Project Management 101 – A Quick overview.
Andrew Lambert
I help tech-driven executives optimize project delivery by building and equipping high-performing teams with cutting-edge tools and skills.
Simply put, project management simply means the planning, organisation and management of the resources necessary to bring about a successful conclusion to a specific task (‘deliverable’).
Objectives
Project objectives define a project. Projects by their very nature dictate that a number of different parties are involved in completing the various elements of the project, and it is vital that all those participating are totally clear on what the final deliverable is and what the staged objectives to achieve that deliverable are.
It is the overall project manager’s job to draw together each of the separate strands of work, on time and on budget, and to oversee the project to a successful conclusion where the deliverables are presented to the client as agreed at the project outset.
There are three primary elements which make up the basic project objectives to be realised:
1. Timescales
A ‘drop dead date’, or completion date by which the final deliverable must be achieved must be agreed. A series of milestone dates by which the various smaller tasks must be completed to keep the overall plan on schedule should be incorporated in the project plan and periods of ‘slippage’ should be included around the tasks most likely to be delayed.
2. Costings
Project costings must also be explored and integrated into the overall plan. It is extremely important that the financials are projected as accurately as possible and are monitored closely as the various stages of the project are completed. Other costs are measured in terms of the personnel who make up the project team, third party suppliers who will be required to make a contribution at certain stages, and equipment or materials required depending upon the nature of the final deliverable.
3. Quality
The final main project objective is the quality of the final deliverable. This must be to a standard acceptable to and agreed with the client. Most contractual agreements will have a clause dictating that a forfeit will be levied should the project fail to be produced on time, on budget, and to the required standard.
In conclusion
If you are new to managing projects, it’s sensible to get the right training and assistance from a professional project manager, that will be able to provide you with hands-on help, as well as good software tools and expert training.
