Digital Project Management
Project Management is the method, practice and action of arranging, reform, spurring, and calculating property, schemes and gatherings to achieve particular objectives in rational or everyday topic. A project is a improvised challenge anticipated to convert an interesting article, organization or effect with a distinguish starting and end , clinch to meet exclusive targets and objectives, regularly to accomplish supportive transform or added significance and worth( Dennis P S & Jeffrey K, 1987). The temporary scenery of projects stands in opposition with the usual way things work (or operations), which are tedious, everlasting, or semi-lasting practical exercises to produce items or administrations. In apply, the administration of these two frameworks is regularly very varied, and all things deemed entail the encroachment of diverse expertise aptitudes and management methodologies (Ayres, 1993).
A project manager is a specialist in the turf of project management. Project managers can have the commitment of the organizing, implementation, and shutting down of any venture, commonly classifying with progression industry, building, structural planning, registering, and telecommunications. Abundant different meadows in training building and draw round conniving and devastating modern have project managers( Dennis & Jeffrey, 1987). The project manager is the personality accountable for finalizing the spoken undertaking goals. Key task management duties integrate making apparent and reasonable project objectives, producing the project fundamentals, and commencing with the triple requirement for projects, which is cost, time, and extension( Dennis & Jeffrey, 1987). A project manager is habitually a patron envoy and needs to hub and actualize the clear-cut desires of the punter, in light of becoming skilled at the firm they are representing. The competence to amend to the unusual hidden structures of the toning, assembly, and to constitute close connections with the dispensed delegates, is key in guaranteeing that the key questions of outlay, time, eminence or more all, client accomplishment, might be figured out (Rick, Bernadette, Katherine, &Kenneth, 2002).
The vital analysis of Project Administration is to achieve the greater part of the errands, goals and targets while regarding the defined limitation. The important obligations are addition, time, quality, and budget. The secondary and more goal-oriented test is to improve the fraction of imperative inputs and slot in to meet predefined objectives( Rick, Bernadette, Katherine & Kenneth, 2002).
Any project manager desires to pay consideration to the scale of any project. By defining a project’s scope the project manager will be trying to do a number of things:
- Ensure that the boundary between one project and other projects and programmes are clearly understood and prevents gaps or overlaps in all the work that is necessary to achieve higher-level objectives.
- Make certain that the work the venture must do the task required, and what it is in particular debarred from doing, are distinct and granted by attracted parties.
- form a baseline for successive change power so as the detrimental outcomes of ‘Scope creep’ can be diminished (Department for Business, 2007).
Considerations for digital project management
As numerous project managers are confronting project groups made of people from diverse societies, heterogeneous blends, and varying demographics, numerous project managers have the important administration approach as they begin trading this new domain. There are various methodologies to overseeing undertaking exercises including iterative, incremental, lean and staged methodologies which the project administrator must think about to execute a project in this digital era (Slevin & Pinto, 1996). Despite the philosophy utilized, cautious thought must take place for the general project aims, course of events, and expense, and the parts and obligations of all members and stakeholders. In this digital era as a project manager, one should be more conversant and adapt to the new technologies such as:
Agile project management
This is a new but efficient way of managing complex project. Currently, projects are increasing in complexity and size whereas the market environment is also changing because of the numerous dynamics projects are exposed to. Therefore, it is imperative that project managers change their approach of managing project, in this digital era to be able to sustainably manage and control projects without much strain. In this approach, project deliverables are submitted stage-wise. This is more appropriate, especially when put in the context of large and complex projects, where it is highly difficult to project the requirements of a project at the beginning. Therefore, this approach was developed for project managers in response to the barriers that usually crop up when using the conventional methods of project management. This approach is mostly useful when applied in engineering, information technology and projects involving the launch of a new product in the market. It grants the project some form of flexibility, which helps in dealing with uncertainties more adequately without having major implications on the outcome of the project. The outcome of using such an approach is a product that is completed within the time allocated, at the lowest cost possible, and with little or no wastage at all. Therefore, based on this, agile project management techniques are very modern and suitably to addressing the challenges project managers face in this digital age. It is also imperative to mention that in agile project management, focus is on creating customer value, team interactions over the various tasks, and changing regularly to adapt to the business realities on the ground (Rick, Bernadette, Katherine, &Kenneth, 2002).
PRINCE2 Project management
It means projects in a controlled environment. This is a new technique in project management that enables the project manager to share all the vital information regarding a project with the management of the organization. Currently, the dynamics in the market dictate that organizations keep changing to suit to factor in all the changes that occur within the market. Therefore, it has become common for organizations to get involved in more than one project at the same time. In this case, it will be very difficult for the management team to get involved in the management of all these projects while at the same time executing their roles within the company. Therefore, it is common for governmental and global organizations choosing a project manager for each project. In this case, the management will be able to check all the information regarding the project and act accordingly. This is useful, especially in managing remote projects or projects that are spread over a larger geographical coverage, which is common in the current digital era. There are many software and programs tailored to facilitate sharing of information among all the project stakeholders. Therefore, as project managers strive for excellence in the current digital age, it is imperative that they also consider PRINCE2 as a suitable option, depending on the nature of the project (Rick, Bernadette, Katherine, &Kenneth, 2002).
PMBOK
This is also a new development in project management and is highly efficient in managing contracts and the scope of a project as well as other important aspects of the project. It offers better tools to handling mega projects systematically without much deviation from the scope of the project. In addition, it offers excellent controls for managing project costs and scheduling of tasks to ensure the project is delivered on time. One of the most popular tools in this system is the Work breakdown schedules and programming of works, which helps project managers to deliver the project in a more convenient and timely manner. Some of the considerations required in this case, include the use of such software as Primavera, which is highly efficient in managing the project deliverables and costs.
Web-based project management
The entire concept of project management and projects is a new phenomenon. Projects vary in their sizes and magnitude of complexity. Since the introduction of this concept in the early 1950s, there has been a tremendous change and evolution of new concepts on how to manage projects in an efficient and cost-effective manner. In the current digital era, communication and software integration have become central to the success of any project. Therefore, project managers need to be very keen on their choice of communication structures and software to use when managing project. For instance, the internet has become an important part of communication through web-based facilities where parties in different localities can communication and exchange information regarding a particular project. In essence the scope of project and its coverage have drastically changed because of globalization (Dennis & Jeffrey, 1987). It is normal nowadays for one firm to have multiples of projects in different parts of the world. In addition, the introduction of virtual teams in project management where the project team comprises of individual living in different localities by working together on the same project, has made communication very vital for coordination and exchange of ideas. The project manager is therefore required to be aware of some of the available means through which communication can be made from one individual to another or exchange of data via the web-based facilities. It is now possible to apply web-enabled software across various stages of a project, including the tender stage where the necessary tender documentations are exchanged, design and construction where drawings and other documents relevant to the project are exchanged among the project team members and for trading purposes where ordering of materials through e-commerce. Furthermore, members of the project team can exchange data and process various documentations regarding the project via the websites (Slevin & Pinto, 1996).
Therefore, for projects to be successful, it is imperative that project managers are dynamic in their approach of issues and keep track with the trends in the market. Every day comes with a new challenge, which needs critical thinking to come up with an adequate solution. However, this can only be achieved when keeping pace with the trends in the market. The good part of it is that technology offers better tools and ways of dealing with the current challenges in a better and more efficient way. It is the responsibility of the project managers to ensure that they are flexible enough to respond to changes accordingly.
References
Ayres, A (end), 1993, The Wit and Wisdom of Will Rogers, NY: Penguin Books
Dennis P S & Jeffrey K, 1987, Pinto, Balancing Strategy and Tactics in Project Implementation, Sloan Management Review, fall, pp. 33-41
Randall L. Schultz, Dennis P. Slevin, & Jeffrey K. Pinto, 1987, Strategy and Tactics in a Process Model of Project Implementation, Interfaces, pp. 34-46
Rick B, Bernadette K, Katherine K, Kenneth P.2002, Success or Failure: Human Factors in Implementing New System. Bates College. Lewiston, Maine.
Slevin, DP& Pinto, JK, 1996, The project implementation profile: new tool for project managers. Project Management Journal, Vol. 17. Issue 4. pp. 57–70,
