Project management is one of the important errands one needs to carry out while handling a project. “Project management is a carefully planned and organized effort to accomplish a specific (and usually) one-time objective, for example, construct a building or implement a major new computer system.” (Project management, 2009).
The managing project includes developing a good plan, which makes no qualm that every process included in the project will occur chronologically. The plan includes project goals and objectives, different ways to achieve goals, and different types of resources needed in the development of the project. Plan also includes the determination of the budget needed for the project and also the time required for completion of the project. The above mentioned are one set of plans which are needed for managing the project. Another important issue in managing a project is maintaining or keeping controls and implementing different mechanisms for recovery plans if any problems occur during the implementation stage. For managing a project properly, there are different phases. They are initiation, planning, executing, controlling, and closing. The initiation process of the project includes obtaining approval for the project. Planning includes creating plans for running the project. Executing means the implementation of plans, which is one of the longest phases in this activity. “Controlling process means ensuring that project objectives are met by monitoring and measuring progress regularly to identify variances from the plans; taking corrective action when necessary; tracking the variances and changes.” (Project phases, 2008). Closing process means end or conclusion of the project. This includes summing up the overall process.
Definition of key terms
Project management: “Project management is continually improving the body of knowledge and developing extensions that define the differences in requirements and approach for different kinds of the project such as construction, new product development, and information systems in the administrative industry.” (Joham, 2009, p.4).
Business strategy: Business strategy is a strategy that is implemented in an organization that shows direction and scope for an organization to move forward in the business.
Organizational strategy: Organizational strategy describes “how an organization intends to compete with the resources available in the existing and perceived future environment.” (Larson & Gray, 2006, p.22).
Outline of argument
The success of a project depends on the implementation of the most excellent approach towards the project and the importance of project activities that should be in line with organizational strategy. This paper will prove these are very imperative to attain great accomplishment in the project. The first segment of the body of the paper explains project strategy and the second section deals with project activity and its in-line strategy with the organization.
Project management offers some powerful techniques to the organization to achieve its goal and to lead the business properly without any risk. There are some strategies in developing a project. “Strategy represents the fundamental goal and objective that drive the organization and which, if well understood and delineated, should affect how projects are selected, shaped, and executed.” (Morris & Pinto, 2007, p.xiii). Data is the fundamental need for project development or business management. These data are collected by properly analyzing the needs of the business. So, analysis is the first step in project development, which is done by interviewing the customers and also by questionnaires. “Project managers must compile all the information gathered during the analysis phase and produce three documents to guide the rest of the project. Find out how to outline business requirements, high-level technical specs, and a general project plan.” (Mochal, 2001). In the analysis process, the customer also takes part; therefore, the developer can understand the actual requirement and problems of an organization. Then the data collected during the analysis process is organized into documentation, which is needed for the development of the project. “The strategy documents describe the overall direction of the project in several areas, including testing, training, data conversion, and implementation.” (Mochal, 2001). All the processes to be performed during the project development are included in the document and this development process should do according to the plan in the document. Based on this document, a model of the project is designed. So, the problem regarding the project can be identified in the initial stage itself. All the customers may not have computer knowledge and they cannot understand the program code. So, as the model is designed in diagrammatic form, the customer can understand it easily. Only when the customer is satisfied with the model, the original project is developed. Before implementation of the project, testing is conducted to convince the success of the project. So, the project provides a solution to the problem in the organization. “Schedule and budget dominate the measures of project success. To take advantage of opportunities, projects must be more than just tactical or operational. Building market share, extending product lines, increasing revenue, satisfying customers, and building for the future are more important measures of project success.” (Project strategy, 2009). Customer satisfaction is essential in the project development so that the project must provide to the customer at the proper time and must complete within the allotted budget. The budget of the project measures the quality of the project.
Every organization conducts various projects, both simple and complex. “All organizations use projects as the way to translate strategies into actions and objectives into realities.” (The importance of project management in organizations, 2007).
The project activities in an organization have to be in line with its strategies. Many people in the organization will be involved in the project activities. Only if the project activities are in line with the strategies of the organization, it can attain its goals. Financial losses in the organization can be avoided with good project activities. The people in the organization consider the strategies of project management to be very helpful. “Aligning Project Management with Organizational Strategy gives you an in-depth analysis of the process leading from business strategy formation to portfolio development to the project and project manager’s role.” (Aligning project management with organizational strategy, 2008).
The management of the project helps the organization in the process of planning, implementation, and other activities. In modern organizations, the projects help in creating some innovations. Any task that the organization has to perform is divided into different project activities. ”To operate at its full potential, an organization needs a sound strategy and a robust design that’s also flexible enough to meet changing conditions, and to capitalize on new opportunities.” (Our services: organizational strategy, design & change, n.d.).
The rapid growth of technology and globalization forces organizations to function according to the changing demands of the competitive world. In such a condition, the organization will have to do more and more projects to withstand the competition in the market. The project done in an organization can sometimes fail if it does not meet the strategies of the organization. The project activities should include all the essential requirements that will help the organization to run smoothly and successfully. “Modern business development places more emphasis on a strategy that aims to delight customers, processes that lead to the ultimate of efficiency and infinitely flat organizational structures to manage my projects.” (Van Der Merwe, 2002).
Projects are the major work done in an organization. Several project activities are done parallel to each other at the same time by several people or teams. These project activities should have to be aligned with the policies of the organization. The project activities should follow the rules and regulations of the organization. It should also develop the project in such a way that it helps in the development of the organization. The output of the project will be useful to the organization only if the project activities are done according to its strategies. The in-lining of activities of the project with organizational strategy helps the employees in analyzing the process of formation of business strategy. Thus, the aligning of the project activities to the organizational strategy is very essential for the growth and development of the organization.
This paper can be concluded by saying that for a project to be successful, an appropriate or suitable strategy must be implemented. The implemented strategy must be adopted according to the situation and it should always be in line with organizational strategy. Otherwise, the result will not be complementary.
Reference List
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Joham, C., 2009. Study guide-off campus: project management: principles and strategies. University of South Australia.
Larson, E.W. & Gray, C.F., 2006. Project management: the managerial process (Sie). 3rd ed. Tata McGraw-Hill.
Mochal, T., 2001. Your project’s analysis phase should yield three critical documents. Tech Republic. Web.
Morris, P. & Pinto, J.K., 2007. The Wiley guide to project, program, and portfolio management. John Wiley and Sons.
Our services: organisational strategy, design & change, n.d. Martin Jenkins. Web.
Project management, 2009. Free Management Library. Web.
Project phases: controlling processes, 2008. QUT: Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane Australia. Web.
Project strategy: the key to project success, 2009. BNet: The Go-to Place for Management. Web.
The importance of project management in organizations, 2007. Articles Base: Free Online Articles Directory. Web.
Van Der Merwe, A.P., 2002. Project management and business development: integrating strategy, structure, processes and projects. International Journal of Project Management. Web.