Project Definition
A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create, modify, or retire a unique product, service, or result. A project has a definite start and end date and concludes when its objectives have been achieved.
Project Management Life Cycle
There are various phases in the project management life cycle:
1 Planning. A new project is started by defining its objectives, scope, purpose and deliverables to be produced. The team will help you to do this, by using a structured set of templates to initiate new projects. Planning involves creating of a set of plans to help guide your team through the Analysis & Design, Development, Testing, Deployment, and Monitor phases of the project. The plans created will help you to manage time, scope, cost, quality, change, risk and issues. Planning could take between 2 weeks to 2 months.
At the end of this phase, the results will be a Business Case, Project Charter/Scope document and high-level project plan.
2 Analysis & Design. Analysis & Design involves the crucial up-front work of ensuring the plans meet the business requirements before development commences.
3 Development, Testing and Deployment. In these active implementation phases, the team will build the physical project deliverable, presenting them to you/your customer for sign-off. A range of best management processes are then used to manage time, cost, quality, change, risks and issues.
4 Monitor. In this phase, the project manager will formally close the project and then monitor & report its overall level of success to the stakeholder or customer sponsor.
Throughout all of the project management phases, the project manager monitors and controls the project and its resources.
