Introduction to Project Management

By
Kanchana Wimalasurendre
Senior Lecturer / Head of The Department (QS)
ICBT Kandy Campus

Introduction
Many people and organizations today have a new or renewed interest
in project management
Until 1980s, project management primarily focused on providing
schedule and resource data to top management in the military and
construction industries.
Today the project management involves much more, and people in
every industry and every country manage projects.
New technologies have become a significant factor in many
businesses.
Computer hardware, software, networks, and the use of
interdisciplinary and global work teams have radically changed the
work environment.
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In which industries that we can see

projects?
Aerospace
Automobile
Telecommunication
Apparel
Software
Entertainment
Education
Agriculture
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What are the main outcomes of a project?

Product
Service

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Advantages of Using Formal

Project Management

Better control of financial, physical, and human resources

Improved customer relations
Shorter development times
Lower costs
Higher quality and increased reliability
Higher profit margins
Improved productivity
Better internal coordination
Higher worker morale

What Is a Project?
A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken
to accomplish a unique product or service
Attributes of projects

unique purpose
temporary
require resources, often from various areas
should have a primary sponsor and/or customer
involve uncertainty

What are IT Projects?

IT projects refers to projects involving hardware, software, and
networks
Sample IT projects
Developing a new reservation system for a airline service
Many organizations upgrade hardware, software, and networks via
projects
Organizations develop new software or enhance existing systems to
perform many business functions

The Triple Constraint

Every project is constrained in different ways by its
scope goal, time and cost goal.
Scope goals: 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?
Time goals: How long should it take to complete?
Cost goals: What should it cost?

It is the project managers duty to balance these

three often competing goals
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The Triple Constraint of Project

Management

What is Project Management?

-Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools,
and techniques that use to manage project activities in order to meet
project requirements
-The project managers must facilitates the entire process to meet the
needs and expectations of the people involved in or affected by
project activities.

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Project Management Framework

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Project Stakeholders
Stakeholders are the people involved in or affected
by project activities
Stakeholders include

the project sponsor

Project team
support staff
customers
users
suppliers
opponents to the project (A neighbor, employee in the
company as an example)

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Project Management Tools and

Techniques
Project management tools and techniques assist project managers
and their teams in various aspects of project management
Some specific ones include

Integration Management
Scope Management
Time management
Cost Management
Quality Management
Human Resource Management
Communication Management
Procurement Management
Risk Management

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How Project Management Relates

to Other Disciplines
Much of the knowledge needed to manage
projects is unique to the discipline of project
management
Project mangers must also have knowledge and
experience in
general management
the application area of the project

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Project Success Factors

Why do some project success and some fail?
Can organization provide a better environment to help improve project
success rate?
What helps project succeeded?
Executive support
User involvement
Experienced project manager
Clear business objectives
Minimize scope
Standard software infrastructure
Firm basic requirements
Formal methodology
Reliable estimates

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The Project Management

Profession
The job of IT Project Manager is in the list of
the top ten most in demand IT skills
Professional societies like the Project
Management Institute (PMI) have grown
tremendously
Project management research and
certification programs continue to grow

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The role of the project manager

Project managers must work closely with the other stakeholders on project especially
sponsor and the project team.
They have to be familiar with the 9 project management knowledge arias and various
tools and techniques.

Job Description of a project manager

The job description of a project manager can vary by industry to industry.
A common job description is,
Plans

Business analysis

Schedules and Controls

Budget estimation

Manages

Testing

Develops

Prepares and executes

projects

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Sample Gantt Chart

The WBS is on the left, and each tasks start and finish date
are shown on the right using a calendar timescale. Early Gantt
Charts, first used in 1917, were drawn by hand.
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Sample Network Diagram

Each box is a project task from the WBS. Arrows show dependencies
between tasks. The bolded tasks are on the critical path. If any tasks on the
critical path take longer than planned, the whole project will slip
unless something is done. Network diagrams were first used in 1958 on the
Navy Polaris project, before project management software was available.
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Sample Enterprise Project

Management Tool

In recent years, organizations have been taking advantage of software

to help manage their projects throughout the enterprise.
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Project Management Certification

PMI (Project Management Institute) provides
certification as a Project Management Professional
(PMP)
A PMP has documented sufficient project experience,
agreed to follow a code of ethics, and passed the PMP
exam
The number of people earning PMP certification is
increasing quickly
PMI and other organizations are offering new
certification programs
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Growth in PMP Certification,

1993-2002

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Ethics in Project Management

Ethics is an important part of all
professions
Project managers often face ethical
dilemmas
In order to earn PMP certification,
applicants must agree to the PMP code of
professional conduct
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The
TheTechnical
Technical
and
andSociocultural
Sociocultural
Dimensions
Dimensions
of
ofthe
theProject
Project
Management
Management
Process
Process

FIGURE 1.3
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