WHAT IS A PROJECT

Definition:
• A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to achieve a
particular aim and to which project management can be
applied, regardless of the project’s size, budget, or timeline.
• A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to produce a
unique product, service or result (PMBOK 2004, Lewis 2005 p.
5)
• Temporary, schedule, recourses, budget, goal/purpose,
organization, unique
 The characteristics of projects

A project:
• has a specific purpose that can be (readily) defined
• is unique because it is most unlikely to be repeated in exactly
the same way by the same group of people to give the same
results
• is focused on the customer and customer expectations
• is not usually routine work but may include routine-types tasks
Trevor L Young: The Handbook of Project Management
 The characteristics of projects

• is made up of a collection of activities/(tasks) that are linked

together because the all contribute to the desired result
• has clearly defined and agreed time constrains – a date when
the results are required (goal, purpose, duration)
• is frequently complex because the work involves people in
different departments and even different sites
Trevor L Young: The Handbook of Project Management
 The characteristics of projects

• has to be flexible to accommodate change as the work

proceeds
• involves many unknowns: as the external influences on the
project, the skills of the people doing the work and the work
itself
• has cost constraints, which must be clearly defined and
understood to ensure that the project remains viable at all
times
• provides a unique opportunity to learn new skills
Source: Trevor L Young: The Handbook of Project Management
 Project Life cycle

Peak effort level

---------------------------
Level of effort

Time
Conception
Selection Planning, scheduling, monitoring, control Evaluation,
termination
Source: Meredith and Mantel; Project Management a managerial approach:
 Projects process/lifespan of project/projects life cycle

1. Identify need/ 2. Selection/definition 3. Planning

problem

4. Execution/Implementation/ 5. Closure

(mm. Kettunen s, 44, käännös kh)

 Analysis
Initiation
Identification
Planning
Implementation
Testing

Milestones Introduction
End
 Project categories/Project types
• Investment project
– one family house, summercottage
– factory
• Product development project
– new product or service
– needs/requirements/satisfy customers needs
• Research project
– collect information, make analysis, Marketing research project
– quite often before a product development project
• Delivery project ?
– compare Foster Wheeler
• Development project
– IT project (inside your own organisation)
– organisation development projects
– process development projects
• Technology project
– handmade/automatic
– Energy: wind, oil, gas, wood, bioenergy
• Industry project
– improve purchcasing, selling, storage, production, marketing
• DEFINITION
PROJECT PLAN
– background
– objectives/aims/goals
– constrains
• ORGANISATION
– steering group
– project group
• IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
– WBS
– schedule
– Task list
– resources plan
– Risk list
• BUDGET
– project budget
– cost control
• CONTROL PLAN
– meeting plan
– communication plan
– monitoring and reporting
– quality plan
 Birthday party
Birthday party

Planning Implementation Cloceout

Place Service Program Invitations

Task 1 Food Serving dishes Decorations

Task 2
Task 3 Task 1
Task 4 Task 2
Task 5 Task 3
 Planning a schedule

• Tasklist
• Workload/amount of work
• Resources
• Duration
• Dependency (in what order)
TASKLIST PROJECT: NUMBER
PROJECT MANAGER

Tasknum Task/Activity Duration Start Finnish Predecessor Person in

b
Charge/
Resource
Name
 Resource planning

• Duration = workload : all resources (worker

or man)
• Duration of task is 12 days
• Resource is 1 man
• If one man use his resources only 60 % , it
means that the duration on task is
• 12 : 0,6 = 20 days (this formula is important to
understand)
 h/vko

Office hours 40
Lunch á 0,5h 2,5
Whole time 37,5

Coffee breaks á 12 min 2,0 h

smoke 2 * 10 min /day 1,7
Meeting 1,0
Rutins 5
Social time spend with colleges á 15min/pv 1,25
Internet á 15 min/day 1,25
Own things (speak with you children on phone)
yms.
25,3
 GHANT CHART
Jan Feb Mar Apr May
Task 1
Task 2
Task 3
Task 4
Task 5
Task 6
Task 7
Task 8
Task 9
Task 10
 Documentation
• Decision to start the project
• Project Plan
• Progress report
• Mid-term report
• Change orders
• Memos or minutes from meetings of Steering committee
• Memos or minutes from meetings of project group
• All handbooks and manuals
• Completion report/Final report
– How we succested?
– Descripe project cycle
– project aims, achieved or not
– What we learned during the project?