Project-oriented processes and Product-oriented processes
Current project management practice suggests two different categories of processes. One category, the project-oriented processes, deals with describing and organizing the work of the project. The second category is mostly concerned with product-oriented processes and defines the project life cycle and phases used by the initiating organization to divide the project into smaller segments to ease product creation. The project-oriented processes and the product-oriented processes interact throughout the life of the project. For example, the schedule cannot be defined without some basic understanding of how to create the product.
As mentioned earlier, a body of knowledge currently exists in each area, providing the project manager with a very useful head start.
Many of the project related processes have evolved from those of general management, like strategic planning, accounting, personnel administration, etc. The Project Management Institute PMBOK Guide suggests an interesting structure and describes in detail the nine project management knowledge areas. This structure will serve as our guide for the project-oriented processes.
Product-oriented processes vary by application area. Product development projects from the pharmaceuticals industry are very different from building construction projects, and of course, from Web publishing projects.
Numerous Web publishing product-oriented processes have evolved from the software industry. Only recently have we seen a better representation from the publishing and media industries. Web publishing is a very young industry in full evolution. Nevertheless, many active practitioners, from various backgrounds, are contributing to significant advances. Consider information architecture, usability, content management and the Agile development models, to name a few. The available body of knowledge is embryonic and still not well documented. We provide more information on product-oriented processes in Project Management > Process Groups pages of this Web site.
Project-oriented processes
For the benefits of our customers, we quote from the PMBOK Guide 2000 Edition brief descriptions of the nine knowledge areas.
“Project Integration Management includes the processes required to ensure that the various elements of the project are properly coordinated. It involves making tradeoffs among competing objectives and alternatives in order to meet or exceed stakeholder needs and expectations.”
The major processes include:
Project Plan Development
Project Plan Execution
Integrated Change Control
“Project Scope Management includes the processes required to ensure that the project includes all the work required, and only the work required, to complete the project successfully. It is primarily concerned with defining and controlling what is or is not included in the project.”
The major processes include:
Initiation
Scope Planning
Scope Definition
Scope Verification
Scope Change Control
Scope management is sometimes referred to as Change Management
“Project Time Management includes the processes required to ensure timely completion of the project.”
The major processes include:
Activity Definition
Activity Sequencing
Activity Duration Estimating
Schedule Development
Schedule Control
“Project Cost Management includes the processes required to ensure that the project is completed within the approved budget.”
The major processes include:
Resource Planning
Cost Estimating
Cost Budgeting
Cost Control
“Project Quality Management includes the processes required to ensure that the project will satisfy the needs for which it was undertaking.”
The major processes include:
Quality Planning
Quality Assurance
Quality Control
The suggested quality management approach is intended to be compatible with that of ISO 9000 and 10000 series of standards and guidelines.
“Project Human Resource Management includes the processes required to make the most effective use of the people involved with the project.”
The major processes include:
Organizational Planning
Staff Acquisition
Team Development
“Project Communications Management includes the processes required to ensure timely and appropriate generation, collection, dissemination, storage, and ultimate disposition of project information. It provides the critical links among people, ideas, and information that are necessary for success.”
The major processes include:
Communications Planning
Information Distribution
Performance Reporting
Administrative Closure
“Risk Management is the systematic process of identifying, analyzing, and responding to project risk. It includes maximizing the probability and consequences of positive events and minimizing the probability and consequences of adverse events to project objectives.”
The major processes include:
Risk Management Planning
Risk Identification
Qualitative Risk Analysis
Quantitative Risk Analysis
Risk Response Planning
Risk Monitoring and Control
“Project Procurement Management includes the processes required to acquire goods and services, to attain project scope, from outside the performing organization.”
The major processes include:
Procurement Planning
Solicitation Planning
Solicitation
Source Selection
Contract Administration
Contract Closeout
Product-oriented processes
We provide more information on product-oriented processes in the Project Management > Process Groups under Groups of Product-oriented processes or Phases.