Datasheet

A project is a series of steps that are typically performed by more than one person. In addition, a
project has the following characteristics:
n
A project has a specific and measurable goal. You know you have finished the project
when you have successfully met your project goal.
n
Projects have a specific time frame. The success of a project is often measured by how
successfully the project has been completed within the amount of time allotted to it.
n
Projects use resources. Resources aren’t just people; resources can include money,
machinery, materials, and more. How well these resources are allocated and orchestrated
is another key measure of a project’s success or failure.
n
All projects consist of interdependent, yet individual, steps called tasks. No piece of
a project exists in a vacuum. If one task runs late or over budget, it typically affects other
tasks, the overall schedule, and the total cost of the project.
Projects can last for months or even years. By their nature, projects are dynamic; they tend to grow,
change, and behave in ways that you can’t always predict. Consequently, you, as a project manager,
have to remain alert to the progress and vagaries of your projects or you will never reach your
goals. Documentation and communication are your two key tools for staying on top of a project
throughout its life.
Exploring project management
Project management is a discipline that examines the nature of projects and offers ways to control
their progress. Project management attempts to organize and systematize the tasks in a project to
minimize the number of surprises that you may encounter.
Project management and project managers concern themselves with the following key areas:
n
Scheduling
n
Budgeting
n
Managing resources
n
Tracking and reporting progress
To manage these aspects of projects, certain tools have evolved over the years. Some of these are
conceptual, such as the critical path; others involve specific formats for charting progress, such as
a Gantt Chart. The following sections introduce some key project management concepts and tools.
Critical path and slack
The critical path marks the series of tasks in a project that must be completed on time for the over-
all project to stay on schedule. For example, suppose that you are planning a going-away party at
your office. You have three days to plan the party. The following table lists some of the tasks that
are involved and indicates their time frames.
4
Project Management Basics
Part I
06_009926 ch01.qxp 12/5/06 10:01 PM Page 4