The approach to project management can be described as project management methodology. It is a sequence of steps or tasks that can be followed to achieve the project’s goal while keeping within the limits of the “triple constraints”, Ai scope, cost, and time. Managers and organizations have many options when it comes to developing and delivering projects. A manager might choose to use an Agile approach to managing projects, or a phased approach. PMI’s PMBOK, Prince -2 and PMI’s PMBOK are two examples of such methodologies. These methodologies define each phase of a project’s life cycle in detail and include a series interrelated processes, including tasks or activities. These processes are designed to ensure that projects are professionally managed and delivered according to a defined and structured approach.
A methodology must be implemented with a certain level of formality. While first impressions can be difficult, it is important to avoid making short cuts that compromise the integrity and limit the benefits of a method. In its fourth and most recent edition, PMBOK defines five process groups.
Initiation
Planning
Execution
Monitoring and Control
Closure
These phases span the entire project’s life cycle. These 5 process groups include processes that are necessary for managing a project in each phase. For example, a project in its Initiation stage requires 2 processes: Develop Project Charter and Identify stakeholders. This will ensure that the project manager follows the two processes, makes necessary documents, gets go-ahead from project sponsors, reserves necessary funding, prepares preliminary scope statements or SOW, creates project charter, and creates a stakeholder registry to mark the start of stakeholder management strategy planning. These are the GroupWise processes for distribution, as described in PMBOK methodology
Initiation, Ai 2 processes
Planning,Ai20 processes
Execution, Ai 8 processes
Monitoring and Control, Ai 10 processes
Closure,Ai 2 processes
These 42 processes can also been studied as part of knowledge area. There are nine project management knowledge areas that separate the processes based upon project integration, cost and time, scope, quality and human resource management, communication, and procurement.
These methods are highly adaptable. It is up to the managers as well as the entire organization to choose the best combination of these processes for their particular project environment. Although it is not necessary to have a full-fledged network of processes available to all managers and teams, it is recommended that the right set be established within an organization to allow the team to function and deliver the best possible results.
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