In the grand theater of human endeavor, few fields showcase the pinnacle of project management quite like the space travel industry. From the race to the moon to the current ambitions of colonizing Mars, space projects have not only pushed the boundaries of what's possible but have also provided invaluable lessons in project management. Here’s a cosmic journey through some … [Read more...]
The Project Management Institute’s (PMI) Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) uses the concept of Project Performance Domains to focus on a holistic view of project performance and outcomes. Eight performance domains provide a comprehensive framework for managing a project from start to finish, and are designed to be adaptable to any project type or … [Read more...]
Sun Tzu’s "The Art of War" is a timeless masterpiece, offering strategic insights that have influenced military leaders, business executives, and strategists for centuries. Although it was written over two millennia ago, the principles laid out in this ancient text are remarkably applicable to modern project management. A project is not necessarily a "battle to be won," … [Read more...]
The definition of a Project is: A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result. The two most important keywords within that definition are: Temporary: A project has a fixed beginning and end. Because of this, there are two factors that come into play in virtually every project: Time (deadlines) and money (budgets). These two … [Read more...]
Like many things in life, project management is an art form as well as a science. But fortunately, a strong knowledge of the science helps you practice the art form with more skill. Although some people are naturally good at the art of project management, I believe that anyone can become a great project manager simply by learning and implementing the fundamentals of … [Read more...]
I once experienced a project horror story whereby a piece of equipment was snowed in at a previous project, delaying the project by several weeks until a transport vehicle could get to the stranded machine. Since there are relatively few of these around, the project either had to wait or additional costs had to be incurred to procure another one. Managing these types … [Read more...]
Planning is the single most important thing a project manager can do to ensure a successful project that meets its goals. The Project Management Institute suggests that planning should ideally consist of about 20 – 30% of the time required to perform the project work. This is substantially more than most project managers actually spend on project planning. … [Read more...]
According to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), the foundation of project management rests upon the five phases that every project goes through: Project Initiation Project Planning Project Execution Monitoring & Controlling Project Closure Project Initiation This process group includes the basic groundwork necessary to create … [Read more...]
Change is the only constant thing in life. - Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher Human nature is such that, if you ask me to do something for you, you expect me to have a plan and, following your approval of that plan, to adhere to it. That's why project management involves the development of a project management plan, which includes the budget, schedule, stakeholder … [Read more...]
Project managers have one of the most important jobs around. Projects make a one-time improvement to a business process, therefore the end products or services almost always represent an important focal point to the organization. In addition, projects are by definition unique and have little repetition to draw from, hence project managers have little choice … [Read more...]
