Project Management Basics

Project Management Definition –
“PM is planning, organizing, directing, and controlling of company resources for a relatively short term objective that has been established to complete specific goals and objectives.”(Kerzner,H.,1979)

“PM is the process of leading the work of a team to achieve all project goals within the given constraints.”(PMI,2024)

History and Evolution-
Gantt Chart(1917)-Invented by Hanary Gantt, It is a visual presentation that helps in plan, execute, manage and track the tasks in project.
CPM(1957) –Critical path method, invented by Duport corporation. This is algorithm to schedule a set of activities in project.
PMI (1969)-Project Management Institute, was launched to promote project management profession.
Scrum (1986)-Scrum is Project Management Framework which is Agile methodology. It encourages the strong collaboration between the team members.
Prince (1989)-Prince is published by UK govt. agency CCTA and become standard for all govt. information projects.
TCM(2006)-Total cost management, released by AACE. This is first integrated Methodology for portfolio or Project management.

Key Functionalities for Project Management:-
Project Planning-
Resource Management-
Risk Management-
Communication-
Quality Management-
Procurement Management-
Change Management-
Problem solving and decision-making-
Team Lead and innovation-
Project Closure and Evaluation-

Benefits of Project Management-
-It Creates Base of Teamwork
-It establishes a schedule and Plan
-It Defines Plan of project before it begins
-It Define Project Scope
-It Controls Quality
-It Minimise the Risk
-It Lowers the Project cost
-It Promote the teamwork

Who is Project Manager
Project Manager-PM are coordinator for Business world. A PM wears multiple hats and juggles between diverse functions to ensure that project get delivered on time, within budget and with highest Quality. “Here Communication is the KEY”.

What Project Managers Do ?
A PM is expected to have an ethical and professional behavior and a continuous learning and development of his skills and competencies required, like leadership, communication and problem-solving.

Career prospects and Growth –
-Roles: Senior Project Manager, Program Manager, Portfolio Manager, PMO, Director
-Opportunities for advancement into executive positions like COO

Project Key Stages and Artifacts-
1.Project Initiations –
Key artifacts -Project charter, Stakeholders Analysis
Key Meetings –Project kick off meeting, Stakeholders interview
2.Project Planning –
Key artifacts -Scope definition, WBS (work Breakdown structure),Schedule, Risk management Plan.
Key Meetings –Planning sessions, Resource allocation, Risk assessment workshop.

3.Project Execution –
Key artifacts -Progress report, change request, issue logs, Test plans and test results
Key Meetings –Daily scrum/stand-up, status review meeting, change control board meeting.
4.Project Monitoring and controlling –
Key artifacts -Performance metrics, Quality Audits, Risk review
Key Meetings –Steering committee meetings, Variance Analysis, corrective action planning

5.Project Closure–
Key artifacts -Final Project report, Lesson learned register, Post implementation review
Key Meetings –Project retrospective, Resource release, Formal project acceptance.

Key Artifacts in project Management-
Project Charter: Authorizes the project, outlines objectives and identifies stakeholders
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS): Breaks down the project into manageable tasks
Risk Management Plan: Identifies potential risks and defines mitigation strategies
Final Project Report: Summarizes project outcomes and performance