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There is no doubt that managing a project from start to finish in any situation is no mean feat. Even if you are not a professional Project Manager learning how to effectively manage a project will help you to successfully achieve your goals as we embrace the New World of Work.
Since the New World of Work deals with how technologies such as automation, robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are shaping and informing how we work, where we work, and the skills and training we need, learning how to effectively project manage makes integrating these new technologies that much easier. In this article, we tackle the most basic elements of the Project Management process. But, there are several different Project Management Methodologies that can be used and it is worth mentioning them since each has its own style and relevance to specific types of projects. We will cover the most widely-used Project Management methodologies.
Project Management Methodologies
The aim of each Project Management methodology is ultimately the same – to achieve a completed project. However, each methodology has its own approach and methods and one method might be more suitable than another depending on the nature of the project.
Waterfall
The Waterfall Project Management methodology is one of the oldest methods used in Project Management. Yet, it is still popular in this day and age. This style involves working in waves, as each step is heavily reliant on the preceding one.
Even though the Waterfall style is a lot slower than the other popular methodologies, it is still useful for those who need structure and predictability in the execution of a project. Nevertheless, the Waterfall style is prone to numerous problems, especially if glitches are spotted during a later step in the process that requires previous steps to be revisited.
Agile
As the name implies, the Agile Project Management methodology is a great deal faster and a much more versatile solution as opposed to the older Waterfall model. Yet, Agile is not a precise Project Management methodology, but rather an ethos or mindset that is applied to other versions. It enables one to work in smaller chunks or sprints that allow projects to pivot as and when required. A sprint or ‘iteration’ is a short time-period in which a development team works to complete specific project tasks, milestones or deliverables. A sprint breaks down the project schedule into manageable blocks of time in which smaller project goals can be achieved.
Scrum
The Scrum methodology is a variation of Agile and is the epitome of what Agile can achieve. It is fast, small in scope and projects can be completed on a tight budget. Scrum involves using sprints to accomplish projects in small chunks, often based on a one-month timespan. Scrum is therefore suitable for smaller projects that need to iterate quickly.
Kanban
Kanban is another variation of the Agile Project Management methodology. However, unlike Scrum, which concentrates on time-based elements, Kanban focusses on project organisation. In so doing, Kanban takes into account the number of tasks in the process and how these can be streamlined or simplified. This methodology is tremendously effective for projects with a standardised factory-like output.
Lean
The Lean Project Management style is similar to Kanban in the sense that it focusses on process. Yet, it puts even greater emphasis upon trimming the fat. It uses a customer-first approach and concentrates on how processes can be stripped away to deliver the best, most affordable, and appropriate customer experience.
Six Sigma
The Six Sigma style of Project Management is a structured data-driven problem-solving methodology that focusses on improving the project output quality. It is especially useful if the Lean methodology has been used and the end-result falls short of the mark; since Six Sigma concentrates on achieving a better end-result as far as the customer is concerned. Continuous process improvement with low defects is the goal of this method since it aims to make a process 99.99996% defect-free. It can be used in conjunction with other Project Management styles and is a good method to use to refine the project. Problem-solving with Six Sigma is carried out using the DMAIC framework which comprises five stages as follows:
- Define
- Measure
- Analyse
- Improve
- Control
Lean Six Sigma
Lean Six Sigma is a combination of the strategies of Lean and Six Sigma. While Lean principles assist in reducing or eliminating process waste, Six Sigma principles are geared towards variation-reduction. Hence, the principles of Lean Six Sigma combine to help improve process quality and efficiency. The Lean Six Sigma methodology is a data-driven, fact-based philosophy of improvement that takes into account defect prevention over defect detection. It drives bottom-line results and customer satisfaction by reducing variation, waste and cycle time while at the same time advocating the use of work standardisation and flow chich creates competitive advantage.
PRINCE2
PRINCE2 is a process-based approach that focusses on organisation and control over the entire project from start through to completion. Projects are thoroughly planned before project kick-off. Each stage of the project process is structured and any loose-ends are tied up upon project conclusion. Essentially, PRINCE2 is all about chunking projects up into product-based steps that can be dealt with one at a time to ensure that no stone is left unturned anywhere during the process. This methodology mainly focusses on efficiency and minimising risks and errors.
What does the Project Management Process involve?
In reality, most projects can appear quite complex. Yet, all projects follow a common project management process. The Project Management process can be divided into the following five distinct phases.
Phase 1: Determining Project Concept and Initiation
The first step to tackle at the outset involves defining the project concept and project initiation which starts with jotting down your ideas around what the project needs to achieve. It is at this point that all major points should be covered, and stakeholder buy-in should be obtained. This is the stage where you develop your project charter which is the document that encapsulates the overall project scope, objectives and who will form part of the Project Management task team.
Phase 2: Defining the Project Plan
This next step involves defining your project plan. It is at this stage that you list the project tasks that need to be completed to achieve a successful outcome. During this phase you will need to formulate the Who, What, Where, When and How’s of your project. Bear in mind that the overall success of your project is determined by the quality of your project plan. Hence, the more comprehensive the project plan, the better the outcome. This critical step also involves deciding on the project budget, project scheduling and resource management. These elements may need to change during the course of the execution of the project. However, it is good practice to ensure that you plan everything in advance.
Formulating the Project Plan
Your project plan will be informed by feedback from Management around the first three steps of the Project Management Process. That is, the project scope, timeline and milestone tasks, and available resources. The Project Plan includes the following elements:
- Project schedule
- Task workflow
- Critical Path
- Network Diagram
The Network Diagram is a graphical representation of your project and comprises a series of connected arrows and boxes to indicate the inter-relationship between the activities involved in the project.
Once your Project Plan has been approved your Project Team needs to be briefed in terms of what needs to be done. This session involves briefing the team around the nuts-and-bolts elements of the project and no stone should be left unturned.
Phase 3: Launching the Project (Project Execution)
This step will help you to prepare to start your project. It involves determining the available human resources, budget resources, equipment, machinery and any other required resources that will be needed to carry the project through to completion. However, it is important to bear in mind that you may not have direct control over certain resources. For instance, in terms of human resources, some people perform better than others which means outcomes vary from project to project. As a Project Manager, the responsibility rests on your shoulders to manage any project risks or flaws.
Delegating tasks
As a Project Manager, you are the one leading the team and delegating tasks among the Project Team members is now the next step you need to tackle in the Project Management process. Set realistic KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) and delegate tasks according to the skill sets, capabilities and strengths inherent within your team to get the best out of each individual. This will free up your time so that you can focus on monitoring and control of your project.
Keeping Records
No matter what happens during the the execution of your project, everything must be documented and recorded. This is especially important when you make adjustments to your project or a new element needs to be included. This is a critical step in the Project Management process that helps you in reviewing your project prior to the final delivery milestone date.
It is important to bear in mind that the third and fourth phases of the Project Management process are not sequential in nature. Hence, the project monitoring and controlling phase runs simultaneously with project execution, which ensures that objectives and project deliverables are met.
Phase 4: Monitoring Project Progress
Once your project is in full swing, the task before you is to monitor the progress of your project tasks, team, milestone deliveries and everything else that affects your project. This allows actual results to be measured against planned results.
During the monitoring phase, the project manager is also responsible for quantitatively tracking project costs. This ensures that the project remains within budget.
Phase 5: Project Closure
The project closing phase is the final phase of the Project Management process. During project closure, the project team reviews the deliverables and compares and tests the quality of the outputs against the intended outcomes. Such are reported on and shared with the client.
Most Project Teams will hold a reflection meeting after the completion of a project. This is carried out in order to determine successes and failures during project execution and is an effective method to ensure continuous improvement and to enhance the overall productivity of the team for future projects.
Final words
It is important to remember that while most projects can at first appear overwhelming, there is an old adage that encapsulates how best to tackle any large project: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
Reference sources: Smartsheet.com|Greycampus.com|ntaskmanager.com