I'm preparing for my annual seminar at Carnegie Mellon University. This year my topic is "The 5 Immutable Principles of Project Management."
I'll post the briefing once it's approved. But here's a sample to set the tone.
We get confused when we interchange project management with product development. I was confused at one time as well. Bill Duncan - of PMBOK(r) fame - set me straight many years ago.
Here's a sample:
Project
A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique produce, service, or result. The end is reached when the project’s objectives have been achieved or when the project is terminated because its objectives will not or cannot be met, or when the need for the project no longer exists.
Management
Judicious use of means to accomplish an end. The act, art, or manner of managing, or handling, controlling, or directing. Organization and coordination of the activities of an enterprise in accordance with certain policies and in achievement of clearly defined objectives.
Project + Management
You can assemble the sentence.
Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements. Project management is accomplished through the appropriate application and integration of project management processes.
So if someone says they're doing "project management" then ask if they're doing something related to the words above? Start at the top of the concept:
Application and integration of project management processes
What Are the Tools Needed to Manage Projects?
Here's a short list of the project management tools we use on programs. When we talk about improving the project management processes and tools that support them, we need to address these as a minimum:
- Scheduling and Planning Systems
- Job Card & Detail Milestone Applications
- Earned Value Engines
- Cost Estimating Tools
- Quantitative and Qualitative Risk Applications
- ERP Systems
- Financial & Timesheet Applications
- Document Management & Requirements
- Analytical and Reporting Tools
There are other tools of course, but these are the core tools that support the core processes in our program management domain and other enterprise class and large construction programs.
Now if the advocates of PM 2.0 have any approach that increases the Probability of Program Success (PoPS) want to address the problem, let's see if integrating these systems can be a common goal?
