Project Management Research Paper
Project Management Research Paper
BUS 611 Project Planning and Management
May 26, 2014
Project Management Research Paper The common denominator of all successful projects is the capacity and quality of its project managing mechanism. Project management is the discipline that integrates various processes towards the achievement of specific objectives and deliverables. This discipline is founded under the premise that all projects are unique, and no two are ever the same. Managing the efforts of those individuals involved requires a great deal of coordination, organization, and a forward thinking focus on the project’s objective[s]. Facilitating a successful integration of people variables and project variables towards specific objectives is the condition that the project management function provides. There is an enormous disparity between projects and operational processes. While each paradigms purpose is to yield a value and/or benefit to the organization the manner in which those values are created varies greatly. Operational processes involve the creation of organizational wealth through the manufacturing of a product or service. These processes are typically mechanistic and consuming specific resources while yielding linear and proportional revenues. In contrast, project objectives are unique, which inhibits the structuralizing of any procedural or mechanistic components. Projects occur within a lifecycle which begins with the projects selection. It is at this stage of the cycle that the project outcome is assessed for feasibility. “Project selection, the initial phase, refers to the time frame during which a strategic need is recognized by top management. It starts with identifying the needs and desires of the user of the project deliverables-the customer” (Jiang & Heiser, 2004). Very little resource consumption and collaborative efforts occur at this stage. The development stage of the project is a more involved
BUS 611 Project Planning and Management
May 26, 2014
Project Management Research Paper The common denominator of all successful projects is the capacity and quality of its project managing mechanism. Project management is the discipline that integrates various processes towards the achievement of specific objectives and deliverables. This discipline is founded under the premise that all projects are unique, and no two are ever the same. Managing the efforts of those individuals involved requires a great deal of coordination, organization, and a forward thinking focus on the project’s objective[s]. Facilitating a successful integration of people variables and project variables towards specific objectives is the condition that the project management function provides. There is an enormous disparity between projects and operational processes. While each paradigms purpose is to yield a value and/or benefit to the organization the manner in which those values are created varies greatly. Operational processes involve the creation of organizational wealth through the manufacturing of a product or service. These processes are typically mechanistic and consuming specific resources while yielding linear and proportional revenues. In contrast, project objectives are unique, which inhibits the structuralizing of any procedural or mechanistic components. Projects occur within a lifecycle which begins with the projects selection. It is at this stage of the cycle that the project outcome is assessed for feasibility. “Project selection, the initial phase, refers to the time frame during which a strategic need is recognized by top management. It starts with identifying the needs and desires of the user of the project deliverables-the customer” (Jiang & Heiser, 2004). Very little resource consumption and collaborative efforts occur at this stage. The development stage of the project is a more involved
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