Any sort of large project, whether in business or a construction and civil engineering endeavor, is going to need good project management steps which require detailed planning, preparation, and execution. While project management steps may bring up images of building a dam, the concept of allocation of vital resources in any sort of large project actually goes back to the days of ancient Rome. Indeed, ancient military defenses involved the building of fortresses, ramparts, and siege engines. Modern times have come a long way in the scientific management of resource allocation especially over the years with honed managerial skills.
There are a variety of different project management models that are used, so this will simply be more of an amalgamation of the different approaches to project management. The traditional model has five developmental components, and other project management steps may incorporate some or all of these into those planning models. These five functional components are: initiation; planning and design; execution and construction; monitoring and controlling systems; and completion. Other models would put “team assembly” at the forefront of the planning sequence. Every mind is unique, and there are usually many different professions involved in any large project. The engineers must collaborate with architects; systems analysts may have to interact with professional administrators, and so on.
The first stage of initiation is probably the most critical component of the initial design phase of a project. The project must be defined, goals set, specific objectives, etc. This is where the traditional “brainstorming” takes place. If this critical step is neglected, then all the rest is for nothing! Next comes planning; the conceptual phase is past, the goals and objectives set, now the backbone of the project is to determine availability of resources, assign tasks, This is the stage where sub-contracts are allocated, costs and potential over-runs are determined. Schedules and deadlines are also determined at this point in the project management operation.
Project execution is where the rubber meets the road. It’s the old adage of, “money talks, b.s. walks”. Now is when the theoretical is applied to the real world, and construction and operations begin in earnest. All the people involved and resources have to be integrated and coordinated and managers must know how to delegate the proper tasks to the right people. Systems engineers love flow charts to integrate all the different component functions of any large project. There is also special project management software that will make sure resource, budget, and timelines are coordinated. Team meetings and any conflicts, roadblocks, or problems are also dealt with at this level of the project operation.
Completion Phase of Critical Project Management Steps
Finally, project management steps involve monitoring and controlling systems, and ultimately completion. The pace and speed of the project has to be on schedule, and costs and quality monitoring of completed sub-projects must be watched carefully. Huge amounts of time, money, and resources are involved, and all must be carefully allocated. Documentation of processes and operational system data are compiled for future analysis, as well as general overall maintenance of the project. There may be analysis of cost-benefit, investment, risk-profile, surcharge, and many others. Systems development processes ensure that the project is on-time and within budget. These project management steps and other management tips will help you to plan your projects more thoroughly and efficiently.