The main stakeholder in any project is the client. The client is the one whose needs are the driving force behind the project and is likely to be the one who will derive the most benefit from the project upon its completion. Differentiation must be made between the paying clients and the clients who are the ultimate end users of…
Project management is a profession that requires knowledge, skills, abilities and appropriate management tools. Since it is primarily a managerial effort, the project manager might not necessarily be the best technical, professional person but it is essential that he possess general management skills, the most important being the ability to make decisions. A manager who is not capable of decision-making…
All projects exist in order to achieve certain objectives. In order to accomplish these objectives, the project’s plan has to take into account constraints and existing resources. At the same time, the early planning or idea stages are often plagued by a lack of information that limits the ability to plan the project with certainty. Therefore, the project planning process…
A successful project is defined as a project that meets its goals, and whose output is of value to the client. It seems, then, that the success or failure of any given project is primarily a function of its goals. Therefore, a clear definition of those goals and an objective way to measure whether or not these goals have been…
One of the clear differences between projects and non-project activities is the high level of uncertainty associated with the ability to meet a project’s goals, simply because each project is unique. Despite the fact that some projects are similar to each other, each project begins at a ‘low-point of certainty’ of the project’s ability to meet its goals. Fortunately, for…
‘A Lot – Fast – Cheap – Good’ is a set of expectations that can never be achieved simultaneously. These expectations are the result of the customer’s (completely understandable) lack of understanding regarding the realistic efforts required to achieve the project’s goals, as well as lack of trust regarding the estimates presented at the project’s sale.
