Begin at the Beginning

    A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result.  A child building a sand castle or an adult changing the landscaping of their lawn finished a project.  So really anything short term can be a project and everyone completed a project at one point in their life.  However, the projects mentioned are not too large or complex enough to require proper planning.  The redesign of an automobile plant for the construction of a new vehicle model is also a project. We can all agree that no one can pick up a bucket or shovel and just start modifying the factory.   This is where project management comes into play.

    Project management is the planning and orchestration of a project to finish it within the time, cost and scope restraints.   Project management can be split into 9 knowledge area.   The four core functions are scope, time, cost and quality management.   The four facilitating functions are human resource, communications, risk, and procurement management.  These four core and four facilitating functions are combined using the ninth knowledge area project integration management.  I elaborate on these areas as the blog continues.  Since this is a beginner’s journey, I fill in the blanks as I learn them.   A project manager oversees all this with the input from the project sponsor.  The project sponsor being a person who is invested in the project and give the project manager the majority of the guidance on the objectives of the project. 

     So why is this important to me?  Well, almost anything can be considered a project.   However, not everything should fall under project management.  For instance, I want to organize my closet.  Should I really spend a day meeting with myself and drawing up papers and diagrams to do it in the most efficient way possible?  No, that would be a waste of time, any efficiencies gained would be negated by the planning process.   My closet does not have that much stuff in it.  However, I am planning a move across the country.  Should I start a formal project for that objective?  Yes, a move across the country is complex, requires a lot of communication with different organization, and the risks of poor planning are great.  In other words, one does not simply walk into Mordor.   That is why project management is important to me.  For me project management should be applied to large scale, complex projects with great risks for failure.   Proper project management helps me see the constraints, in terms of scope, time and costs.   Project management also identifies the risks and mitigates them through proper planning and communication.   Thus, I start this journey to become a better planner which produces smoother projects, which means more time spent relaxing and less time worrying.