Project management
Introduction
Projects are the temporary undertakings that structure an organization’s daily activities and that produce specific outcomes. The way in which these projects are organized and structured defines the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization and hence its ultimate success. This is why it has become increasingly important for ICT projects to be properly managed. The ultimate value delivered by these projects is very closely related to the efficiency and effectiveness by which they are managed. It is well recognized that the success of ICT projects is not very high. They are often delivered late, above budget, and without all the expected features and functionalities.
Every organization is increasingly reliant on ICT as the backbone of its organizational and business activities. The way in which these ICT solutions are deployed and managed is a key component to define the success of the organization in its competitive environment. In this chapter, we discuss key managerial concepts and practices to help managers cope with the challenges associated with the changes brought by the deployment of ICTs in their organizations.
Aims of the chapter
The aims of this chapter are to provide an overview of the key concepts of project management and to help students understand the key elements of effective project management.
This chapter aims at providing a basic understanding of:
- the fundamental concepts of project management
- the relationships between project management and ICT deployments
- the importance of integration in project management.
Learning outcomes
By the end of this chapter, and having completed the Essential readings and activities, you should be able to:
- discuss the importance of project management and its limitations
- identify the different project management areas and describe the importance of their integrations
- discuss the challenges that must be overcome to deploy an integrated project management approach
- master the PERT and CPM techniques
- describe the limitations of project management techniques for the coordination of complex IS projects.
