Project and Agile Management
What is Project Management?
More specifically, what is a project? It's a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result.
A good project plan will clearly define the management of:
- scope - size, goals, requirements
- resources - staff, equipment, material
- time - start and end, task duration, dependencies, etc
- money - costs, contingencies and profit
A project is unique in that it is not a routine operation, but a specific set of operations designed to accomplish a singular goal. So a project team often includes people who don’t usually work together – sometimes from different organizations and across multiple geographies.
The project must be expertly managed to deliver the on-time, on-budget results, learning and integration that organizations need.
What is the Agile approach?
Agile is an iterative approach to project management and software development that helps teams deliver value to their customers faster and with fewer headaches.
Instead of betting everything on a "big bang" launch, an agile team delivers work in small, but consumable, increments.
What is the benefit of professional Project Management to your business?
The main advantage of project management is that is helps you to manage your projects effectively, enabling you to resolve problems more quickly. It takes time and money to manage a project, however following good practices can help you:
- improve your chances of achieving the desired result
- gain a fresh perspective on your project, and how it fits with your business strategy
- prioritize your business’ resources and ensure their efficient use
- set the scope, schedule and budget accurately from the start
- stay on schedule and keep costs and resources to budget
- improve productivity and quality of work
- encourage consistent communications between staff, suppliers and clients
- satisfy the various needs of the project’s stakeholders
- mitigate risks of a project failing
- increase customer satisfaction
- gain a competitive advantage and boost your bottom line
