Project Management Process
The project management process is continuous from the inception of a project to its closing. However, there are a number of phases through which every project passes on its way to completion. Project management professionals differ in how they define and name the phases of the project management process; construction PMs call them one thing, IT project managers see others. But the Project Management Institute, the worldwide standards and certification body for project management professionals, recognizes five general phases of the project management process:
The Initiation phase defines the scope and nature of the project. This where the project manager sits down with stakeholders of every kind to determine what they need and what results they hope to get from the project. The initiation phase is the most critical phase of the project management process, and perhaps the most difficult one. Stakeholders often have difficulty articulating what they need or expect. Reconciling differences between stakeholders' expectations and compromising expectations in light of budget constraints are challenges. But eventually, from the initiation phase arises a list of things to do. The next phase is figuring out how to do them.
The Planning and Development phase is where the project manager figures out what needs to be done to meet the expectations developed during the Initiation phase, and gathers what's needed to do it. This phase is often called "research and development," and it can take a very long time.
Production or Execution is the phase during which results are actually generated. A building is built. Toys roll off an assembly line. Software is written. Things are delivered. Often they are called deliverables. Deliverables are the results of production or execution. Deliverables tell the project manager whether things are getting done correctly.
Monitoring and Controlling production or execution is another phase of the business project management process. It may involve production quality control, in which goods are inspected to ensure they meet certain physical quality standards before they are shipped. But it can also involve monitoring consumer's reaction to the goods -- do they buy it? If not, then control is exerted over the production process to change or end the production of goods.
The project change management process is an art in itself. Changing a project's expectations, production activity, and deliverables while the project is in motion can lead to enormous disruption. Controlling changes precisely enables one to measure the effect they have on deliverables.
Closing a project ends its activity. A building is completed, inspected, and ready for occupation; the construction project is closed. Production of a car model is ended; that car model project is closed. Generally, one learns lessons from every completed project, whether it is deemed successful or not. The closing of a project is the time to document all the new lessons learned.