or challenging.

Successful project management should reach objectives as follows:

1. Project must be completed.
2. Project must be completed within the budget.
3. Project must be completed within allocated time.
4. Project must perform to satisfaction.

Project management is associated with information technology (IT), therefore many relate “project management” only with technical skills. In spite of the technological development, the human creative workforce is still at the heart of any organization and its systems. Neglecting this artistic side of project management can lead to project mismanagement and project failure.

Appreciating the artistic and the scientific side in project management can boost the success of planning incredibly and it will help accomplish projects on time, within budget and without sacrificing quality.

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