Chapter 1 Project Management-Introduction

8/2/2019 Chapter 1 Project Management-Introduction

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT


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Introduction

Sometime during the third millennium bc, workerson the Great Pyramid of Cheops set the last stone

in place.

They must have felt jubilant, for this event

represented a milestone of sorts in one of

humanitys grandest undertakings.

.


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Introduction

Although much of the ancient Egyptians

technology is still a mystery, the enormity andquality of the finished product remains a marvel.

Despite the lack of sophisticated machinery, they

were able to raise and fit some 2,300,000 stone

blocks, weighing 2 to 70 tons a piece, into a

structure having height of a modern 40-storybuilding.


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Introduction

Each facing stone was set against the next with an

accuracy of 0.04 inch, and the base, which covers 13

acres, deviates less than 1 inch from level. Equally

as staggering was the number of workers involved.


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Introduction

To quarry the stones and transport them down theNile, about 100,000 labourers were levied. In

addition, 40,000 skilled masons and attendants were

employed in preparing and laying the blocks, and

erecting or dismantling the ramps.

Public works were essential to keep the working

population employed and fed, and it is estimated

that no less than 150,000 women and children also

had to be housed and fed.


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The Great Pyramid of Cheops, an early (circa 2500 BC) large-scale project.


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Just as mind-boggling was the managerial ability of

the Egyptiansthe planning, organizing, and

controlling that were exercised throughout the 20-yearduration of the pyramid construction.

Francis Barber, a nineteenth-century American naval

attach and pyramid scholar, concluded that:

it must have taken the organizational capacity of agenius to plan all the work, to lay it out, to provide for

emergencies and accidents, to see that the men in the

quarries, on the boats and sleds, and in the masons

and smithies shops were all continuously and usefullyemployed, that the means of transportation was

ample, . . . that the water supply was ample, . . . and

that the sick reliefs were on hand.


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WHAT IS A PROJECT?

From above example, it is clear that

humankind has been involved in projectactivities for a long time. But why are these

considered projects while other human

activities, such as planting and harvesting acrop, stocking a warehouse, issuing payroll

checks, or manufacturing a product, are not?


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Tasks vs Projects

oResponding to email

oMaking coffeeoWriting a letter to a prospect

oHooking up a printer

oProducing a customer newsletter

oCatering a party

oWriting a bookoImplementing a computer network


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Features of a Project

some characteristics that warrant classifying anactivity as a project

A project has a definable goal or purpose,

and well-defined end-items, deliverables, or

results, usually specified in terms of cost,

schedule, and performance requirements.


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Every project is unique; it requires doing

something different than was done previously.

It is a one-time activity, never to be exactlyrepeated again. Even in a routine project such

as home construction, variables such as

geography, labour market, and public servicesmake it unique.

Projects are temporary activities. They are ad

hoc organizations of personnel, material, andfacilities organized to accomplish a goal within

a scheduled time frame; once the goal is

achieved, the ad hoc organization is disbanded.


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A project is theprocess of working to achieve

a goal; during the process the project passesthrough several distinct phases in the project

life cycle. Often, the tasks, people,

organizations, and resources change as theproject moves from one phase to the next.

Projects cut across organizational and

functional lines because they need skills and

talents from different functions, professions,

and organizations.


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The organization doing the project usually

has something at stake. The work calls forspecial scrutiny or effort, because failure would

jeopardize the organization or its goals.

Today project management techniques haveexpanded and are applicable to any project-type

activity, regardless of size or technology.

Methods of modern project management would

have been as useful to early Egyptian and

Renaissance builders as they are to present-day

contractors, engineers, systems specialists, and

managers.


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WHAT IS A PROJECT?

The organization doing the project usually

has something at stake. The work calls forspecial scrutiny or effort, because failure would

jeopardize the organization or its goals.


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WHAT IS A PROJECT?

Sequence of tasks Planned from beginning

to end

Bounded by time, resources, & required

results

Defined outcome and "deliverables"

Deadline

Budget limits number of people, supplies,

and capital


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WHAT IS A PROJECT?

Today project management techniques have

expanded and are applicable to any project-typeactivity, regardless of size or technology.

Methods of modern project management would

have been as useful to early Egyptian andRenaissance builders as they are to present-day

contractors, engineers, systems specialists, and

managers.


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Resources (and Constraints)

Time

People

Money

Equipment

Facilities


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A typology of projects.


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Project Management

Project management is a systems approach tomanagement.

A project is a system of interrelated

componentswork tasks, resources,

stakeholders, as well as schedules, budgets, and

plans.

The purpose of project management is to

integrate the components to accomplish the

project goal.


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Functions of Management

The role of management is to plan, organize,and integrate resources and tasks to achieve the

organizations goals.

Although the specific responsibilities of

managers vary greatly, all managerswhether

they are corporate presidents, agency directors,

line managers, school administrators, movieproducers, or project managershave this

same role.


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The activities of a manager can be classifiedinto the five functions identified in Figure.


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First, the manager decides what has to be doneand how it will be done. This is the planning

function, which involves setting a purpose or

goal and establishing the means for achieving

it consistent with higher-level organizational

goals, resources, and constraints in the

environment.


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Second, and related to planning, is arranging

for the work to be done; this is the organizingfunction.

The manager must

(1) hire, train, and gather people into a teamwith specified authority, responsibility, and

accountability relationships;

(2) Acquire and allocate facilities, materials,

capital, and other resources; and

(3) create an organization structure that

includes policies, procedures, reporting

patterns, and communication channels.

F i f M


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Third, the manager directs and motivates

people to attain the goal. This is the leadership

function. The manager tries to influence thework performance and behavior of workers and

groups.

Fourth, the manager monitors work

performance with respect to the goal and takes

necessary action whenever work begins todeviate from the goal; this is the control

function. For effective control, the manager

tracks information about performance with

respect to costs, schedules, and goal criteria.

F i f M


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All four functions are aimed at the goal, which

implies a fifth function: assessing the fourfunctions to determine how well they, the

functions, are doing and where change is

needed, either to the goal or to the functionsthemselves.

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Chapter 1 Project Management-Introduction