Project Management

(CoE 422)
4th Year – Department of Computer Engineering

By
Dr. Ali Haddad
5. Project Integration Management
5.1 What is Project Integration Management?
 Project integration management involves coordinating all the other project management knowledge areas
throughout a project’s life cycle, to ensure that all the elements of a project come together at the right
times to complete a project successfully.
 The main job of the project manager is project integration management, especially in large projects.
 Project integration management must occur within the context of the entire organization, not just within a
particular project. The project manager must integrate the work of the project with the ongoing
operations of the organization.

Project Integration Management | 3

5.2 Case Study
 The top management of a biotech company recently made Nick the manager of a critical, large project
that has been under way for 3 years. He previously served as the lead software developer for the project.
 The project involved creating the hardware and software for a next generation DNA-sequencing
instrument, a competitive and rapidly changing field, yet, with great potential for growth and revenue.
 The company was negotiating a buyout by a larger company, which influenced the top management’s
sense of urgency to complete the project. They told Nick to do whatever it took to deliver the first version
of the product in 4 months and a production version in 9 months.
 Nick found and addressed some critical flaws that kept the next-gen DNA-sequencing instrument from
working. He and his team got the product out on time.
 However, the top management was upset because Nick never provided them with accurate schedules or
detailed plans of the project. They needed to know when the instrument would be ready, how big the
market was for the product, and if the company had enough staff to manage such projects in the future.
These details were needed to show the potential buyer what was happening at the company.
 Nick had no experience or interest in the company’s business aspects. He did not use a systems view.
 Nick mistakenly thought project integration management meant software integration management, and
focused on the project’s technical problems, rather than on integrating the work of all the people involved
in the project. He ignored good communication and relationship management.
Project Integration Management | 4
5.3 Main Processes of Project
Integration Management
 Develop project charter: Create the charter
document that formally authorizes the project.
 Develop project management plan: Coordinate
all efforts to create the plan document.
 Direct and manage project work: Carry out the
project management plan.
 Manage project knowledge: Use existing and
newly created knowledge to achieve objectives
and contribute to organizational learning.
 Monitor and control project work: Oversee the
activities to meet the performance objectives.
 Perform integrated change control: Identify,
assess, and manage changes during the project.
 Close the project or phase: Finalize all
activities to formally close the project or phase.

Project Integration Management | 5

5.3.1 Develop Project Charter:
 The project charter document includes the following information:
 The project’s title and date of authorization.
 The project manager’s name and contact information.
 A summary schedule, including the planned start and finish dates.
 A summary milestone schedule, if available.
 A summary of the budget or reference to budgetary documents.
 A brief description of the project objectives, including the business need or
other justification for authorizing the project.
 Project success criteria, including project approval requirements and who
signs off on the project.
 A summary of the planned project management approach, which should
describe stakeholder needs and expectations, important assumptions, and
constraints, and should refer to related documents, if available.
 A roles and responsibilities matrix.
 A sign-off section for signatures of key project stakeholders.
 A comments section for stakeholders.

Project Integration Management | 6

5.3.2 Develop Project Management Plan:
 The following are common elements to project management plans:
 Introduction/overview of the project.
 Management and technical processes, including project lifecycle description and development approach.
 Project organization.
 Work to be performed (scope).
 Schedule information.
 Budget information.
 References to other project planning
documents.
 The management plan guides a
project’s execution and control.
 Organizations can use guidelines to
create project management plans.
 The following is the Institute of
Electrical and Electronics Engineers
(IEEE) Standard for its Software
Project Management Plan (SPMP).

Project Integration Management | 7

5.3.3 Direct and Manage Project Work:
 The major portion of time and budget are usually spent on executing the project.
 Project managers need to possess product, business, and application area knowledge to execute projects
successfully.
 Small projects would benefit most from a project manager who can complete some of the technical work.
 On large projects, the project manager’s primary responsibility is to lead the team and communicate with key
project stakeholders. The project manager would not have time to do the technical work. In this case, the project
manager needs to understand the business and application area of the project more than the technology involved.
 On very large projects the project manager must understand the business and application area of the project.
 Project managers can use the following tools and techniques to perform execution processes:
 Expert judgment: Project managers should not hesitate to consult experts on different topics, such as what
methodology to follow, what programming language to use, and what training approach to follow.
 Meetings: Meetings are crucial during project execution. Face-to-face, phone, and virtual meetings with
individuals or groups of people are important to develop relationships, pick up on important body language or
tone of voice, and have a dialogue to help resolve problems. It is often helpful to establish set meeting times for
various stakeholders.
 Project management information systems: Many project management software products are on the market today.
Organizations can use powerful enterprise project management systems that are accessible via the Internet and tie
into other systems, such as financial systems. Alternatively, project managers or other team members can create
Gantt charts that include links to other planning documents on an internal network.

Project Integration Management | 8

5.3.4 Manage Project Knowledge:
 Knowledge management should be done before, during, and after projects are completed.
 There are two basic types of knowledge:
 Explicit knowledge: This type of knowledge can be easily explained using words, pictures, or numbers and is
easy to communicate, store, and distribute. Examples include information found in textbooks and encyclopedias
as well as project documents and plans.
 Tacit (informal) knowledge: Tacit knowledge is difficult to express and is highly personal. Examples include
beliefs, insight, and experience. It is often shared through conversations and interactions between people. Many
organizations set up programs like mentorships, communities of practice, or workshops to assist in passing on
tacit knowledge.

Project Integration Management | 9

5.3.5 Perform Integrated Change Control:
 The three main objectives of integrated change control are:
 Influencing the factors that create changes: To ensure changes are beneficial, project managers and their teams
must make trade-offs among key project dimensions, such as scope, time, cost, and quality.
 Determining that a change has occurred: To determine that a change has occurred, the project manager must
know the status of key project areas at all times. In addition, the project manager must communicate significant
changes to top management and key stakeholders. Top management and other key stakeholders do not like
surprises involving the project producing less, taking longer, costing more, or creating products of lower quality.
 Managing actual changes as they occur: Managing change is a key role of project managers and their teams. It is
important to exercise discipline in managing the project to help minimize the number of changes that occur.
 The project management plan provides the baseline for identifying and controlling project changes. A
baseline is a starting point, a measurement, or an observation that is documented for future comparison.
 Change control system is a formal, documented process that describes when and how project documents
may be changed, the people authorized to make changes, and the paperwork required for these changes.
 Change control board (CCB) is a formal group of people responsible for approving or rejecting changes
to a project. The primary functions of a CCB are to provide guidelines for preparing change requests,
evaluating change requests, and managing the implementation of approved changes.
 Configuration management ensures that the descriptions of the project’s products are correct and
complete. It identifies and controls the design characteristics of products and their documentation.
Project Integration Management | 10