Introduction to Project

Management

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 Learning Objectives
• Understand the growing need for better project
management, especially for information
technology projects
• Describe what project management is and
discuss key elements of the project management
framework

2
 Learning Objectives
• Discuss how project management relates to
other disciplines
• Understand the history of project management
• Describe the project management profession,
including recent trends in project management
research, certification, and software products

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 What Is a Project?
• A project is “a temporary endeavor undertaken
to accomplish a unique product or service”
• Attributes of projects
– unique purpose
– temporary
– require resources, often from various areas
– should have a primary sponsor and/or customer
– involve uncertainty

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 What is Project Management?
Project management is “the application of
knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to
project activities in order to meet project
requirements” (PMI*, Project Management Body
of Knowledge)

*The Project Management Institute (PMI) is an international

professional society. Their web site is www.pmi.org.

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Advantages of Using Formal Project
Management
• Better control of financial, physical, and human
resources
• Improved customer relations
• Shorter development times
• Lower costs
• Higher quality and increased reliability
• Higher profit margins
• Improved productivity
• Better internal coordination
• Higher worker morale

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 The Triple Constraint
• Every project is constrained in different ways by its
– Scope goals: What is the project trying to accomplish?
– Time goals: How long should it take to complete?
– Cost goals: What should it cost?
• It is the project manager’s duty to balance these
three often competing goals

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Figure 1-1. The Triple Constraint of
Project Management

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Figure 1-2. Project Management
Framework

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 Project Stakeholders
• Stakeholders are the people involved in or
affected by project activities
• Stakeholders include
– the project sponsor and project team
– support staff
– customers
– users
– suppliers
– opponents to the project

10
 9 Project Management Knowledge
Areas
• Knowledge areas describe the key competencies
that project managers must develop
– 4 core knowledge areas lead to specific project
objectives (scope, time, cost, and quality)
– 4 facilitating knowledge areas are the means through
which the project objectives are achieved (human
resources, communication, risk, and procurement
management)
– 1 knowledge area (project integration management)
affects and is affected by all of the other knowledge
areas

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 Project Management Tools and
Techniques
• Project management tools and techniques assist project
managers and their teams in various aspects of project
management
• Some specific ones include
– Project Charter, scope statement, and WBS (work breakdown
structure) (scope)
– Gantt charts, network diagrams, critical path analysis, critical
chain scheduling (time)
– Cost estimates and earned value management (cost)

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How Project Management Relates to
Other Disciplines
• Much of the knowledge needed to manage
projects is unique to the discipline of project
management
• Project mangers must also have knowledge and
experience in
– general management
– the application area of the project

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 History of Project Management
• Some people argue that building the Egyptian
pyramids was a project, as was building the
Great Wall of China

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 Sample Gantt Chart

The WBS is on the left, and each task’s start and finish date
are shown on the right using a calendar timescale. Early Gantt
Charts, first used in 1917, were drawn by hand.
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 Sample Network Diagram

Each box is a project task from the WBS. Arrows show dependencies
between tasks. The bolded tasks are on the critical path. If any tasks on the
critical path take longer than planned, the whole project will slip
unless something is done. Network diagrams were first used in 1958 on the
Navy Polaris project, before project management software was available.
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Sample Enterprise Project Management
Tool

In recent years, organizations have been taking advantage of software

to help manage their projects throughout the enterprise.
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The Project Management Profession
• The job of IT Project Manager is in the list of
the top ten most in demand IT skills
• Professional societies like the Project
Management Institute (PMI) have grown
tremendously
• Project management research and certification
programs continue to grow

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Table 1-2. Top Ten Most in Demand IT
Skills
Rank IT Skill/Job Average Annual Salary
1 SQL Database Analyst $80,664
2 Oracle Database Analyst $87,144
3 C/C++ Programmer $95,829
4 Visual Basic Programmer $76,903
5 E-commerce/Java Developer $89,163
6 Windows NT/2000 Expert $80,639
7 Windows/Java Developert $93,785
8 Security Architect $86,881
9 Project Manager $95,719
10 Network Engineer $82,906
Paul Ziv, “The Top 10 IT Skills in Demand,” Global Knowledge Webcast
(www.globalknowledge.com) (11/20/2002).

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 Project Management Certification
• PMI provides certification as a Project
Management Professional (PMP)
• A PMP has documented sufficient project
experience, agreed to follow a code of ethics,
and passed the PMP exam
• The number of people earning PMP certification
is increasing quickly
• PMI and other organizations are offering
certification programs.

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Growth in PMP Certification, 1993-
2002

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 Ethics in Project Management

• Ethics is an important part of all

professions
• Project managers often face ethical
dilemmas
• In order to earn PMP certification,
applicants must agree to the PMP code of
professional conduct

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You Can Apply Project Management to
Many Areas
• Project management applies to work as well as
personal projects
• Project management applies to many different
disciplines (IT, construction, finance, sports,
event planning, etc.)
• Project management skills can help in everyday
life

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