MGT/437
November 3, 2010
Project Management Paper
A project can be a wide variety of activities. According to Kerzner, 2006, a project can be considered to be any series of activities and tasks that have a specific objective to be completed within certain specifications, has defined start and end dates, has funding limits (if applicable), consume human and nonhuman resources (i.e., money, people, equipment), and are multifunctional (i.e., cut across several functional lines) (p. 2). Remodeling a home, restructuring an organization, opening an additional business location, purchasing new equipment, etc are all considered projects. All of these projects will contain an objective, defined start and ending dates, funding limits, consume resources, and are multifunctional.
Project management is, “…the planning, organizing, directing, and controlling of company resources for a relatively short-term objective that has been established to complete specific goals and objectives” (Kerzner, 2006, p. 4). Planning, organizing, directing, and controlling recourses during a remodeling of a home is project management. First, you must plan; laying out the desired outcome, project start and end dates, materials, projected costs. Second, organize the materials and labor; the delivery and installation of any materials, along with any necessary labor force. Third, direct the project; assuring that the project is according to plan, within budget, and within start and ending dates. Project management is necessary when undertaking most any project, regardless if it is a large organization project, or a small home remodeling.
Phases of the Project Lifecycle and Their Purposes According to Kerzner, 2006, there are five basic phases of the project lifecycle; Embryonic Phase, Executive Management Acceptance Phase, Line Management Acceptance Phase, Growth Phase, and Maturity Phase. The project lifecycle is like a ladder, in that each step must be