Project management is the process of leading a team to achieve specific project objectives within given constraints. It involves the application of processes, methods, skills, knowledge, and experience to achieve these objectives within agreed parameters. The primary constraints of project management are scope, time, and budget, and the secondary challenge is to optimize the allocation of necessary inputs and apply them to meet pre-defined objectives. The objective of project management is to produce a complete project that complies with the clients objectives.
A project is a unique, transient endeavor undertaken to achieve planned objectives, which could be defined in terms of outputs, outcomes, or benefits. Project management often involves planning and organizing a companys resources to move a specific task, event, or duty toward completion. The resources managed include personnel, finances, technology, and intellectual property. Project management can involve a one-time project or an ongoing activity.
The role of a project manager is to plan, organize, and manage the completion of a project while ensuring that the purpose/vision and goals of the project are maintained. They define the goals and objectives of the project, determine when the various project components are to be completed and by whom, and create quality control checks to ensure completed components meet a certain standard.
Proper project management helps to assure that the purpose/vision and goals of the project are maintained, all while supporting the audiences’ tasks and objectives. It also helps team members understand their responsibilities, the deliverables expected, and the schedule everyone needs to follow to complete the project on time and within budget. The Project Management Institute (PMI) has identified nine areas of knowledge within project management, including project integration management, project scope management, project time management, project cost management, project quality management, project resource management, project communications management, project risk management, and project procurement management.
