An Introduction to

Project
Management
A Beginner’s Guide
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Overview 01

What is Project Management? 03

Project Management phases 04

Real-life example of Project 05

Management

Top Project Management tools and 08

applications

A glossary of Project Management 10

terminologies

How to build your career in Project 12

Management?

Get started today 14

OVERVIEW
The term “project management” may be a modern construct, but the very
concept has existed for as long as humans have been around. Humanity’s
introduction to project management can be traced back to their hunter-
gatherer days when coordination and planning became necessary to procure
food and resources, safeguard the community, and migrate to better locations.
Since then, people have always been dealing with “projects” that involved
planning and management, be it the man-made wonders of the world to wars
that changed the course of history.

Today, project management is at the core of nearly every business initiative. It

is a means of achieving a strategic objective and is the key to organizational
success. As the economy and the enterprise landscape become more
competitive and chaotic than ever, effective project management is necessary
for businesses to perform better, faster, and more efficiently.

In the world of disruptive technology, the payoffs from investing time, money,
and resources into effective project management can be tremendous. The
opposite is true, as well.

According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), for every $1 billion that
companies in the US spend on projects, they witness an estimated loss of $122
million—which means that 12% of the budget for projects, on average, goes
down the drain. One of the key reasons behind this staggering loss is poor
management.

IT projects are particularly notorious for cost overruns, which can amount to as
much as 400%, according to McKinsey, and “can threaten the very existence of
the company.”

On the other hand, successful project completion has been shown to have a
positive impact on the performance and the bottom line of an organization.
According to PMI, 89% of high-performing companies have one thing in
common: They tend to complete projects successfully.

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Not surprisingly, leading companies worldwide are embracing project
management as a way to cut costs, improve efficiencies, boost customer and
stakeholder satisfaction, and gain competitive advantage. For many such
companies, project management has become a dedicated function. The State
of Project Management report found that 85% of companies had a project
management office (PMO) — a specialist team that overlooks all aspects of
project management — in 2016.

In keeping with this trend, the demand for project managers is high. The Project
Management Institute (PMI®) estimates that there will be 22 million new project
management job openings by 2027.

This Basics of Project Management handbook aims to provide you with

an introduction to project management, the phases involved in a project
management process along with examples, as well as a lowdown on the top
tools and applications in the field. We will also discuss how you can power up
your project management skills with practical, expert-led training.

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WHAT IS PROJECT
MANAGEMENT?
There are many ways to look at project management and many ways to define
it. But for the sake of simplicity, let’s follow the Project Management Institute’s
(PMI) definition of it. PMI refers to it as “the application of knowledge, skills,
tools, and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements,”
where “project” means “a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique
product, service, or result.”

Because of the temporary nature of a project, it has a defined beginning and

end, and therefore, defined scope and resources. This helps to set proper
expectations around what can be delivered, by when, and at what cost,
preventing projects from getting derailed, veering off deadlines, or stretching
out of scope.

A project typically can encounter any of these six constraints:

Scope Quality Risk

Time Cost Resources

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PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
PHASES
From its start to end, there are different phases of a project, which constitutes
the project life cycle. In its most basic form, a project management process
goes through the following phases:

Preparation Execution Closure

Preparation phase
This is the phase where a project is set up. The project manager collaborates with
all parties involved — customers, contractors, and stakeholders — to establish the
formal aspects of the project. This includes putting together a team to work on the
project, creating a project plan, setting project goals and budget, resource allocation,
conducting a project kick-off, and other activities.

Execution phase
This phase has to do with everything that is needed to turn the project goal into reality.
Given the number and complexity of activities involved in this stage, it takes the longest
and is also the most challenging to manage.

Closing phase
During this closing phase, the last finishing touches are added to ensure that the project
is up to customer satisfaction, and the final product/process is ready for the handover
to the customer.

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REAL-LIFE EXAMPLE
OF PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
With this basic understanding of a project management process, let us dive
deeper into how a real-life project might be carried out successfully. For this
purpose, we will follow PMI’s project phase model, which breaks down into:

Initiating Monitoring and Controlling

Planning Closing

Executing

1. Initiating
Consider that an auto manufacturing company wants to cut down their
manufacturing costs to ramp up their revenue and profits. What happens next?
The top executives might call a board meeting and delegate the job to a senior
manager who will look for a suitable project manager (PM) to take over the
project’s reins.

The project manager will coordinate the next steps, which involve defining the
rough scope of the project, setting targets, building a team, and documenting
the project requirements in a charter.

The initiation, like in this example, is the very first step of the process.

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2. Project planning
During the project planning phase, every aspect of the project, down to a
weekly (or even daily) level, is mapped out. The PM finds the people with
the required skill set and puts together a team. This stage also involves the
following activities:

Creation of a scope statement – It spells out what is expected from the project
and what is not expected. The delivery, scope, parameters, and benchmarks are
well established and clearly stated.

Creation of a project plan – A plan is drafted to visualize the project workflow,

typically using a Gantt chart. It outlines a detailed schedule of what will happen
and when.

Defining key milestones – Milestones are what need to be completed

and accomplished in accordance with the plan—for example, reducing
manufacturing costs to increase profitability, in this case.

Setting up a communication plan – It states how and by what means will the
team and the stakeholders involved in the project communicate.

Performing risk analysis – This is a critical stage since it helps the team identify
risks and be prepared for a ‘Plan B’ if an issue arises.

3. Execution
This is the phase where the hammer falls on the nail. Given the pressure to
produce tangible and previously planned results, the management of this phase
is almost always very hectic and stressful. This is where the project runs into
the risks of cost overruns, delays, and unexpected issues threatening to derail
progress. It’s the PM’s job to manage these challenges and steer the project in
the right direction.

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4. Monitoring and controlling
A project must be monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure it stays on track. To
this end, the PM routinely checks the progress and quality of the project against
several factors such as:

Whether the targets are being met

Is the project staying within budget?

Any possible deviations from the scope and how to accommodate the
changes

5. Closing
This is the last phase where the project is completed, finalized, and handed
over to the customer. In our example, the PM will prepare a final report with the
actual cost values. It may also involve final checks and test runs to ensure the
desired outcome has been achieved.

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TOP PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
TOOLS AND
APPLICATIONS
Depending on the size and scope of a project, it can be easy to lose sight
of one or more critical aspects such as lack of clarity in task or project
status, inconsistent execution, ineffective collaboration, or siloed teams
and information. This is where the need for project management tools and
applications comes in.

According to Capterra, businesses using PM tools have largely experienced

positive gains in several areas, the most significant being an increase in
the number of projects completed on time. This is perhaps why 59% of
organizations are investing in their employees’ ongoing training on the use of
project management tools and techniques.

However, the market today is flooded with hundreds of project management

software and applications. And while it can be hard to choose from the
seemingly countless options, there’s undoubtedly a software out there that can
meet your needs and budget.

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Here’s a list of the top 10 project management tools you can pick from.

1. Trello 6. AceProject

2. Asana 7. ProofHub

3. Basecamp 8. ClickUp

4. Wrike 9. WorkZone

5. Gantt Chart 10. Scoro

To know more about these tools, how they work, their pros and cons, and
pricing, you can check out this article from our specialist-curated repertoire of
project management resources.

Now that we have seen how a project management process might unfold in
the real world and the tools that help you in the process let’s look at some key
terminologies used in the field.

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A GLOSSARY
OF PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
TERMINOLOGIES
In this section, we present you with some basic project management terms that
you should be familiar with while dealing with this subject.

Agile

The Agile family of methodologies is an iterative development approach

focused on fulfilling the ever-changing customer requirements. Agile
development progresses in the form of a series of iterations with incremental
improvements made in each iterative step. Agile methodologies are highly
adaptive because agile projects don’t have fixed scopes.

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

A work breakdown structure systematically divides the project deliverables

into smaller, more manageable portions. Organizing the team’s work in this
hierarchical fashion contributes to a better understanding of the nature of work
and allows the execution of project goals effectively.

Critical Path Method (CPM)

CPM is an algorithm mainly used for scheduling the project activities. It is

used to determine the steps of the project, which in turn determines the total
timeframe of the project. These activities must be completed according to this
set sequence to achieve the desired project goals.

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Waterfall Model

This is a traditional project management approach that works in a downward

fashion, so the pattern appears to be like a ‘waterfall’. In this model, project
development occurs systematically, from one phase to another. Each phase
must be completed before proceeding to the next phase, and the phases don’t
overlap, making it difficult to make any changes mid-process.

Kanban

‘Kanban’ is a Japanese word meaning visual signal. Kanban is a project

management process that utilizes a visual communication approach, using
visual tools like sticky notes or virtual cards in an online whiteboard to represent
project tasks and to track and specify progress throughout a project.

Key performance indicator (KPI)

A Key performance indicator is a metric for measuring project success. For

successful execution and completion of a project, key performance indicators
must be established beforehand.

Six Sigma

This approach to project management aims at achieving close to total

elimination of product or service defects. It uses quality management methods
to improve and optimize processes involved in the production of a product or
service so that more than 99% of the outcomes are free from any defect.

Lean manufacturing

This is a production methodology based on the idea of streamlining and getting

done more with less. An example would be providing customers with the same
value while eliminating waste and consequently cutting down production costs.

Lean six sigma

Lean six sigma is a concept that marries the waste elimination ideals of lean
manufacturing with six sigma’s ideal of achieving defect-free process outcomes.
Therefore, the goal of Lean six sigma is to eliminate both waste and defects to
improve the quality and consistency of the project deliverables while reducing
the cost of the project.

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HOW TO BUILD YOUR
CAREER IN PROJECT
MANAGEMENT?
In a world of shrinking budgets and increasing competition, project managers
can really make a difference. There is hardly an industry today which doesn’t
benefit from project management skills, and therefore, the demand for skilled
managers is peaking in IT, business service, oil and gas, finance and insurance,
manufacturing, construction, and utility industries—the list is endless.

In keeping with the growing demands, the salaries for project managers are
becoming competitive too. According to Glassdoor, the national average project
manager salary is $80,854.

Project managers also play a big role in influencing the team morale and not
just the company’s bottom line. This, coupled with a lucrative salary, makes
‘project manager’ a highly rewarding and satisfying role.

So how do your break into this career? Here are some project management
skills that will not only help you become a successful project manager but also
benefit your general approach towards work and life.

Time management
This features at the very top of the list of project management skills.
And that’s because time is not only money but also the difference
between project success and failure. A project manager not only must
be at the top of project timelines, but also must be able to make quick
decisions, have effective meetings, and come up with workarounds in
the face of challenging situations. Effective time management skills
equip you to do these faster, and better.

Organization skills
Without this skill, it can be difficult to complete the simplest of tasks, let
alone managing projects, which can often be a handful, to say the least!

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Communication
A project relies heavily on communication. Therefore, project managers
must have sufficient skills in this regard to successfully get the project
over the finish line, on time, and within budget. Plus, any professional
needs to communicate on a daily basis, be it through calls, emails,
or texts, at meetings or presentations. This is why honing in on
communication skills is critical for professional success, regardless of
which career you choose.

Problem-solving
Project managers encounter problems with each project on a daily
basis. By practicing problem-solving approaches, you can ensure your
team promptly deals with the problems and gets back on track without
losing too much time or money.

Teamwork
Being a team player and having good team dynamics are crucial if a
project manager wants to achieve targets, meet deadlines, and promote
a shared approach among the team members. This helps to ensure work
gets done on time, as per specifications, and people get along or at
least are on the same page in the entire duration of a project.

Budgeting
A project manager who gets the budgeting right proves his worth in
gold. This skill is prized for not only does it help you control project
costs, but also deliver client satisfaction. As a project manager, you are
responsible for monitoring daily budgets, timelines, and resources to
keep the project budget from bloating.

Besides, a project manager could also benefit from cultivating the

following interpersonal skills:

Motivation Leadership Negotiation

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GET STARTED TODAY
Today, 90% of organizations globally view Also, project managers are forever
project management certifications as the learning. They must regularly brush up
key to ensure quality performance. Being their knowledge of project lifecycles,
a certified project manager opens up processes, and structures as well as
plenty of opportunities for advancement, stay on top of emerging trends and
which includes better positions and higher best practices to gain insights into new
salaries. technology, products and services, and
customer needs.
While becoming a project manager
doesn’t necessarily require you to have This is why taking up a project
a specific degree or college education, management course like the ones offered
becoming a successful one requires by Simplilearn can help aspiring project
you to gain the knowledge it takes to managers gain the array of skills needed
implement the right strategies for efficient to accomplish the multitude of tasks
planning and execution of a project. involved in project management.

PMP® Certification Training Course

PMI-PgMP® Certification Training

PRINCE2® Foundation and Practitioner

Individual Courses Certification Training

PRINCE2® Agile Foundation & Practitioner

MSP® Foundation & Practitioner Certification

Training

PMP® Plus
Master’s Program
Digital Project Manager

Prost Graduate
Post Graduate Program in Project Management
Program

Start scripting your career success story today.

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