You use a word processing program to create a text document. You use a spreadsheet program to calculate sales data. You use a publishing program to design and lay out a brochure. In these cases, the application helps you create the end result.
With Microsoft Office Project 2007, this isn’t so. Although Office Project 2007 helps you create a project plan, the actual project is being executed by you and your team, who are carrying out the tasks to fulfill the overarching goals of the project. It’s up to you to track and control the actual project, using the project plan as your essential road map. When effectively maintained, the project plan is a model providing an accurate picture of what’s currently going on in your project, what has happened in the past, and what will happen in the future.
This chapter describes project basics and the phases of the project management process. It also outlines how Microsoft Project fits into the world of your project. You’ll understand how you can use Microsoft Project as your project information system; that is, the essential tool for modeling your project and helping you efficiently and successfully manage it.
If you’re new to project management, read this entire chapter. If you’re an experienced project manager but new to Microsoft Project, skip ahead to the section titled Facilitating Your Project with Microsoft Project later in this chapter.
Although it might overlap with other types of management, project management is a specific management process.
Organizations perform two types of work: operations and projects. An operation is a series of tasks that are routine, repetitive, and ongoing throughout the life of the organization. Operations are typically necessary to sustain the business. Examples of operations are accounts receivable, employee performance reviews, and shipping and receiving. Employee performance reviews might take place every six months, for example, and although the names and circumstances of employees and supervisors might change, the process of preparing and conducting employee reviews is always the same.
In addition, it’s expected that employee reviews will be conducted throughout the life of the organization.
On the other hand, projects are not routine or ongoing. That is, projects are unique and temporary and are often implemented to fulfill a strategic goal of the organization. A project is a series of tasks that will culminate in the creation or completion of some new initiative, product, or activity by a specific end date. Some project examples include an office move, a new product launch, the construction of a building, and a political campaign. It is never the same project twice—for example, this year’s product launch is different from last year’s product launch. There’s a specific end date in mind for the launch, after which the project will be considered complete. After the project is complete, a new and unique product will be on the market.
Projects come in all sizes. One project might consist of 100 tasks; another, 10,000. One project might be implemented by a single resource; another by 500. One project might take 2 months to complete; another might take 10 years. There can be projects within projects, linked together with a master project consolidating them all. These subprojects, however, are all unique and temporary, and all have a specific outcome and end date.
Project management is the coordinating effort to fulfill the goals of the project. The project manager, as the head of the project team, is responsible for this effort and its ultimate result. Project managers use knowledge, skills, tools, and methodologies to do the following:
Identify the goals, objectives, requirements, and limitations of the project.
Coordinate the different needs and expectations of the various project stakeholders including team members, resource managers, senior management, customers, and sponsors.
Plan, execute, and control the tasks, phases, and deliverables of the project based on the identified project goals and objectives.
Close the project when completed and capture the knowledge accrued.
Project managers are also responsible for balancing and integrating competing demands to implement all aspects of the project successfully, as follows:
Project scope. Articulating the specific work to be done for the project.
Project time. Setting the finish date of the project as well as any interim deadlines for phases, milestones, and deliverables.
Project cost. Calculating and tracking the project costs and budget.
Project human resources. Signing on the team members who will carry out the tasks of the project.
Project procurement. Acquiring the material and equipment resources, and obtaining any other supplies or services, needed to fulfill project tasks.
Project communication. Conveying assignments, updates, reports, and other information with team members and other stakeholders.
Project quality. Identifying the acceptable level of quality for the project goals and objectives.
Project risk. Analyzing potential project risks and response planning.
Balancing scope, time, and money is often among the biggest responsibilities of the project manager (see Figure 2-1).
Figure 2-1. The project triangle is an effective model for thinking about your project’s priorities.
If you increase the scope, the time or money side of the triangle will also be increased. If you need to reduce time, that is, bring in the project finish date, you might need to decrease the scope or increase the cost through the addition of resources.