A project is often described as a combination of assignments that must be finalized to reach a certain goal or result. No matter how big or small the goal is, the essence of the project can be picked down to different actions all with the same intentions. A project often has a limited aid of resources and a decided end and start date. Projects are most of the time just temporary. (Wrike, u.å)
Project management is the ability to deliver projects on schedule, on budget and in alignment with project goals. The concept of project management can be traced back to as far as the building of Stonehenge, Machu Picchu, and the Taj Mahal, in other words, prehistoric times. To describe project management in a simple way, is by describing it as working smarter instead of harder. It all comes down to employing skills, tools, and knowledge to complete a project. (Rolstadås, Prosjektledelse, 2022).
The different stages of a project are usually what divides a project from working in permanent teams.
The starting stage of project management is usually the initiation of the project and is
about defining what the project is about. The most important thing is assembling a
team that can manage the different task and assignments they are responsible for.
One of the most important roles of the project is that of the project manager.
The project manager is the person who must make sure that everyone is on the right track
and doing what they are supposed to be doing at the right time during the execution of the
project. This person is supposed to help the project become much more efficient and
identifying possible challenges or risks ahead of its time.
Before executing the project, its important to identify and meet with the stakeholders
of the project. The stakeholders are the people who are affected by the result of said
project, or people who are interested in the project. (Fiverrme, 2021)
What is the purpose of the project, and what is the project trying to achieve?
These are important questions to ask during the planning stage. This stage depicts
developing and building a plan for everyone involved in the project to follow.
The different tasks and roles of the project have to be assigned and it has to be made
sure that they can be followed through.
This stage is about prioritizing and setting the specific goals and knowing the wanted
results. What are the steps needed to deliver the outputs that are expected?
An important part of this stage is to create a project schedule. Its important
to determine the amount of time the different tasks of the project are going to take
and what resources are needed to finalize them. (Wrike, u.å)
Analyzing the cost and amount of resources needed to complete the project is also a vital
stage of the project. The whole process of the project must be properly documented and
reported by the project manager. (Fiverrme, 2021)
Naturally, the following stage is the execution of the plan. The project manager usually monitors the performance of the team to be sure that everyone is on the right path. During the project, the timelines and budget that was set during the planning stage, must be maintained. The project manager must manage the resources of the project and monitor the performance of the team. If adjustments are needed to be made to the project, they should be done by the end of this stage.
After the execution, the project is completed. At this stage it is vital to tie up any loose ends of the project and organize and reflect over all the contents of the project. Its important to give information about the result of the project to the stakeholders. The project is then usually handed over to another team or group who will take over and maintain the project after it is finalized by the team. (Wrike, u.å).