project management

The design of a project is an important first step towards the success of a project. The project design is a strategic organization of ideas, materials and processes with the aim of achieving a goal. Project managers rely on good design to avoid pitfalls and provide metrics to maintain critical aspects of the project, like schedule and budget.

Some may rush into the early stages of a project, like project design, but that would be a mistake. Any experienced project manager can tell you from experience that the more you invest in the early stage of a project, the better the results will be on arrival.

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What is project design?

The project design is one of the primary responsibilities of the project manager for a given project. It is at this stage of the project that decisions are made on how to manage and lead the project. A project plan is created and focuses on the needs of the stakeholders, the organization and the project itself, of course. This document will then be used to manage all the other stages of the project.

The structure of the project design

How to design a product so that it keeps its promises? It's difficult ! But the project management has a process.

There are steps to take in defining projects and developing an implementation strategy. These are the most important stages of a project. That's why you want to involve your team and stakeholders in the process to make sure you cover all the bases. Take the time to do this step thoroughly.

What is the vision?

What is your vision for the project? This is not wishful thinking, but a vision statement, which envisions a problem to be solved. This means clarifying the rationale for the project. The vision statement is a formal document that states the potential of the project. It is presented to stakeholders to show the viability of the project and its benefits.

It is not a long and detailed document. You can have a short and idealistic view of the outcome of the project; after all, that's how you sell the project. It is therefore necessary to paint a picture of the success of the project and place it in a larger context.

What's the problem ?

To support this vision document, you must identify an issue that needs to be addressed. This is why a needs assessment is often necessary, so that you can see the obstacles the business is facing. This will align the issue you are addressing with the organization and its strategy. It will also provide you with the data you need to design an optimal solution to the problem.

To begin with, what information do you collect? What are the sources of this information, and how will you collect it? Then analyze and determine the problems that your project is created to solve. Collect these results in a document.

Who and what resources?

Next, you need to identify the resources needed to complete the project. Resources can range from people and equipment to the facilities needed to complete the project.

A good way to determine resources is to do the same way journalists approach a hot topic, with the following five questions: who, what, where, when, and why. Who do you need to run the project, what resource management tools are needed, where will the work be done, when will the project start and end, and why these resources are they necessary?

What are the objectives of the project?

You can't achieve your goals if you haven't identified them first. A goal is something at the end of the project that is both observable and measurable. A goal coincides with the resolution of a problem.

Create a goal statement that explains how goals are handled in the project. To do well, apply the SMART method, which means specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and relevant over time. Each goal should be defined by these terms.

What is the strategy of the project?

To achieve the objectives of the project, a strategy must be put in place. A strategy is a process of achieving the objectives of the project within the constraints of the project, such as its resources, schedule, budget, etc. How to create a strategy to achieve the objectives of the project?

Consider the precedents and examine similar projects from the past and what they have been able to show in terms of the pros and cons of their applied strategies. Best practices in project management are always a good foundation, and then build a strategy gradually, creating a path to success.

What is the contingency plan?

Any project manager knows that very little goes as planned. There must be a back-up plan to respond quickly and correctly to problems that arise in a project. It should therefore be included in the design of your project.

Look for the negative risks inherent in the project. They are in different places, such as teams, which may lack skills, have unavoidable absences, turnover, etc. Schedules can be marred by delays. The scope of the project may have been poorly defined. Costs are underestimated or funds run dry. Make a plan to deal with these risks.

What is the evaluation plan?

A project must always be under evaluation. An evaluation plan will help you monitor the project, and maybe even alert you when it begins to deviate from its course. Use this plan to analyze project components, results and impacts.

Results are measurable changes, while impacts indicate the extent to which the project's objectives are being achieved. Therefore, the evaluation plan is a detailed document that defines a criterion for determining the effectiveness and efficiency of the project by monitoring the progress made on all aspects of the project.

What is the budget?

The budget describes the financial resources that feed the project. A budget assigns a cost to each of the project requirements. Creating a project budget means formalizing the financial resources that will be allocated to the project. The first step is to choose a way to estimate the costs, identify the impacts and report on the evaluation.

What is the project proposal?

All of this leads to a project proposal as to why the project needs to be executed and what its benefits are. The previous steps are summarized, writing the vision for the project and a brief description of the problem it addresses. Then, the objectives of the project are stated and the strategy that will be used to achieve these objectives is described.

Source:

projectmanager.com

Managing a project is no easy task, whatever the size and scope. From planning the finest details to handling ever-changing customer demands to delivering deliverables on time, a lot can go wrong. When you break the project down into manageable stages, each with their own goals and deliverables, it's easier to control the project and the quality of the output.

If you somehow find yourself in a position where you have to manage projects for your organization and you feel overwhelmed, it is best to start learning the basic steps of the life cycle phases of your organization. 'a project.

Want to know more ? Continue reading this article. 

What is project management?

The project management is the use of specific knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to deliver something of value to people.

The five phases of project management

The 5 basic phases of the project management are the following :

• Project launch
• Planning the project
• Project execution
• Project monitoring and control
• Project closure

Phase 1 of project management: Project launch

The project initiation phase is the first step in turning an abstract idea into a meaningful goal. During this phase, you need to develop a business case and define the project at a general level. To do this, you need to determine the need for the project and create a project charter.

The project charter is an important document which contains details such as the constraints of the project, its objectives, the appointment of the project manager, the budget, the planned schedule, etc.

Once you have defined the objectives and scope of the project, identify the main stakeholders of the project, i.e. the people who should be involved in the project. Create a stakeholder register with roles, designation, communication requirements, and influence.

Although a clear project objective is established in this phase, a project charter does not contain the technical details that occur in the planning phase.

Project management phase 2: Project planning

The planning phase of the project requires full diligence as it establishes the project roadmap. Unless you are using a modern project management methodology like agile project management, the second phase of project management should take almost half of the total project time.

During this phase, the main tasks are to identify the technical requirements, develop a detailed project schedule, create a communication plan and define the objectives and expected results.

There are several methods for setting project goals, but SMART and CLEAR are the most popular.

SMART objectives:

The "SMART" criteria ensure that the goals you set for your project are critically analyzed. It is an established method that reduces risk and allows project managers to set clearly defined and achievable goals.

The acronym SMART stands for:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Realistic
• Temporally defined

CLEAR objectives:

The "CLEAR" method of setting goals is designed to meet the dynamic nature of a modern workplace. Today's fast-moving businesses need flexibility and immediate results, and CLEAR can help.

The acronym CLEAR stands for:

• Understandable
• Limit
• Emotional 
• Appreciable 
• Refinable 

During the planning phase, the scope of the project is defined. It is possible to change the scope of the project based on requests, but the project manager must approve this change. Project managers also develop a work breakdown structure, which clearly visualizes the entire project into different sections for team management.

Risk mitigation is another important aspect of project management that is part of the planning stage. The project manager is responsible for extrapolating past data in order to identify potential risks in managing the project and develop a strategy to minimize them.

Project management phase 3: Project execution

The execution phase of the project is when your team does the actual work. As a project manager, your job is to establish effective workflows and carefully monitor your team's progress.

Another responsibility of the project manager during this phase is to constantly maintain effective collaboration among the project stakeholders. This ensures that everyone stays on the same page and that the project runs smoothly.

You can rely on the best project collaboration tools available on the market. They will not only make your life easier, but also improve the efficiency and productivity of your team.

Phase 4 of project management: Project monitoring and control

In the process of project management, the third and fourth phases are not sequential in nature. The monitoring and control phase of the project takes place simultaneously with the execution of the project, which ensures that the objectives and expected results of the project are achieved.

As a project manager, you can ensure that no one deviates from the original plan by establishing Critical Success Factors (CSFs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

During the monitoring phase of project management, the manager is also responsible for the quantitative monitoring of effort and cost during the process. This monitoring not only helps to ensure that the project stays within budget, but it is also important for future projects.

Project management phase 5: Project closure

This is the final phase of the project management process. The project close stage indicates the end of the project after the final delivery. Sometimes external talent is contracted specifically for the project. The termination of these contracts and the completion of the necessary administrative formalities are also the responsibility of the project manager.

Most teams hold a brainstorming meeting after project completion to contemplate their successes and failures during the project. This is an effective method for ensuring continuous improvement within the company in order to strengthen the overall productivity of the team in the future.

The last task in this phase is to review the whole project and write a detailed report covering all aspects. All necessary data is stored in a secure place that can be accessed by the organization's project managers.

Source 1:

kissflow.com

Source 2:

pmi.org

Autrefois réservée aux disciplines de l’ingénierie, la project management a fait son entrée dans le monde des affaires. Des personnes de tous les secteurs sont désormais régulièrement appelées à faire partie d’équipes de projet et sont souvent invitées à assister ou à assumer le rôle de chef de projet. Et personne n’est plus surpris que ces nouveaux intronisés dans le monde de la gestion de projet professionnelle. L’intérêt pour le sujet atteint de nouveaux sommets et aucun déclin n’est en vue. C’est donc le moment idéal pour réfléchir à ce qu’est devenue la gestion de projet moderne et pourquoi elle est si importante pour les entreprises de tous types.

La gestion de projet est une discipline visant à planifier, diriger, organiser et contrôler un ensemble de travaux bien définis. Cette discipline doit pouvoir être répétée et expliquée. Il ne s’agit pas d’une forme d’art inventée par chaque praticien, ni d’une science avec des formules et des règles explicites. Malgré ces restrictions, l’approche d’une organisation en matière de gestion de projet doit être cohérente afin que les connaissances et l’expérience puissent être partagées au-delà des limites du projet.

Qu’est-ce qu’un projet ?

Un projet est un effort discret composé d’un ensemble planifié d’activités de travail appliquées à un champ d’application spécifique, qui aboutit à un produit ou à un processus final bien défini.

Les projets sont tout simplement l’élément vital d’une organisation. Ils permettent de planifier, de créer, d’améliorer ou de maintenir des produits et des services pour les clients internes et externes.

Les projets ne servent pas seulement à créer quelque chose de nouveau, ils sont également nécessaires pour retirer des produits ou des services existants. Les projets peuvent être regroupés en trois grandes catégories : Les efforts continus, les efforts répétitifs et les efforts ponctuels.

Efforts continus

De nombreuses organisations traditionnelles ont été fondées sur l’exécution d’un ensemble très stable de processus de manière très répétitive et cohérente. Ces activités d’usine ou de « chaîne de montage » restent un élément essentiel de nombreuses organisations. Elles sont appelées « efforts continus » car elles changent peu d’un jour à l’autre. La force de ces projets réside dans leur stabilité et leur prévisibilité.

Les concepts fondamentaux de la gestion de projet ont été créés spécifiquement pour les efforts continus. Issus de l’ingénierie industrielle et de la gestion des opérations, ce parti pris est facilement perceptible dans les documents de planification très granulaires et les méthodes d’évaluation des risques qui exigent la prévisibilité.

Ces projets sont un sous-produit de l’influence de la « production industrielle » ou « de masse » sur la pensée des entreprises. Les techniques traditionnelles de gestion de projet ont été et peuvent encore être utilisées pour identifier la performance optimale des processus en cours ou opérationnels. Bien que ces projets continuent d’apporter une valeur ajoutée significative à de nombreuses organisations, les nouveaux investissements dans les produits et services sont de plus en plus axés sur les efforts à temps unique. Et les organisations constatent des différences significatives entre ces deux types de projets.

Efforts ponctuels

Les organisations modernes découvrent que la majeure partie de leur attention doit être accordée à des projets qui ne seront réalisés qu’une seule fois dans un laps de temps raisonnablement court. Ces projets uniques sont destinés à répondre aux besoins de clients exigeants et à un environnement commercial dynamique et compétitif. Les efforts uniques commencent avec un grand nombre d’inconnues et nécessitent un processus de découverte important.

Chaque effort ponctuel aboutit à un résultat unique ou hautement personnalisé, produit par un groupe unique de personnes utilisant de nouvelles méthodes et une technologie souvent peu familière. Parmi les exemples d’efforts uniques, citons le déménagement d’une organisation vers un nouveau site, la création d’un nouveau produit client, la modification d’un produit client existant, l’acquisition d’une nouvelle technologie ou l’installation d’un nouveau logiciel.

Efforts répétitifs

Les efforts répétitifs se situent à mi-chemin entre les efforts continus stables et dominants d’hier et les efforts ponctuels dynamiques d’aujourd’hui. On trouve ces projets là où les organisations ont pu définir des « procédures générales » qui peuvent être suivies de manière approximative lors de la réalisation de projets similaires. Ils n’ont pas la précision et la prévisibilité absolues des efforts continus, mais fonctionnent dans le cadre de connaissances raisonnables.

Ces projets sont souvent observés lorsque des organisations normalisent des pratiques spécifiques pour promouvoir la cohérence. Ils comprennent la construction, les procédures chirurgicales, les guides opérationnels et les activités de maintenance.

Les différences

Les trois types de projets ont tendance à exister simultanément dans la plupart des organisations. À première vue, il semblerait qu’une solide formation en gestion de projet puisse être appliquée universellement à tous les types de projets. Le problème, cependant, est que les caractéristiques naturelles de chaque type sont souvent diamétralement opposées aux réalités que l’on trouve dans un autre type.

La plupart des organisations ont créé des processus de gestion, y compris la façon dont ils se rapportent aux projets, en se basant sur les hypothèses de stabilité et de prévisibilité. Les Efforts ponctuels sont tout sauf cela.

Les efforts continus supposent un processus opérationnel stable, une technologie établie, des champs d’application connus, des travailleurs « axés sur les tâches » et des résultats très prévisibles. L’objectif principal d’un effort continu est l’exécution efficace, répétitive et précise d’un processus défini. La planification d’un effort continu permet d’élaborer une stratégie de base à partir d’estimations stables. L’attention de la direction de l’entreprise est orientée vers l’exception ou la crise occasionnelle.

Les efforts ponctuels suivent généralement des processus personnalisés, font appel à des technologies nouvelles ou émergentes, ont une portée inconnue, dépendent de travailleurs pluridisciplinaires issus de nombreuses organisations et produisent des produits finaux personnalisés.

Les efforts à temps unique se concentrent sur les processus de découverte, de design, de construction et de mise en œuvre. Les efforts à temps unique exigent un processus de planification très dynamique et progressif qui réagit rapidement aux nouvelles découvertes et aux réalités imprévues. En raison du rythme des efforts à temps unique, les chefs d’entreprise doivent jouer un rôle proactif, rapide et direct dans les décisions relatives aux projets majeurs.

What styles of project management are best suited for your business?

If you work in the services professionnels, vous savez à quel point il est important de veiller à ce qu’un projet respecte les délais et que les résultats soient livrés aux clients à la date convenue. Ce n’est pas une tâche facile, raison pour laquelle les équipes comptent beaucoup sur leur méthode de gestion de projet privilégiée pour rester sur la bonne voie. Dans cet article, nous allons examiner les deux méthodes de gestion de projet les plus populaires – la gestion de projet en cascade et la gestion de projet moderne – et les avantages de chacune.

First of all, it is essential to understand the difference between the two before deciding which method is best for your business. The last thing your team needs is to embrace a new way and find out it's not right for their style of work. Since it takes 1-3 months to see if a method works, it is imperative to have confidence in the method you choose. Let's go into the details of each method.

What is traditional project management?

Often referred to as the “Waterfall” method, this style of project management requires that one task be completed before the next can begin. Plans are developed before the start of the project and sequential phases are defined very early in order to clarify the work to be done to achieve the end goal. This method is still used by many businesses today and works well for projects with a fixed budget or deadline.

The 3 advantages of traditional project management are:

• No surprises
• Fluid knowledge transfer
• Sets expectations internally and externally

No surprises

This strategy leaves little room for flexibility or changes once the project has started. The plan is defined and approved from the start, which means that it does not need to be readjusted and the chances of slippage are reduced. Both parties agree on the project schedule and tasks, which helps clarify the process and assign responsibilities from the start, with each knowing their contribution.

Fluid knowledge transfer

Comprehensive documentation is essential in the waterfall methodology. With information available at all times, it is easier for new team members to catch up quickly. In addition, information will not be lost if an employee decides to change companies.

Define expectations internally and externally

A lot of time is spent developing a detailed project schedule for the client to review. One of the main advantages is that the customer knows what to expect early on and can plan accordingly. After this initial phase, the client's involvement is very low and he has enough time to gather the resources he needs for a particular phase. Internally, team members can better plan their time, which is very useful when working on multiple projects at once.

What is modern project management?

Modern project management relies on automated tools to facilitate the planning, execution and organization of work. It is also considered the more flexible of the two. As more and more professional service companies take on short-term or even exceptional projects, companies are looking for an alternative to the traditional method of project management. This is where the modern method of project management comes into its own - in a fast-paced environment, able to quickly and effectively manage changes during the course of a project.

The 3 advantages of modern project management are:

• Possibility to manage several projects at the same time
• Minimizes risks and human errors
• Provides more flexibility over time

Possibility to manage several projects at the same time

Instead of having all of your tasks fully outlined at the start of each project (as is the case in the waterfall methodology), use technology to create a more flexible method that allows you to start a project without having a clue. complete of the final result. This way, you can easily make adjustments to your project when a client's vision or needs change (without having to go back to the beginning each time).

Reduce risks and human errors

With a smart platform offering better visibility into your team and projects, you'll be able to see if a given task in your project is going over budget and fix it before any real damage is done to your bottom line or to your relationships with your customers.

The right smart platform will also automatically log customer data, calculate billable hours and budgets, and automatically update calendars for you - so you don't have to do manual work at the end of the day when you are. exhausted, short on time, and more likely to make mistakes. Imagine the extra time you will have to work on your projects if you no longer need to add up your timesheets at the end of each month: the beauty of intelligent automation!

Be more flexible with your time

With a traditional approach to project management, you are usually assigned a fixed number of days or hours to complete a task. But what happens when you're suddenly tasked with a high-priority project or when you have to work from home for personal reasons?