PLANNING AND SCHEDULING IN THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROCESS

Managing projects is a continuous process. Figure 1-1 illustrates the basic project management process. It focuses on achieving the project objectives within the project management triple constraint of time-cost-quality (performance).

Each of the ten steps has a specific output that is defined and documented. The steps are frequently iterative, that is, circumstances that arise in accomplishing later steps may require revision of an earlier step and subsequent repetition of all or part of the succeeding steps. This constant iteration and replanning characterize the day-to-day activities of the project manager and the project team.

The basic project management process has five phases or types of activities: initiation, planning, executing, controlling, and closing, as illustrated in Figure 1-1. This categorization emphasizes the importance of planning before extensive project work begins and of bringing the project to closure once all the work is done.

FIGURE 1-1 Basic Project Management Process

Because project management is a process with feedback loops, whenever the information system that collects the data for Step 6 and the analysis conducted during Step 7 indicate an adverse variance, the process is repeated for those portions of the project that are affected. This may include one or more steps of the planning phase and perhaps a rethinking of the initiation phase.