Have you ever been involved in undertaking a project? Regardless if it was a construction project of whatever size or scope, or a major corporate or activity, managing a project involves the planning and organizing of a company’s resources to move a specific task, event or duty towards completion. This may involve a one-time project or an ongoing activity or event, and the resources being manage include technology, personnel and finances. Here’s a quick peek at the basics of project management, and how software like the Primavera P6 can help make it more efficient.
Project Management Helps Define the Goals & Components
According to a long-time primavera p6 consultant that I talked to, project management is often associated or correlated with fields in engineering and construction, and more lately in information technology and healthcare, which have basically a complicated set of fields and components that need to completed and assembled in a set function to create a truly-functioning product or system.
And, no matter what the industry or market niche is, a project manager tends to have roughly the same job, which is to define the goals and objectives of the project to determine when the different components are to be completed and by whom. The project managers also are there to create quality control checks to make sure that the complement segments or components meet certain standards.
So, on a very basic level, project management essentially includes planning, initiating, executing, monitoring and closing a project. Different types of project management techniques and methodologies exist today, and this includes traditional, waterfall, agile and lean. And of course, project management is now utilised across various industries, and remains a vital part of the success of engineering, construction and information technology companies.
From Start to Finish, Every Project Needs a Plan
Again, according to the well-versed primavera p6 consultant that I recently talked to, project management includes the following stages, which include planning, initiation, execution, monitoring and closing.
From start to finish each and every project needs a plan which effectively outlines how things get off the ground, how they will be built, and how they will finish. Like for example, in an architectural project, the plan starts with an idea which progresses to drawings, and then moves to blueprint drafting, with thousands of tiny pieces coming together between each step.
The architect is just one individual who provides one piece of the puzzle, and the project manager puts it all together. Every project usually has a budget and timeframe, and project management keeps everything moving smoothly on time and within budget.
This means that when a planned timeframe is coming to an end, the project manager may keep all the team members working on the project to finish on time, and within budget range.
The Different Types of Project Management
Now, our esteemed and well-versed primavera p6 consultant also stresses that many types of project management have been developed to meet the specific requirements of certain industries or project types.
Among these include Waterfall Project Management, which is similar to traditional project management, but it includes the forewarning that each task will need to be completed before the next one starts.
Here, the steps are linear, and progress flows in one direction, just like a waterfall. Because of this, attention to task sequences and timelines are very crucial. Often, the size of the team working on the project will grow as smaller tasks or activities are completed, and larger tasks begin.
The next type of project management is called Agile Project Management, of which the computer software industry was one of the first to use. At its core, high-quality deliverables are a result of providing customer value, team interactions and adapting to current business circumstances. But in essence, Agile Project Management is an iterative process that is focused on the continuous monitoring and improvement of deliverables.
The next type is called Lean Project Management, which is basically about avoiding waste, both in terms of time and resources. The principles of Lean Project Management were taken from Japanese manufacturing practices, of which the main idea behind it is to create more value to customers with fewer resources.
Why the Primavera P6 Can Help Ensure Efficiency in Managing Projects
Now, if your current project is faced with a lot of challenges and hurdles, what should you do? Okay, our seasoned primavera p6 consultant stresses that you should employ the use of helpful tools and software such as the Primavera P6!
Let’s say for example a project manager is given the job of leading a team to develop software products. The project team starts by identifying the project scope, and then they assign tasks to the project team, which may include engineers, developers, technical writers and quality assurance specialists.
But instead of using traditional Gantt charts or PERT charts (which basically remain useful items), the project team utilizes software such as the Primavera P6. In essence, the Primavera P6 is an enterprise project management tool that’s used for scheduling and managing the execution of projects.
The Primavera P6 is hailed as one of the best products today for ensuring transparent and on-time delivery. The software actually has a long history of supporting small and large projects, programs and portfolios all across the planet.
The Primavera P6 is also a very powerful scheduling tool, which is designed for prioritizing and planning projects, programs and portfolios. It also has the ability to implement organizational breakdown structures and work breakdown structures, activity constraints and off course, Gantt Charts!
The Primavera P6 is also quite user-friendly, although I do admit that there will definitely be a learning curve (just like in learning any new tool or software). However, once you have undertaken a short training course, you will slowly but surely understand how to effectively use it.
And, if you work in government projects or public sector roles, the Primavera P6 ticks in all the boxes for being a compliant solution, as it is pretty much industry standard in large-scale construction, oil and gas, defense, engineering and more.
