What is Project Management?

A project in any organization is collaboration across departments to achieve a single well defined objective. The
process of planning, organizing and managing resources to achieve the organizational objective is called project
management.

Project management is very important in production of goods and services. Idea generation to final production of
product or service, each step can be categorized as individual projects. Any project requires a project manager, who
leads the project to its logical conclusion

Project Characteristics

 Timeline: A project has a definite timeline with measurable starting and end point.
 Resources: A project has limited resource of capital and manpower.
 Tools: Special type of tools and techniques are used for project management (Gantt Charts, etc.)
 Team: Project management requires diverse team stretching across departments and functions

Project Life Cycle

A typical project is divided into following phases. Each phase of the project has its own importance and impact on
overall success of the project.

 Initiation Phase: In this phase of the project, feedback received from customers is analyzed and
brainstorming is done as to develop new product or modify existing product to meet the new demands.
 Project Definition Phase: In this phase of the project efforts are made to define the solution for the problem
posed by customers.
 Feasibility Study: In this phase, planning of the project is made and definite milestones are established.
 Project Execution: In this phase all activities and milestones established in the earlier phase are executed in
a timely and orderly manner. This phase utilizes maximum of all resources.
 Project Conclusion: This is the last phase of the project. In this phase, final product or service is handed
over to the operations team for commercial production.

Project Management Activities

Project management activities are mainly divided into three main categories Planning, Scheduling and Controlling.

1. Planning: Planning activities include defining project objective, resource planning, etc.

2. Scheduling: Scheduling activities include developing detailed milestones and guidelines for the project.
These activities are performed typically before actual initiation of the project.
3. Controlling: Controlling activities include developing budget and finance control points, measuring of
scheduled tasks are performed.

Time scheduling
Definition

Time scheduling is a collection of techniques used to develop and present schedules that show
when work will be performed.
DEFINATION
Scheduling in project management is the listing of activities, deliverables, and milestones within a project. A
schedule also usually includes the planned start and finish date, duration, and resources assigned to each
activity.  Effective project scheduling is a critical component of successful time management.

In fact, when people discuss the processes for building a schedule, they are usually referring to
the first six processes of time management:

1. Plan schedule management.

2. Define project activities.

3. Sequence activities.

4. Estimate resources. 

5. Estimate durations.

6. Develop the project schedule.

How to do scheduling in project

management
There are three main types of schedules:

1. Master project schedule. A master schedule tends to be a simplified list of tasks with a timeline or
project calendar.

2. Milestone schedule or summary schedule. This type of schedule tracks major milestones and key
deliverables, but not every task required to complete the project.

3. A detailed project schedule. This is the most thorough project schedule, as it identifies and tracks
every project activity. If you have a complex, large, or lengthy project, it’s important to have a
detailed project schedule to help track everything.

WHAT IS A GANTT CHART?

A gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart that visually represents a project plan
over time. Modern gantt charts typically show you the status of—as well as
who’s responsible for—each task in the project.

In other words, a gantt chart is a super-simple way to keep you out of a project
pinch!
What are the key parts of a Gantt chart?

A Gantt chart is made up of several different elements. So let’s take a quick look
at 8 key components so you know how to read a Gantt chart:

 Task list: Runs vertically down the left of the Gantt chart to describe project
work and may be organized into groups and subgroups

 Timeline: Runs horizontally across the top of the Gantt chart and shows
months, weeks, days, and years

 Dateline: A vertical line that highlights the current date on the Gantt chart

 Bars: Horizontal markers on the right side of the Gantt chart that represent
tasks and show progress, duration, and start and end dates

 Milestones: Yellow diamonds that call out major events, dates, decisions,

and deliverables

 Dependencies: Light grey lines that connect tasks that need to happen in a

certain order

 Progress: Shows how far along work is and may be indicated by %

Complete and/or bar shading

 Resource assigned: Indicates the person or team responsible for

completing a task

LOB (line-of-business)
1. An LOB (line-of-business) is a general term that describes the products or services
offered by a business or manufacturer.  A company that manufactures solid state disk
drives, for example, might claim their LOB is data storage. 

2. An LOB application is one of the set of critical computer applications that are vital to
running an enterprise. LOB applications are usually large programs that contain a
number of integrated capabilities and tie into databases and database management
systems.

3.  In some large enterprise cultures, the term line-of-business (LOB) is used as a
synonym for corporate division. 
Network Technique: Meaning,
Objectives and Advantages
Network technique is a technique for planning, scheduling (programming) and
controlling the progress of projects. This is very useful for projects which are
complex in nature or where activities are subject to considerable degree of
uncertainty in performance time.

A network analysis has following objectives:

1. Powerful tool of planning, scheduling and control.

2. Shows the inter-relationships of the activities of a project or a programme.

3. Minimises total cost where the cost of delays and cost of resources required
to carry out the tasks can be measured.

4. Minimise total time where required e.g. in maintenance of production-line

machinery in a factory.

5. Minimization of idle resources.

6. Minimise production delays.

7. To provide systematic approach in planning and scheduling.

8. Follow an integrated approach and bring about better coordination between

the departments.

Main advantages of the network system are as follows:

1. Detailed and thoughtful planning provides better analysis and logical
thinking.

2. Identifies the critical activities and focus them to provide greater managerial
attention.

3. Network technique enables to forecast project duration more accurately.

4. It is a powerful tool for optimisation of resources by using the concept of

slack.

5. It provides a scientific basis for monitoring, review and control, to evaluate

effect of slippages.

6. It helps in taking decision;

(i) To over-come delays,

(ii) To crashing programme,

(iii) Optimising resources, and

(iv) On other corrective actions.

7. It helps in getting better co-ordination amongst related fields.

8. It is an effective management tool through a common and simple language,

providing common understanding.

Limitations of Network Techniques:

(i) Network technique is simply a tool to help the management; hence its
effectiveness depends on how well it is used by the management.

(ii) Its accuracy depends on the estimation of the data used in the network.

(iii) It is useful only if it is updated regularly and decisions for corrective

actions are taken timely.

CONSTRUCTING A NETWORK DIAGRAM -

PROJECT MANAGEMENT
critical path method
The critical path method (CPM) is a step-by-step project management technique for
process planning that defines critical and non-critical tasks with the goal of preventing
time-frame problems and process bottlenecks. The CPM is ideally suited to projects
consisting of numerous activities that interact in a complex manner.

 Define the required tasks and put them down in an ordered (sequenced) list.

 Create a flowchart or other diagram showing each task in relation to the others.

 Identify the critical and non-critical relationships (paths) among tasks.

 Determine the expected completion or execution time for each task.

 Locate or devise alternatives (backups) for the most critical paths.

The origins of CPM:

The CPM was developed in the 1950s by DuPont, and was first used in missile-
defense construction projects. Since that time, the CPM has been adapted to other
fields including hardware and software product research and development. Various
computer programs are available to help project managers use the CPM

Project Management 101: What is

Float/Slack?
In project management, “float” or “slack” is the amount of time that a task can be delayed without affecting
the deadlines of other subsequent tasks, or the project’s final delivery date. The former is called “free float”,
and the latter is called “total float”

How Do I Find Float?

The simplest way to compute slack is to subtract the time you’ve allotted to complete a task from
the time the task actually takes. For example, if you’ve allotted 10 days for a task, but it only takes
you 6 hours to complete, then your slack is 4 days. Tasks that have zero float can be considered
as part of the “critical path”, because any delay on these tasks means a delay to the project
deadline itself.
To compute total float, you need to add up the free float of all the other tasks in the project. If the
number is positive, then you have that much room to finish a project in case of delays or problems.
If the number is negative, then you don’t have enough time scheduled for the project and it will
most likely miss the deadline.
How Can I Maximize Float?
In order to maximize float, you need to identify your critical path and calculate the amount of float
in each non-critical task path. It will help if you visualize the project using a Gantt chart
or PERT diagram. With these tools, you can reshuffle tasks and consolidate all of your non-critical
tasks into as few task chains as possible. You can then reassign resources and work schedules to
focus on the critical chain, and to increase team productivity and efficiency. It may not change the
amount of float, but it will get you the most out of those spare hours.

What Is a PERT Chart?

A PERT chart is a project management tool that provides a graphical representation of a
project's timeline. The Program Evaluation Review Technique (PERT) breaks down the
individual tasks of a project for analysis. PERT charts are considered preferable to Gantt
charts because they identify task dependencies, but they're often more difficult to interpret.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

 PERT charts were first created by the U.S. Navy's Special Projects Office in 1957 to
guide the Polaris nuclear submarine project.
 A PERT chart uses circles or rectangles called nodes to represent project events or
milestones. These nodes are linked by vectors, or lines, that represent various tasks.
 A PERT chart allows managers to evaluate the time and resources necessary to
manage a project.
How Do PERT Charts Work?
A PERT chart uses circles or rectangles called nodes to represent project events or
milestones. These nodes are linked by vectors or lines that represent various tasks.

Dependent tasks are items that must be performed in a specific manner. For example, if an
arrow is drawn from Task No. 1 to Task No. 2 on a PERT chart, Task No. 1 must be
completed before work on Task No. 2 begins.

Items at the same stage of production but on different task lines within a project are
referred to as parallel tasks. They're independent of each other, but they're planned to
occur at the same time.

A well-constructed PERT chart looks like this:

https://images.app.goo.gl/mTp7ot6ShK8Ap4Fg9
Definition of Crashing (In Project
Management Terms)
Crashing is a schedule compression technique used to reduce or shorten the project schedule.

The PM can various measures to accomplish this goal. Some of the common methods used
are

 Adding additional resources to the critical path tasks

This option has various constraints such as the securing of the budget to add the resources, and the
availability of the resources.
 Reduce the project requirements or scope
This can be done only if the sponsor and major stakeholders agree to reduce the scope
After applying the crashing, the critical path might have changed and result in creating a
different critical path. Always revisit the project schedule to ensure the schedule has been
crashed.

5 Other Definitions
1. Crashi
technique in which resources are added to the project for the least cost possible. Cost and schedule
tradeoffs are analyzed to determine how to obtain the greatest amount of compression for the least
incremental cost.
 2. Crashi
purposes of decreasing total period of time (also known as the total project schedule duration). The
diminishing of the project duration typically take place after a careful and thorough analysis of all
possible project duration minimization alternatives in which any and all methods to attain the maximum
schedule duration for the least additional cost.
3. When
activity normally takes this many Project Management Triangle days or weeks. We could make it take
less time, but to do so would cost more money.  Spending more money to get something done more
quickly is called “crashing”. There are various methods of project schedule crashing, and the decision
to crash should only take place after you’ve carefully analyzed all of the possible alternatives.The key
is to attain maximum decrease in schedule time with minimum cost.
4. Crashi
getting the highest level of efficiency.
5. Crashi
compress the schedule. In crashing, you review the critical path and see which activities can be
completed by adding extra resources. You try to find the activities that can be reduced the most by
adding the least amount of cost. Once you find those activities, you will apply the crashing technique.

Project Organization: Definition & Types

The current types of organizational structure of project management are: functional organizational
structure, project-based organizational structure and matrix organizational structure.
1. Functional organizational structure.
Functional organizational structure is to be managed in the current organization
hierarchical structure, once the project begins operation, the various components of the
project are taken by the functional units, each unit is responsible for its charged
component. If the the project established, a functional area plays a dominant role,
functional areas on completion of the project, senior managers will be responsible for
project coordination.
Advantages of this structure:

the use of personnel with greater flexibility, as long as the choice of

First,
a suitable functional departments as the project supervisor,
the department will be able to provide professional and technical personnel
required by the project, and technology experts can also be used by different
projects and after completion of the work can go back to his original work;
when the project team members leave or leave the company, the
Second,
functions can be used as the basis for maintaining the continuity of the
project; third, functional department can provide a normal career path
for professionals.
The disadvantage of this structure is:
First, projects often lack of focus, each unit has its own core functions of general business, sometimes in order
to meet their basic needs, responsibility for the project will be ignored, especially when the interest taken in the
project brought to the unit not the same interest;

Second, such organization has certain difficulties in the inter-departmental cooperation and exchanges;

Third motivation is not strong enough for project participants, they think the project is an additional burden,
and not directly related to their career development and upgrading;
Fourth, in such organizational structure, sometimes no one should assume full responsibility for the project,
often the project manager is only responsible for part of the project, others are responsible for the other parts of
the project, which leads to difficulties in coordination situation.

2. Project-based organizational structure.

Project organizational structure refers to the creation of an independent project team, the team’s
management is separated from the parent organization’s other units, have their own technical staff and
management, enterprise assigns certain resources to project team, and grant project manager of the
largest free implementation of the project .

The advantages of this structure:

First, focus on this project team, project manager is solely responsible for the project, the only task for
project members is to complete the project, and they only report to the project manager, avoiding the
multiple leadership;

Second, the project team’s decision is developed within the project, the reaction time is short; Third, in
this project, members work with strong power, high cohesion, participants shared the common goal of
the project, and individual has clear responsibilities.

The disadvantage of this organizational structure:

First, when a company has several projects, each project has its own separate team, which will lead
to duplication of efforts and the loss of scalable economies;

Second, the project team itself is an independent entity, prone to a condition known as “Project
inflammatory” disease, that is, there is a clear dividing line between the project team and the parent
organization, weakening the effective integration between project team and the parent organization;
Third, the project team members lack of a business continuity and security, once the project ended,
return to their original functions may be more difficult.

3. Matrix organizational structure.

Matrix organizational structure is a hybrid form, it loads a level of project management structure on the
functional hierarchical structure. According to the relative power of project managers and functional
managers, in practice there are different types of matrix systems, respectively, Functional Matrix: in this
matrix, functional managers have greater powers than project managers); Project Matrix: in this matrix,
project managers have greater powers than functional managers); Balance Matrix: in this matrix,
functional managers and project managers have the equal powers.

The advantages of this organizational structure:

First, it is the same as functional structure that resources can be shared in multiple projects, which can
significantly reduce the problem of redundant staff;

Second, project is the focus of work, with a formal designated project manager will make him give
more attention to the project, and responsible for the coordination and integration work between different
units;

Third, when there are multiple projects simultaneously, the company can balance the resources to
ensure that all the projects can progress to complete their respective costs and quality requirements;
Fourth, the anxiety of project members is reduced greatly after the end of the project, while they are
strongly associated with the project, on the other hand, they have a “home” feeling about their functions.
 The disadvantage is that this organizational structure:
First, the matrix structure has exacerbated the tensions between functional manager and project
manager;

Second, under any circumstances, sharing equipment, resources and personnel among different
projects will lead to conflict and competition for scarce resources;

Third, in the process of project implementation, the project manager must negotiate and consult with the
department managers on various issues, which leads to the delay in decision making;

Fourth, matrix management is not according to the principles of unified management, project members
have two bosses, the project manager and functional managers, when their commands are divided, it will
make members at a loss.

Project Planning and Control

The Project Control Cycle

Similarly, in project management the project manager needs to create an environment

where any change to the project plan is fed back as information.

Typically, this is depicted as the project planning and control cycle. The importance of
project planning and control cycle — or the project control cycle — cannot and should
not be understated.
 Human Aspects of Project Management
Introduction
One of the biggest challenges project managers face is balancing, organizing,
winning, overcoming, placating, supporting, guiding, leading, and as appropriate,
modifying the human aspects involved with the project. The key areas to be
addressed include:
 Project sponsorship and leadership
 The organization structure and culture
 The project team
 Communication

Performance Reviews
Performance reviews is a technique employed in project management that is used to
gauge, compare, and analyze the performance of work in progress against
the baseline of the project. The benefit of conducting performance review is that it
can dictate the fate of the project within the organization.
There are many things that are measured, compared and analyzed in performance
reviews and these include the actual implementation and completion dates of the
project as well as the remaining time for work in progress.

There are different techniques that are used to conduct performance reviews  and
these include the following:

 Critical chain method: This method compares the amount of buffer remaining
from the buffer required to protect the delivery date. It is used to determine the
status of the schedule.
 Earn value management: It is used to assess the degree of variation of the
scheduled baseline using the schedule variance and schedule performance.
 Trend analysis: This method examines the performance of the project over time.
It helps determine if the performance of the project is deteriorating or improving.
 Critical path method: It compares the progress along the critical path to determine
the status of the schedule. It has a direct impact on the project’s end date.
  Procurement Performance Reviews  In project management, the procurement performance
reviews refer to the structured review of the progress of the sellers when it... 
  Work Performance Information  Part of the executed project management plan includes the
routine collection of work performance information. The information gathered is important,... 
  Documentation Reviews  Poor project management can be tracked to the insufficient planning
and documentation. The lack of understanding of the information  can... 
  Performance Reporting  Effectively managing a project is a many layered process and effort,
and there are a number of components that need... 
   Performance Reports  Effectively managing a project is a many layered process and effort,
and there are a number of components that need...

Definition of Remedial Measures 

Remedial Measuresmeans any measures or actions required or undertaken to investigate, monitor, clean up,
remove, treat, prevent, contain or otherwise remediate the presence or Release of any Hazardous Substance.