Project Management:

A Managerial Approach 4/e

By Jack R. Meredith and Samuel J. Mantel, Jr.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Presentation prepared by RTBM WebGroup

Project Management
A Managerial Approach

Chapter 1
Projects in Contemporary
Organizations

Projects in Contemporary
Organizations
Project Management has emerged
because the characteristics of our
turn-of-the-century society demands
the development of new methods of
management
Many forces have fostered the
emergence and expansion of Project
Management
Chapter 1-1

Forces Of Project
Management
3 Paramount Forces driving Project
Management:
1. The exponential expansion of human knowledge
2. The growing demand for a broad range of complex,
sophisticated, customized goods and services
3. The evolution of worldwide competitive markets for the
production and consumption of goods and services

All 3 forces combine to mandate the use of

teams to solve problems that used to be
solvable by individuals
Chapter 1-2

Objectives of a Project
3 Project Objectives:
Performance
Time
Cost

Expectations of clients are not an

additional target, but an inherent
part of the project specifications
Chapter 1-3

Objectives of a Project
3 Project Objectives:

Chapter 1-4

The Professionalism of
Project Management
Complexity of problems facing the project manager
Growth in number of project oriented organizations
The Project Management Institute (PMI) was established in
1969
By 1990 it had 7,500 members
5 years later, over 17,000 members
And by 1998, it had exploded to over 44,000 members

This exponential growth is indicative of the rapid

growth in the use of projects
Also reflects the importance of PMI as a force in the
development of project management as a profession
Chapter 1-5

Project Management
Institute

Chapter 1-6

Recent Changes in
Managing Organizations
The process of managing organizations has been
impacted by three revolutionary changes
1. Accelerating replacement of traditional,
hierarchical management by participatory
management
2. Currently witnessing the adoption of the systems
approach (sometimes called systems engineering)
3. Organizations establishing projects as the
preferred way to accomplish the many specific
changes that must be made when the organization
attempts to alter its strategy

Chapter 1-7

The Definition of a
Project
Must make a distinction between terms:
Program - an exceptionally large, long-range
objective that is broken down into a set of
projects
Task - set of activities comprising a project
Work Packages - division of tasks
Work Units - division of work packages

In the broadest sense, a project is a

specific, finite task to be accomplished
Chapter 1-8

Characteristics of a
Project

Have a purpose
Have a life cycle
Interdependencies
Uniqueness
Conflict

Chapter 1-9

Why Project Management?

Companies have experienced:

Better control
Better customer relations
Shorter development times
Lower costs
Higher quality and reliability
Higher profit margins
Sharper orientation toward results
Better interdepartmental coordination
Higher worker morale
Chapter 1-10

Why Project Management?

Companies have also experienced
some negatives:
Greater organizational complexity
Increased likelihood of organizational
policy violations
Higher costs
More management difficulties
Low personnel utilization
Chapter 1-11

The Project Life Cycle

Stages of a Conventional Project:

Slow beginning
Buildup of size
Peak
Begin a decline
Termination

Chapter 1-12

The Project Life Cycle

Chapter 1-13

The Project Life Cycle

Time distribution of project effort is characterized
by slow-rapid-slow

Chapter 1-14

The Project Life Cycle

Other projects also exist which do
not follow the conventional project
life cycle
These projects are comprised of
subunits that have little use as a
stand alone unit, yet become useful
when put together
Chapter 1-15

The Project Life Cycle

Unlike the more conventional life cycle, continued inputs of
effort at the end of the project produce significant gains in
returns

Chapter 1-16

The Project Life Cycle

It is essential for the Project Manager
to understand the characteristics of
the life cycle curve for his project
The distinction between the two life
cycles plays a critical role in the
development of budgets and
schedules for the project
Chapter 1-17

The Project Life Cycle

Risk during project life cycle
With most projects there is some
uncertainty about the ability to meet
project goals
Uncertainty of outcome is greatest at
the start of a project
Uncertainty decreases as the project
moves toward completion
Chapter 1-18

Risk During Project Life

Cycle
Uncertainty decreases as the project moves
toward completion

Chapter 1-19

Textbook Structure
Structure of the text follows the life
cycle of projects
Text divided into 3 main sections:
Part I - Project Initiation
Part II - Project Implementation
Part III - Project Termination

Chapter 1-20

Summary
The Project Management Institute (PMI) was
founded in 1969 to foster the growth and
professionalism of project management
Project management is now being
recognized as a valuable career path in
many organizations, as well as a way to
gain valuable experience within the
organization
Chapter 1-21

Summary
The three primary forces behind
project management are:
1. The growing demand for complex,
customized goods and services
2. The exponential expansion of human
knowledge
3. The global production-consumption
environment
Chapter 1-22

Summary
The three prime objectives of project
management are:
1. To meet specified performance
2. To do it within specified costs
3. Complete on schedule

Terminology follows in this order:

program, project, task, work
package, work unit
Chapter 1-23

Summary
Projects are characterized by a
singleness of purpose, a definite life
cycle, complex interdependencies,
some or all unique elements, and an
environment of conflict
Project management, though not
problem-free, is the best way to
accomplish certain goals
Chapter 1-24

Summary
Projects often start slow, build up
speed while using considerable
resources, and then slow down as
completion nears
This text is organized along the project
life cycle concept:
Project Initiation (Chapters 2-6)
Project Implementation (Chapters 7-11)
Project Termination (Chapters 12-13)

Chapter 1-25

Projects in Contemporary
Organizations

Questions?

Chapter 1-26

Projects in Contemporary
Organizations

Picture Files

Projects in Contemporary
Organizations

Figure 1-1

Projects in Contemporary
Organizations

Figure 1-2

Projects in Contemporary
Organizations

Figure 1-3

Projects in Contemporary
Organizations

Figure 1-4

Projects in Contemporary
Organizations

Figure 1-5

Projects in Contemporary
Organizations

Figure 1-6

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