In my previous article, I looked at some of the facts that you need to know about activity dependencies for projects. In this article, I want to look at Precedence Relationships for Projects. 

In this article, I want to look at some of the facts that you need to know about precedence relationships for projects. Follow me as we will look at that together in this article.

A precedence relationship is a logical relationship between two activities that describes the sequence in which the activities should be carried out. Each activity has two open points: Start and Finish. 

Precedence relationships consider appropriate logic while connecting these points. Precedence indicates which of the two activities should come first, the predecessor activity and which should come later the successor activity.

Precedence relationships are always assigned to activities based on the Dependencies of each activity.

Dependency determination …

Dependency determination is the determination of the dependencies of one activity over the other. It involves s establishing the Precedence Relationships among activities and creating logical sequences for projects.

Different types…

#1 Finish to Start

The precedence relationship between two activities where the predecessor activity must finish before the successor activity can start. It can be expressed as ” Activity A must finish before Activity B can begin”.

For example, the foundation for a house must be finished before the framing can start. The total time for these two activities is the sum of A and B.

#2 Finish to Finish

The precedence relationship between two activities where the predecessor activity must finish before the successor activity can finish. It can be expressed as ” Activity A must finish before Activity B can finish”.

For example, the construction must be finished before the building inspection can be finished. The total time to complete both activities is based on when B begins.

#3 Start to Start

The Precedence relationship between two activities where the predecessor activity must start before the successor activity can start. It can be expressed as ” Activity A must start before Activity B can start.

For example, the building design must start before the electrical layout design can start. As with the Finish to Finish example, the total time for activities A and B will vary depending on when. activity B starts But in SS, there is a longer window during which Activity B can begin.

#4 Start To Finish

The precedence relationship between two activities where the predecessor activity must start before the successor activity can finish. It can be expressed as “Activity A must start before Activity B can finish “.

A typical example is an electoral inspection must start before you can finish the drywalling. The total time for Activities A and B can vary widely, depending on the relative duration of each activity. This type is rarely used.

Understand Lead And Lag In Project Execution

In my previous article, I talked about some of the factors that must be considered when it comes to the working breakdown structure for the project.

Here, I want to look at some of the facts that you need to know about the use of leads and lag in project execution. Follow me as we will look at that together in this article.

Leads…

A lead is a change in a logical relationship that allows the successor activity to start before the predecessor activity ends in a Finish to start a relationship.

A lead is implemented when you need to accelerate a successor activity in order to shorten the overall project schedule.

Leads will vary in length, depending on the acceleration required by the amended schedule.

Sometimes, a lead introduces a risk of rework because the successor activity starts before the completion of the predecessor activity, and the complete, comprehensive inputs may not be available.

Possible lead

The programmer for a website may decide to start programming the home page four days before the interface design is approved.

Starting the programming may shorten the overall project schedule by four days. However, if the design is not approved, there may be significant rework for the programmer, resulting in the loss of some or all of the four-day gain.

Lag

A lag is a delay At the start of a successor activity. Some relationships require a lag before the subsequent activity can begin.

Lags are determined by an external or mandatory dependency and may affect activities with any of the four precedence relationships.

Example…

When a lag is introduced in an FS relationship, the overall elapsed time required for the chain of activities increases. The start and finish dates of the successor activity are delayed when there is a lag.

Positive lags

There are several reasons why lag occurs. Examples of two possible lags are:

• The permit application takes six weeks to process.
• The adhesive must dry until tricky before the laminate can be installed.

In the first example, the activity that follows the submission of the permit application is delayed by six weeks due to an external dependency of the application processing time.

In the second example, the installation of the laminate activity is delayed by the amount of time the adhesive takes to dry. This is a lag due to a mandatory dependency because the delay is inherent to the work itself.

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In my previous article, I talked about all that you need to know about work Breakdown Structure for projects. In this article, I want to talk about how to develop a work Breakdown Structure for projects. Follow me as we look at that together in this article.

The guidelines…

#1 Reference material

There is a need for you to gather the reference materials and other inputs you will need. Some of the materials include the scope statement, requirement documentation, a WBS template, constraints and assumptions, constraints and assumptions and other planning inputs that may impact scope definition.

#2 Organisation

You have to determine how you are going to organise the work of your project. Regardless of the organisation, these elements represent the level directly below the project name on your WBS. The WBS can be created using various methods.

Subdividing the project into phases s the first level of decomposition and then subdividing the phases into product and project deliverables is the second level of decomposition.

The project can be subdivided into major deliverables, which can be the first level of decomposition.

Making the subprojects conducted outside the organisation the first level of decomposition and the supporting contract work the second level of decomposition.

#3 Major deliverables

You need to identify the major deliverables or subprojects for the project.

The major deliverables should be listed in the scope statement or contract, but your team may think of more deliverables that are necessary to achieve the project’s objectives.

If you are organizing your project work by major deliverables, this step will represent the level directly below the project name.

If you are organizing your work by some other method, the major deliverable will probably be two levels below the project name.

#4 Sufficient decomposition

You have to analyze each element to determine whether it is sufficiently decomposed. Can each deliverable be adequately scheduled, budgeted, and assigned to an individual person or group?

If yes, you have reached the work package level; decomposition for this element is complete. Skip the next step and go to step 6. If not, further decomposition is required for this element.

#5 Sub-deliverables

Break down each WBS element into Subdeliverables until you reach the work package level. For each element, ask yourself, ” In order to create this deliverable, what Subdeliverables will we have to produce?”. Repeat step 4.

#6 Validate your WBS

There is a need for you to validate your WBS using a bottom-up approach. Starting at the work package level, ensure that:

• The lower level complaints are necessary and sufficient for the completion of each decomposed item.
• Each element is described as a deliverable and is distinguishable from all other deliverables.
• Each element can be adequately budgeted, scheduled, and assigned to an individual person or group.

Remember that, although it is not necessary to have the same number of levels for each deliverable, a disproportionate number of levels may indicate that the deliverable is inappropriately decomposed.

Analyze the element to determine whether one of the high-level components should be broken into two or more Sub-deliverables should be combined.

Make the necessary modifications before moving to step 7.

#7 Project code

Using your Organisation’s or project code of accounts, assign a unique numeric cost code for each element, indicating its branch and level on the WBS for cost performance tracking and reporting.

Action Point
PS: If you would like to have an online course on any of the courses that you found on this blog, I will be glad to do that on an individual and corporate level, I will be thrilled to do that because I have trained several individuals and groups and they are doing well in their various fields of endeavour. Some of those that I have trained include the staff of Dangote Refinery, FCMB, Zenith Bank, New Horizons Nigeria, and Phillips Consulting among others. Please come on Whatsapp and let’s talk about your training. You can reach me on Whatsapp HERE. Please note that I will be using Microsoft Team to facilitate the training.

I know you might agree with some of the points that I have raised in this article. You might disagree with some of the issues raised. Let me know your views about the topic discussed. We will appreciate it if you can drop your comment. Thanks in anticipation.

CRMNUGGETS is committed to fact-checking in a fair, transparent and non-partisan manner. Therefore, if you’ve found an error in any of our reports, be it factual, editorial, or an outdated post, please contact us to tell us about it.

 
In my previous article, I talked about some of the facts that you need to know about work Breakdown Structure for projects. In this article, I want to look at the use of Project Milestones Follow me as we are going to look at that together in this article.

Milestone

A milestone is a control point event in a project with zero duration that triggers a reporting requirement or requires sponsor or customer approval before proceeding with the project.
 
Milestones serve as markers and are defined by the project manager, customer, or both.

Typical example…

A construction firm that is building a new house will include several milestones at the beginning and end of the project and at each phase of the contract that involved deliverables.
 
The major milestones will include: completing the site preparation, foundation, basement, crawl space, floor, roof frames, porch, windows and doors, plumbing, electrical and insulation work, drywalling, and furnishing.

Milestone lists..

A Milestone list is a document that contains the project milestones and indicates I’d achieved the milestones mandatory or optional for the project to move to the next phase.
 
Milestone lists are used as indicators of a project’s progress and the goals that must be reached. They may also list the scheduled dates for each milestone. They are usually accompanied by milestone charts.
 

Entry/Exit criteria

Entry/exit criteria are conditions or circumstances that are required to enter into or exit from. A particular milestone. An exit criterion corresponds to a condition that has to exist for the work to begin.
 
An exit criterion corresponds to what must be accomplished for the milestone to be considered complete. The exit criterion for the completion of one or more milestones is the entry criterion for the next subproject work.

In my previous article, I talked about all that you need to know about project and project management generally. In this article, I want to talk about all that you need to know about project phases and project governance for projects. Follow me as we are going to look at that together in this article. 

Project phases…

A project phase is a group of related project activities that results in the completion of a major deliverable.

Each phase in a project is marked by the completion of one or more deliverables, the review and approval of which may occur before the project can go on to the next phase.

Documents and information that are created in one phase are used as input for the next phase. A project phase can contain more than one process group.

Project governance…

Project governance is a comprehensive methodology to control a project and ensure its success. it is carried out throughout the project life cycle of a project and provides guidance in the form of a project phase review, to monitor and control the project.

Every phase in the project is formally initiated to decide on the deliverables expected out of that phase.

A management review is performed at the start of every phase to decide whether to begin the activities of a particular phase.

This assumes significance in cases where the activities of the prior phase are not yet complete.

Governance activities …

At the beginning of each phase, it is a good practice to verify and validate the former assumptions made to the project, analyse risks, and explain in detail the processes required to achieve a phase’s deliverables.

After the key deliverables of a particular phase are produced, a phase end review is necessary to ensure completeness and acceptance.

Even though this method signifies the start of the subsequent phase, a phase can be closed or the project can be terminated when huge risks are involved for the project or when the objectives are no longer required.

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In my previous article, I talked about some of the facts that you need to know about project and project management. In this article, I want to look at all that you need to know about organizational proc as assets for projects. Follow me as we will look at that in this article.

I know you might agree with some of the points that I have raised in this article. You might not agree with some of the issues raised. Let me know your views about the topic discussed. We will appreciate it if you can drop your comment. Thanks in anticipation.

Organisational process assets are entities that can be used to influence the success of a project. Policies, procedures, guidelines, formal and informal plans, templates, lessons learned documents, and even historical information come under the organisational process assets.

They may also include completed schedules, earned value data, and risk data. Any updates to the organisational process assets are handled by the project team members.

#1 Processes and procedures

These are the processes and procedures the organisation uses for performing project-related costs.

Examples of this may include :
Policies, product and project life cycles, and quality policies and procedures.

It also includes Standard guidelines, proposals evaluation criteria, work instructions, and performance measurement criteria.

It also includes templates such as work Breakdown Structure, project definition and business case forms, the project schedule, the milestone report and contract templates.

It also includes tailored guidelines and criteria for organisational processes that will satisfy specific project needs.

Finally, Organisational process assets contain organisational communication requirements and project closure guidelines.

# Corporate knowledge base

This is a corporate knowledge repository for storing and retrieving information. Examples may include:

• Process measurement databases that provide measurement data on processes and products.
• Project files such as a scope, cost, schedule, and quality baselines; performance measurement baselines; project calendars and risk registers.
• Lessons learned knowledge bases and historical information.
• Issue and defect management databases.
• Configuration management knowledge bases.
• Financial databases.

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In my previous article, I have talked about all that you need to know about organisational culture and styles on projects. I. This article, I want to talk about all that you need to know about the Organisation’s Culture and styles for projects. Follow me as we are going to look at that together in this article.

Several aspects of projects are influenced by the organisational culture. Some of these include:

#1 Project policies and procedures

The project policies and procedures should reflect the Organisation’s Culture, policies, and procedures.

#2 Project selections

The criteria for the selection of projects are determined by the organisational culture. For example, a competitive, ambitious, and assertive organisation will select a project with high risks while a highly rigid and authoritarian organisation may not take a project with high risks.

#3 Project management style

A project manager should adapt to the management style of an organisation. For example, a project manager cannot follow a permissive management style in an autocratic organisation where all decisions are made unilaterally.

#4 Team performance assessment

A project manager should adhere to a company’s policies when assessing the performance of a team. For example, an employee should not be promoted to the next level unless he or she meets all the standards set by the organisation.

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In my previous article, I have talked about phase to phase relationship for projects. In this article, I want to talk about all you need to know about progressive Elaboration for projects. Follow me as we are going to look at that together in this article. 

Phases of the project life cycle are arranged to allow for progressive elaboration in which successive layers of details are added to the plans as the project progresses. Usually, the sequence of the phases defined by most project life cycles involves some type of hand-off or deliverable.

Most often, deliverables from one phase are approved before work begins on the next phase.

For example, design specifications are approved and handed over before approval is gained on the deliverables of a previous phase of the risk are considered acceptable. It helps the project management team plan work to a greater level of detail as the project progresses.

Rolling wave planning…

The three major characteristics of a project are its uniqueness, temporariness, and progressive elaboration. Rolling wave planning is a technique that is used to address the progressive elaboration characteristics of the project. It is nothing but the progressive detailing of project plans.

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In my previous article, I have talked about all that you need to know about the phase gate review for projects. In this article, I want to talk about all that you need to know about phase to phase relationship for projects. Follow me as we are going to look at that together in this article.

Multiphased projects generally follow a sequential process that ensures greater control over the projects and aids in achieving the desired product, service, or result.

There are three types of phase to phase relationships: sequential, overlapping, and iterative. Sometimes multiphased projects will have more that one phase-to-phase relationship occurring during the life cycle of a project.

In such cases, certain factors, such as the level of control, effectiveness, and the degree of uncertainty, decide the relationship. That can be applied between phases. Based on these factors, all three types of relationships can be applied between different phases of a project.

Now the types…

#1 Sequential

This type of relationship contains consecutive phases.

It starts only when the previous phases are complete.

It also reduces the level of uncertainty, which produced reliable cost and duration estimates but which may eliminate the possibility of reducing the project duration later in the project cycle.

#2 Overlapping

This type of relationship contains phases that start prior to the completion of each one’s preceding phase.

It increases the level of risk and can cause rework if the subsequent phase begins before it receives accurate information from the previous phase.

#3 Iterative

This type of relationship includes one phase at a time that will be planned and carried out.

It requires planning for the next phase as the work in the current phase progresses.

It is largely helpful in environments that are quite uncertain and undefined.

It also reduces the chances for long term planning.

The iterative method also helps in minimizing project risk and maximizing the business value of the project.

Above all, it is an extension or corollary of the overlapping relationship, but in this case, the same phase repeats itself multiple times- once in each iteration.

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In my previous articles, I have looked at some of the facts that you need to know about projects and project management generally. In this article, I want to talk about all that you need to know about phase gate reviews for projects. Follow me as we are going to look at that together in this article.

A Phase Gate review is a checkpoint review of project deliverables and performance that occurs at the end of each phase of a project where a management review of sign-off may be required.

Each review is used to check is each phase has fulfilled the exit criteria and is eligible to move to the next phase.

The advantage of this approach; a that the project is controlled by incremental decisions based on information , rather than one big decision based on speculation and conjecture.

The disadvantage of this approach is that it may create the impression that the project team keeps approaching management for assurance, approval, and support and provides management with an opportunity for mentoring and guiding the project.

Like phase gate, tollgate reviews also check if a project phase in a 6 Sigma project has met all the set objectives and is eligible to move to the next phase. When a phase receives tollgate approval, the project can proceed to the next phase.

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In my previous articles, I have looked at some of the basics that you need to know about the project and. Project management. In this article, I want to talk about different types of project Prototyping models. Follow me as we are going to look at that in this article. 

Project prototyping is the process of creating a mock-up of a product or an information system.  A prototype is built for demonstration purposes.

In the software development life cycle, a working model on a smaller or partial scale of the system is built, tested and reworked until an acceptable model is achieved. This in turn facilitates the development of the complete system or product.

Project prototyping works best in scenarios where complete project requirements are not available in advance.

Prototyping models…

#1 Proof of principle prototype

Hi has to do with checking some aspects of the product design without considering the visual appearance, the material to be used, or the manufacturing process.

#2 Form Study Prototype

This checks the primary size and appearance of a product without simulating it’s exact function or design.

#3 Visual prototype

This checks the design and imitate the appearance, colour, and surface textures of the product but will not contain the functions of the final product.

#4 Functional Prototype

This checks the appearance, materials, and functionality of the expected designed to be sure that everything is alright.

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Project Management Institute defines business value as the net quantifiable benefits derived from a business endeavour. In this article, I want to talk about Business Value Creation for Projects. Follow me as we look at that together in this article. 

The benefits may be tangible, intangible or both. in this article, I want to look at how projects can enable business value creation generally. Follow me as we are going to look at that together in this article.

In business analysis, the business value is considered the return, in the form of elements such as time, money, goods, or intangibles in return for something exchanged.

Business Value in a project refers to the benefits that the results of a specific project provide to its stakeholders. The benefits from projects may be tangible, intangible or both.

Examples of tangible elements include Monetary assets, stockholder equity, utility, fixtures, tools and market share among others.

Intangible assets include goodwill, brand recognition, public benefit, trademark, strategic alignments and reputation among others.

Project initiation context

Organisation leaders initiate projects in response to factors acting upon their organisation. There are fundamental categories for these factors, which illustrate the context of a project. Here are some :

#1 Meeting requirements

Projects might be initiated in order to meet regulatory, legal or social requirements among others. The government may come up with policies or requirements that they have to fulfil before they are allowed to produce a particular product or service.

#2 Stakeholders requests

At times , the project might be executed in order to satisfy stakeholders requirements. It is a common saying that organisations embark on projects in order to meet the needs of stakeholders. It is also a common belief that a project that failed to meet the needs of stakeholders is already a failed project.

#3 Implement strategies

At times, projects are also introduced in order to implement or change business or technological strategies. Most times , you may want to move from analogue to digital ways of doing things. This might warrant initiating projects in order to achieve such laudable objectives.

#4 fixing

Most times as well, project night be initiated in order to put things in order. You might want to create, improve or fix products, processes or services as well. It is not every project that are meant to create something new. Some might be done to correct errors as well.

These factors influence an organisation’s ongoing operations and business strategies. Leaders respond to these factors in order to keep the organisation viable.

The project provides the means for organisations to successfully make the changes necessary to deal with these factors. These factors ultimately should link to the strategic objectives of the organisation and the business value of each projects.

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In my previous article, I looked at some of the facts that you need to know about the project life cycle. In this article, I want to talk about some of the outputs of the project life cycle. Follow me as we are going to look at this together in this article.

I want you to note that when it comes to project outputs, the outcome of a phase will become an input into the next phase.

Now let’s look at some of the outputs of these phases…

Initiating 

• Project purpose
• Goals and objectives 
• Project charter
• Assignment of a project manager, management sponsor, functional manager, and user representative. 

Planning 

• Project plan
• Scope management plan
• Scope statement 
• Work Breakdown Structure 
• Activity list
• Project network diagram 
• Activity duration estimates.
• Project schedule
• Schedule management plan
• Resource requirements
• Cost baseline 
• Coat estimates 
• Quality Assurance plan 
• Communication plan 
• Resource management plan 
• Roles and responsibilities 
• Assignment of resources 
• Risk management plan
• Procurement management plan 
• Statement of work 

#3 Executing

• Intermediate or final work results and deliverables.
• Change requests
• Project plan updates.
• Quality improvements
• Proposal and contracts

#4 Monitoring and Control

• performance reports
• Change requests
• Project plan updates
• Corrective action

#5 Closing

• Formal acceptance and closure
• Project archives
• Contract files
• Lessons learned

Understanding The Project Lifecycle For Projects

When it comes to projects, there are stages that projects pass through from the beginning of a project to the end of a project. In this article, I won’t talk about some of the facts that you need to know about the project Lifecycle. Follow me as we are going to look at this together in this article. 

Before you can begin planning and managing your project, you need to define the project’s needs, determine which processes are appropriate, and ascertain the degree of rigour needed to meet the project’s s objectives. To do this, you will identify the project management processes that are generally recognized as good practices across industry groups.

Effective project managers combine their skills and knowledge with appropriate processes to meet project objectives and deliver results in line with corporate strategies.

By identifying the main elements of effective project management processes, you can enhance the chances of success over a wide range of projects across application areas and industries.

The project life cycle …

In order to improve management control, projects are broken down into manageable, sequential phases of work activities. Project phases taken together, are referred to as the project life cycle.

Project lifecycles may have four or five phases, which can vary because the lifecycle is customised to meet the need of specific projects.

A project lifecycle is marked by the beginning and the end of the project. During the initial phase, the project’s general scope and timing are determined.

During the intermediate phases, detailed planning occurs along with the actual work activities. In the final phase, project closing activities occur.

The characteristics…

Though project differs in nature, size, and complexity, they display criteria common characteristics. At the beginning of the project, the cost and staff levels are quite low. They reach the peak once the work is carried out and drop rapidly upon project completion.

Influences, uncertainties, and risks involved with stakeholders are high at the project start and diminish over the life of the project.

Likewise, the ability to influence the characteristics of the final product, without impacting the project cost, is high during the initial stages of a project and low towards project completion.

RTM…

The Requirement Traceability Matrix is a document that is created by associating the project’s deliverables with the requirement for each deliverable. Before the products are finalized, they are tested to check if the deliverables meet the specified requirements.

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In my previous article, I talked about all that you need to know about the project life cycle. In this article, I want to talk about all that you need to know about project management processes for projects. Follow me as we are going to look at that together in this article.

A process is a sequence of activities designed to bring about a specific result in response to a business need. Project management processes are all the activities that underlie the effective practice of project management; they include all the phases of initiating, pre-project setup, planning, executing, monitoring/controlling and closing a project.

Project management processes may produce project deliverables such as software interface specifications or a building:s foundation.

Project management processes are recognised within the profession as good practices; applying them appropriately improves the chances of success on nearly any project.

#1 Initiating

Initiating / Pre Project setup processes involve defining the need for a new project or the new phase of an existing project, validating the project, preparing a project charter, and obtaining approval for the project charter to move forward.

#2 Planning

Planning processes are used to create the project scope, define objectives, and develop a strategy to accomplish the work in the project or phase.

#3 Executing

Executing processes involve carrying out the work mentioned in the project management plan in order to meet project specifications.

#4 Monitoring/Controlling

The monitoring/Controlling process includes regular monitoring of project performance and tracking progress made in the project or phase.

They also include changes that are to be made to the plan when required and corrective actions needed to get back on track.

#5 Closing

Closing processes involve finalising the project activities, handing off the project or phase output, gaining formal acceptance, Yong up administrative and contractual loose ends, and finally closing the project or phase.

Action Point
PS: If you would like to have an online course on any of the courses that you found on this blog, I will be glad to do that on individual and corporate level, I will be very glad to do that I have trained several individuals and groups and they are doing well in their various fields of endeavour. Some of those that I have trained includes staffs of Dangote Refinery, FCMB, Zenith Bank, New Horizons Nigeria among others. Please come on Whatsapp and let’s talk about your training. You can reach me on Whatsapp HERE. Please note that I will be using Microsoft Team to facilitate the training.

I know you might agree with some of the points that I have raised in this article. You might not agree with some of the issues raised. Let me know your views about the topic discussed. We will appreciate it if you can drop your comment. Thanks in anticipation.

CRMNUGGETS is committed to fact-checking in a fair, transparent and non-partisan manner. Therefore, if you’ve found an error in any of our reports, be it factual, editorial, or an outdated post, please contact us to tell us about it.

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In my previous article, I have talked about the normal stages of the project life cycle. in this article, I want to look at the five stages of IT Project Life cycle. Follow me as we are going to look at this together in this article.

Now the stages …

#1 Requirements gathering 

During the requirement gathering phase, the goals and requirements identified in the planning phase are refined to determine the technical and functional requirements for the software or applications.

The requirements document and the Requirements Traceability Matrix are the primary deliverables of this phase. 

#2 Design

At the Design phase, design elements are created for each requirement identified. Design elements are a detailed descriptions of the desired features in the application.

This phase may later be divided into High-Level Design and Low-Level Design. These divisions are also considered to be distinct phases.

#3 Build and Unit Test

During the build and unit test phase, one or more application components are produced for each design element.

Appropriate test cases are also created to test functionality related components. A help system that enables users to work or interact with the application is also developed during this phase.

#4 Integration Test

Drying the integration test phase, the application is migrated from the development environment to the tests environment, where the test cases are run on the application components.

The completeness and correctness of the application and the help documentation is verified during this phase.

#5 Deployment

During the deployment phase, the application along with its help documentation and production data is loaded on the production server.

Test cases are again to run on the application. Successful execution of the test cases will lead to the acceptance of the application by the customer.

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In my previous article, I have told you some of what you need to know about project management  generally, in this article, I want to look at all that you need to know about different types of project stakeholders. Follow me as we are going to look at that in this article.

A project stakeholder is a person who has a business interest in the outcome of a project or who is actively involved in it’s work.

Stakeholders take on various roles and responsibilities; their participation in the project will have an impact on the outcome and it’s chance of success. 

Stakeholders may have compelling interests, needs, priorities and opinions.

They may have conflicting visions for the project’s successful outcome. Project Managers must identify internal and external stakeholders as early as possible, learn what their needs are, and secure their participation in defining the project’s parameters and success criteria. 

While it may be difficult to negotiate to a consensus early in the project, it is far less painful and costly than getting to the end of the project only to learn that someone s else needs are not met or were misunderstood.

Typical example…

An alternative energy-producing company initiated a new project to harness geothermal energy and set up a power plant to utilise the energy for electrical generation.

Stakeholders for this project include the staff, management, and owners of the company; local and statewide elected officials; the licencing agencies, engineers, architects, and construction workers employed by the project.

The different types…

#1 Customers/users 

Customers may be multiple individuals or companies with varying requirements and specifications. Some of their responsibilities include: defining the needs for the project scope delivering the project scope as well as paying for the project output. 

#2 Sponsor

Sponsors may be individuals or groups that provide financial assistance to the project. If the sponsor is outside of the company, such as a customer, the duties listed here may be the responsibility of the project manager.

They include: Has the financial resources for the project, signs and publishes the project charter. He also has the ultimate responsibility for the project’s success. 

The sponsor also authorises and sign off all planning documents and change requests .

He also authorises the team to use resources , champion and support the project manager and team, reviews programs and quality as well as cuts through red tape and expedites activities. 

#3 Portfolio Managers

Portfolio managers or executives in the portfolio review board are a part of the project selection committee and belongs to the high-level project governance side of the organisation.

These review considerations may include Gauging the Return On Investment of the project. Identifying the value of the project.

Analysing the risks involved in taking up the project as well as identifying the factors that may influence the project.

#4 Program Managers

Program Managers in coordination with the project managers manage related projects in a program to obtain maximum benefits. They also provide guidance and support to every individual project.

#5 PMO

A PMO is an administrative unit that supervises and coordinates the management of all projects in an organisation. it focuses on providing: Administrative support services, which include processes, methodologies, policies, standards and templates. Training and mentoring support to project managers and project team members.

It also provides support and guidance in managing projects and usage of tools as a support for resource allocation.

It also provides assistance in better communication among project managers, sponsors, and other stakeholders.

#6 Project Managers

Project Managers are individuals responsible for managing all aspects of the project. The Project Manager: works with stakeholders to define the project. He plans, schedules and budgets project activities with team inputs.

He also works with the team to carry out project plans. He also monitors performance and takes corrective actions. He also identifies, monitors and mitigate risks.

Project Managers also keeps the sponsor and stakeholders informed. He also requests and document scope changes.

He also provides timely reports on project metrics. Also, the project manager act as a liaison between the project team and other stakeholders.

#7 Project Management team

The project team members who perform project management activities are also part of project stakeholders.

#8: Project team

The project comprises the project manager, the project management team, and other individual team members The individual team members perform project work and may not be involved in the management side of the project.

The project team contains people from different groups who possess knowledge on specific subjects or have unique skill sets to carry out project work.

#9 Functional managers

Functional managers are individuals who are part of management on the administrative or functional side, such as human resources, finances, accounting, or even procurement of the business in the organisation.

They sometimes act as subject matter experts or may provide services needed for the project.

#10 Operations managers

Operations managers manage the core business areas such as the design, manufacturing, provisioning, testing, research and development, or Maintainance side of the organisation. Sone of their functions include:

Directly managing the production and maintenance of the final products and services that the organisation provides.

Handing off technical project documentation and other records to the operation management group upon project completion.

#11 Seller and Business partners

Sellers are external parties who enter into a contractual agreement with the organisation and provide components or services needed for the project.

In the same way, business partners are external to the company and provide specialised support to tasks such as installations, customizations, training or support.

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In my previous article, I have looked at some of the facts that you need to know about Programs and Portfolio management but in this article, I will be looking at all that you need to know about Operations in Project management. Follow me as we are going to be looking at that in this article.

Operations are ongoing, repetitive tasks that produce the same outcome every time they are performed.

The purpose of operations is to carry out day to day organisational functions, generate income to sustain the business, and increase the value of organisational assets.

Operational processes are aligned with the business requirements of an organisation.

Therefore, when organisations update or adopt new objectives based on organisational needs, customer requirements, or market demand, these processes are continuously revised to accommodate the changes.

Such process revisions can be considered to be an internal project.

Typical example…

In order to meet it’s increasing customer demands, a computer manufacturing company decided to start a new branch office.

The company plans to reach a break-even point in three years by achieving the desired volume of output from its new branch.

The operations to be carried out in the new branch include daily production, routine maintenance wage and salary credits to employees, grievance handling, logistics and supply of finished products to the market.

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First and foremost, you want to plan and implement projects that will positively impact your organisation, a thorough knowledge of projects and project management is required to efficiently manage your project. In this article, I want to talk about some of the basics of project management. 

in this article, I want to talk about all that you need to know about the basics of project management. Follow me as we are going to look at that in this article.

Business organisations around the world are using project management as a competitive advantage to achieve corporate strategic objectives.

By identifying the main elements involved in project management practices, you can enhance the chances of success over a wide range of projects across application areas and industries.

What is a project…

A project is a temporary work endeavour that creates a unique product, service, or result. It has clearly defined beginning and end.

The end of a project is reached when the objectives cannot be met, the need for the project no longer exists, or it is determined that the objectives cannot be met.

The project requires resources to perform project activities and lead themselves to a teamwork structure because they draw from a range of disciplines to complete the work.

Also, projects vary widely in terms of budget, team size, duration, expected outcomes among others. A project is considered to be successful when the specified objectives are met within the specified duration and budget and with the required quality.

Typical example…

Consider a project authorized by a firm to create an intranet website that will display its employees’ information.

The outcome of the project is the website, and the duration will depend on the complexity and size of the work involved.

The project will come to an end when the website is posted on the server and is ready for use by appropriate users.

Subprojects…

A subproject is an independently manageable component of an existing project. A project can have multiple subprojects and they have in turn can have even smaller subprojects.

Usually, a subproject is given on contract either to an external enterprise or to another functional unit in an organisation. 

Typical example…

The project team working on the interior design of a solar-powered car decided to subcontract the designing of seats and the air conditioning system to two individual external vendors as subprojects. 

Now Project Management …

Project management is the planned effort for executing and monitoring a project in order to accomplish its defined goals and objectives.

Managing projects involves scheduling; identifying requirements; establishing objectives; balancing quality, scope, time and cost; and addressing the concerns and expectations of stakeholders.

Project management is different from the management of routine, outgoing work initiatives.

Projects generally involve temporary initiatives, unique circumstances, and cross-functional teams.

Projects may involve new or specially formed teams taking on new tasks and attempting unfamiliar skills, processes, or work efforts.

Typical example…

In any given project, some of the common responsibilities of project managers include communicating, cross-functionality, managing the efforts of the team members who do not report directly to them, and delivering work on time, within the allowed budget and specification for quality.

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I don’t know of you, but whoever you are, you are involved in project execution in one way or the other. The funniest thing is that not all that is involved in project execution know what project management practice is. That is why many projects fail. In this article, I want to look at some of the foundations of project execution.
 

What than is a project…

A Project is a temporary endeavour undertaken to create a unique product, service or result. For you to now understand it better, let me break down the different aspects of the definition.
 

Unique product…

Projects are undertaken to fulfil objectives by producing deliverables. An objective is defined as an outcome towards which work is to be directed, a strategic position to be attained, a purpose to be achieved as well as result to be obtained, a product to be produced, or a service to be performed.
 
A deliverable, on the other hand, can be defined as any unique and verifiable product, result, or capability to perform a service that is required to be produced to complete a process, phase, or project.
 
It should be noted that a deliverable can be tangible or intangible in nature.
 
In addition, the fulfilment of project objectives may produce one or more of the following deliverables…
 

• A unique product that can be a component of either another item, an enhancement or correction to an item, or a new end item in itself.
• Unique service or capability to perform a service. A good example is a business function that supports the production or distribution of goods and services.
• A unique result, such as an outcome or document. For instance, a research project that develops knowledge that can be used to determine whether a trend exists or a new process will benefit society.
• A unique combination of one or more products, services, or results. For instance a software application, it’s associated documentation, and help desk services.

 
Repetitive elements may be present in some project deliverables and activities. This repetition does not change the fundamental and unique characteristics of the project work. For example, office buildings can be constructed with the same or similar materials and by the same or different teams.
 
However, each building project remains unique in key characteristics such as location, design, environment, a situation as well as people involved in that project.
 
Projects are undertaken at all organizational levels. A project can involve a single individual or a group. A project can also involve a single organizational unit or multiple organizational units from multiple organisations.
 

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