Free PMP Course- Project Management Processes
- What is project management processes.
Project management processes define what to do when in a
project. There are several activities from initiating to closure of a project
and each activity has a sequential order as well.
For example, can you purchase a tool will be use in a
project before initiating a project? Or can you assign resources for a project
before completed a project plan? If course no. therefore, activities will be done,
steps will be completed are defined in organized and structure manner with a
help of project management processes.
Project management processes do not define only what to do
when in a project. They also define what you need to do to manage the project. So,
these processes also define what will be the inputs and outputs to complete an
activity.
For example, determinant project budget process will help
project manager to understand what he needs to complete a budget estimation of
a project.
- The sequential process for managing projects.
- Initiating (start).
At this stage necessary business case to start a project is
checked and sponsor of project will initiate the project start and project
manager will be assigned to manage and coordinate the project activities.
- Planning (plan).
At this stage end to end project planning is completed. This
plan include cost management, scheduling, quality management, resources
management, etc.
- Execution (Do).
This is the stage for actual project output is delivered. Project
deliverables are produced and delivered to the customer at this stage.
- Monitoring & controlling (check & act).
This stage actually interact with other stages. Because the
main purpose of this stage is checking whether the project progressing is
planned, if there are any divisions from the plans targets or matrix regard
correction and corrective actions need to taken, respectively.
- Closing (end).
At this stage project activities are finalized, paperwork to
complete a project is finished, lessons earned documentation is finalized and archived
in organizational processes assets of the company.
The below figure is illustrated interaction of project
management process groups with each other.
As you see, enter phase is the start of a project. Once a
project starts initiating process are triggered. These processes will help to
initiating project successfully.
Then planning processes will take place and project planning
will be done. Once the planning finishes, project executions starts. During project
execution deliverable of the project are produce and delivered to the customer.
As you see in the figure planning processes and executing
processes are in a loop because based on actual outputs and actual results of a
project, re-planning or re-adjustment might be needed to reach to project
objectives.
For example, if the project is exceeding the budget that was
planned in beginning, corrective actions and re-planning must be done to
correct these divisions.
The last step is closing processes which will help to complete
the project.
Monitoring and controlling processes are covered the
processes of other four processes group as you see because monitoring and controlling
is done from initiating to the end of the project. In order to complete the
project successfully. Project progress, matrix and measurement must be considered
whether everything happening as planned in the beginning.
The below figure show the level of processes interaction
over time in a project or in a phase of a large project.
As you see, initiating processes group are active at very beginning
of a project and these levels is lower comparing to other processes groups. Once
level of initiating process group starts to decline, level of planning process
group activities starts to increase. And executing process group follow the
planning process group and reach to highest level of interaction among all processes
groups.
And the last process group which is towards to end of the
project or phase is closing process group. Monitoring and controlling process
group has longest duration in term of process interaction in a project or
phase. As mentioned, the main reason of this is monitoring and controlling
process check all other processes groups.