Project management has emerged as a crucial factor that determines the success of an organization. Doing is a work. Is there a difference between a project and other kinds of work? Before we cite the difference of the two terms we will first define each of them. As we all learn from the start of this subject, a project is a task given to with a time designated and requirements to comply. It is very common especially to students because these are always given by their teachers or instructors. It maybe in a written or oral form. One example is, you are given a project to build or create a program for a certain company. To finish that project and submit all the requirements needed you must have perseverance and you must manage yourself. And according to the Project Management Book of Knowledge 3rd Edition, a project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a product, service or result. A project is temporary in that it has a defined beginning and end in time, and therefore defined scope and resources. And a project is unique in that it is not a routine operation, but a specific set of operations designed to accomplish a singular goal. So a project team often includes people who don’t usually work together – sometimes from different organizations and across multiple geographies. The development of software for an improved business process, the construction of a building or bridge, the relief effort after a natural disaster, the expansion of sales into a new geographic market — all are projects. And all must be expertly managed to deliver the on-time, on-budget results, learning and integration that organizations need. So to sum it all up, a project is simply defined as a programme of work to bring about a beneficial change and which has a start and an end, multi-disciplinary team brought together for the project, constraints of cost, time and quality and a scope of work that is unique and involves uncertainty.
In science, we define work as the transference of energy that is produced by the motion of the point of application of a force and is measured by multiplying the force and the displacement of its point of application in the line of action. Work as a noun means, an activity in which one exerts strength or faculties to do or perform something: sustained physical or mental effort to overcome obstacles and achieve an objective or result, the labor, task, or duty that is one's accustomed means of livelihood or a specific task, duty, function, or assignment often being a part or phase of some larger activity. Work is something that is produced or accomplished by effort.
All projects are work, but not all work is project. Why is that so? We will explain it by line so that we can fully understand what it really implies. “All projects are work.” All projects are considered work because as what I had stated above, work is something that is accomplished by effort. We are exerting much effort in doing a certain project. “Not all work is project.” We can say these because another definition of work is, it’s a continuous process. It is clearly opposite to what a project is. As stated in the Project Management Book of Knowledge 3rd Edition, a project is a temporary endeavor. So it means that there is a span of time allotted to finish that certain project. A continuous process is not a project. This evidently signifies the difference of project to any other kind of work. Let’s say for example, the development of a new rent or lettings policy is a project but the subsequent day to day operation of that policy is a continuous process that is usually managed by an individual or a department. That thing as a whole is a project but the continuous process succeeding to it is another kind of work.
So, are these things I’m talking about relevant to me? Is project management significant to me? I can surely bravely that question, YES, without a single hesitation. Project management is a carefully planned and organized effort to accomplish a specific (and usually) one-time objective, for example, construct a building or implement a major new computer system. This is a big help, for me specifically if I will be given a certain job. I can apply the principles of project management so that I will be confident enough that I can finish it successfully. What are those principles that I can apply? First is a defined goal. A common mistake is to start focusing on solutions, how to achieve something, before gaining a clear understanding of the business objectives that you want to achieve and identifying the business sponsors needed to help achieve these objectives. We must first know what your goal in making that certain project is. We should keep in mind that the aim of a project is 'results delivery' not, as is often the case, 'construction activity'. This means thinking about the products that the project is in business to deliver. Second is, time, cost and quality (or functionality) constraints. These things are one of the important factors that we should consider in handling a project. Time is very controversial. This is the common problem of some project teams. It is the reason why a project may fail. . In making a project, the team must set a specific span of time to finish the project. Time is gold but mostly it is wasted. We make time management table before starting the project but sometimes when we are in the situation, we find ourselves lacking of time because we made a wrong estimate. Time is very difficult to handle. So in making a project, we must be sure that the time estimate we allotted fits the completion of the project we planned to do. So to avoid failure because of this factor, we must manage our time. Time management refers to a range of skills, tools, and techniques used to manage time when accomplishing specific tasks, projects and goals. We must be also appropriate with the quality or functionality of the project. We must know what are the qualifications needed to comply the project and we must ensure that at the end we accomplish all those things. Third is it requires expertise and support from other functions. As what they say, no man is an island. No man can stand alone. Although there are times that our brain works faster if we are alone but we also need to consult others to give their opinions or suggestions. We don’t know, their ideas might be better than ours. A common mistake in this principle is the project team abruptly makes decisions and starts to make a debate. They fail to stay focused on what their goal is. “Engage in lots of consultation, but do not have too much democracy.” If you want to achieve a real business result in a realistic timeframe, a small team operating on Stalinist principles is more likely to succeed than large committees acting as talking shops. The project should ultimately be controlled by a small, dedicated 'core' project team, which is focused on achieving a concrete result. This will ensure that when difficult decisions have to be made, they are made clearly, forcefully and quickly. Last but not the least is it involves a unique scope of work. It means the way on how you organize your project. It is very important to know the scope of your project. To make it easier for you, in project management there is what we call the project scope management plan. The project scope management plan refers specifically to the input/output mechanism that consists of a formalized document that is used for the purposes of detailing exactly how the project scope will be defined, what means will be undertaken to develop the project scope, how the project scope will ultimately be verified, and exactly how any and all components of the work breakdown structure will be ultimately created and defined. The project scope management plan also will provide information and assistance in determining exactly how the actual scope of the project will ultimately be controlled in the management process by the project management team and or the project management team leader.
Knowing the principles of project management is really a big help for our future jobs. Project management forms the framework of planning, control and analysis of the objectives of a firm. Project management has emerged as a crucial factor that determines the success of an organization. Whether it is a question of facing an economic crisis or generating large turnover, project management plays a pivotal role in the growth of a firm. The thing that drives people in corporate world is 'Target' that is set as a project goal for each individual team member. Be it a school or college project, a business to run, an information technology project, a party, an event or any other kind of major project that threatens to be a logistics nightmare, requires precise planning and prior research. Time and resources need to be effectively managed to ensure the success of the project.
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