Project management

PM – simply explained

What is project management?

Project management is the art and science of achieving a goal or task within a specific time frame and budget. It is the process of planning, controlling and successfully completing a project from start to finish. It involves coordinating resources such as time, money, people and materials to achieve the desired result.

What is a project?

A project is a one-off task with a clearly defined goal. It differs from everyday tasks, which are recurring. Examples of projects could be the construction of a house, the launch of a new product or the organisation of a company event. Projects always have a beginning and an end.

The key components of project management

There are three key aspects to project management that need to be focussed on:

Define goals

What is to be achieved? The goal must be clear and measurable.

Manage resources

This includes the budget, the team, material or even the time available.

Adhere to the schedule

Projects always have deadlines that need to be met.

The phases in project management

A project normally goes through five phases:

Important tools and methods in project management

A project manager uses various methods and tools to manage projects effectively. These include:

  • Agile project management for flexible, iterative processes, such as Scrum or Kanban.
  • Waterfall model, where each phase is completed in sequence.
  • Project management software such as Trello, Asana or Microsoft Project to organise tasks, deadlines and progress.

Why is project management important?

Without good project management, important tasks can become confusing, expensive or inefficient. A clearly structured plan helps to optimise the use of time, costs and resources and ultimately achieve a successful result.

Whether it’s a small everyday project or a large corporate endeavour, project management helps to achieve goals systematically and successfully.

Who is responsible for project management?

A project manager is usually in charge of the project. He or she is responsible for coordinating the team, making decisions and ensuring that the project is completed successfully.

Project management is a valuable skill in many fields – from engineering and construction to marketing and IT. It helps organisations to achieve their goals efficiently and successfully.

Image credits: Header- & featured image by jcomp on Freepik