Basics of Project Management 101
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Brief Introduction of Project A project is really a very simple concept that many professional and academic books spend pages and pages defining. Essentially, a project is a task with a known end point. For example, building a new house is a project, the end point being when the house is built. Similarly, creating a new piece of computer software is a project, as is launching a new product for a business. Projects can be used to complete many different types of tasks. Usually the term 'project' is applied to tasks with some degree of complexity. So whilst you could argue that cooking yourself some toast is a project, with the end point being buttered toast on your plate, usually the term is not applied to such simple activities which do not need to be managed with the rigor of a recognized project.
Table Of Content 
Understanding the basics What is project
Projects fulfill some clear pre-defined objective, in a planned period of time, and to a planned cost. Once the project is complete something will have changed – for example, you have a new house, a new computer system or a new product.
What is project management? Different roles in a project
What is project management?
Project management is a formal discipline for managing projects. Project management has been developed over the past few decades as it has become apparent that without a structured approach, people are not very good at completing projects successfully. The aim of project management is to ensure that projects are completed and that the end point (the new house, computer system or new product) is achieved. More than this, project management is about reaching that end point predictably, which usually means to a given cost and within a planned amount of time.
Basics Of Project Management 101
Roles of a Project The project's customer
Every project is done because someone wants it to be done. The person who wants it to be done is called, in project management terminology, the project customer. The customer may be yourself, your boss at work, someone who buys products and services from you, or anyone else you work for or with. The customer may be one person or a group of people. In projects it is important to
understand who the customer is and to work closely with them. Project customers have some specific responsibilities in projects. They will be involved in determining why you are going to do a project and what it will produce, for giving you access to resources such as people and money, and for making various decisions through the life of the project The project team
The project you are about to manage will have a whole range of tasks that need to be done to complete it. For a very small project you may be both the project manager and the person who actually does all the tasks planned. For larger projects a number of people will be involved at different times in the project's life. These people are collectively known as the project team and it is this team that you will be managing
As you read this Mini book you will learn that successful project management is all about structure, control, sufficient attention to detail and continuously driving action your role as the project manager is to understand enough project management to apply its rigour and structure and ensure your project is successfully completed within the time and cost you require. If you follow the steps in this book, you will find this is not so hard. The things you must do as a project manager are:
The things you must do as a project manager are: 1. Ensure there is a clear understanding why a project is being done, and what it will produce. 2. Plan the project – to understand how long it will take and how much it will cost. 3. Manage the project – to ensure that as the project progresses, it achieves the objectives you have defined within the time and cost specified. Complete the project properly – to make sure everything produced by the project is of the quality expected and works as required
In projects it is important to understand who the customer is and to work closely with them. Project customers have some specific responsibilities in projects. They will be involved in determining why you are going to do a project and what it will produce, for giving you access to resources such as people and money, and for making various decisions through the life of the project.
Basics of Project Management 101.
This is Basic Overview of Project Management 101. •
Projects have a clearly defined objective which must be achieved in a set amount of time and cost. At the end, the project will have produced the pre-defined deliverables. The deliverables are for the project customer and are created by the project team, under the guidance of the project manager.
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Projects have five dimensions that can be flexed – the scope, the quality, the time, the cost, and the level of risk taken. Be prepared to think about the optimal balance between these dimensions before you start your project.
Basics of Project Management 101