A project is a temporary endeavor with a definite beginning and definite end aimed to create a unique service, product or result (Phillips 16). A project is not over until the service, product, or result is created, the scope of the endeavor is fulfilled, and the client/customer has accepted the end result. With that said, not every endeavor can be a project according to project management. An endeavor ceases to be defined as a project if it holds the following characteristics: (a) it is not temporary and (b) it is not undertaken to create a unique service, product or result. The term ‘temporary’ might be used to imply that a project must have definite beginnings and definite endings. On the other hand, the term ‘unique’ might be used to imply that the particular endeavor must be new and has never taken place before. The terms “service, product, or result’ imply that the particular project has an output.
For instance, when a sales person closes a new sales deal with a new client. The endeavor fulfills the following: (a) it is temporary, in the sense that once the sales deal is closed, it’s done; (b) it has a unique service/product, in the sense that the sales person is selling a new service/product to a new client; (c) it has a life cycle, in the sense that it has a beginning and an end; (d) it produces an output, which is represented by closing the deal and getting the revenue. To the sales person, this could be just but another sales case in his or her day to day life; however, from a project manager’s point of view, this endeavor could be classified as a project.
Work Cited
Phillips, Joseph. All-in-one CAPM/PMP Project Management Certification: Exam Guide. 2014.
