Lecture:
Scientific Writing, Research Methods and Project Management
I.1 Project Management Basics
IE-17
Bachelor of Industrial Engineering, European Campus Rottal-Inn
Semester 3
Prof. Dr. Tobias Bader
1 Prof. T. Bader - Scientific Writing, Research Methods and Project Management Chapter I.1 : Project Management Basics
Module Content
1. Project Management Basics
1.1 Project characteristics
1.2 Project types
1.3 Project phases
1.4 Functions and tasks of project management
1.5 Project management tools
1.6 Project management success factors
Prof. T. Bader - Scientific Writing, Research Methods and Project Management Chapter I.1 : Project Management Basics 2
1.1 Project characteristics
What is a project?
Name 4 projects from your professional and private sphere, which you would classify as a project.
Why do you describe your examples as projects?
Please name criteria for your decision.
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1.1 Project characteristics
Definition Project
according to DIN 69 901, a project is characterized by the following features
• Uniqueness: involves new types of tasks, characterized by its process, defined beginning and end time
(temporary endeavour).
• Objective: certain specific and sufficiently defined objectives are set at the beginning of the project planning
• Financial limitation: fixed project budget, compliance with budget, monitored by special procedures for
project-related cost calculation.
• Personnel limitation: depending on the scope of the task, a project is characterized by a multidisciplinary,
interdisciplinary team under allocation of various individual tasks.
• Project-specific organization: different levels of project organization. This applies to project structure, project
process and the project control.
DIN (Deutsches Institut für Normung): German Institute for Standardization
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1.1 Project characteristics
What is not a project
• Processes that are characterized by standardized, repetitive routine tasks
• Tasks that you have to do regularly in your professional or even private everyday life.
Examples that are not projects.
- Regular shopping
- Weekly visit to the fitness centre Private
- Spontaneous Sunday walk
- Weekly car wash
- Routine production tasks
- Daily administrator tasks
Professional
- Weekly input of staff hours
- Regular sales of replacement auto parts
Prof. T. Bader - Scientific Writing, Research Methods and Project Management Chapter I.1 : Project Management Basics
1.2 Project types
• Content
• Investment projects: build new office building
• Research and development projects: Development of a content management system
• IT projects: Internet presence
• Construction projects: Bridge construction
• Degree of uniqueness
• Pioneer projects: NASA's Apollo program
• Potential projects: Construction of the new ICE line
• Client
• Internal projects: Reorganization of departments in own company
• External projects: Construction of a wastewater treatment plant for an external water supplier
• Scope
• International projects: Construction of a well facility in Africa
• National projects: state-wide introduction of school-based learning programs
• Corporate projects: group-wide introduction of new accounting software
• Industry
• Service company: Training program for business people
• Industry: projects in mechanical engineering or chemistry
• Institutions: Knowledge management solutions congress
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1.2 Project types
External projects
- based on customer order for a service for an external client
- project initiation and formulation of objective specified by external client
- all the general conditions are defined for the project manager
Internal projects
- company-owned projects
- internal project initiation and formulation of objectives
- in most companies an internal project proposal must be submitted (by department or business unit)
- members involved during project definition phase (before actual project start)
- Influence on the general project conditions
→ whether projects are external or internal depends on the client
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1.3 Project phases
Definition Planning Execution Closure
• Project is prepared • Different sub-plans are • Actual project implementation • Final phase of the project
• External projects: created for the project. execution
• Ensure successful project
project order is received • Project team/personnel realisation in defined time frame • Final presentation during a final
• Project is clearly defined • Work package Planning project meeting
• Including test phase
• No clear ideas yet about how • Sequence of the work plan • Project approval
• Project manager responsible
project is realised or about • Time plan (project start until • launch final report
• Managing project team
what needs to be done under project end) • Resolution of the project team
which conditions. • Project controlling of project
• Budget planning? framework conditions:
- content,
- finances
- time
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1.4 Functions and tasks of project management
Case Study: Production Project What mistakes were made?
• immediate start of project work
Your company management has assigned you as project • lack of planning
manager to develop a solution for the arrangement of a new -no detailed project plan
production line and implement it. You have been given a large
part of the framework conditions for the project. As an expert, -project goals not clarified
you know which work steps are necessary, which resources -no agreement on production line functionality
you require and you are familiar with the technical project -no definition of framework conditions
content. Before you start the project you discuss this project
assignment with other colleagues and ask for their help.
-no project organization with necessary employee
resources
During the project execution process, it turns out that not all
the necessary functionalities of the production line have been • lack of project organisation and project structure
taken into account and the necessary process interfaces have - no defined work packages
not been developed in a compatible, uniform design. In
addition, bottlenecks occur in the project as several project
- no defined work steps and sequence
members have underestimated the amount of work.
• lack of clarified project schedule
The problems accumulate, even though you are an expert and - no time and cost planning.
you actually believed to be aware of the course of the project - challenge to control the project
when you started.
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1.4 Functions and tasks of project management
Project & Management
specified through
• Objective • Planning
• Time, financial and personnel limit • Organisation
• Differentiation from other projects • Controlling
• Project-specific organization
• Uniqueness of the conditions
= complex task of project realisation
• systematic coordination of the project conditions
• leading the project
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1.4 Functions and tasks of project management
Project management Project work
concerned with the objective-oriented deals with the solutions to be developed
preparation, for the tasks assigned.
planning,
control,
documentation and
monitoring of projects • professional and technical processing
of the tasks, i.e. the problem solving in
the actual sense
• organizational handling of the solution
processes • delimitation of problems, the design
of alternative solutions, their
• planning, control and coordination of the evaluation and selection, up to the
available resources content-related concretization
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1.4 Functions and tasks of project management
Project management cycle
→ interaction of the essential project management functions
• Planning
- accompanies entire project process from project idea to completion
- sub-plans drawn up at project start are to be updated again and again Communication
and
• Organization Leadership
- responsible for the creation of an organizational structure
• Control
- monitors the project execution continuously
- process-accompanying function
Organisation
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1.4 Functions and tasks of project management
• Lead and Collaborate:
Commitment and collaboration of • Situational analysis and setting objectives:
all stakeholders - Analysis of environment
• Controlling: - Definition of SMART objectives and
Ongoing monitoring and immediate intermediate objectives for all activities
control in case of deviations for all
• Planning resources and costs:
boundary conditions, goals and
- Planning realistic and agreed-upon scope of
results.
services, costs and deadlines.
• Create project structure plan and workflows:
- Determination of technically and economically
appropriate project schedule with clear results.
• Establish project organization:
- temporary for project duration Organisation
- appropriate for project task
- with personalized responsibilities.
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1.5 Project management instruments
Definition Planning Execution Closure
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4
→ successful project start → basis for the entire → realization of the project plans → satisfy all stakeholders
project execution → focus is on project control eventually
- Problem analysis - Identification of work packages - Project controlling - Presentation
- Decision for project - Work breakdown structure - Team leadership - Final report
implementation - Project schedule - Quality assurance - Final meeting
- Clarification of project goals - Resource plan - Documentation - Handover and approval
- Project assignment - Cost plan of project results
- Project organization - Quality plan - Project Follow-up
- Kick-off meeting - Team disbanding
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1.6 Project management success factors
How to determine project success?
Project success
• Objectives requested by the client are achieved • Satisfaction of project participants
- with the intended resources • Economic efficiency
- within the specified time and
- in the required quality.
- hard criteria - soft criteria
- result oriented - process oriented
→ can measured immediately after project closure → can measured only months after project closure
→ when a project part (e.g. personnel, task) changes, it affects resources, time and quality
and thus satisfaction and economic efficiency
→ balance between time, cost and quality related objectives and resources needed
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1.6 Project management success factors
Magic Triangle of Project Management
maximise
• in accordance with
objectives
Quality → Deterioration of one measure affects others
-Output- → If project manager concentrates on one
measure only and neglects the others
it causes tensions in the project
• financial budget
• personnel resources • deadline
• material resources appropriate • intermediate deadlines
Cost Time
-Input- -Dates-
minimise
minimise
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1.8 Capstone Assignment Chapter 1
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