Project management is one of the important skills that we all need to learn.
it is not only limited to practical project management in the business world, but also extends to our daily lives.
Because of its importance for time management and ensuring greater work
productivity.
this is what we see when we talk about organizations that have a complete list of projects.
this is what we see when we talk about organizations that have a complete list of projects.
But they only talk about projects that have been successfully completed and that have added a lot to the organization.
Of course these projects have gone through several stages, during which the most suitable projects for the organization and those corresponding to its policy were selected.
and the selection process is carried out using the practices and activities of the project management process.
In this article, we will look at the definition:
- The basics of effective project management and some practices with which you can start implementing your next project, which will help you manage the project professionally and effectively.
- And to clarify what they are, and then we will talk about their relevance in professional fields and in everyday life for us as individuals.
- We will also discuss the five main stages of the professional project management course and talk about each of them separately, and finally conclude with a story about the role played by the project manager.
What is the definition of project management
To understand what project management is, we must first know what a project is, it is a temporary job that is done once, it requires certain knowledge and effort.
For example, creating a mobile application for a company is a project, but regular maintenance or constant updating is a process.
This point is very important because the fundamentals, rules and practices of operations management are not suitable for repetitive periodic operations.
Thus, project management is the process of achieving and completing these projects by applying the necessary practices, strategies, tools and resources in accordance with the results of the project.
in addition to the available material, human and time resources. And you will learn more about the concept of project management in the articles in the business section of our timebox online website.
According to the PMI Project Management Institute, there are five main stages of the project management process or life cycle, which are in order:
- Start the initiation.
- Planning planning.
- Execution of the execution.
- Monitoring and control management monitoring and control.
- The closure is complete.
Project management in this way may seem easy, but it is not, it requires you, as a manager, to be the link between all parts of the projects and have the basic knowledge to understand all aspects of the project, especially technical and physical.
Flexibility is also an important part of project management, data changes quickly in the field, and then your role will be to coordinate the project with them, and this is one of the most important roles of a project manager.
What are the basics of project management
The basics of project management are the actions that are performed during the planning and execution of a project, best project management practices include risk management, developing a clear project plan, monitoring the progress of tasks... etc.
The importance of applying the fundamentals and best practices of effective project management stems from the importance of applying the same project management strategies, and here are a number of reasons that will encourage you to use effective project management methods.
The most important fundamentals and practices of project management are the following:
1 . Make the project plan and processes clear
The more complex the project, the greater the likelihood of instability, and this is where smart project planning and management come into play, as project management aims to eliminate any problems or ambiguities by providing a clear strategy and method of operation from the very beginning of the project launch.
2 - Keep expenses under control
Some projects may require high costs depending on the scale of the project, therefore cost control and budgeting become mandatory, and the use of project management methods will reduce the likelihood of exceeding planned project budget limits.
3-gain experience
Organizations gain experience by implementing several projects in different fields during the period of their work.The foundation of an organization's knowledge is project management, which helps it gain experience and knowledge. This allows her to better plan the activities needed to manage a project in which she has previous experience.
4.Rely on the optimal use of resources
Whether you are working on a simple project or a huge one, inefficient use of resources leads to disaster, and using the right approach to project management will help you determine how to effectively use resources for the benefit of the project.
Small and medium-sized enterprises, for example, benefit from a flexible strategy, while large enterprises benefit from applying the traditional project management method.
5-always communicate
A successful project plan includes an effective communication system, and communication is an extremely important part of project management, it can have a significant impact on the effectiveness of the team.
A study conducted to investigate the causes of project failure in the UK financial sector showed that a breakdown in the communication system was the main reason for the failure of 57% of projects.
6-Hold a meeting with stakeholders
All stakeholders of the project are invited to this initial meeting, where their relationship to the main objectives of the project is discussed, and the project manager ensures that the interests of all stakeholders coincide.
The project launch meeting simplifies the development of a reliable communication strategy for the project by informing everyone about the plan and changes in the work.
7-Set clear goals and scales
It is important to define the scope of project management and get approval from all parties involved in the project, in addition to setting goals at the beginning of the project lifecycle, the scope should also cover key issues such as project objectives, project results, performance standards, project constraints.
8-Communicate with your manager and take notes
There is always an opportunity for further adjustments and improvements, and for this you should use the feedback that the manager leaves you.
Be sure to consider feedback in the lifecycle of your project, and you can also use it to focus on learning from your mistakes and avoiding similar mistakes in the future.
As a project manager, you can also request feedback from your team to find out the strengths and weaknesses of the team and work on improving your project management capabilities.
9-Create a resource plan
There is no point in indiscriminately using resources by any team when working on a project, and often even team members or the project manager have to manage several projects at the same time, and this requires excellent resource management.
The resource plan provides an overview of all available resources and the best places to use them, modern project management methods allow you to allocate your resources by allocating them in a clear and understandable way.
10-Create a risk management team
Risk is an unavoidable element in any organization, experienced project managers do everything possible to reduce the risks of a project by developing an alternative plan in case something goes wrong, having an active risk response team avoids blocking the progress of the project they are guarding.
11. Set a realistic budget
Be prepared to handle any risk or emergency crisis that threatens the
stability and success of the project, and according to the Project Management
Foundation (PMI), 27% of companies reported using extensive risk management
procedures in their projects in 2018.
12-anticipate the need for changes
The scope of work in a project can be adjusted, and qualified project managers always have a change management strategy. sometimes small adjustments can cause serious crises in the team, and the situation in the project can get out of control.
This is known as "massive overload" because it was the famous crisis that affected more than half of all projects in 2018, waiting for changes and having enough flexibility to respond to them is one of the excellent project management practices.
13-Make sure everything is properly documented
Maintaining complete project documentation explaining each decision is one of the best project management strategies.When you have detailed documentation, it is easy for you to quickly get any information, and the project manager and the team can refer to these documents in case of a problem.
However, project managers should remain vigilant, as many project managers take too much care of maintaining relevant documentation, losing sight of the overall goal of the project.
All organizations want to surpass themselves and competing organizations, but some project managers go too far by setting unrealistic project milestones and agreeing on deadlines or tasks that cannot be completed, so customers start demanding to get their products in a short period of time, and the project collapses in the midst of trying to compete with time and complete unrealistic tasks.
14. Analyze your work
The best way to learn from mistakes is to study your work and track achievements, project managers use this skill and encourage project teams to apply it in project management, hold meetings and discuss project shortcomings and project management methods that should be used to overcome them.
Is it difficult to apply this list of project management practices that will help you easily complete your project and achieve your goals, think again. These practices are your way to effectively manage your projects.
The most important project management courses
Getting to know the best project management practices through this article is not enough to study them effectively, but it is better to join training courses that will help you understand and apply these practices in a clearer, more accurate and detailed way with a certified trainer.
It is also important to treat project management skills as a methodology or lifestyle that you should acquire very soon.
This will help you achieve your goals more effectively, whether it's immigration to another country, getting a doctorate, getting married, or even smaller goals such as exam preparation.
timebox online offers you a set of the most important internationally accredited project management courses, through which you can also get acquainted with the most important knowledge and skills in this field, starting from scratch and ending with the level of professionalism, and below we will show you the most important of these courses:
- PMP Project Management Course
- RMP Risk Management Course
- MOR Foundation Certification Course on Risk Management
- PRINCE2 Certification Course
- Prince 2 Flexible Project Management Course
- CAPM Certification Course
- PMI-ACP Certificate
- The Primavera Cycle
- P3O Certification Course
- PMI-SP Certification Course
- MSP Certification Course
- PGMP Certification Course
- PFMP Certification Course
- MOP Certification Course
To learn more about project management and the best courses related to this topic, visit our courses page in full.
The importance of project management
Many companies and organizations expect that by 2027, most of the work will be project-based, and this is what makes project management so important for the future, and the demand for project managers is growing insanely.
There are five statistics that will tell you everything I want to say, namely:
- 57% of failed projects are due to a lack of effective communication between those responsible for their failure.
- On average, 9% of every dollar spent by companies is wasted due to the low operational efficiency of projects, and this figure may increase.
- According to another statistic, for every billion dollars spent by companies in the United States, $122 million is wasted for the same reason.
- 39% of projects fail due to changes in the priorities of organizations and companies.
- 37% of projects fail due to a change in project objectives.
- 29% of projects fail due to a lack of identification of project opportunities and risks.
- Then imagine that all these problems and much more can be overcome and fixed using the right project management methods.
Finally, relying on best project management practices means that you apply actions that help you manage the project in the right direction, from planning to implementation, and this, in turn, is one of the factors that helps you avoid mistakes that could threaten the failure of the project, such as risks.
In other words, project management is in any case indispensable in our current time, we can describe it as almost magical methods that ensure the success of the project and achieve the goals required of it.
That is why there is a very high demand for project managers, and experts predict that this demand will increase significantly in the coming years.
Project management consists of five main stages, namely:
- Getting started
- Planning
- Realization
- Monitoring and control
- Completion
All these stages are performed by the project manager, as well as dozens of other side tasks related to these stages.
This skill, project management, is very important and is not monopolized only by the manager, but everyone should master it, even if they do not work as a project manager.
They are able to help us achieve our various personal goals, whether it's getting high grades in exams, raising money for marriage, or others.
Therefore, I urge you to actively master these skills and begin to apply them in your life in order to become the best version of yourself.
