Chpt 1 Flashcards
(15 cards)
What is a project?
A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result
Major characteristics include an established objective, defined lifespan, involvement of multiple departments, uniqueness, and specific requirements.
What are the major characteristics of a project?
- Has an established objective
- Has a defined lifespan with a beginning and an end
- Involves several departments and professionals
- Involves doing something never done before
- Has specific time, cost, and performance requirements
These characteristics differentiate projects from routine operations.
Give examples of projects.
- New marketing campaign for a new home product
- Creation of a value chain report
- Implementation of a new store layout design
- Full or partial Software Development Life Cycle projects
- Web application development
These examples showcase the diversity of projects across different domains.
What is a program in project management?
A group of related projects designed to accomplish a common goal over an extended period of time
Programs involve managing interdependent projects in a coordinated manner.
What are quasi-projects?
Projects without a specific task, budget, or deadline, where scope, schedule, and budget are implied
Project management skills can still be applied to manage quasi-projects.
What is the primary purpose of project management?
To accomplish some goal and increase the likelihood of achieving that goal
Project management provides accountability through the project manager.
What are the benefits of project management?
- Be responsive to the client and environment
- Identify and correct problems early
- Make timely decisions about trade-offs
- Avoid sub-optimization
These benefits contribute to better project outcomes.
What are the negative sides of project management?
- Greater organizational complexity
- Higher probability of violating organizational policy
- Challenges in achieving desired outcomes
These negatives can complicate project execution.
What does an Agile project manager do?
- Manages conflicts over project resources
- Acts independently of the formal organization
- Provides direction and integration to the project team
Agile project management focuses on collaboration and flexibility.
What is Agile Project Management?
A methodology that emerged from frustrations with traditional project management, focusing on managing uncertainty through incremental and iterative processes
Agile emphasizes active collaboration and adaptability.
What are the characteristics of Agile PM?
- Projects are divided into iterations called sprints
- Emphasis on simplicity
- Self-managing project teams
- Progress measured by working product functionality
Agile PM fosters a collaborative environment among team members.
What are the current drivers of project management?
- Compression of the product life cycle
- Knowledge explosion
- Triple bottom line (planet, people, profit)
- Increased customer focus
- Small projects represent big problems
These drivers influence how projects are managed today.
What are the two dimensions of project management?
- Technical Dimension (The Science): planning, scheduling, controlling
- Sociocultural Dimension (The Art): creating a temporary social system within an organization
Both dimensions are crucial for successful project implementation.
Fill in the blank: The main purpose for initiating a project is to accomplish some _______.
[goal]
True or False: Projects are ongoing endeavors.
False
Projects are temporary and have a defined beginning and end.
