Tuesday, March 22, 2011

How is a project different to any other work?

“A thing which cannot be accomplished should never be undertaken”, African Proverbs.

Many circumstances have been proven that promoting project management gives a triumphant portion in handling a certain project. On account of the techniques acquired on the concept project management, it is indeed very advantageous to apply for. Through the expenditure of project management techniques, projects will run up a couple of predictions if does it be reasonable to continue or to discard during the analysis course of action.


Enable to differentiate what is the difference between projects and any other work, let us define first the true meaning of this thing. The word project is well-defined in the Project Management Body of Knowledge 3rd Edition as “a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service". Temporary means that the project has an end date and that of every project has a definite beginning and definite end. We can only say that it is the end of the project when the project objectives reached already. This word temporary means that a project is finite and it is not an ongoing activity. Generally, project is not a continuous process. While unique means that the project's end result is different than the results of other functions of the organization. Stated are the products of the deliverables of the projects. These products can only be considered as product when it is unique, in which requires that all project must be unique in its own simple ways. Projects itself are also comprises an ambiguous plan to define and constrain a future by limiting it to set goals and parameters.


Project is different to any other work like such of those ongoing works because of the fact that it matters time in which projects are temporary and unique which will have a definite start and end. But then again both project and operational or ongoing work are considered as a types of works, they differ only on the way how these works done, its characteristics and what are the things that should be consider to do so. Somehow these two categories are sometimes overlap and do share the same characteristics as stated according to the PMBOK 3rd Edition are as follows. First, both works are performed by people. Obviously, projects and operational works are both work and performed by the work team which is the people. Projects and operational works can never be successfully done without the person behind those works to execute the needed activities that needs to be accomplished. The second one is the characteristic that both works do constraint by limited resources. Both ways of those works requires resources that are needed by the works to be pull off. It both considers limited resources which will be suitable for those proposed works. There should be a good estimation of the resources, it must be overestimated nor underestimated. Lastly, all works are planned, executed and controlled. This means that those categories for works are seriously prepared, studied before an activity is provided to work with. This gives the intention to properly execute the works and be actively control all those first activities that had made until the work is done. That is why; projects are not merely different from other works. Hence, these projects do provoke the same attributes of other works.


On the other hand, many articles over the internet define the characteristics of a project that made it distinct from any other works; one of those sources is from thewww.spottydog.u-net.com wherein generally defined project as a programmed of work to bring about a beneficial change which comprises some characteristics:

A start and an end. Unlike from any other works, projects are primarily differing because of its feature that inquires the matter of time. This insinuated that projects start in a definite time and end up in a definite time too; this is where the project timeline occur like of Gantt Chart and Pert Chart. This could be an over source to see if the project is done properly wherein the desired time to be done and the desired scope of the project that needs to be meet after the project is ended. In general, projects are designed to be temporary and unique, and;


A multi-disciplinary team brought together for the project. This characteristic provides extension for the quote “form a team, not a committee”. It is good for the project team to work as one – one in the same mind and soul. A team management in managing a project is an efficient and needing factor to make the project successful. The project team must take a proficient and competitive team leader to lead and usually manages a project stage or a small project where his or her particular skills or expertise are a large part of the work. It is the thing of project processes that organize and manage the project team. Project team is comprised of the people to work with the assigned roles and activities for the completion of the project. This said team is responsible for planning, controlling and closing the project. According to the PMBOK, this team will be the core, executive and leadership team of the project. To cut a long description, a project will never be magnificently done without the viable and well-knowledge team member. Thus, this team must be capable of handling risk and promote a systematic team communication to enable clear responses with the teammates.


Is Project Management relevant to me?


After gone through certain projects, the question is, is project management relevant to me?..Hmmmm.. Absolutely yes!. For me, project management is a useful and very helpful technique in dealing with projects. Of all the techniques I’ve known, project management got into my vain. It is very important because it gives a constant guide to finish the project. Like of certain projects I’ve met, it is indeed promoting technique I ever had. This project management gave me an idea on how to handle projects rightly, so that I can manage it successfully. It appropriately gives knowledge and direction to perform a number of tasks such as defining the goal of the project, considering the scope, time and quality or the functionality of the project when it’s done, it requires valuable expertise to support other functions as well and also involves unique scope of work to the people whom will take the project.


Practically saying, project management really important to me especially when I need to create a project in a limited time, well obviously projects are made to be done in a limited time, so I need to comply with it. The thing project management helps me to manage my project in an almost perfect organized manner, in defining and refining the limited scope and resources of my project that should do, as it should be. It also gives me a hint to control myself on where the direction I should go and what are my limitations to do the projects so, as well as the properly documented templates of the project. This could help me a lot not to go anywhere of the project scope and also it would be easy for me to trace things when I organized the documents rightly. And because of the given techniques of the project management, it would certainly trouble-free for me to take the risks of certain projects that I’ll be handling. And lastly, because of the time is a relevant thing managing a project, so, with the used of those presented timeframe that can be use in managing the time management of the project, it would be easy for me to manage and get along with my projects in a strategic, systematic and knowledgeable way.


Perceptibly, projects are made to be done in a time allotted for it. So here are some of the examples of a project that needed to be knowledge properly:

(1) Project for public school rooms. Here, many people are involved such as the cost management team, resources management team, even as to the people whom will literally construct the building. Certainly, project like this need to be done in a timeframe for it is not be considered as ongoing work. Thus, this project will have to be done because it is badly needed in the present time.

(2) The production of a new customer newsletter, catalogue or Web site. The same as the above example, it also needed to be done in accordance to the time. Especially in this thing of making advertisements over the internet. It will never be relevant when once you will not accomplish is directly because many circumstances will come that might give risk to your project; most importantly like of the internet stability, and;

(3) The introduction of an improvement to an existing process. Mostly making these projects are in business firms whose need to update their provided services and products to their clients. This matter will do competitions without other firms, and make some move to enhance what they already have and to jive on what the trends is telling.


Indubitably, project management really gives a proper and organizes way of managing the projects. Nevertheless, projects will be fail when you itself whom will do the task is not taking the planning stage of the projects but rather because of you really plan to fail. The use of project management is only for guidance not for exactly when you do it, and think that project will be rightly successfully done. It also matters the attitude of the project team to accomplish the tasks.

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