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The Complete Guide to Project Management

Get more projects across the finish line (with less stress)

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What is project management? Project management is the coordination of your processes, tools, team members, and skills so you can deliver projects that exceed your goals.

You and your team are getting ready to conquer a major project. It’s like a long stack of dominoes — it’s so cool when it works, but a big ol’ disappointment if a single piece is even slightly out of place. 

These types of projects can be both daunting and exciting, and you might be tempted to start as soon as possible. Do you cross your fingers that everything magically falls into place? Rub a lamp and hope a wish-granting genie arrives to lend a helping hand? 

Those would be nice (and let us know if you find a way to make them work!). But, in reality, the secret to success for your big, hairy projects is effective project management.

What is project management, and why is it important?

Project management is the practice of coordinating processes, tools, team members, and skills to deliver projects that meet goals and satisfy requirements.

It empowers your team to complete projects by rallying them around clear objectives, increasing transparency and visibility, streamlining communication, and establishing the project scope. Need more convincing? Consider that  Project overruns are frighteningly common. In the IT industry alone, McKinsey found that on average, large IT projects run 45% over budget and 7% over time. 

Project management methodologies

Have you heard that old adage “more than one way to cook an egg”? There’s no one strategy for completing a kick-ass project. That’s where a project management methodology comes into play. It’s a set of rules, principles, and processes for managing a project.

Methodologies might sound formal, but you have some room to innovate here! It’s important to note that many teams and companies use a combination, rather than relying exclusively on one. Regardless of which approach you choose, it should help promote a strong culture of transparency .

1. Waterfall project management

When you think of traditional, sequential project management, you’re picturing waterfall project management . With this method, you break your project into different phases. When one phase ends, the next one begins — there’s no overlap between them. 

When to use : For long projects that require a single timeline and a sequential order.

Commonly used in : Construction. Building a house or structure requires a successive order. You can’t put on a roof before you’ve poured a foundation, for example. 

2. Agile project management

Agile project management is an iterative approach and is much more flexible than waterfall project management. It's a DevOps best practice that breaks projects into chunks that are tackled in short bursts (called sprints). After each sprint, your team reevaluates the work you’re doing to make any necessary changes and ensure you’re staying on target.

Scrum project management is one of the most popular Agile  methodologies used by project managers. Like Agile, scrum is centered around continuous improvement . You can use a framework like scrum to help you start thinking in a more Agile way and practice building Agile principles into your everyday communication and work.

When to use:  For projects that aren’t yet well-defined and require a lot of adaptability. 

Commonly used in : Software development. This profession pioneered agile, and this approach allows developers to build higher-quality software because they’re able to test and review at regular intervals.

3. Lean project management

If you’ve heard of lean manufacturing, those same principles apply to lean project management . The goal of this methodology is to increase output and value while reducing waste. To use it, you’ll need to map a value stream, which is the sequence of project activities. Then, you take a magnifying glass to that stream to identify and eliminate work that doesn’t add value. This means your project process will be as streamlined, optimized, and efficient as possible.

Kanban is a specific implementation of Lean project management. Project tasks are represented visually on a Kanban board , allowing team members to see the state of every piece of work at any time.

When to use : For projects that need to be delivered quickly. 

Commonly used in : Manufacturing. When you’re producing physical goods, you want as little waste as possible to minimize spend and maximize profit. That’s why this approach is popular in manufacturing, especially in the automotive industry .

The 5 stages of the project management process

Imagine that you’re starting a project from the very beginning. Project management doesn’t come into play only when you actually start checking off tasks — you need to lay the groundwork first.

With that in mind, the Project Management Institute (PMI) established five distinct stages of project management .

Stage #1: Initiating

Think the first step of the project management process is planning? Not quite. Before you can map out a strategy for your project, you need to get stakeholder buy-in. This is where a project charter comes in to outline the business objective of your project for approval. We recommend using a project poster instead, as a more digestible format that’s faster and easier to read. In this stage, you should answer questions like:

• What’s the business case for this project? Our strategic plan template can help!
• Is this project feasible?
• Should we pursue this project?

To put it simply, in this stage you’re trying to decide if this project is even worth tackling before you invest too much elbow grease. 

A great way to help facilitate this discussion is a premortem , a thought exercise in which you imagine what could go wrong and decide how to prevent it.

Stage #2: Planning

If you decide to move forward, you’ll next head into the planning stage. This is where you’ll develop a detailed project plan that your entire team will follow––and thank you for! Planning is essential for avoiding scope creep . Our to-do list template can help! . Questions to answer in this stage include:

• What is the goal of this project?
• What are the key performance indicators (KPIs)?
• What is the scope?
• What is the budget?
• What are the risks?
• What team members are involved?
• What tasks are involved?
• What milestones need to be met? 

This step is to ensure you and your team all have shared expectations before you get started. If you think you’re getting too caught up in the minutiae, you aren’t. And strategic planning frameworks can help!

Stage #3: Executing

Grab your coffee and get your power cable, because it’s go-time. This is where you and your team will roll up your sleeves and start conquering project tasks with your project plan as your guide. In the execution stage , you’ll need to: 

• Allocate necessary resources
• Ensure assignees carry out their tasks
• Host status meetings
• Set up tracking systems

The bulk of the work happens in this stage, and it’s also where you’ll start to see your project really coming together. See? All that planning was worth it.

Stage #4: Monitoring

Just because you have a project plan doesn’t mean things will run smoothly on their own. It’s like setting a budget for yourself — having the budget doesn’t do anything if you don’t keep a close eye on how you’re managing your money. 

That’s why you need to monitor project progress to ensure things stay on track. You should evaluate your project against the KPIs you established in the planning stage.

What should you do if your project feels like it’s strayed from the path or fallen prey to scope creep? Take a moment to reevaluate. You can decide if you need to realign things, or if your original plan needs to shift. That’s the great thing about monitoring — you have regular checkpoints to course correct.

Stage #5: Closing

The closing stage is about wrapping up loose ends. This includes:

• Hosting a postmortem or retrospective to evaluate the project
• Preparing a final project report
• Collecting and storing necessary project documentation somewhere safe. A collaborative documentation space like Confluence is great for this, by the way.

Not only does this give your team the chance to officially wash their hands of the project, but it also makes it easier to refer back to it when necessary.

7 Tips for successful project management

Even if you follow all of the above steps, effective project management isn’t a set-and-forget scenario. There are a few other best practices you’ll want to implement to help your project run as smoothly as possible.

Host a project kickoff meeting

Your project kickoff meeting is when you’ll establish goals, break down your timeline , and generally get everybody on the same page about your project. Our team meeting agenda template can help!

Regardless of how excited your team is to get to work, don’t skip this sitdown. You’ll proactively clear up confusion and rally your team around a shared goal.

Be mindful of task and resource dependencies

Remember when we talked about projects that feel like a string of teetering dominoes? That’s especially true for large, cross-functional projects. Maybe Daisy can’t start creating graphics until Joel has drafted the content (that’s a task dependency). Or maybe Choua can’t use a piece of software while Derek is using the shared license (that’s a resource dependency).

Your project tasks don’t happen in a vacuum, so it’s important that you account for these dependencies using a Gantt chart template . 

When all of your tasks and resources are connected, you need to understand how they fit together, or you run the risk of watching in horror as your whole line of dominoes comes toppling down.

Identify your critical path

Identifying your critical path is a great way to prevent schedule overruns. While it might sound like something out of an action movie, your critical path is just your longest string of dependent project activities. If you hit a snag or delay on that path, you know the whole project is at risk of coming in late. 

Finding your critical path allows you to know where you have some wiggle room in your schedule, and where you need to stick as close to your timeline as possible.

Be realistic with your timeline

It’s common to underestimate the time it takes us to complete tasks, and it can be a real detriment to your project timeline.

Keep yourself in check by referring back to timelines for previous projects. Consult your time-tracking software (if you have it) to see how long typical tasks take, and ask your team to gut check their schedules.

Use project management software

If your team members need to dig through endless email threads or folders to find what they need, your project is bound to drag behind. 

That’s why it’s helpful to use project management software (like Jira ) to store your documentation and organize your project in a knowledge management software (like Confluence ). It increases visibility into all project steps and tasks, centralizes communication, and gives your project team one single source of truth .

Establish clear roles and responsibilities

To get the best output from your team, people need to know exactly why they’re involved. What is their role and what are they expected to contribute? 

Not only does this instill a sense of purpose and accountability in your project team members, but it also prevents them from stepping on each other’s toes and allows you to play to everyone’s strengths. A RACI   framework is a popular way to assign roles and responsibilities . The acronym RACI stands for responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed. Confluence slightly tweaks this framework, calling it DACI , with “D” standing for “driver.”

Make it a collaborative process

Managing a project can be stressful, and you don’t have to do it all alone. Your team will have a lot of great insight into your project plan , including if your timeline is realistic or if you’re forgetting about dependencies.  Team brainstorming is a great way to share and hash out ideas. Here are some tips for running an effective brainstorming session .

Even if you’re part of a hybrid or remote team , resist the temptation to plan projects in isolation. Involve your team to hash out a more reasonable plan and boost their sense of ownership over the project. Our brainstorming template can help!

Key members of a project team

Every project must begin by identifying r oles and responsibilities . Knowing your role upfront sets everyone up for success in staying on track to meet project deadlines. Potential project roles include:

• Project manager : Person who oversees the entire project and is responsible for the project’s success.
• Project sponsor : Senior manager who champions the project and works closely with the project manager.
• Team member : People who actively work on the project tasks.
• Supplier : People who provide goods or services for a project.
• Primary stakeholders : People who actually do the work and are actively involved in the project.
• Secondary stakeholders : People who might come to meetings and play a small part but aren’t key decision-makers in the project.
• Interested stakeholders : People who are in the loop on the project but don’t play an active part or have a lot of influence.
• Client : Person who receives the final project, if it’s a client-facing project rather than an internal one. 

What to look for when evaluating project management software

Choosing the right project management software can be tricky. To ensure your team gets the most out of its project management tool, we recommend that you look for a solution that offers the following capabilities:

• Create a shared calendar to track project milestones and deadlines
• Share files and documents for easy access and collaboration
• Create task lists and assign tasks to team members
• Track project progress and generate reports
• Facilitate and streamline communication between team members and stakeholders
• Estimate project duration and budget
• Allow team members to comment on tasks and provide feedback
• Generate automated reminders and notifications
• Set up project templates to streamline project creation
• Manage resources and workloads
• Track issues and risks
• Manage change requests
• Create detailed reports
• Monitor project performance

Why use Confluence for project management

Confluence sets itself apart as a collaborative knowledge hub to supercharge project management with thousands of templates , plays , and integrations for maximum flexibility and scale.

Consolidate tools and centralize work

With Confluence you have knowledge, task, and project management combined with team collaboration. Embed a Trello board for Kanban-style project management, like Sprout Social . Or, integrate Confluence with Jira  for an Agile approach to project management, like Castlight Health . Jira makes it easy to plan, track, and manage your projects, while Confluence boosts transparency and centralizes your project-related conversations and resources. 

Scale with team and company growth

Confluence is designed to enable project management for technical teams and business teams, as well as for small businesses , remote teams , and enterprise-scale companies . Scale with unlimited instances to provide organizational autonomy, segregate data for security reasons, or customize environments. Confluence also has the security, compliance, performance, and reliability needed to support enterprises, including guaranteed SLA uptimes; data residency in US, EU, Australia, or Germany; and certifications with GDPR, SOC2, and more.

Secure and protect work and knowledge

What happens when a teammates leave your company, does their work leave too? Confluence protects project work from being lost, even if teammates leave a company. You can create permissions, set controls, and assign admins roles.

Analyze and optimize performance

You can’t manage what you can’t measure, right? In combination with Jira , you can track progress, monitor activities, and generate reports to help optimize project processes and workflows.

Project management is the engine powering team productivity. But not all project management solutions are created equal. Find out why more than 85,000 companies use Confluence.

Project management templates

Persona template.

The Persona template helps you create detailed profiles of target customers for marketing and product development, complete with persona names, goals, challenges, and information sources.

Customer journey mapping template

Use this template to understand your customer’s experience with your product, including their emotions and pain points.

Disruptive brainstorming template

This Confluence template will help your teeam generate fresh ideas.

DACI template

Use this DACI template to define each person's role in the decision-making process and make the right call sooner.

Project poster template

If project briefs and project charters aren’t your cup of tea, try this template for a project poster instead.

Key benefits of project management

1. improve collaboration.

We know we need to work with others to meet our goals, yet effective collaboration doesn’t come easy for most of us. There are varying communication styles, different approaches to organization, and so many other factors that make collaboration challenging. 

Project management software gives teams greater visibility into what their colleagues are working on, what deadlines are set, how individual tasks fit into the overall project process, and more. All of this contributes to the greatest benefit of project management software: better and easier project collaboration.

2. Centralize communication

Your team is struggling to communicate with disorganized email threads, direct instant message pings, and comments that get lost in the shuffle. 

That’s bad news (and a big time-waster) for your projects. When team members have too many places to check for information, wires are crossed, deadlines are missed, tasks are forgotten, and confusion builds. 

Project management software keeps all of your communication — from timelines and status updates to feedback and questions — in one single place that’s easily accessible to everyone. This breaks down silos so that everybody can not only share knowledge, but effectively manage how and where they share it. 

3. Streamline task management

For your projects to be delivered successfully, team members need to know which tasks they’re responsible for and when they need to have them completed.

Unclear responsibilities and directions from managers are a big piece of that; working within numerous apps and tools only adds to the mayhem. 

If a team member is assigned a task in one tool but they spend more of their time in another platform, they’ll miss that important notification. Managing your projects in one piece of software patches those holes and also breaks your biggest most overwhelming projects into individual steps and action items. 

From there, you can assign those tasks to the correct team members with a deadline so they’re aggregated in one place, and people will get notified of their new to-dos.

4. Create a single source of truth

Your project management software will be your repository of project-related information. Documents, assets, updates, timelines, meeting notes, and everything else should be stored in your software. (Here’s a handy template for meeting notes to keep track!) Doing so ensures it’s accessible, organized, and searchable. Team members can find what they need without wasting a ton of time digging for the truth. 

5. Boost efficiency

Add all of the above benefits together, and you get the best benefit of all: your team can move work forward faster. A lot faster. 

With project management software in place, your team is communicating well. They know what’s expected of them and what they should get started on next. They can easily locate the information they need.

Working together like a well-oiled machine significantly cuts down on lost time. The Jira project management template helps teams get started faster with tried-and-tested workflows, instead of starting a blank page every time they need to create a new project. 

Now, work no longer drags on and on because your team is equipped with the resources they need to crank out high-quality results at an impressive pace.

6. Track progress

You don’t want to deliver just any project. You want to deliver a project that stays under your budget, honors your timeline, and meets its original goals.

Those important elements are easy to lose track of when you’re up to your eyeballs in project work, and it’s a slippery slope. If you don’t keep a close eye on those limitations and expectations, you’ll struggle with schedule, budget overruns, and wasted effort when team members need to re-do work to get the project back on track.

Project management software organizes your work so it’s simpler to track things like your spend and deadlines. Additionally, you can generate reports to monitor progress as you move forward — rather than realizing too late that you’ve missed the mark.

Why use Jira for project management

Jira  helps teams successfully plan, track, and deliver top-quality products supported by specialized project management apps for Jira .

Centralized reporting

Jira brings all your project data together, allowing you to effortlessly track task completion, identify bottlenecks, and make decisions with confidence.

Real-time updates

Everyone stays in the loop with Jira’s instant updates, ensuring quick reactions and consistent project alignment.

No-code automation

Jira cuts the hassle with simple no-code automation, saving time on repetitive tasks and letting you focus on what matters.

Manage projects with confidence

Steer teams of all sizes toward success and achieve objectives confidently with Jira.

Offering tailored solutions for nonprofits and small businesses

You may also like

Project poster template.

A collaborative one-pager that keeps your project team and stakeholders aligned

Project Plan Template

Define, scope, and plan milestones for your next project

Enable faster content collaboration for every team with Confluence

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Examples of Project Management

In order to better conceptualize what project management is, it’s helpful to understand how project management plays out in real-life applications. Here are a few examples of how project management is used across various industries every day: 

Example One: Project Management in Construction

In 2005, BAA Airports Ltd. was presented with an enormous task: remodeling Terminal 1 within Heathrow Airport, the busiest international airport in the world while keeping the terminal open to the 20 million annual travelers that pass through the airport. The project was extremely complex, and made even more challenging by a strict deadline and significant public health concerns, given the construction project was taking place within an active terminal. 

Throughout the project lifecycle, David Buisson, PMP, and the project manager in charge of the Heathrow renovation project, encountered many unexpected obstacles, including asbestos in the ceiling and inconsistencies with the floor level. Buisson and his team were able to properly navigate project challenges, operational risk, and communication management with key stakeholders. They successfully delivered the project on time and on budget—without any major mishaps—utilizing the PMBOK Guide from the Project Management Institute, the standard guide for project management professionals.

The 2005 renovation of Heathrow Airport Terminal 1 is widely considered one of the most successful case studies in construction project management to date. 

Example Two: Project Management in Healthcare

During the Covid-19 pandemic, pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, AstraZeneca partnered with the University of Oxford to address the international need for a vaccine. The research partners at Oxford University had begun showing promising research around an early vaccine option. Paired with AstraZeneca’s manufacturing capabilities and global supply chain experience, it was a no-brainer for the two entities to pair up to address the pandemic. 

However, the partnership would face numerous challenges throughout the project lifecycle, including, most notably, a highly unpredictable and rapidly evolving public health crisis. Adaptability had to be the name of the game, and the structured guidelines of project management provided a baseline for the team to work from. Ultimately, the project was an overwhelming success, with over 1 billion doses of the vaccine delivered to over 170 countries.

Example Three: Project Management in Aerospace Technology

The Mars Pathfinder Mission began in 1996 as a result of budget cuts within NASA, shifting the organization’s focus to projects that could be completed “faster, better, and cheaper.” The goal was to spend less than $150 million dollars on the project in total and implement it within 36 months. Based on the initial goals established by NASA, just getting the spacecraft to Mars and landing it in one piece would have been a success. 

Instead, by the time the project reached completion in September 1997, the Mars Pathfinder returned 2.3 billion bits of information, including more than 16,500 images from the lander and 550 images from the rover, as well as more than 15 chemical analyses of rocks and soil and extensive data on winds and other weather taking place on Mars. Ultimately, the project was such an exemplary example of project management at work that it won the Project Management Institute’s coveted ‘‘Project of the Year Award’’ for 1998. 

What is a Project Manager?

Project managers take ownership over the entirety of the project lifecycle from start to finish, from directing team efforts to navigating day-to-day challenges, implementing project management strategies, and more. Ultimately, they are responsible for the successful competition of the project and the distribution of key deliverables and project outcomes. 

Responsibilities of a Project Manager

Project managers are responsible for a wide range of project-related duties, including but not limited to:

• Establishing and managing the project timeline  
• Assigning project tasks and delegating responsibilities to team members
• Communicating with key stakeholders
• Executing each phase of the project
• Facilitating team adaptation of project management aids and tools (such as project management software, and Gantt charts)
• Monitoring the project budget and project scope, preventing cost or scope overruns
• Troubleshoot and mitigate potential roadblocks and issues 
• Establishing set meeting schedules and facilitating team discussions
• Monitoring ongoing project progress
• Concluding the project lifecycle with relevant end-of-project responsibilities, including facilitating project reviews , and turning over deliverables

Essential Project Manager Skills

Project managers handle a wide variety of project-related responsibilities and duties, and understandably, need to wield a broad and flexible skillset. Some of the essential skills a project manager should possess include the following:

Soft Skills

Hard skills, phases of project management .

Check out the video below for an in-depth walkthrough of the five phases of the project management lifecycle. 

Read more: 5 Phases of Project Management Life Cycle You Need to Know

1. project initiation.

The project initiation phase focuses on establishing a high-level vision for the project while securing approvals from sanctioning stakeholders. This phase is not meant to dive into excessive detail, but rather to get the ball rolling and get the team thinking about what is to come.  Read more about the initiation phase .

2. Project Planning

During the project planning phase , teams build upon the vision established in the initiation phase in much more detail. First, teams must answer a few essential questions surrounding what the project will aim to accomplish, how the project will be carried out, when it will begin, on what timeline, and how project success will be measured. Once those initial questions have been answered, teams can dive into building out project infrastructure, covering essential topics such as:

• Project scope
• Deliverables
• Key stakeholders
• Goals and milestones
• Resources needed (internally and externally)
• Project timeline
• Potential risks or roadblocks
• Dependencies
• End of project outcomes

3. Project Execution

The project execution phase is the starring act of the project, and where most of the deliverables come from. During this phase, the project manager coaches and guides the team to present essential project deliverables while keeping stakeholders in the loop and monitoring progress against key milestones and KPIs. Throughout the project execution phase, project management systems, such as project management software, can make life easier by keeping track of deadlines and deliverables, serving as a platform for team member collaboration, and more.  Learn more abou t project execution.

4. Project Monitoring 

During the monitoring phase, the project manager(s) keep tabs on the progress of the project overall and the status of the team. Whether teams are on track and delivering stellar results or struggling with roadblocks and challenges, the project manager can help eliminate stressors, solve problems, and communicate updates with key stakeholders. Read more about project monitoring .

5. Project Closure

The closing phase of the project lifecycle is a time for wrapping up project activities, delivering project deliverables and outcomes, and reflecting on the wins and losses of the project overall. Communication is key within this final phase, where team members have an opportunity to reflect and celebrate. Learn more about the project closure phase .

Download Our FREE Project Lifecycle Guide

Project management methodologies.

Project management methodologies establish a guiding set of rules and principles that teams can implement in order to achieve greater efficiency while maximizing positive project outcomes. Each methodology approaches project management through a slightly different lens, providing teams with a specific set of repeatable steps to follow throughout the project lifecycle. Methodologies are rigid and cannot be used in combination with other methodologies.

Project management frameworks can exist within methodologies, providing a more focused view of how a methodologies guidelines can be applied and implemented. While the structure and rules follow the teachings of the methodology, frameworks can color in detail how and when those rules are applied in a project setting. 

Agile project management focuses on an iterative and highly flexible approach to project management that focuses on delivering the project in pieces throughout the project lifecycle, rather than all at once at the project’s conclusion. In Agile project management, teams have more flexibility to adapt to challenges and redirections than in more structured methodologies, such as Waterfall.

Best for: 

• Software development teams
• Teams dealing with high levels of uncertainty
• Teams who are creating prototypes that need multiple levels of edits and changes
• Teams working closely with external parties and stakeholders

Waterfall project management is a traditional approach to project management that involves rigid, sequential project phases. In the waterfall model, each phase of the project must be fully completed before the next phase can begin, and project deliverables are turned over only at the conclusion of the project.

• Projects with a well-defined goal
• Projects with concrete timelines
• Teams who need to define rigid project requirements early on

Project Management Frameworks

Scrum project management, as the name suggests, is inspired by the camaraderie and teamwork of a Rugby team within the Agile methodology. Led by a Scrum master, Scrum teams are encouraged to learn through their experiences, self-organize as they problem-solve, and progress throughout the project lifecycle. 

• Smaller teams tackling numerous unknowns and ever-changing variables

The Kanban framework is a subset of the Agile methodology that emphasizes continuous improvement and flexible task management. In the Kanban framework, teams utilize Kanban boards, vertical boards that separate individual task cards into categories based on their status in the project lifecycle (for example: “not started,” “in progress,” and “completed”). 

• Teams who are new to project management and looking for a simple, organized framework
• Projects with numerous individual tasks and assignments
• Teams who need quick access to a high-level view of task overviews and completion status

Critical Path Method (CPM)

Critical Path Method is a project management framework within the Waterfall methodology that identifies critical and non-critical tasks, prioritizing them based on their importance—eliminating bottlenecks and roadblocks. The CPM method emphasizes the importance of calling out relationships between tasks and task dependencies. 

• Teams managing large, complex projects
• Projects that require a large number of tasks with subtasks and dependencies
• Teams who want to maximize efficiency and prevent roadblocks from the start of the project (especially for projects that have a high likelihood of complication) 

PRojects IN Controlled Environments, or PRINCE2, is a framework within the Waterfall project management methodology that emphasizes organization and control. Frequently used in the UK and internationally, The PRINCE2 model breaks down projects into smaller, more manageable chunks in order to manage risk and resources while clearly defining team roles and responsibilities. 

• Teams who have less experience in project management (PRINCE2 follows clearly defined, easy-to-understand steps)
• Teams who need more clarity around specific role-based responsibilities
• Compartmentalizing project steps and actions

Project Management Tools

Project management software.

Project management software helps teams organize all project essentials in one place, while streamlining and simplifying the project management process overall. At every phase of the project lifecycle, project management software supports teams’ ability to assign tasks, manage deadlines, view task dependencies, track team progress against goals, access data insights, and much more. 

Read more: 10 Best Project Management Software for 2023

Project management charts , gantt charts.

Gantt charts are one of the most common planning tools in project management. In a timeline-inspired format, Gantt charts highlight tasks against the project timeline, task dependencies, and designated assignees. Gantt charts are useful for teams who want to visualize projects at a high-level view while avoiding resource overload. 

Best for: Visualizing project timelines and task dependencies

Burn-Up/Burn-Down Charts

Burn-up and burn-down charts visually represent how project tasks have been completed across a predetermined timeframe. This type of chart is popular with Scrum teams for tracking work across sprints, as it can easily reveal the total scope of work against items that have been completed or left unfinished. 

Best for: Tracking project progress

Read more: Best Project Planning Software & Tools

Collaboration tools.

Slack is a communication-focused collaboration software that enables teams to communicate asynchronously through messaging, audio calling, and video conferencing. While many project management software offerings include collaboration features, Slack is a faster solution for teams who need to communicate efficiently as project updates come up.

Miro is a collaborative mind-mapping software that can help teams brainstorm throughout the project lifecycle in real-time. The application functions as a virtual whiteboard for teams to map ideas, add digital sticky notes, and plan out timelines.

Read more: Best Collaboration Software & Tools in 2023

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A project is a temporary, time-bound sequence of tasks that aim to achieve a particular goal. Projects bring together the talents of multiple team members in order to deliver a tangible result or outcome over a predetermined span of time. Often, projects involve the work of multiple individuals, across numerous areas of expertise, requiring an upfront investment in time and resources. 

Project management provides structure and accountability to the project process while providing ongoing support to your team by way of a project manager. Here are just a few of the top benefits of project management: 

Project Management Keeps Projects on Track

According to data from Wellingtone, only 43% of projects are finished on time and within budget, and only 29% are on time. Project management structures a plan for teams to stay on time and budget ahead of time, so projects are more likely to go as planned. 

Eliminate Scope Creep

Scope creep occurs when project requirements and frame of work expand over time—and it’s one of the most significant threats to project success, with the Project Management Institute reporting that half of all projects experience scope creep. Projects that adhere to best practices in project management are more likely to stay focused on the initial objectives of the project and, ultimately, experience success. 

Enhanced Resource Management

Project management involves planning and accountability—and that can make resource management much easier. During the initial phases of project planning, teams clearly outline team roles and responsibilities while monitoring individual workloads as work progresses, ensuring that resources are allocated appropriately.

Team Coaching and Coordination

Project management efforts are traditionally led by a project manager, or at the very least, a dedicated team member who oversees team efforts while providing support throughout the project lifecycle. Having a dedicated individual who can monitor project progress, troubleshoot problems, and promote team accountability can help the project process move much more smoothly. 

While every organization’s approach to project management is different, taking stock of your goals can help guide your next move. Take time to reflect on the projects your team has completed previously. What went well? What could have been improved? 

If you don’t have the budget to hire a dedicated project manager, implementing smaller steps, such as taking advantage of a project management software solution, can help your team make big strides toward a strong project management strategy. 

Most teams will require a toolbox of project management aids, rather than a single solution by itself. In order to determine which tools are the best fit for your team, testing is key. A majority of project management software solutions offer free trials and plans, making it easy to test out a variety of options. Other tools, such as charts, planning aids, and mind maps, are free tools that can easily be tested and explored. 

Interested in learning more? Check out our FREE guide on how to choose project management software. 

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Creating Gantt Charts in Microsoft Project: Ultimate Guide

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Your complete guide to project management

If you need to deliver projects on time and within budget while satisfying all stakeholders, then efficient project management is a must-have.

But what does best-practice project management look like, what are the best frameworks to use, and what features make or break the software you choose?

Our definitive project management guide answers all these questions and more. You’ll learn about project management processes, the best frameworks, and how to manage a project effectively.

What is project management?

Project management (PM) is the practice of planning and managing projects, from start to finish. It involves the coordination of all the activities and resources you need to meet deadlines and achieve your desired project outcome. For example, your goal might be to launch a new product, develop software, or plan a networking event. To achieve your end goal, project management includes:

• Setting goals
• Scheduling tasks
• Managing teams
• Monitoring progress
• Collaborating with stakeholders

There are numerous structured frameworks you can use to achieve your project objectives, such as Agile, Kanban, or Scrum. Although these frameworks take a different approach, each focuses on taking the necessary steps to complete your project on time, and within budget.

Why is project management important?

Project management is critical because it provides the leadership, motivation, and problem-solving that enable teams to introduce new products or services, grow revenue, and meet company goals. If you prioritize effective project management styles, you can proactively and continuously improve workflows to avoid any mistakes or overspending.

The most successful companies know how to manage a project to remain efficient and productive.

Who is using project management?

All types of organizations use project management, from large multinationals to small or medium-sized businesses. Whether you are leading a team in the office or remotely managing teams around the world, effective project management ensures your organization reaches your goals.

Project management encompasses any type of project, including (but not limited to):

• Product and service development
• Software engineering
• Event planning
• Construction projects
• Marketing campaigns
• IT system implementations

Traditionally, a project manager heads up the project team and is responsible for the project’s overall success. The manager assigns tasks to team members, tracks progress, and ensures that deadlines and budgets are met. But in smaller teams without a dedicated project manager, several team members can share the responsibility for project management.

What are the 5 phases of project management?

Successful project management begins with designing and following a simple roadmap to set expectations. As Matt Burns, a project manager at monday.com, says:

“The number one thing to do before initiating any project is to outline the project roadmap at the beginning. Because if you want to go somewhere and you don’t have this map, you’re probably going to get lost.”

To help you develop your roadmap, let’s dive into five essential phases in the project management lifecycle . Here’s the high-level information you need to know about each.

1. Initiating

As with any good project, preparation is vital to complete the work on time and within budget. During the  project initiation phase , determine the following to create the project foundation:

• Project scope : This covers the specific limits and boundaries for the project, including what you’ll accomplish and what you will not ( i.e., the  project objectives ) . Establishing these boundaries prevents something called “scope creep” where the deliverables change and your project deadlines may get pushed back. 
• High-level project overview: This outlines the resources, time, and goals required to complete a project and a strategy to monitor these requirements over time.
• Budgets : You’ll liaise with stakeholders to determine how much money is available for your project, and the cost required to achieve a successful project.

For larger projects, you might establish a project charter or “Project Initiation Documentation” (PID) which goes into these areas in more depth. 

2. Planning

Drawing up a clear and intentional project plan ensures all team members move toward the same goal. During the project planning phase , you’ll:

• Select your project team members
• Outline your deliverables
• Estimate your required project resources
• Determine any associated activities
• Set key milestones and dates , including the final project completion date

During this process, you can also outline the team’s project management methodology. There are many to choose from, including the below popular options. We’ll get into more specifics around some of these later in this project management guide.

3. Executing

During the project execution phase , you will carry out the details of your project plan (or project deliverables ) to deliver your products to your specific stakeholders. This stage occurs simultaneously with the monitoring and controlling phase (below) and might involve:

• Managing workflows
• Recommending changes
• Suggesting corrective actions

Ultimately, it’s about staying in control, collaborating with the entire team, and staying on track.

4. Monitoring/Controlling

Constant monitoring is essential in any project life cycle as it helps project managers answer the question: where are we? vs. where should we be? according to the project plan. Effective monitoring requires:

• Regular, consistent project “check-ins”
• Use of proper project documentation and tracking tools to visualize project progress (such as Kanban Boards, Gantt Charts , and Workload Views, which are just some of the 15+ dynamic board views available in monday work management.)

The more visual and real-time this is, the better. 

This final step, sometimes known as “project delivery” or the project closeout phase , is when you wrap up all activities and deliver the final product. This handover might be to the client, an internal team or an external stakeholder. Some additional components could be:

• Concluding any formal contracts or agreements
• A full review or audit of what went well, what didn’t go as planned, and how future teams could learn from this project

What are the four types of project management?

You can use several project management types and frameworks to manage projects successfully. Choosing the right one is crucial because it dictates how you structure your team and how you plan and monitor your projects.

As promised, here are high-level descriptions of the leading project management frameworks (with links to even more comprehensive deep dives). We also have a great blog on top project management methodologies to further help you understand your options.

1. Waterfall project management

Waterfall or traditional project management focuses on “perfect planning” by breaking down and scheduling the entire project from start to finish. It’s sequential with little room for iteration, meaning that your project will progress through defined stages, with one stage beginning only after you’ve completed the previous stage.

Best for : Teams who can accurately define all project requirements and details upfront, and are comfortable with set-in-stone deadlines.

Check out our complete guide to Waterfall project management here.

2. Agile project management

Agile is an iterative approach to project management that enables teams to react quickly to project feedback. It’s a popular framework for tech projects such as software development, as it prioritizes adaptability, collaboration, and incremental delivery that are all essential when testing and adjusting new digital products. Agile project managers break their projects down into small, manageable iterations called sprints, and rely on constant feedback from stakeholders to make quick changes and ensure the final product meets the project goals.

For many teams, having the flexibility to amend project details is integral to a successful project completion. However, the challenge with using an Agile approach is that it can be hard to scale this framework beyond a smaller team level as it relies on smaller increments and details. Check out our walkthrough to learn more about running your next project using an Agile framework .

Best for : Software development teams working on complex projects with evolving requirements.

3. Kanban project management

Kanban project management focuses on continuous improvement through visualizing and managing the flow of work. A Kanban project management board is divided into columns representing different stage of work — tasks move across the board as the project progresses.

Unlike the sequential Waterfall approach, Kanban enables continuous adaptation as teams track tasks, respond to changes quickly, and identify and resolve bottlenecks. It’s an ideal fit for teams that have many incoming requests, such as IT teams. To learn more about Kanban project management , check out our guide.

Best for:  Projects requiring continuous flow and focus on optimizing work processes, particularly when dealing with maintenance tasks, support requests, or projects with unpredictable workloads.

4. Scrum project management

The Scrum framework is another popular way to implement Agile project management. It divides larger projects into shorter, 1–4 week sprints that adapt to demands as the project evolves. It also lays out rules for team size, team roles, planning, meetings, deliverables, and more.

Best for : Teams that seek to deliver functioning increments of their work during a project, for example in marketing campaigns, product design, or other creative projects.

Read our post on the Scrum methodology to learn more.

8 tips for successful project management

With solid project management, companies can develop new products or services, optimize internal business operations, and provide customers with value — all with less friction and more efficiency. These building blocks create innovation and control essential resources like time and money.  To help you succeed with project management, we’ve put together eight tips to propel your organization instead of holding it back: 

1. Invest in the initiation and planning stages

When it comes to answering, “ Why do projects fail? ” many of the reasons can be traced back to poor planning and research—crucial parts of the initiating and planning stages of the project life cycle.

By establishing, syncing, and agreeing on key aspects such as organizational priorities, objectives, and requirements early on, you’ll reduce the odds of confusion later.

2. Pick the right framework or methodology for your project

The second step toward successful project management is finding the right framework or methodology. Whether you use a critical path methodology to determine project duration, or Waterfall to provide clear project stages, your choice of framework will determine how you visualize, prioritize, and complete each project stage.  

3. Promote a culture of transparency and ownership

Transparency makes all the difference when managing a project as complexities and sensitivities arise. With a strong culture of transparency, team members and leaders rely on each other to raise flags or take ownership of their work, regardless of how granular or stressful plans get.

This starts with clear communication, so each project contributor can understand your long-term goals, KPIs (key performance indicators), plans, and where they fit into the puzzle. One way to achieve this is to involve every employee at some level in the planning process, and give them ownership over tasks and deliverables. To do this, a platform like monday work management enables you to create a versatile project management workflow which you can customize to your unique requirements. 

4. Decide on a realistic scope

Scope creep is a key challenge project managers face when unexpected work or project changes crop up. While this could be related to uncontrollable factors throughout a project, having the right people at the planning table can help you more accurately define the project scope and prevent things from going off track. One way to set realistic scope is to refer back to old project data to make projections.

5. Prioritize efficient scheduling

If you want your team to stay productive, you need to create work schedules that are realistic to your team’s workloads and the intended delivery date. Balancing these two factors is a worthwhile investment of your time.

Clearly communicated schedules mitigate delays and costly setbacks. The type of project management methodology you use shapes communication and can affect how your team uses its time to reach a goal. If you use an Agile framework like Scrum, you will focus on the short-term and smaller deliverable increments. It’s also important to schedule time for things you don’t plan for.

With a  Work OS  like monday.com, you can see individual or team workloads with Workload View in the same workspace where you manage calendars, timelines, and resources.

6. Practice effective resource management

Resource management  is an important tenet of project management and describes the process of pre-planning, scheduling, and allocating your resources to maximize efficiency. These resources might include people, capital, and other material goods. 

An example of physical resource management could be a contractor managing construction projects — they could decide to book a concrete pourer for two sites instead of having to pay the cost for two simultaneously.

For digital projects, resources often refer to specific employees or teams. A graphic designer may have several concurrent projects, so you’ll need to plan according to their schedule to complete the job. 

7. Engage your stakeholders

A stakeholder is someone directly invested in the project’s success. They could be a key client, internal product user, executive, or product manager.

A successful project relies on strong communication and input between all parties before, during, and after a project. Each stakeholder offers unique insights and perspectives relative to the organization’s goals and the team’s capabilities. monday work management offers collaborative dashboards with 30+ drag-and-drop widgets you can use to display high-level project data, enabling all stakeholders to make fast, sharp decisions.

8. Choose next-level project management tools and software

To succeed in the modern world of remote work, you need a modern Work OS platform that enables inter-departmental collaboration, cloud file sharing, and 1,000 other use cases unique to your company. This is where monday’s project management platform comes in as a complete toolkit for every project, built on a versatile and intuitive Work OS.

monday work management lets you shape workflows, boosting your team’s efficiency and productivity by customizing any workflow to fit your needs. This allows you to work in whatever project management framework you prefer. With views ranging from our Kanban Board, Gantt Chart, Timeline, and Calendar Views, you can customize the experience to your workflow and use color-coding to quickly understand project statuses.  You can also seamlessly  integrate monday.com with other tools  in your tech stack, sharing boards, project status dashboards, and project updates with your entire team in real time.

You can get started with monday work management now, or keep reading to learn more about how to get the most out of project management software .

6 steps to get the most out of project management software

While spreadsheets, email, and whiteboards may suffice for simple and small-scale projects, large and complex projects require a robust project management platform.

monday work management gives you all the necessary functionality, from platform-specific templates, boards, and workflow automations to collaboration tool integrations.

You can set up a digital workspace like monday PMO work management to empower your project teams.

1. Use project documentation to speed up framework adoption

Create clear project documentation by recording key project details that guide your teams in planning and executing successful projects. Documentation is even more critical when coaching multiple teams on how to use a specific project management methodology.

With a Work OS, you can create, share, and collaborate on documents from within your workflow—or larger workspace. For example, with monday workdocs , team members can explore and understand in real-time the flow of a project and their part.

2. Create your roadmap and high-level project plan

A project roadmap is a visual, high-level overview of a project’s goals and deliverables organized on a timeline. This is useful for managing stakeholder expectations, communicating plans, and coordinating resources with other teams.

Project management software allows you to create a living and dynamic document that everyone can easily access. Better yet, project roadmap templates like this one from monday.com can help you get started even faster.

3. Build a customized workflow

Once you have a roadmap or some other high-level project plan, it’s time to get more granular with your workflows. This crucial step makes it easy and intuitive for your team members to execute their work and for project managers to monitor and control project progress.

Use customizable templates in your Work OS to accommodate different project methodologies, add different views, automations, and more.

With monday work management, you can build any workflow, from work breakdown structures (WBS) to risk registers, project proposals, and resource management. 

4. Encourage ownership

Resource management in monday work management enables project managers to understand individual team member capacities, and plan accordingly. This feature allows easy assignment of tasks and subtasks to individual employees and teams, empowering everyone to remain accountable for their work. You can even implement automations that send notifications to task owners when a project phase is complete.

In addition to assigning task owners, it’s also a good idea to give each team member simple responsibilities like reporting on progress during status meetings and identifying their roadblocks. This helps maintain a culture of transparency and builds momentum.

5. Display key data for faster decision-making

Take your projects to the next level with actionable insights, all displayed on dynamic dashboards in monday work management. Here’s some data you might like to track:

• Time Tracking Column : This allows teams to see how long tasks take
• Customizable Status Column: Any stakeholder can see the current status of your projects, and common bottlenecks
• Deadline Column: This date field holds every team member accountable to the project’s success

Once you’ve created different workflows, use them as a resource and easily create reports and dashboards. Assess project success against KPIs, then use this data to guide decisions or new projects.

6. Automate repetitive tasks to speed up project management

Automations can speed up your workflow for more efficient project management. For example, you can notify managers automatically when due dates are passed, create a new task item every week, and more. You can choose from pre-prepared automation templates or create your own automated workflows.

Why use monday.com for project management?

In short, monday work management goes beyond project management software because it allows teams to manage all projects and tasks from a single, centralized location.

Our solution means teams can:

• See project progress at a glance
• Stay on top of schedules and deadlines
• Collaborate more efficiently and effectively
• Build their dream workflows

Try our platform now by signing up for a free trial to organize your next projects. Or keep reading to learn more about project management trends and how to build a productive project management team.

The future of project management: key trends to watch

Many project management trends shape how we work. There’s a lot of buzz around artificial intelligence (AI) and its implications in the project management sector by automating repetitive tasks and uncovering key insights. In response to this trend monday.com now offers an in-built AI Assistant available as a beta version, offering a range of generative AI capabilities to automate task creations, email compositions, formula-building, and summarizations.

Industry professionals like world-renowned technology writer Peter Giffen have documented the power of innovations like AI:

“AI could incorporate data analytics and automatically analyze project team data, providing clear indications about how to improve performance.”

In addition to AI, there are three other project management trends we can expect in the near future:

• Project managers will need both AI and EI skills: EI — emotional intelligence — is becoming a required skill in the PM space. The ability to understand other humans is critical. Read this article for other essential project management skills .
• Adoption of customized or hybrid PM approaches: Gone are the days when a single PM methodology will suffice. Models will likely need to be flexible to accommodate different teams and various projects.
• A more diverse team structure: Increasingly diverse teams will bring a wider range of skills, experience, and technology to the table. Teams must learn how to embrace these diversities, to collaborate effectively and efficiently.

We’ve covered the project management phases, its frameworks, tips for success, and future trends, but what about the key players who will take the project from A-Z? We’re talking, of course, about your team.

With all this in mind, let’s now look at how to ensure you choose the right people for the project.

How can you build a productive project management team?

People are a core part of effective project management, but how you structure your project team largely depends on your framework and project scope. The good news is there are a few proven strategies for building a successful and productive team.

1. Recruit talent across departments

Your project team will likely come from different departments because projects benefit from and require varied expertise and input. Instead of hiring external talent, you can utilize existing resources and sync multiple departments on a larger organizational goal. For example, a new marketing campaign could require website designers, copywriters, and product managers who are already working for your internal teams. Use a Work OS to audit and display internal skills to build stronger teams for your next project. 

2. Choose a project manager wisely and define responsibilities accurately

A  project manager could be a professional PM or a subject matter expert (SME) — someone highly knowledgeable in the project area. A professional PM might play more of a facilitating role during initial planning. They allow stakeholders and SMEs to shape the project plan with hands-on experience. Smaller companies may be unable to afford a dedicated project manager role, in which case, an SME or executive is the logical choice.

What does a project manager do?

A project manager might look different from team to team, but overall they are responsible for day-to-day management of a project and its people. They must also manage these six aspects:

3. Set an “all hands on deck” expectation

Empower your team members to exercise their own judgment, push forward by encouraging task ownership, and provide complete transparency of what’s expected in the project’s early stages. With remote working on the rise, you’ll also need flexible tools to accommodate different teams and various projects.

This is where the right project management software comes in. A tool like monday work management makes it easy to collaborate with team members, break down silos, and achieve more.

Create workflows your way with monday.com

Successful project management requires understanding the right approach to meet your needs and how to match this up with the right Work OS platform. monday work management offers a comprehensive set of features to help you easily manage any project management methodology. Now you’ve reached the end of our project management guide, why not sign up today to see for yourself?

Curious as to what customers are saying about us? See reviews.

What is the definition of project management?

Project management is the process of managing related tasks, resources, and timelines to achieve a specific goal. It involves the careful coordination of tasks, people, and resources to successfully complete a project, while considering factors such as scope, time, cost, quality, and risk. The role of a project manager is to oversee and guide the project's progress, ensuring effective communication, problem-solving, and decision-making throughout its lifecycle.

What are the basics of project management?

The key components of project management are planning, organizing, communicating, monitoring and controlling numerous activities that must happen within the scope of a project. Using a platform like monday work management, you can stay on top of every element of your project, remain focused on specific goals, and objectives, and easily reach completion deadlines.

How do you learn project management?

Project management is a skill that is best acquired through practice. It involves understanding the different tools and techniques used, developing a plan for managing tasks, resources, and timelines, and applying project management principles to ensure successful completion of projects. There are a variety of globally-recognized professional accreditations available such as Project Management Professional (PMP) certification which can further help you to develop the necessary skills. Finally, networking with other project managers will ensure you stay on top of industry trends.

What Is Project Management? Definitions & Terms

What is project management?

PMI defines project management as “the use of specific knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to deliver something of value to people.”

In simple terms, project management means the process of leading a team to hit goals or complete deliverables within a set timeframe. Project management involves project documentation, planning, tracking, and communication—all with the goal of delivering work successfully within the constraints of time, scope, and budget .

What is a project? Project management examples

To explain the concept of project management further, think about all the projects you encounter every day—both in business and your personal life.

• At work, you might build or contribute to a deliverable, like a report, a website, a tool or product, or even a building.
• At home, you might make a meal, plan a vacation, or even work on upgrades to your home. 

These are just a few examples of true projects that have a defined start and end date, goal, scope, and resources. And they all require some level of management.

In business, which is where we’ll focus in this chapter, a project is typically a unique operation conducted to meet specific goals. Examples of projects may include: 

• Development of software to increase employee productivity
• Construction of a building to house community events
• Design of a website to decrease call volume to a business

All of these projects require a team of people who are responsible for different aspects of the delivery. For example, you’d likely see a designer, developer, and copywriter working on website design projects. In many instances, a project manager is staffed to these projects to ensure the team delivers the project on time and under budget and hits its key objectives.

Quick links

• What does a project manager do?

Project management process

What are the benefits of project management.

• Project management definitions & terms

Project manager definition: What does a project manager do?

Project managers work on the front lines of projects, defending their teams, clients, and projects from miscommunication, missed deadlines, scope creep, and any other failures. You’ll find project managers in just about every industry, including construction , agencies , marketing , manufacturing , HR teams , software development , engineering , and event planning .

No matter where they work or what type of projects they manage, project managers champion the well-being of the people involved in their projects and facilitate strategic decisions that uphold the goals of their projects. That’s a hefty job description, and it requires a fine balance of managing the administrative details of a project and its people. 

While project managers often work behind the scenes in a project, they must be part of bigger strategic project conversations to be highly effective. They’re not on your team to just take notes and make sure you’re recording your time properly. Yes, they do work in spreadsheets and follow up on deadlines. But a project manager’s role on your team is important for several reasons.

Let’s take a closer look at a project manager’s tasks and responsibilities.

Project manager roles and responsibilities

As mentioned, a project manager’s role—and even title—may differ slightly from place to place, but the basics of what a project manager does for a team are fairly consistent (though some may be less formal than others). 

The role of the project manager involves many tasks and responsibilities, including:

• Implementing project management methodologies
• Planning and defining scope
• Setting and managing expectations
• Crafting process
• Creating project plans
• Managing tasks
• Resource allocation and planning
• Time/cost estimating
• Analyzing and managing risks and issues
• Monitoring and reporting project status
• Providing team leadership
• Influencing strategy
• Facilitating communication and collaboration
• Planning and facilitating meetings

That’s a lot to include in one job description—one that doesn’t actually hold any operational or management responsibility for the team working on the projects. 

Project managers are often in a tough position of trying to make things happen without the authority to truly push an issue. To be effective, you have to gain the trust and respect of your teams and have endorsement from senior management.

Easy drag and drop features with templates for faster scheduling. Plan a project in minutes, collaborate easily as a team, and switch to calendar and list views in a single click.

There’s no single way to run all projects. Many organizations spend a lot of time making mistakes and adjusting their approach to get it just right, only to find it needs tweaking again. 

Changing business needs and goals, new or different staff and expertise, and evolving or new technology are just some of the reasons processes have to adapt. That’s why having a basic framework for how projects operate in your organization or team is so important. 

As you research project management, you’ll find most models organize activities into 3 basic phases (with varying names, tasks, and deliverables):

1. Research, discovery, and planning

Typically, an organization will perform some level of research to determine the validity of a project. This could take the form of market research, user research, competitive analyses, or other activities. 

These critical steps in the project help define goals and requirements for what needs to be designed or built. This phase is also when a project team comes together to define how they’ll work together and what their execution plan will be, taking all outside factors into consideration.

2. Executing

Once the project is planned, it’s time to execute. Project execution can play out in several different ways, whether your team uses Waterfall project management , Agile methodology , or hybrid approaches . 

Essentially what you’ll find in this phase is time for collaboration, creation, review, and iteration. Teams will partner with stakeholder groups to present work, accept feedback, and complete deliverables that are mutually agreed upon, leading up to a final deliverable. 

This phase is riddled with change, delays, and sometimes even dispute. For that reason, it’s also the phase where the project manager is most active.

3. Testing, measuring, and iterating

After a project has launched, it’s time to make sure it’s tracking well against its goals. 

• In an Agile project, a minimum viable product (or MVP) will launch to gain early feedback to iterate. 
• On Waterfall projects, the feature-complete product will be launched and tested. 

In either case, test results will reveal what is—and isn’t—working for users and stakeholders. 

Teams will take test results and alter—or build on—the product to create something that’s closer to those goals. This is natural for Agile projects, but not so much for Waterfall projects, which would require a new or “Phase 2” project to be added on.

There’s no right or wrong way to roll out a process. Just be sure it matches the values and talent of the organization. If a process isn’t the right fit for a team, it’ll quickly become evident because people will be unhappy and issues will pop up in the work. 

The best thing you can do is sit down with your team to discuss what will work best and why. Document decisions, roll out a process, and be open to discussing and changing it when needed. 

Keep the 3 phases above in the back of your mind for an overall framework to operate by, and do what feels right for your project and team.

Project managers perform so many intangible tasks that it’s not uncommon for people to not fully understand their worth. So how can you demonstrate the benefits of project management? 

• First, it starts with you. Each and every project manager should know their role inside and out. Following through by being a good project manager for your team will show everyone the value you bring to a project. 
• Second, it comes down to the organization. You can’t thrive as a project manager if your organization doesn’t value the role and see how your work benefits the business. Learn why project management is good for business.
• Lastly, the benefit of having a project manager on a team is realized by the people you work with. If your team isn’t bought in, you’ll have a hard time helping.

You may not always need a dedicated project manager, but you do need someone who will handle project management tasks. For instance, on a small team, sometimes just having someone handle logistics and communications is enough. That person might be a producer, account manager, designer, or even developer.

Managing tasks and communications can provide more time for team members to collaborate and get work done. If that’s not enough to sell you on the value of project management, consider these additional benefits.

More efficient teams

Having a project manager on your team means you’ve got someone dedicated to making sure work is done on time and at the right time. That person also ensures the team’s practices run smoothly so they can focus on working hard and producing successful products.

Happier teams and clients

Everyone walks away from projects that are done on time and budget with a smile on their faces. They’re also happy when they’re communicating well. Guess who helps make all of that happen?

Better organization

Teams with project managers benefit from the fact that someone’s paying attention to how, when, and why something should happen. Great project managers use tools like project plans and RACI charts to help suss out the details and streamline communication.

Team growth and development

When you’re trying to work on a task and manage it along with everyone and everything else, it can be tough. That means you don’t have time to focus on your work product, or developing strategies or methodologies to do it better. 

When a project manager’s involved, that stress is peeled away, and the team gets to collaborate and grow by trying new approaches to deliverables. There’s something to be said for letting experts focus solely on their craft (even when that expert is a project manager).

More flexibility

Great project managers know projects change, and they’re always on the lookout for it. And when change becomes a real factor, they immediately find ways to adapt the project’s path. Having a project manager on your team means you’ll always know when a risk, issue, or change is on the horizon so you can plan for it.

Better quality

When your team is focused on their craft, the quality of work goes up because they have all the time they need (well, within scope) to do that job. 

And a good project manager will always have quality of work on their mind as they help deliver work to stakeholders. It’s common for a project manager to contribute to internal reviews, proofread content, and make sure work is flawless before it goes out the door.

Higher output

This one is important for business owners. When you remove the burden of project management from your team and place it on one person, you free up your team’s time to take on more projects and produce more work. Sounds like a win-win.

More transparency and accountability

Organizations also benefit from the hard facts and details you get out of typical project management reporting . Regular reports increase transparency on budget and timeline and lead to better task accountability. 

All of these project management benefits come together to not only affect the bottom line, but the people and the process as well.

Project management definitions and terms

Project management terms can get technical, but it all comes back to things that keep projects on track. Here’s a list of definitions every project manager should know:

Agile methodologies are based on the mindset that self-organizing software development teams can deliver value through iteration and collaboration. The Manifesto for Agile Software Development was formally developed in 2001 by 17 practitioners and is based on a core set of values of delivering value and collaborating with customers. These principles include:

• Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
• Working software over comprehensive documentation
• Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
• Responding to change over following a plan

When you or your team make assumptions, you have to communicate them because project assumptions can affect scope, goals, deliverables, and outcomes. In fact, assumptions can set the context for how a project is defined and even executed. 

You’ll see project managers bringing up assumptions and turning them into larger conversations, scope line items, milestones, deliverables, and anything else to ensure the team operates on concrete facts.

Change management

Projects change often, and it’s your job as a project manager to make sure everyone—clients, team, and any other related parties—is aware of the change and its impacts. 

As the scope or business requirements change during the project, it’s very likely the estimated effort, associated cost, and original deadline may no longer be valid. In this case, the project manager will draft a change order or change request document to formalize the change and its associated impacts.

Client/customers

This can mean a couple of things. Project managers in a consulting space—like an advertising agency or construction company—work with clients to build or deliver a product. They need to take those clients into account when crafting process, presenting work, and gaining approvals. 

At the same time, those clients might have clients or customers they’re trying to please in production. Often, in the digital space, you’ll hear those people referred to as “users,” and a lot of work is done to ensure a product is built to please these people.

Constraints

Constraints are limitations outside the control of the project team that need to be managed to. A project constraint might include scope, budget, or timeline. There’s only so much you can do within those bounds, so they set a constraint on the work product. Project managers are hyper-aware of these constraints because it’s their job to deliver projects on time and budget.

Critical path

The critical path is the sequence of stages determining the minimum time needed for an operation, especially when analyzed on a computer for a large organization. It’s a formal, step-by-step project management technique for process planning that defines critical and non-critical tasks with the goal of preventing scheduling or timeline problems and process bottlenecks .

Deliverable

A deliverable is any tangible outcome produced by the project. It’s either produced along the way to gain consensus or delivered at the end as the final work product. Deliverables include visual designs, documents, plans, code, prototypes, blueprints, proofs, buildings, apps, websites, products, etc.

In project management, a dependency refers to a task that cannot happen without its predecessor being completed. This is an important detail for project managers to consider when planning projects. Planning tools like TeamGantt make it easy to point out and track dependencies.

Gantt chart

A gantt chart is a chart with a series of horizontal lines that show the progress of work done over certain periods of time in relation to the time planned for those periods. TeamGantt produces beautiful gantt charts to help you keep track of your project tasks, dependencies, resources, and even communications. Learn more about gantt charts !

Goal/objective

A project goal or objective is a documented statement of the intent and outcome of the project. Goals are used to help make decisions when a project arrives at a crossroads or point of indecision (or runs into scope creep ) because the goals determine project success.

Project managers constantly hunt for project issues so they can knock them down before they become bigger problems. Issues typically impede the progress of the project and cannot always be resolved by the project manager or project team without outside consultation. 

A common issue in marketing project management is when content is missing or late. When that happens, it holds up progress and often requires the deadline to be moved.

Methodology

There are several ways to manage projects, as methodologies have been formalized and taught for several years—Waterfall and Agile methods included. 

It’s good to know how methods were created, and decide for yourself how they can be adapted in the work you’re doing today. If you’re looking to learn, see our chapter on project management methodologies , which covers the following categories:

• Traditional methodologies
• Agile methodologies
• Change management methodologies
• Process-based methodologies

A milestone is an action or event marking a significant change or stage in the production or development of a project. 

By its project management definition, a milestone has a duration of zero and no effort because no work is associated with it. It’s essentially a point in the project plan that signifies important work has been completed, and the project will transition to a new phase.

Working on several projects that are connected in some way (goals, product, client, etc.) is often referred to as a program . The program itself is not a project with deliverables. It provides overall management to ensure there’s a central point of communication that provides consistency and alignment for the proper timing, pacing, and approval of all interconnected projects.

Program manager

Program managers are often not only responsible for projects, but also for larger strategic initiatives and sometimes teams of project managers. When it comes to programs—or sets of projects—they help articulate the goals and objectives of those connected projects and how their outcomes will impact the business overall. Knowing these goals helps them focus on the strategy of each project's implementation and how to get them done with the appropriate resources and team members.

This was mentioned at the beginning of this chapter. Projects are unique operations that are conducted to meet specific goals. Examples of projects might be the development of software to increase employee productivity, the construction of a building to house community events, or the design of a website to decrease call volume to a business.

Project manager

Also mentioned earlier in this chapter, project managers are the people who work on the front lines of projects, defending their teams, clients, and projects from miscommunication, missed deadlines, scope creep, and any other failures. They champion the well-being of the people involved in their projects and facilitate strategic decisions that uphold the goals of their projects. 

Project phase

Project managers will break a series of tasks or deliverables into phases to keep the project organized. On a website redesign project , logical phases might be definition, design, development, and deployment.

Project plan/timeline/schedule

Project managers build project plans to chart the course for how a project will be completed. Good project plans show overall process in phases, deliverables, and tasks, along with corresponding details on who’s responsible, dates when work will start and finish, and any relevant notes for each task. 

The project plan is a form of communication and arguably one of the most important deliverables on a project, as it provides detail on what should be happening at any point during the course of a project. You can find plenty of sample plans and templates on the TeamGantt website.

Project team

The project team includes the people who are responsible for conducting tasks and completing deliverables on a project. Project teams vary by industry and project type, and companies recruit the proper team members with expertise to conduct the work.

Requirements

Requirements are critical to getting a project done right. Project requirements are often included in a detailed scope of work and define how the product should act, appear, and function within the stated goals.

This is a term that is by far the least human of all project management terms. Resources are the people who do the work on projects. A better term here would be “staff” or “team,” but for some reason, we revert back to this. 

Resourcing plan

Resourcing plans are created to ensure staff are properly assigned to projects and not being over- or underutilized. A simple way to sort this out is by using the resource management features in TeamGantt, which allows you to assign people to tasks and estimate the time needed to complete them.

Issues cause risk! When project managers talk about risk, they’re thinking about potential issues or events that cause things to go wrong, along with the probability the event will occur and its potential impact on the project. 

A good way to keep a team tuned in to potential risks is by including a risk register (or a list of risks, issues, and a mitigation plan) in a regular status report .

A scope defines in detail what the project will and won’t deliver. In a consulting agency, this takes shape in a formalized project scope document . On an internal team, it might take shape as a project brief or even a less formalized format, like an email. 

Sponsor (executive sponsor and project sponsor)

When working on large projects, you might hear the ultimate decision-maker or funder referred to as the project sponsor. This person has ultimate authority over the project and will be involved in making funding decisions, resolving issues and scope changes, approving deliverables , and providing overall strategic direction. 

At the same time, the sponsor is often held responsible for championing a project within an organization, ensuring everyone’s on board with the initiative.

Stakeholder

Stakeholders are the people who have an actual stake in the outcome of the project. They may be internal to the project (marketing, IT, and other departments), as well as external to the project (suppliers, investors, partners, etc.). 

Project managers work with stakeholder groups to make sure they’re aware of project developments and are part of the decision-making process when necessary.

The Waterfall model is certainly among the most widely known and practiced project management methodologies. The key ingredient in running a Waterfall project is to complete a task and hand it down to be used, or built on, in a following task or phase. 

The Waterfall process requires a fair amount of planning and requirement-gathering before work begins. Without that initial planning, steps can be missed, incomplete, or even out of line. Further, any alteration to project requirements can cause a change in scope.

Define what project management means to you

Educating yourself on project management is the first step in defining what your organization needs. So take this information, and adapt it to your situation. 

One way to ensure you’re headed in the right direction is to ask yourself these questions:

• Now that I know what project management is and understand the role, do I think it fits in my organization?
• What are the things a project manager would do for my team? And what benefits would they provide?
• Is our process right for us? If not, what avenues should I explore?
• What else do I need to learn about project management?

There are tons of questions you could ask, but give these a shot. Or even better, talk to a project manager who can help you determine the right path for your organization.

Read the next chapter on project management methodologies.

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Article • 8 min read

What Is Project Management?

Managing complex tasks and people.

By the Mind Tools Content Team

Project management is the process of organizing the way that changes are implemented efficiently within an organization.

Many businesses achieve their goals by completing projects that contribute to their objectives. Often, projects have a finite length, involve a number of activities and people, and have deadlines and fixed budgets. Project managers plan and monitor these, and take corrective action when appropriate.

The Benefits of Developing Project Management Skills

No matter what your role, you may have to manage, or play an active role in, a project at some point during your career. It takes a great deal of skill to do this well, but the time you invest in building good project management skills can pay off enormously.

You contribute to meeting an organization's objectives by completing projects on time and on budget. This can produce real business results and enhance your reputation. And, when you know how to organize, schedule and delegate tasks, you can also reduce stress for yourself and your team members.

Project Management Approaches

Once you are familiar with the many tools that can help you manage your projects more efficiently, you may want to learn more about the main project management methodologies.

One is PMBOK®, which stands for Project Management Body Of Knowledge. This approach centers on common project management skills, such as budgeting and managing inputs and outputs, and it's commonly used in the U.S.

PRINCE2® stands for PRojects IN Controlled Environments. This accredited approach is widely used in the U.K. and other English-speaking countries. You use it to, among other things, clarify people's roles, keep lines of communication open, manage project risk, and establish base costs.

Agile Project Management is another popular approach. This often works well for projects in complex, fast-moving environments, because it allows you and your team to respond flexibly to changing needs and requirements.

We explore key tools from these frameworks and others with the resources below.

Project Management Approaches: an Overview

There are many tools, techniques and processes that will help you manage your projects more efficiently. We've listed some of the most popular ones below to get you started.

Project Management Frameworks

When you set up a new project, you need to look at lots of different factors, such as benefits, risks, budget, and objectives. Articles in the Project Management Frameworks section show you how to build the foundation of your project, and look at all angles before getting started. Some useful articles include:

• How to Write a Business Case : You've got a great idea for a new project. Learn how to write a business case, so that you can get approval and funding.
• Risk Impact/Probability Chart : This tool helps you identify the risks in your project, and estimate how likely they are to occur.
• Project Charters : A project charter sets out the purpose of a project and explains what you expect from each member of your team.

You may have to juggle a number of people working on different tasks during a project. Our scheduling articles help you plan how to complete tasks smoothly and on time.

• Action Plans : Use an action plan for small projects, so you don't forget any important steps or tasks.
• Gap Analysis : Gap analysis helps you to identify what you need to do to meet your project's objectives.
• Gantt Charts : Help you schedule medium and large projects, so that you can complete them in the most efficient way.

Scope Management

If you've already managed projects, you know that they can quickly spiral out of control as people add more requirements. This is why being able to manage the scope of a project is such an important skill. In this section, you'll learn how to keep your project tightly focused. These tools will help:

• Business Requirements Analysis : This article shows you how to define exactly what work you must deliver.
• The MoSCoW Method : Agree with stakeholders on what will and will not be delivered as part of the project.
• Scope Control : Scope control is an essential project management skill because it stops people from making too many changes and additions during your project, which can seriously disrupt the project schedule.

Building Support for Your Projects

Your project may need the backing of many stakeholders, such as your boss, colleagues, the leadership team, clients, or key suppliers. Once you know how to pitch your idea and build support, you can get your project off the ground with the right resources in place. These articles explain how:

• Stakeholder Analysis : Learn how to identify the key people you need to win over, and decide how you'll communicate with them.
• The Responsibility Assignment Matrix : This tool defines who has ultimate responsibility for key tasks.
• Influence Maps : These help you identify the obvious and not-so-obvious influencers on your project.

Project Communication

Projects rely on good communication. Our project communication articles help you do this effectively:

• Project Dashboards : This simple tool allows you to communicate progress quickly and easily.
• Project Milestone Reporting : Keep projects on track by evaluating where you are at significant points.
• Effective Scrum Meetings : Scrum meetings are part of the agile approach to project management, but they're useful in any type of project. They help you to motivate team members, and keep things moving forward.

Change Management

It takes a great deal of skill to make widescale transformation stick within an organization. Our Change Management articles show you how to overcome common barriers and work with people to implement new initiatives successfully.

• Overcoming Cultural Barriers to Change : Learn how to address cultural issues that could slow or prevent an upcoming change.
• Kotter's 8-Step Change Model : This framework helps you achieve your change program's objectives.
• Why Change Can Fail : There's a right and a wrong way to implement change. In this article, discover what not to do during a change initiative.

Project Improvement and Review

The Project Improvement and Review articles explain how to analyze your project's progress, so you can continuously improve.

• After Action Review (AAR) Process : Learn how to evaluate your project as it progresses, so that you can make adjustments and improve performance.
• Post-Implementation Review : Use this process to analyze your project's deliverables, and determine whether additional work would deliver even greater benefits.

No matter what your role, it's likely that you will have to manage, or play an active role in, a project at some point during your career. When you know how to juggle multiple tasks, people, deadlines, and responsibilities, you will strengthen your reputation and improve your promotion prospects.

Take time to learn about the various project management frameworks to run a successful project from start to finish. Discover how to schedule people and tasks more effectively, and build support for your ideas so that you get the backing and funding you need to get started. Last, familiarize yourself with change management strategies, so that you can encourage others to overcome their reluctance to change.

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Chapter 1: Project management basics

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In this chapter, you’ll learn the project management basics — what it is, why it’s useful, and its role in the modern, distributed workforce.

What is a project?

A project is a series of tasks that must be completed in order to accomplish a predefined objective. Organizations of all types and sizes undertake projects that range in complexity, timeframe, and resources.

A project is different from a process , which is a series of steps that produce a certain outcome, usually on a repetitive, continuous basis. 

By contrast, a project has the following four characteristics:

• Creates a new, tangible output: The main goal of a project is to create something new, whereas a process serves to maintain a function or service.
• Is time-bound: A project always has a predetermined start and end date.
• Exists outside normal business routines: A project is a distinct activity that occurs beyond day-to-day business operations.
• Has boundaries: A project is bound by several factors, such as time, cost, resources, and deliverables. Learn more about the triple constraint of project management  below.

What is project management?

Project management (PM) refers to the way you organize, oversee, and complete your project and deliver value. Successful PM requires specific knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to effectively execute the project within given parameters, like timeline and budget.

While project management shares many qualities with the following practices, it is important to understand the differences among them: 

• Task management: Oversees the completion of individual tasks, rather than managing how tasks fit together.
• Project coordination: Refers to the day-to-day management of related tasks, and any necessary organization and communication involved in project delivery.
• Process management: While a project has a defined end point, a process is ongoing, and requires continuous management and optimization. 
• Program management: Refers to managing multiple projects that make up a program and drive toward strategic objectives. May include managing dependencies across projects, allocating resources, and prioritizing efforts. 

Industries of all types and sizes depend on project management to deliver successful projects. Likewise, all departments within an organization can benefit from using a formalized PM method to stay organized, collaborate more efficiently, and increase effectiveness. 

To learn more about specific PM methodologies, read Chapter 3 . For more on how project management benefits certain industries and departments, read Chapter 7 .

Why is project management important?

Project management is critical to completing projects on time, under budget, and with maximum efficiency. Effective PM also helps you to better manage the project team and other critical resources. 

But the importance of PM extends beyond simply executing a project. Effective project management helps the entire organization deliver more value by streamlining processes, improving collaboration, and reducing distractions that can lead to wasted time, money, and resources.

What are the goals of project management?

The main goal of project management is to deliver project outcomes that align with your organization’s strategic objectives. PM also aims to develop reliable processes for effectively building and executing a set of deliverables.

Other goals of project management include the following:

• Increased productivity
• Improved collaboration
• Alignment of project and organizational goals 
• Better managed and allocated resources
• Stronger culture of teamwork
• Increased visibility into the work getting done
• Reduced risk and setbacks

The project manager plays a big part in delivering on these goals. To learn more about the project manager’s roles and responsibilities, read Chapter 6 .

The triple constraint theory

In project management, the triple constraint theory states that three critical limitations — scope, time, and cost — impact a team’s ability to complete a project. Project managers need to maintain control over these three factors in order to successfully execute.

The three constraints are defined as follows:

• Scope: All tasks and processes that are required to meet project objectives.
• Time: The schedule you set to execute the project.
• Cost: How much money the project will cost to accomplish.

The triple constraint theory is sometimes also referred to as the Iron Triangle or the Project Management Triangle . This framework is important to project success because it acts as a guardrail against scope creep.

The job of the project manager is to balance the three limitations — by increasing or decreasing cost, adjusting the schedule, or eliminating or adding deliverables — in order to deliver on the project. Remember that all three constraints impact each other, so it’s critical to think through the effect of any choice.

That said, most teams find the triple constraint useful as it empowers the project manager to make informed changes based on unforeseen circumstances.

Project portfolio management

Project and portfolio management (PPM) is a strategy for evaluating and prioritizing potential projects. While project management is about successfully executing projects, PPM is about selecting the right projects at the right time, as part of a larger portfolio.

The goal of PPM is to increase efficiency by creating a streamlined process to assess each potential project. Then, you prioritize projects that will provide the most value, have the greatest potential for success, and align with overall business goals. When implemented well, PPM enables teams and organizations to focus on the most valuable projects.

Additional Resources

Project portfolio management 101, e-book: ppm 101, the evolution of project management.

Modern project management leverages tools to create reliable processes and automate repetitive tasks. In general, modern approaches to project management are characterized by increased flexibility, collaboration, and efficiency.

Project management became a formalized concept in the early twentieth century, and has evolved alongside technology and work norms . In 2001, the Agile methodology was created, which disrupted traditional PM by taking a much more flexible, iterative approach to getting work done. (You’ll learn more about all the different PM methodologies in Chapter 3 .)

More recently, the increase in remote work has posed new challenges — and offered new freedoms — to project management. The main changes include the following:

• Increased asynchronous communication : With fewer real-time, face-to-face interactions, teams don’t rely on immediate responses to keep working.
• More variability in schedules: Remote work makes it possible to be online at different hours, whether due to having team members in different time zones or simply accommodating people’s busy schedules.
• Increased reliance on cloud-based tools: These tools provide visibility into work and task status, even when people can’t be together in person.

You’ll learn more about the roles, challenges, and best practices for the modern PM in Chapter 6 .

Discover a better way to streamline workflows and eliminate silos for good.

Project Management For Beginners: How To Manage A Project From Start To Finish

You don’t have to be a project manager to be “doing” project management. Whether you’re a freelancer, an in-house manager, or someone who’s just stepped into a manager’s role, learning about the basics of project management will help you manage your work better. 

In this article, you’ll learn how to plan and manage a project from start to finish. Specifically, you’ll learn:

• What is project management?
• Importance of project management
• Roles & Responsibilities within the project teams
• Phases of a project’s life cycle
• Project management methodologies
• Steps involved in the project management process
• And, project management tools

Project Management Basics

Before we look at the steps involved, let’s first understand the basics of project management.

What Is Project Management?

Project management is the process by which a project is planned, tracked, controlled, and reported. Each project has a specific start date and end date. In addition, a project produces a specific deliverable.

Proven project management processes help move a project towards completion. These include:

• Planning & scheduling
• Resource management
• Risk management
• Task management & monitoring

Project managers are responsible for planning and executing a project along with the project team to produce the desired deliverable and meet stakeholder expectations.

You might also like » 10 Proven Project Management Tips For Small-Team Project Managers

Why Project Management Is Important?

According to PMI, organizations that do not value project management report 67 percent more projects as failed . Also, the same report finds that poor project management results in an 11 percent wasted investment.

With so much at stake, following proven project management practices should be a no-brainer. Here are the reasons why project management is important:

• Ensures an alignment between the team and the delivered value.
• Provides leadership and direction to projects.
• Ensures smooth communication between the project team and clients.
• Creates a roadmap for executing projects and meet business goals.
• Improves planning by providing realistic work estimates.
• Ensures that a project stays on schedule.
• Extracts learning from past projects.
• Reduces risks in delivering the project.

Project Management Roles And Responsibilities

A project does not happen in isolation. You need people to execute a project. And, these people need to play a well-defined role. 

Let’s look at the common roles and responsibilities in project management.

• Team members: Team members are skilled persons who are responsible for executing the project and producing the deliverable. 
• Suppliers: Suppliers are often external teams who sub-contract part of a project where internal resources or skilled team members are not available.
• Project manager: Project managers are responsible for planning, tracking, and controlling the project. In addition, they also lead the team members, manage suppliers, and guide the project towards completion.
• Program manager: Program managers are responsible for a set of related projects. One or more project managers report to a program manager.
• Project sponsor: Project sponsors (or account managers) are senior managers accountable for the project deliverables. They’re answerable to a client and also the single point of contact between the team and the clients.
• Project portfolio manager: Portfolio managers manage projects of one or more clients across the organization. 
• Stakeholders : Stakeholders are the people that are directly or indirectly affected by the project. Their inputs and feedback are sought to define the project’s deliverables.
• Clients: A project is finally delivered to clients, who, pay for it.

What Are The Four Phases Of Project Management?

Next, we need to understand the four phases that define a project’s life cycle . From start to finish, every project goes through these four phases:

• Initiation phase: This starting phase is all about understanding the goals, scope, risks, and priorities of a project. 
• Planning phase: In this phase, project activities and required resources are identified. Also, managers create an estimated timeline required to complete the project.
• Execution phase: Skilled team members come together to turn the project plan into deliverables. Managers track project progress.
• Closure phase: Teams hand over deliverables, analyze project performance and are finally dissolved.

Project Management Methodologies

How you execute these four project phases is up to you and your team. However, over years, project management professionals have come up with tried and tested methodologies that can make life simpler.

Three project management methodologies are popular among teams:

• Waterfall: The Waterfall methodology follows a linear approach to project management — gather detailed requirements, put a plan together, build a solution, test, and deliver it. This method works great when the requirements are clear.
• Agile: The Agile project management methodology follows an iterative approach. Each phase of the project is time-boxed and the complete project features are delivered iteratively. This method works for projects where you want to see quick wins and can be built over iterations.
• Lean: Lean project management is an iterative approach that focuses on reducing waste. The lean methodology tries to reduce three types of wastes: useless activities, overburdened team members, and unevenly distributed workloads.

How To Manage A Project From Start To Finish?

The project life cycle gives you a high-level overview of the phases a project goes through. In practice, there’s a lot more in each of these phases.

Initiation Phase

As discussed above, the initiation phase is all about understanding the project. This involves meetings, discussions, and documentation. However, there’s very little planning that goes into this phase.

High-level role players including clients, client-side stakeholders, project sponsors, and project managers are involved in this phase.

Key steps involved in this phase include:

Step# 1: Identify project goals and deliverables.

A project kickoff meeting starts the project management process. All the high-level role players in the project attend this meeting.

The objective is to identify the project’s goals and deliverables from the clients’ perspective.

At the end of this step, key goals and deliverables are documented.

Step #2. Uncover project risks, constraints, and priorities.

Once the high-level goals are documented, it’s time to identify all the internal and external variables that can impact the project’s progress adversely. These include:

• Risks: Factors that negatively impact the project’s goals, schedule, or budget.
• Constraints: Factors that limit the project’s execution, such as, budget, schedule, or resources.
• Priorities: Factors that impact the order of the project including dependencies between project activities.

Identifying these threats early can help you manage risks and plan your project better.

Step #3. Establish Project Scope

Now that you know all the factors that can affect your project, you can start breaking down the goals and deliverables into activities. Based on the identified constraints in step #2, scope boundaries are set.

Project scope defines what’s included and what’s not included in the project.

It’s critical to document the agreed-upon scope and freeze it mutually with the client before proceeding further.

Failure to do so results in scope creep. Further, scope creep results in over-delivery, poor management, and ultimately project failure.

While you can manage scope creep , it’s best not to let your project’s scope increase during the execution phase.

Step #4. Submit the project proposal

All the information collected in the initiation phase is documented and presented to clients as a project proposal. In addition, the project proposal also includes a high-level budget and timeline, based on the project scope.

Unlike a project plan, which includes a detailed schedule, the proposal includes a high-level schedule.

At the end of the initiation phase, the project sponsor and manager present this proposal to clients. Here’s an example proposal template .

Planning Phase

Once the client approves the project proposal, the project moves on to the planning phase. 

It’s important to note that project planning is not a one-time activity in the project’s life cycle. A lot of things can change as the project moves forward. Client goals may change, resources may become unavailable, or estimates may go wrong. 

That’s why planning is an ongoing activity that happens throughout the life cycle of a project. As things change, you may need to revisit and adjust your plans accordingly.

A project manager is the main role player for this phase. The steps involved in this phase are:

Step #5. Create a project roadmap

To create a project roadmap , the high-level project activities identified in the project proposal are mapped on the timeline. The project roadmap is presented using Gantt charts .

When creating the project timeline , a project manager needs to consider the risks, constraints, and priorities documented in the proposal. In addition, project managers also need to consider resource allocation .

For larger projects, the timeline is divided into phases. At the end of each phase, the project team delivers some deliverables to the client. The end of a phase marks a milestone . Milestones are checkpoints to evaluate a project’s progress.

A project manager creates a project roadmap and presents it to the client for approval.

Step #6. Create a detailed project plan

Once the client approves the project roadmap, a project manager creates a task-level project plan by breaking down roadmap activities. 

Tasks are low-level project activities. Team members take up tasks and are responsible for completing them. That’s why a task must include all the information necessary for a team member to complete the task.

Execution Phase

Once the initial project and resource plan is in place, the project moves on to the execution phase. 

This is where the actual work happens. Skilled team members work on the planned tasks and move them from to-do to done. 

However, task management is not all that happens in this phase. A project manager also needs to:

• Revaluate and adjust the project plan based on changes
• Communicate the project’s progress

Step #7. Manage tasks and track project progress

Task management involves managing the task workflow and monitoring task progress.

A task workflow is a sequence of steps where a task moves from planning to completion. Workflows can be simple as To do → Doing → Done. Or, they can involve complex steps as in the case of software projects. As a project manager, you’re responsible to ensure that the team has everything they need to move the task along this workflow.

The second activity a project manager needs to look at is tracking task progress. Delayed tasks can sometimes derail the entire project.

Step #8. Review and adjust the project plan

The project moves towards closure as tasks get done, milestones are achieved, and deliverables are delivered to clients. However, often things don’t go as planned. Estimates go wrong, suppliers miss a deadline, or client priorities change.

That’s why, at least after every milestone, a project manager needs to review the project’s progress. Review resource availability and priorities. And then, adjust the project plan and schedule accordingly. 

Step #9. Communicate project progress

Project managers spend most of their time on task management and reviewing plans. However, they also need to communicate the project’s progress with all stakeholders from time to time.

Typically, the project sponsor does this at the end of a phase or on reaching a milestone.

Keeping clients up to date with project progress helps in the following ways:

• Demonstrates progress to clients and prevents any last stage surprises
• Provides an opportunity for the client to review the deliverables and adjust priorities accordingly
• Acts as an opportunity for the project team to get project feedback from stakeholders and correct the course if necessary

A project manager creates status reports to communicate the project’s progress. This can be a simple email or an elaborate document.

Closure Phase

Finally, after clients are satisfied with the results and sign-off on the deliverables, it is time to close the project.

Step #10. Handoff deliverables, analyze performance and release resources

Activities involved at this stage include:

• Handover of deliverables: The project team hands over the deliverables to clients including documents and manuals.
• Analyze performance: A retrospective analysis of the project’s performance helps the team extract learnings from the project.
• Release resources: The project manager releases team members and other allocated resources back into the resource pool.

The most important responsibility of the project manager here is to analyze the project team’s performance. This is for both — to celebrate the successful completion of the project, as well as, to extract learnings from it.

Finally, team members document the extracted learnings. This helps avoid or manage challenges in other projects.

Project Management Tools & Templates

According to PWC , 77 percent high performing projects use project management software. 

Project management software not only helps in managing projects but also handles communication between the team and clients. Capterra found that two out of three project teams use project management software to communicate with clients.

What is the best project management tool?

Choosing a project management tool depends on your budget and your team’s needs. 

However, reliability, ease of use, and ease of integration are the top criteria that project leaders use to choose a project management tool.

We’ve compiled a list of top project management software tools spanning budgets and features. Shortlist a few that you like and try them out to find a tool that suits your needs.

Toggl Plan: A Simple Project Management Tool

Toggl Plan is an online project management tool. Unlike other tools, Toggl Plan makes it easy to manage projects across remote teams by encouraging transparency and accountability.

It comes with:

• Gantt chart timelines for creating project roadmaps and plans.
• Team timelines for managing your team’s workloads.
• Kanban-style boards to manage tasks with customizable task workflows.
• Read-only views for clients and stakeholders.
• Notification emails to keep everyone in the loop.

Pricing-wise, Toggl Plan comes with a free plan for solo users that has all the above features. You can use the free plan for unlimited projects and up to five team members. Team plans start at $9 per user, per month. 

Jitesh is an SEO and content specialist. He manages content projects at Toggl and loves sharing actionable tips to deliver projects profitably.

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Project Management

5 real project management examples for your team.

Content Partnership Specialist

October 4, 2022

Whether it’s a home or a business project, simple or complex by nature, the secret sauce to delivering successful projects is starting strong with the right strategy and execution plan .

You can do this (and do it well) with a go-getter mindset, proper project management approaches, and the right tools.

In this article, you’ll learn about the building blocks of project management, including the key success factors and phases, as well as how project management tools can keep them together. Then we’ll show you how it all works in practice with five real project management examples! 👌

The 4 Phases of the Project Management Life Cycle

Key factors for successful project management .

• 1. Marketing Project
• 2. SEO Project
• 3. Customer Enablement Project
• 4. Education Project
• 5. Product Launch Project

Managing projects from start to finish can come with long and complex processes . So, to help make everyone’s job easier, the concept of the project life cycle was introduced. 

The project life cycle, or project management process, consists of four phases: initiating, planning, executing, and closing. It’s a structured path your projects go through to help move them from conception to completion and ensure project objectives are delivered in each phase.

Let’s take a look at what the project manager is responsible for in each phase:

1. The initiation phase

Get everyone onboard. The project manager defines the organization, client, or customer’s goal, identifies key stakeholders, the project team, and the scope of work of the project , and determines measurable objectives for the team.

2. The planning phase

Strategically prepare and map out the project. The project manager is responsible for creating a detailed project plan and outlining the project schedule that includes the major project milestones and describes what tasks or deliverables make up each milestone. This is important because the project plan provides a strategy and project checklist to help properly manage resources, budget, and timeline along the project life cycle.

3. The execution phase 

It’s go time. In this phase, the project manager’s main job is to oversee the team’s efforts and ensure everyone understands what’s expected of them, what tasks need to be done, and how and when to complete those tasks to ensure everything is done within the project schedule. 

4. The closing phase

Time to wrap up the project. The project manager must identify that their team has completed all of the requested outcomes, then present the final product to the stakeholders to sign off and officially close the project.

📌 Key takeaway:

By following the project life cycle, you’re ensuring that you are: 

• Capturing the expectations of your customer
• Setting your project up for success with a plan
• Executing project tasks and addressing any issues or project risks that arise
• Closing out your project to capture any lessons learned and improve the next projects

Critical factors for successful project management can vary from one project to another, but here are a few factors that should remain constant no matter the type of project or what industry you’re in:

✅ Set SMART goals  

✅ Understand the project scope and prevent scope creep

✅ Identify project risks and create a risk management plan

✅ Clearly defined roles and responsibilities

✅ Effective team communication

✅ Maintain a high level of project visibility

How project management software gives teams flexibility 

With so many factors that can impact project success, using project management software can help to keep everyone and everything on track and ahead of curveballs.

A good project management app can take so much of the burden of managing projects off your shoulders by providing teams with the tools they need to get a high-level overview of their work, streamline business processes, create efficient workflows, communicate more effectively, and make collaboration seamless and more enjoyable. 

ClickUp , for one, helps project managers and teams plan, manage, track projects, and collaborate with each other—all in one place. Its fully customizable platform gives teams the flexibility and the advanced tools they need to create the most efficient workflow that best suits their project needs and preferences. 

And because the platform is fully customizable, teams in ClickUp are fully equipped to handle any type of project and support any type of project management methodology , including the most common approaches such as Waterfall, Agile (Scrum and Kanban), Lean, Six Sigma, and more. 

Key ClickUp features for effective project management include :

• Customizable views : View your projects your way; choose from 15+ views, including Gantt Chart, Timeline, and Workload view
• Custom automation : Save time, keep your processes consistent, and streamline your workflow
• Custom task statuses : Add and assign different stages to your tasks to improve project visibility 
• Custom Fields : Add more context to your tasks and display important information 
• Goals : Stay on track to hit your SMART goals with clear timelines, measurable targets, and automatic progress tracking 
• Project milestones : Easily set milestones to help you stay on top of important deadlines and track your team’s progress against major checkpoints
• Dependencies : Add “blocking” or “waiting on” dependencies between tasks to set a clear order of operations, so your team always knows what to work on first
• Task checklist : Create a to-do list within each task to ensure all steps are completed before moving the task forward
• Dashboards : Build a mission control center for each project, team member, and more to  ensure every project stakeholder has the information they need to control any project risk and keep the project delivery within its timeline
• Global time tracking : Track time spent on tasks, set estimates, add notes, and view reports of your time from anywhere
• Assigned comments : Create and assign action items directly within a comment 
• Mobile app : Keep your projects accessible wherever you go with the ClickUp mobile app
• Integration : Connect ClickUp to over 1,000 of your favorite work tools to streamline your workflow  

Now, let’s take a look at a few real-life project management examples and learn how other industry experts have successfully delivered projects using the right methodology and tools!

5 Project Management Examples and Tips for Successful Project Delivery

1. marketing project example: creating a cross-functional workflow.

Jakub Grajcar , a Marketing Manager at STX Next, leads a team of content and social media specialists, spearheads the Marketing department’s lead generation and brand recognition strategy and works with multiple departments to deliver projects. A typical day for the team includes executing upwards of five content deliverables, with Jakub often reviewing 10+ different projects at a time.

The problem?

Working with our Product Design department was a chaotic process. Our teams struggled with communication because we lacked project visbility—we often didn’t have clear information about whether tasks were still under review or needed more work.  We absolutely needed a system that would allow me and the Head of Product Design to get an overview of the entire process and come to grips with all the work in progress and upcoming tasks.

The goal? To help improve global collaboration across departments , and content marketing processes, speed up project completion and delivery, and keep the teams aligned on goals, project timelines, and so on by creating a cross-functional workflow and standardizing processes in ClickUp.

Here’s how Jakub and his team carried out this initiative: 

Initiation phase

• Identify the project: To create Marketing Sprints templates and team Dashboards 
• Define the desired outcome: Manage multiple projects, streamline partner outreach, and speed up the content production process

Planning phase

• Project management methodology: Agile  

Execution phase

Task checklist:

• Create Folders for each department and set up Lists within each Folder
• Within each List, create tasks and subtasks to breakdown the work even further 
• Save tasks as a template that can be reused as many times as needed
• Set up Custom Task Statuses to give each stage of the project a designated name 
• Add Custom Fields to each List to display and keep key information easily accessible
• Added custom automation to automatically trigger an action and push the project to the next step 
• Save the Folder as a template to be reused for the next Sprint and to keep processes consistent 
• Build a custom Dashboard with real-time reporting to display key data and improve task visibility

Closing phase

• At the end of the project, Jakub and the teams within STX Next tested the new Marketing Sprints template and Dashboard to ensure the process was smooth for everyone involved in the project and all of the custom automation in ClickUp was set up properly.

📌 Use this Marketing Sprint Folder template to help with project planning, keep project activities visible and organized, and streamline your processes. Hit the ground running with pre-set Board and List views, task estimation capabilities, and customizable automation!

2. SEO project example: Scaling content production

Adele Payant , ClickUp’s SEO Specialist, is responsible for researching opportunities and creating content briefs for the writers to use as a guide when drafting articles for the blog page. And to write compelling content briefs, she has to perform keyword research, competitive analysis , and other important related tasks, and ensure the content brief is detailed and easy to follow for the writers. 

The biggest challenge in our SEO blog workflow was focusing on scaling our content production without impacting the quality of each blog.

To create a clear and repeatable system to help our SEO team ramp up the volume of briefs without compromising the quality of the brief and reduce unnecessary back-and-forth communication.

Here’s how Adele executed this project:

Initiation phase 

• Identify the project : Create a detailed and structured SEO content brief template
• Define the desired outcome: Create a structured and consistent workflow for researching and creating content briefs, and speed up the approval process

Planning phase 

• Connect with the writing team to capture feedback about the current process 
• Start a new Doc and use the rich-editing tools to structure your page
• Add headers to define the sections in your Doc clearly
• Embed links to example articles and other key data from keyword research
• Add nested pages to capture notes for the assigned writer to review before drafting the article
• Save the Doc as a template 

Closing phase 

• To ensure the content blog brief is up to par, the Sr. SEO Manager, Sr. SEO Specialist, and Sr. Content Managers reviewed the Doc and presented the template to the content writers to review for readability and to gather feedback. The project is officially closed after all stakeholders have approved it.

📌 Use this SEO Content Brief template to clearly state your goals and objectives, and share it with your writers to improve content delivery.

For more SEO project management tips, check out ClickUp’s Sr. SEO Manager’s article: Tips to Optimize Your Workflow . 

3. Customer enablement project: Launching a new program

Robin Wisner , ClickUp’s LMS Administrator, is responsible for delivering a new initiative to give ClickUp customers a fun and interactive way to learn how to use ClickUp and maximize the features within the platform.

The Customer Enablement team, of which Robin is a member, launched ClickUp University (CUU) in November 2021. The new program received an overwhelmingly positive response from ClickUp users and ultimately gave the team the green light to launch another option to help further enhance user experience.

To accomplish this, she led the initiative to launch CUU Certificates—a program intended to recognize the ClickUp users’ product knowledge and reward them for completing the course exams.

The biggest challenge for a project of this scale was managing across so many teams with competing priorities .

To delegate work effectively and launch the new certification program on time to provide a measurable process for customers to successfully onboard and enhance their experience as a ClickUp user.

Here’s how Robin and the project team members made it happen:

• Identify the project : Launch and promote the new certification program 
• Define the desired outcome: To collaborate with different teams to design and launch the new certification program.
• Project management methodology: Waterfall
• Outline objectives for each certification level and course in ClickUp Docs
• Develop beta test group and SOP for testing in ClickUp Docs
• Outline the diagram taxonomy and customer journey in ClickUp Whiteboards
• Create ClickUp Tasks for content development and assign them to the designated team members 
• Use the ClickUp Form to submit a design request for the certificates
• Submit a request to create a new help center overview article
• Collaborate with the Dev Ops team to code and manage website design
• Run tests with the beta test group and collect feedback 
• Create internal and external enablement materials
• Submit a request for marketing promotional materials 
• To finalize and close this project, the project stakeholders reviewed the creative designs and tested the website’s performance and user experience. The approval was given once project requirements are met. 

📌 Use this Feedback Form template to customize your feedback collection, view all your feedback in one place, and improve your products and services.

Bonus: Project Management Software for Freelancers

4. Education project example: Building company-wide data reporting dashboards

Morey Graham , the Director of Alumni and Donor Services (ADS) at Wake Forest University, leads and manages fundraising campaigns , alumni relationships, brand identity, and publications within the Wake Forest community. 

Because teams worked on separate platforms, it created work silos that led to duplicated efforts and poor team communication. We also lacked visibility into our data which impacted our ability to make strong business decisions for the organization.

To find a new project management tool that is user-friendly for all the departments and to create a business dashboard that displays and updates data in real-time to help improve project visibility across the organization.

Here’s how Morey and the ADS department delivered this project:

• Identify the project : Create an accurate and reliable project dashboard for leadership and team members
• Define the desired outcome: Improve data reporting and task visibility across departments, and align team goals

Task checklist

• Consolidate work tools and integrate apps together to streamline the data reporting process
• Set an all-hands meeting with the department to collect feedback about the current process and document meetings notes in a Doc or Notepad
• Create a Space for each department to organize work by departments
• Within each Space, create a Folder for each project
• Within each Folder, create a List for each team member 
• Create Custom Statuses for every stage of the project
• Set up and add tags to tasks to categorize and link related tasks together 
• Establish goals and document targets for each in ClickUp Goals  
• Define your Dashboard audience and data story
• Choose the right KPIs to support the data story
• Select the widget that matches your reporting requirements
• Present the project to the department head and key stakeholders for review and approval to close the project. 

📌 Create custom Dashboards in ClickUp to get a high-level overview of all your initiatives, highlight KPIs, project status, and progress, to keep everyone on track and aligned at all times.

5. Product launch project example: Launching a new product feature

To further expand ClickUp’s list of features for project management, the company set out a huge initiative to build and successfully launch a new product feature, ClickUp Whiteboards . Spearheading the project is ClickUp’s Group Product Manager, Zach Blodgett .

The company’s vision was to create a powerful yet easy-to-use digital collaboration tool that project managers, executives, and team members could use to level up their brainstorming, planning, and execution processes.

The problem? 

The biggest challenge was team size and a rapidly approaching deadline. The deadline was immovable and we had a ton of stakeholders from GTM, sales, pricing & packaging, growth, support, CSMs, EPD. We had to ensure they knew what was going out, what was next, and how to talk about Whiteboards.

To use a project management tool to help manage tasks, communicate with stakeholders across the globe, and minimize risks and bottlenecks to deliver the new and highly-anticipated product feature within the agreed-upon timeline.

Here’s how Zach and the company launched a successful project launch:

• Identify the project : New feature rollout 
• Define the desired outcome: To successfully deliver a responsive and functional new feature and create GTM campaigns for launch day
• Project management methodology: Lean
• Delegate tasks to the respective team members within the Product and Engineering team
• Use the ClickUp-Github integration to preview branches populated in the tasks
• Create Clip videos to report bugs in development and to easily relay complex issues to other teams
• Connect with the Creative team to shoot promotional videos and ads
• Connect with the entire company to run beta testing and collect feedback
• Run tests with the Security team
• Collaborate with Sales to determine the pricing model
• Work with the Product Marketing GTM team to create a marketing campaign plan for the launch
• Set important milestones and schedule for beta release

Closing Phase 

• The CEO, Sr. VP of Engineering, and other key project stakeholders reviewed the product feature, and approved the final product before launch day.

Here’s the final look—check it out!

📌 Create a step-by-step approach to how your organization will bring a product to the market, and use this Go to Market Strategy template to help you ship faster!

Handle Any Project With Confidence By Using ClickUp

Successful project management starts with understanding what the ultimate goal of the project is, understanding the key elements that go into an intelligent project plan, and creating a smooth and actionable strategy to get there—refer to the project management examples above to help spark ideas.

You’ll also need to ensure to implement the appropriate methodology to guide you through the entire process and utilize the project lifecycle to keep you on track. 

And to make your life as a project manager as easy as humanly possible, you need to use a project management tool like ClickUp to help keep everything in order and bring all your work to one centralized place. Use it to track project progress, manage project risks and resources effectively, collaborate with your entire organization, and so much more. 

With its extensive list of customizable and functional features, you’ll be fully equipped to handle any type of project management approach, manage multiple complex projects at once, set up the most streamlined workflow, support your remote and hybrid teams, and confidently deliver quality projects on time, every time. 

(cue “That was easy” sound effect 😉)

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The Ultimate Guide to Project Management: Everything You Need To Know

Project Management

Project management refers to using specific tools, knowledge, skills, and expertise to achieve desired objectives and deliver something valuable. In other words, you use the available resources to acquire an intended result within a specific timeframe and budget. 

What does project management look like? 

Project management gets work done worldwide. But depending on the work, project management will look slightly different. For instance, you may use project management to build a skyscraper in the middle of a city or to develop software for a school . 

While each project will have unique steps the team would follow from start to finish, every project will follow a pattern — or project cycle. Let’s explore that below. 

Project Management: Project Cycle

The project cycle comprises the five phases you go through to take a project from start to finish. These five phases include:

• Monitoring and Evaluation

Here is an overview of each phase in the cycle:

Initiation Phase

The initiation phase, the first phase of the project, involves activities that set up a solid foundation.  For instance, you’ll identify a business problem, define its possible solution, appoint a team, and present the best possible solution to your stakeholders. A key activity you’ll perform in the initiation phase is creating the business case. 

What’s a business case?

A business case  evaluates a project by considering its benefits and costs. It serves as a quick summary and helps stakeholders decide if they want to proceed with the project. 

In your business case, you’ll have:

• Business problem with its detailed description
• Problem’s possible solutions
• Preferred solution
• Project Benefits
• Financial costs
• Risks, dependencies, and challenges

Once your stakeholders approve your business case, you can start the planning phase. 

Planning Phase

In the planning phase, you draw a roadmap to achieve the goals within the set budget and timeline. This includes documenting your plans, requirements, project deliverables, and work schedules in detail.

In other words, you develop a project management plan to guide how you’ll implement and manage the project until completion. This plan determines how you’ll manage the time, costs, quality, and project-related risks. 

Here are some common outputs of the planning phase:

Project breakdown:

• Scope planning to determine the scope of the project
• Risk Management to mitigate any risks that may occur during project implementation
• Communication planning to set up the information flow that ensures timely messages to project stakeholders
• Quality planning to set the quality standards for the project

Schedule breakdown:

• Work breakdown structure that turns the project into  specific tasks and sub-tasks
• Project schedules to put tasks on a calendar and set the order of implementation

Resource breakdown:

• Budget planning to specify the project cost from start to finish
• Resource planning to allocate work across your team based on their skills and expertise
• Procurement planning to help secure essential resources from vendors and suppliers

By the end of the planning phase, your team members will understand the project’s deliverables and their responsibilities in meeting those deliverables. And your stakeholders would know the project is on the right track. 

Execution Phase

In the execution phase, you implement the project plan you developed in the previous phase. As the project manager, this is usually the longest phase of your project cycle, where you coordinate the workforce and use resources to achieve project goals. This coordination involves directing the execution process using your work breakdown schedule to ensure everyone plays their part. 

For instance, say you’re managing your small business’s expansion to a new locality. You may have assigned different tasks to salespeople, customer support, content leads, and the product development team. In the execution phase, you need to ensure that everyone is pulling their share of weight in meeting those deliverables.  

Besides that, as a project manager, you’ll also have to update your CEO and other stakeholders regarding the project's progress. 

Monitoring and Evaluation 

Monitoring and control, a crucial stage in the project life cycle, ensures the project is on the right track. It helps you avoid deviations and take corrective actions when required to steer the project back on track.  Unlike with other phases, there is no distinct boundary between the execution phase and the monitoring and evaluation phase. In complex projects, you may evaluate the results and get the stakeholders' feedback during the execution. 

For example, if the expansion in the above example required three months, you may monitor the progress and evaluate the results every week and update the stakeholders twice a month. 

In summary, during the monitoring and evaluation phase, you:

• Report on critical metrics and milestones
• Communicate with stakeholders
• Monitor project performance 

Closing Phase

In the closing phase, you conclude the project. However, it’s little more than checking the project off as done and moving. 

At the very least, you should perform several key close-out activities :

• Deliver project results, whether products or services
• Assess project records
• Celebrate achievements
• Disband the project team
• Provide feedback to the team

While the closing phase marks a project’s end, it may also signal the start of another project. For instance, you may be scaling the successful project you just ended. 

Project Management Methodologies

Project management methodologies refer to defined principles that help you optimally manage your project. With a project methodology, you can model a project to fit your team. 

Here are the five popular project management methodologies:

Waterfall Methodology

In Waterfall methodology, projects follow a linear and sequential manner. In other words, you must conclude a project cycle phase before moving to the next phase. 

Waterfall methodology follows a single direction like a waterfall. While this simplifies onboarding and testing, you may have a hard time incorporating changes in requirements after the project’s start. 

Agile Methodology

Unlike Waterfall methodology, Agile  methodology provides you with flexibility. It lets you adapt to changing project needs, which is the norm in software development. 

Agile methodology focuses on three key principles: 

• Collaboration
• Adaptability

While Agile methodology offers flexibility, the lack of a defined project cycle makes it difficult to evaluate progress and estimate the project’s end date.

Scrum Methodology

Scrum methodology is a form of agile methodology that uses short cycles called sprints to run projects. 

In Scrum methodology, a scrum master leads each small team during a sprint. Upon completion, the scrum master reviews the team's performance and makes changes before running another sprint.

As Scrum is derived from Agile, it also suffers from a lack of a defined project’s end date. 

Kanban Methodology

Kanban is another Agile project management methodology. It involves using a Kanban board to keep every project member up to date on the project’s progress. A Kanban board contains multiple columns, and each column represents a stage. 

As your team starts working, the tasks start flowing from the leftmost column to the rightmost column. Ideally, you should have an equal amount of tasks in all columns during the project — i.e., a consistent flow of tasks. 

If one column starts accumulating tasks, you have a stage with a bottleneck that requires work. 

Lean Methodology

The lean methodology applies lean principles across your project to reduce wastage and increase productivity. The lean methodology focuses on avoiding three key problems:

• Muda or wastefulness that adds no value to the customer
• Mura or unevenness that causes overproduction on one end and inefficiency on another
• Muri or heavy workloads that lead to strain and breakdowns in both machines and humans.

Project Management Roles: Project Manager

The project manager is  the individual responsible for ensuring a project delivers its expected output. They operate with the authority of the project’s board and sponsors to run a project daily from start to finish.

Project managers use their skills and expertise to inspire their teams to work using available resources and produce the desired results for the business and its customers. 

Project Manager: Responsibilities

The project manager’s role is crucial in every project. They:

• Create project plans, budgets, and work breakdown schedules
• Manage project implementation to produce the expected deliverables
• Manage project risks and develop mitigation strategies
• Report on project milestones on agreed deadlines
• Employ corrective action whenever necessary to any deviations from the project plan
• Manage the project budget and workforce
• Delegate roles and responsibilities to team members across the project

Project Manager: Qualities

If you want to succeed as a project manager, you must possess the following attributes:

• Strong leadership skills to help move projects in the right direction — leadership skills are also essential for managing teams and project stakeholders
• Excellent decision-making and project management skills 
• Ability to craft good risk management strategies for project success
• Proficient at team building and using your team to achieve goals
• Excellent negotiation skills to help build and foster strong relationships while managing conflict amicably

Career & Certifications

To succeed at your project management job,  you should look for regular training and certification opportunities from recognized professional bodies. In a 2020 Project Management Institute report, 51% of organizations shared that they require project managers to hold certifications for their job.   

Here are some popular certifications you can get to enhance your CV:

• Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI)
• Master Project Manager (MPM) certification offered by the Global Academy of Finance and Management
• Associate in Project Management certification offered by the Global Association of Quality Management

With any of these certifications, you can start and participate in projects of different kinds across the world.

What You Need To Know About Project Management

The future of project management continues to look brighter. With global businesses needing more project management professionals, project management is one of the most sought-after skills. 

Are you taking on a new marketing project?

Sign up for HubSpot’s Project Management Software to enhance productivity and attain the project goals on time. 

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• Project management methodologies: 12 po ...

Project management methodologies: 12 popular frameworks

Project management is an ever-evolving field that requires a number of approaches to be successful. Learning the most popular project management methodologies can help you become an industry expert. 

In order to be the best possible project manager , learn about each of these 12 frameworks to find the one that best fits your team’s needs. 

12 project management frameworks

What it is: The Agile project management methodology is one of the most common project management processes. But the reality is that Agile isn’t technically a methodology. Instead, it’s best defined as a project management principle. 

The basis of an Agile approach is:

Collaborative

Fast and effective

Iterative and data-backed

Values individuals over processes

When it comes to putting the Agile manifesto in place, teams often choose specific methodologies to use alongside Agile. These could include Scrum, Kanban, extreme programming, crystal, or even Scrumban . That's because connecting Agile methodology with a more detailed approach produces a well-rounded project management philosophy and a tangible plan for delivering great work. 

Who should use it: The Agile framework can be used for just about any team. This is because the principle behind it is rather universal. The real trick is deciding which methodology to use with it.

2. Waterfall

What it is: The waterfall model is also a very popular framework. But unlike Agile, waterfall is an actual methodology that is rather straightforward. The waterfall methodology , also known as software development life cycle (SDLC), is a linear process in which work cascades down (similar to a waterfall) and is organized in sequential order. 

To achieve this approach, each work task is connected by a dependency. This means each task must be completed before the next task can be started. Not only does this ensure that work stays on track, but it also fosters clear communication throughout the process. 

While viewed as a traditional approach by some modern organizations, this method is good for creating a predictable and thoroughly planned-out project plan . 

Who should use it: Since the waterfall project management methodology is so detailed, it’s great for working on large projects with multiple different stakeholders. This is because there are clear steps throughout the project and dependencies that help track the work needed to reach goals. 

What it is: The Scrum methodology involves short “sprints” that are used to create a project cycle. These cycles span one to two weeks at a time and are organized with teams of 10 or less. This is different from the waterfall approach where individual tasks are broken down into dependencies.

Scum is unique for a variety of reasons, one being the use of a Scrum master. Or, in other words, a project manager that leads daily Scrum meetings, demos, sprints, and sprint retrospectives after each sprint is completed. These meetings aim to connect project stakeholders and ensure tasks are completed on time. 

While Scrum is technically a project management methodology in its own right, it’s most commonly associated with an Agile framework. This is because they share similar principles, such as collaboration and valuing individuals over processes. 

Who should use it: Teams that use an Agile approach should use, or at least try, the Scrum methodology as well. Since sprints are divided into small teams, this approach can work for both small and large teams. 

What it is: The Kanban methodology represents project backlogs using visual elements, specifically boards. This approach is used by Agile teams to better visualize workflows and project progress while decreasing the likelihood of bottlenecks. It’s also usually in the form of a software tool that allows you to change and drag boards seamlessly within projects, though it’s not a requirement. 

Since this method doesn’t have a defined process like others, many teams use it differently. The main concept to keep in mind is that Kanban aims to focus on the most important project tasks, keeping the overall framework simple.

Who should use it: Kanban boards are great for teams of all sizes and specifically remote-first teams. This is because the visual capabilities of Kanban boards help team members stay on track no matter where they are. 

5. Scrumban

What it is: As you may have guessed, Scrumban is a methodology that draws inspiration from both Scrum and Kanban frameworks. Some think of this as a hybrid approach that incorporates the best of each. 

Scrumban uses a similar sprint cycle as Scrum but allows individual tasks to be pulled into the plan like Kanban. This allows the most important work to be completed and keeps project plans simple. Scrumban also uses Scrum meetings to enhance collaboration and keep goals top of mind. 

Who should use it: If you like the idea of breaking down a project into smaller tasks, but likewise want to keep it visually simple, Scrumban might be for you. It’s the perfect intersection of simplicity and clarity.  

What it is: PRINCE2 , otherwise known as PR ojects IN C ontrolled E nvironments, uses the overarching waterfall methodology to define stages within a project. It was initially created by the UK government for IT projects and still primarily suits large IT initiatives over the traditional product or market-focused projects. 

There are seven main principles of PRINCE2, which include:

Starting a project

Directing a project

Initiating a project

Controlling a project

Managing product delivery

Managing a stage boundary

Closing a project

These seven principles create a thorough project process and make for an effective enterprise project methodology altogether. It aims to define roles and back management. Not only that, but PRINCE2 can be used to streamline a ton of individual project management tasks, like controlling a stage, managing product delivery, and initiating and closing a project. 

Who should use it: Due to the particular nature of the PRINCE2 project management methodology, it’s best suited for large enterprise projects with a number of project stakeholders . Using it for small projects may create a longer and more complicated process than necessary. 

7. Six Sigma

What it is: Unlike the other PM methodologies, Six Sigma is used for quality management and is frequently described as a philosophy rather than a traditional methodology. It is often paired with either a lean methodology or Agile framework, otherwise known as lean Six Sigma and Agile Six Sigma. 

The main purpose of Six Sigma is to continuously improve processes and eliminate defects. This is achieved through continuous improvements by field experts to sustain, define, and control processes. 

To take this method one step further, you can use a Six Sigma DMAIC process, which creates a phased approach. These phases include:

Define: Create a project scope , business case , and initial stand-up meeting.

Measure: Collect data that helps inform improvement needs.

Analyze: Identify the root causes of problems. 

Improve: Solve the root causes found.

Control: Work to sustain the solutions for future projects. 

Who should use it: Six Sigma is best for large organizations, usually those with a few hundred employees or more. This is when the need to eliminate project waste starts to have a larger impact on your organization. 

8. Critical path method (CPM)

What it is: The critical path method works to identify and schedule critical tasks within a project. This includes creating task dependencies, tracking project goals and progress, prioritizing deliverables , and managing due dates—all of which are similar to a work breakdown structure .

The objective of this methodology is to properly manage successful projects at scale so that milestones and deliverables are mapped correctly. 

Who should use it: The critical path method is best for small and mid-size projects and teams. This is because large projects require many deliverables with multiple stakeholders and the CPM isn’t built to manage complex projects. 

9. Critical chain project management (CCPM)

What it is: The critical chain project management framework is closely related to the critical path methodology but is even more detailed, making it one of the most comprehensive options. 

Along with implementing a work breakdown structure like CPM, CCPM includes specific time requirements for each task. This helps take task tracking one step further, making it clear when tasks are going over their allotted time. It also uses resource leveling which aims to resolve large workloads by distributing work across available resources. 

Not only do these help both productivity and efficiency, but they also help connect the work needed to be completed with project goals. Many project management tools even have visual elements to better visualize these goals, creating an organized road map for team members. 

Who should use it: CCPM is a great method for both small and large teams, but it mostly helps solve project efficiency problems . It can also be a great way to report work in progress to leadership. 

What it is: The lean project management methodology aims to cut waste and create a simple framework for project needs. This ultimately means doing more with less in order to maximize efficiency and teamwork. 

While reducing waste originally referred to a physical product (which dates back to the method used by Henry Ford and later by Toyota and Motorola), it now refers to wasteful practices. There are three Ms that represent this:

Muda (wastefulness): Practices that consume resources but don’t add value  

Mura (unevenness): Occurs through overproduction and leaves behind waste 

Muri (overburden): Occurs when there is too much strain on resources  

As a project manager, your job is to prevent the three Ms in order to better execute projects and streamline processes. This is similar to the approach of rational unified process (RUP), which also aims to reduce waste. The difference is that RUP aims to reduce development costs instead of wasteful practices. 

Who should use it: Since lean is all about reducing waste, it’s best suited for teams struggling with efficiency issues. While this will have a greater impact on large organizations, it can be helpful for project teams of all sizes. 

11. Project management institute’s PMBOK® Guide

What it is: While the PMI’s Project Management Body of Knowledge is associated as a project management methodology, it’s more closely related to a set of best practices that take into account various development processes. 

This framework focuses on implementing the five project management phases , all of which help easily manage a project from start to finish in a structured phase approach. The five phases include:

Project initiation

Project planning

Project executing

Project performance

Project closure

While this is a good foundation to keep in mind, the PMBOK® Guide isn’t necessarily as specific as other approaches. This means you’ll need to decide which tasks to complete in each phase. 

Who should use it: The PMBOK® Guide can be used on its own for small teams on standard projects, though it’s a good idea to pair it with a more detailed methodology (like CPM) for large teams handling complex projects. 

12. Extreme programming (XP)

What it is: As the name suggests, extreme programming is used for fast-paced projects with tight deadlines. The approach works by creating short development cycles with many releases. This makes for quick turnaround times and increased productivity . 

Extreme programming has a few core values, which include simplicity, communication, feedback, respect, and courage. It also includes a specific set of XP rules which includes all phases from planning to testing. 

Who should use it: Extreme programming can be used for individual projects with tight deadlines, most commonly with small to midsize teams. Since XP is a fast-paced method, it should be used lightly in order to prevent burnout . 

Choosing the right project management methodology for your team

There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to project management methodologies. Each one offers unique principles to take a development project from an initial plan to final execution. 

The main aspects to keep in mind are the size of your team and how your team prefers to work. Here are some additional tips to consider:

Your industry : Consider if you’re in an industry that changes frequently. For example, a technology company would be an industry that is ever-evolving. This will affect project consistency and should be paired with either a flexible or stagnant methodology. 

Your project focus : Consider the objectives of your projects . Do you value people over efficiency? This will help pair you with a methodology that matches a similar objective. 

The complexity of projects : Are your projects on the more complex side, or are they usually straightforward? Some methods aren’t as good as others at organizing complex tasks, such a CCPM.

The specialization of roles : Consider how niche the roles within your team are. Can multiple team members alternate the same type of work, or do you need a method that focuses on specialization?

Your organization’s size : The size of your organization and team should be weighed heavily when deciding on a methodology. Methods like Kanban are universal for team size, while options like CPM are better suited for small teams. 

Whether your team members prefer a visual process like Kanban or a more traditional project management approach like the waterfall method, there’s an option for every type of team. To take a project management methodology one step further, consider a work management tool to better track and execute development projects. 

Methods to manage your projects mindfully

With the right project management methodology in place, you’ll be able to take your projects to new levels of efficiency and implement processes that are right for your team, your organization, and yourself.

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• Everything You Need to Know about Project Management

Featured in:

We often hear about projects succeeding, and others not succeeding. A number of things could be blamed for the latter: lack of resources and funding, unsatisfactory leadership, lack of direction for the team. In truth, most often it lacks proper project management .

© Shutterstock.com | Rawpixel.com

In this article, you’ll learn about 1) a definition of project management , 2) a step-by-step approach to successful project management , and 3) an overview of non-traditional project management approaches .

PROJECT MANAGEMENT DEFINED

Project Management is defined as the discipline that involves “initiating, planning, executing and controlling the work of a team of people towards the achievement of a specific goal, or sets of goals” . These goals could be the development or production of unique products, services, or some other metric improvements, all of which are expected to deliver additional value. Through project management, activities are conducted using various project management tools and task management software , skill sets, knowledge, methodologies and techniques in order to meet the requirements of the projects.

The main goal of project management is to ensure that the objectives of the project are achieved within specified constraints.

Projects are, by nature, temporary. They have a defined starting and ending point. They will begin at a specific point in time, and will wrap up once the objective or goal has been achieved.

The definition above already marks the difference between Project Management and Program management . It is non-routine and temporary, while Program Management can be long-running. There are defined scopes and resources while, in program management, these aspects could be flexible. There is only one project to speak of in Project Management, but Program Management refers to overseeing several projects all at once.

Project management is also considered separate from the normal, repetitive operations of a business. For example, in a manufacturing company, the actual business process of putting resources into production is not a project, since these are permanent (or even semi-permanent) activities of the business. Now, if management decides to devise a new business process to create another set of products, that is the project.

Projects have four identified elements:

• Scope – This refers to the size of the project, the goals expected to be achieved upon its completion, and the different project requirements.
• Resources – These includes the people or manpower, the materials, tools and equipment that are used in the execution of the project.
• Time – This encompasses the durations of the tasks, the critical path, schedules, and dependencies.
• Money – Projects involve costs and expenses, contingencies, revenue, and profit.

Among the four elements, the scope is deemed to be the most important, since it pretty much covers the other three elements as well. Project Managers must first manage the scope of the project.

All four must be managed, however, since they are interrelated. Ignoring one will adversely affect the others, and vice versa. Successful project management means managing all four elements effectively.

One question often asked is if there are specific types of project management. Project management takes different forms or types when applied to specific industries. For example, a project in the construction industry will be different from that of a project in the IT industry. It goes without saying that management for each project will also differ, since we are talking about two different specializations or fields here. Still, they are likely to follow the same template of project management by following specific project management processes.

STEP-BY-STEP APPROACH TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Project planning.

The failure of many projects have been blamed on decisions that were made on the spur of the moment, leading to resources and costs that became too much to handle. This is because they were not able to create a project plan or, even if they did, the plan was not well-made or subsequently implemented. This is the problem with many organizations that are pressed for time: they want to get on with the work, so they skip over the project planning part and immediately launch into it. The result? Too much waste. Very little to no results. A failed project.

The output of project planning is the project plan, which outlines all the tasks, activities, dependencies and the applicable timeframes. Here we will look at its contents:

Project Goals

What are the goals of the project? What does it ultimately want to achieve upon its closing?

You have to take into account the needs of the stakeholders , or the people who have an interest in your project and its results. Will the project’s completion mean the satisfaction of their needs? Will it be able to provide a solution to their problems? Obviously, before you can set your project goals, you have to:

• Identify your stakeholders . They may be your investors or sponsors of the project, the employees or members of the organization, the customers or end-users, or the general public as a whole.
• Identify the needs of these stakeholders . Keep in mind that stakeholders have differences, and that includes their needs. The needs of the investors, for example, will be different from that of the customers. This may done through surveys and interviews.
• Rank the needs from most important to least important . This is a way to set priorities, so you will know which ones to address first. The list will then enable you to set goals.

The goals you set must be CLEAR and ATTAINABLE. There must be no grey areas and all the members of the project team must be fully aware of the goals, and understand their respective roles in achieving them.

Deliverables

What are the things that are expected to be delivered by the project team? Of course, these deliverables must be in accordance with the project goals.

Along with the project deliverables, you also have to indicate the estimated dates of delivery of these outputs.

Project Schedule

When you were talking about the project deliverables, you merely gave an estimate of the delivery dates. It is time to zero in on the exact dates of delivery.

Each project deliverable has corresponding tasks that must be accomplished in order for the deliverables to be obtained. In your project schedule, indicate:

• The specific tasks that must be accomplished
• The estimated length of time (in hours, days or weeks) of performing and completing the task
• The costs and other resources required to perform and complete the task
• The target delivery date of the deliverables

When scheduling, be careful to keep things realistic. You do not want to set too tight deadlines, but you do not want it to be so slack that you’ll end up having idle time. Of course, it is a given that there is a chance you will end up needing more time. This can be fixed by going over your schedule and making the necessary adjustments if, and when, possible. With a carefully prepared project schedule, it will be easier for you to justify asking for more time or resources.

Support Plans

The project plan may be standalone, but it does not hurt at all to have supporting plans to prop it up a bit. Examples of such plans are:

• Risk Management Plan , where risks that may be encountered by the project are identified and possible responses are prepared.
• Human Resource Plan , where the roles and responsibilities, as well as accountabilities, of all members of the organization are clearly defined and described. This will aid the project manager in recruiting members to include in the project team.
• Communication Plan , because it is inevitable for project teams to collaborate with other teams. By coming up with this plan, there is a clearer picture of how information is transmitted or exchanged among the teams. This also includes reportorial responsibilities.

The Project Life Cycle

Project planning will not be possible if there is no project life cycle to speak of. This refers to the series of activities that must be performed or accomplished in order to achieve the project goals. Granted, projects differ in size, focus and complexity. Still, they all follow the same life cycle.

The project life cycle includes five phases. This is also often referred to as traditional project management which has five major process steps.

1. Initiating

This involves the determination of the nature and scope of the project. In order to do that, there is a need to look into the business environment and understand how it works. Some of the key activities in this stage are:

• Analysis of business requirements
• Evaluation of historical and current data on the business’ operations, including financial reports and budgets
• Identification of stakeholders and analysis of their roles and impact
• Identification of the stakeholder needs
• Identification of project objectives

It is during this phase that feasibility studies are often conducted. These are excellent tools in figuring out possible options that can address the issues at hand and help achieve the project objective.

It is also often during this phase that the project manager is chosen and installed, as well as the members of the project team and the other participating work groups.

2. Planning

We move on to the more detailed phase of the project. A project plan or a flowchart is prepared to plan the timing, schedule, costs and allocation of resources to perform the activities in the project. This involves taking into account the cost of associated risks during implementation of the activities of the project. It is also during this stage that the project team will gain the final approval to proceed with the project. Activities performed in the planning stage include:

• Putting the planning team together
• Identifying the deliverables of the project, including quality targets and control measures (these may be your baseline)
• Identifying the activities that must be performed
• Developing a work breakdown structure and mapping their interconnections
• Obtaining cost estimates for materials, equipment, labor, and other costs
• Preparation of project budget
• Developing a schedule for carrying out the activities in the work breakdown
• Identification of potential threats, problems or risks and formulation of appropriate responses should these threats, problems or risks crop up in the course of the project implementation

There is no fixed number of activities to be performed in a project. Some projects may have only a handful of tasks, while other projects consist of a long list of activities. There is nothing wrong with that, as long as you keep your eye on the objective.

3. Executing or Implementing

This is the implementation phase, where the key activities of the project are performed or executed in order to obtain the project deliverables previously identified. In other words, the project plan is now set into motion.

Here, the following activities are undertaken:

• Allocation of resources to the appropriate activities or project phases
• Coordination with key stakeholders
• Carrying out the tasks listed in the plan
• Reporting the project progress in regular meetings

4. Monitoring and Controlling

Every step of the project, there is a need to track its progress. This is helpful, so problems can be identified and addressed in order to minimize risks. Feedback plays a major role in this stage. There may be variances from the baseline or target previously set. If they cannot be corrected to bring things back to the original plan, they should be documented as variances.

This phase calls for:

• Measurement of activities as they take place
• Keeping an eye on the project variables and continuously comparing them with the plan
• Taking the appropriate actions to correct problems and address issues
• Regular reporting to stakeholders
• Documentation of progress and updating of the plan, if any
• Review of project deliverables in accordance with the baseline or targets

5. Closing or Completion

At this stage, the project is formally declared to be completed. This will only take place when the stakeholders have accepted and were satisfied with the final output or deliverable.

It involves:

• Releasing or delivering the final deliverables
• Documentation and archiving of the project files and other pertinent documents used and generated throughout the project
• Conduct of post-implementation review, where lessons learned are talked about, in view of being applied in future, upcoming projects

There is also a need to formally communicate the closure of the project to all the stakeholders.

The Project Manager

In every project, there are several players at work, and the lead character is the Project Manager. You may have assembled a team of highly talented and skilled individuals, with specialized skills needed to get the project done. But you will still need a focal point – that one person who will manage the whole project, all aspects of it, from start to finish.

The Project Manager is the one handed the overall responsibility for the different processes involved in project management, from initiation to the closing of the project. He is the one who is responsible for achieving the objectives of the project.

Listed below are the key functions or responsibilities expected of a project manager:

• Creating effective project plans and project management plans
• Setting project objectives
• Identifying the requirements or needs of the project
• Overseeing all aspects of the project, including cost and time
• Creating reports about the status of the project, and corresponding metrics
• Communicating with top management or program managers about the project progress
• Liaising with other departments and projects within the organization
• Coordinating with external parties and other outside stakeholders

OVERVIEW OF NON-TRADITIONAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT APPROACHES

We have touched on the traditional project management approach, which talks about the stages of initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing or completion. However, this is not the only approach applicable, since there have been more methodologies developed through the years. Let us go through each of them briefly.

• Lean Project Management: This lean approach focuses on reducing time and waste without compromising on the value being delivered. The concepts often included are lean manufacturing and lean construction, since these are areas that often have to deal with bottlenecks and wastage.
• Iterative approaches: Agile project management is possibly one of the most talked about concepts these days. Usually applied in the field of software development and information technology, agile focuses primarily on human collaboration and iteration. Various methodologies have been developed surrounding the agile concept, and they include Scrum , Extreme Programming, Kanban and Crystal Clear.
• Critical Chain Project Management: The focus of this approach is to deal with the uncertainties that come with project management. Of course, it also takes into account that these uncertainties must be dealt with despite the limited availability of resources allocated for the project.

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20 Must-Have Project Management Skills for 2024: The Ultimate Guide

Successful project management requires a blend of expertise and innate ability. Beyond technical know-how, a repertoire of essential skills — both hard and soft — forms the foundation of this profession.  

So what does it take to thrive as a project manager? 

This blog post details the core competencies that every project manager needs, from budgeting to communication and risk management to relationship-building. Whether you’re a seasoned project veteran or just starting out, read on to find out what you need to excel today in this multifaceted role.

What Does a Project Manager Do?

A project manager plays a pivotal role in the successful execution of projects across various industries and sectors. 

Their primary responsibility is to oversee all aspects of a project, from initiation to completion, ensuring that it is executed within scope, time, and budget constraints while meeting quality standards and stakeholder expectations. 

Project managers are tasked with any or all of the following responsibilities: 

• Developing project plans
• Setting project goals
• Defining deliverables
• Allocating resources
• Creating schedules
• Facilitating communication among team members and stakeholders
• Ensuring everyone is aligned with project objectives 
• Keeping stakeholders informed about progress and milestones
• Identifying and mitigating risks
• Resolving conflicts
• Adapting plans as needed to overcome challenges

Project managers exist in nearly every industry, so having expertise in their applicable sector is important as well. However, they can easily transfer their general skills from one industry to another — that’s some powerful job security! No matter where they work, project managers provide leadership, direction, and support to ensure projects are carried out efficiently and to the satisfaction of all stakeholders involved.

20 Essential Project Management Skills

Every project manager role is different , depending on the industry. But there are a handful of skills that nearly every project manager needs to succeed and see projects through to completion, on time and on budget. 

First, the hard skills. 

Hard Skills for Project Managers

• Budgeting and cost management: The ability to create and manage project budgets, including estimating costs, tracking expenses, and optimizing resource allocation to keep projects within budget.
• Schedule management: Proficiency in developing project schedules, setting timelines, identifying critical path activities, and managing dependencies to ensure timely delivery of project milestones and completion.
• Risk management: The ability to identify potential risks, assess their impact and probability, develop risk mitigation strategies, and monitor risk throughout the project lifecycle to minimize disruptions and achieve project success.
• Quality management: Expertise in defining quality standards, implementing quality assurance processes, overseeing quality control, and ensuring that project deliverables meet or exceed stakeholder expectations.
• Technical expertise: Depending on the nature of the project, project managers may require technical knowledge and proficiency in specific tools, technologies, or methodologies relevant to their industry or field of work .
• Contract management: The ability to negotiate and manage contracts with vendors, suppliers, or subcontractors, ensuring that contractual agreements are met, and deliverables are completed according to specifications and within budget.
• Scope management: Proficiency in defining project scope, documenting requirements, managing scope changes, and ensuring that project deliverables align with stakeholder expectations and organizational objectives.
• Resource management: The skill to identify and allocate resources — such as personnel, time, equipment, and materials — to support project activities, optimize productivity, and minimize resource conflicts.
• Data analysis and reporting: Competency in collecting, analyzing, and interpreting project data to generate insights, track progress, measure performance against key metrics, and communicate project status to stakeholders.
• Knowledge of regulatory compliance: Depending on the industry or project type, project managers may need to have knowledge of relevant regulations, standards, and compliance requirements to confirm that projects adhere to legal and regulatory guidelines throughout their lifecycle.

Bear in mind that many of these skills require a combination of other abilities, some innate and some acquired. Many of them can also be learned and honed on the job! That said, it takes a certain kind of person to become a talented project manager, especially one who has or can cultivate a number of interpersonal or “soft” skills.

Soft Skills for Project Managers

• Leadership: The ability to inspire, motivate, and guide team members towards common goals, fostering a positive and collaborative work environment while providing direction and support.
• Communication: Verbal and written communication skills are essential for project managers to convey ideas, instructions, expectations, and feedback clearly and concisely to team members, stakeholders, and other project participants.
• Team management: The skills to build, develop, and manage high-performing project teams, including delegating tasks, empowering team members, resolving conflicts, and fostering a culture of collaboration and accountability.
• Problem-solving: Project managers need strong problem-solving skills to identify issues, analyze root causes, develop solutions, and implement corrective actions to overcome obstacles and keep projects on track.
• Decision-making: The ability to make timely and informed decisions based on available information, critical analysis, and consideration of potential risks and consequences.
• Negotiation: Proficiency in negotiation techniques and strategies is crucial for project managers to resolve conflicts, reach agreements, and manage expectations among stakeholders with competing interests or priorities.
• Relationship management: Establishing and managing relationships with various stakeholders, including clients, sponsors, team members, and external partners, to ensure alignment with project objectives and foster support for project initiatives.
• Adaptability: The capability to adapt to changing project requirements, priorities, and circumstances while remaining flexible, resilient, and proactive in adjusting plans and strategies to address evolving needs and challenges.
• Emotional intelligence: Project managers with high emotional intelligence can empathize with team members, understand their perspectives and concerns, manage emotions, and build strong relationships based on trust, respect, and empathy.
• Time management: Effective time management skills enable project managers to prioritize tasks, allocate resources efficiently, and optimize productivity to meet project deadlines and deliverables while balancing competing demands and priorities.

10 Best Project Management Tools for 2024

Project managers rely heavily on their team members to execute projects to scope — as important as their jobs are, they don’t operate in a vacuum! They also frequently utilize digital tools to help them stay organized and on track, ensuring crucial project details don’t fall through the cracks. 

Some of the most popular project management tools include:

• Trello: Known for its simplicity and flexibility, Trello is a favorite project management tool that uses boards, lists, and cards to help teams organize and prioritize tasks.
• Asana: Asana is a comprehensive project management tool that enables teams to create tasks, set deadlines, collaborate on projects, and track progress. It offers features such as task dependencies, calendars, and project timelines.
• Jira: Jira is widely used in software development projects but can be adapted to various industries. It helps teams plan, track, and manage projects, issues, and tasks by breaking them down into distinct phases and emphasizing continuous improvement at each step.
• Basecamp: Basecamp is a popular project management and collaboration tool that offers features such as to-do lists, file sharing, messaging, scheduling, and document storage. It’s widely used across many industries and is known for its user-friendly interface and suitability for remote teams.
• Microsoft Project: Microsoft Project software provides tools for creating project plans, scheduling tasks, managing resources, and tracking progress. It is most suitable for complex projects with intricate dependencies.

Many of today’s best project management tools leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to help project managers become even more effective on the job. For example, Microsoft Project has started integrating AI capabilities into its platform to provide predictive insights, optimize resource allocation, and automate scheduling.

Other AI-driven project management tools include:

• Forecast: The Forecast platform uses AI to predict project timelines, resource allocation, and budget estimates based on historical data, team performance, and project parameters.
• Monday.com: Monday.com integrates AI-powered features such as automations, smart notifications, and data insights to streamline project workflows, automate repetitive tasks, and provide real-time insights into project progress and performance.
• Clarizen: Clarizen is a project management software that incorporates AI-driven analytics and forecasting capabilities to help project managers make data-driven decisions, identify risks, and optimize resource allocation.
• Wrike: Wrike uses machine learning algorithms to analyze project data, identify patterns, and suggest recommendations for optimizing project processes and performance.
• Smartsheet: Smartsheet integrates AI-driven features such as automated workflows, resource management, and predictive analytics to streamline project execution and collaboration. 

Asana has introduced features such as Asana Automation, which enables users to automate repetitive tasks and workflows using rules-based triggers. While not strictly AI in the traditional sense, it does offer some level of automation based on predefined conditions, which is a step toward leveraging AI for project management. 

Trello, Jira, and Basecamp do not currently have built-in AI features, but the landscape of project management tools is continuously evolving. These platforms may soon introduce AI-driven functionalities to stay competitive and address the evolving needs of project managers and their teams.

How to Develop Your Project Management Skills

No aspiring project manager starts off knowing exactly how to execute contracts or ensure quality control for a specific industry. Many of the best project managers learn by doing, often while performing more technical tasks as part of a project execution team. For example, a software engineer can advance from production team member to team leader to large-scale project manager as they develop new skills or identify new competencies over their career. 

If project management is your ultimate goal, there are several pathways you can take to learn and develop the necessary skills — not to mention gain the professional credentials to prove your abilities. 

• Formal project management education: Consider pursuing a degree or certification in project management from an accredited institution or professional organization such as Project Management Institute (PMI) or PRINCE2.
• Online courses and webinars: Enrolling in online courses, webinars, or virtual workshops offered by educational platforms, industry associations, or training providers can help project managers learn specific skills or stay up-to-date on industry trends and best practices.
• Books and publications: Reading books, articles, blogs, and industry publications related to project management can provide insights, tips, and strategies for improving your skills and staying informed about new developments in the profession.
• Networking: Participating in professional networking events, conferences, seminars, and workshops enables project managers to connect with peers, share experiences, exchange ideas, and learn from others’ perspectives.
• Mentorship and coaching: Seek guidance and mentorship from experienced project managers or coaches for personalized advice, feedback, and support for professional development and skill enhancement.
• On-the-job experience: Perhaps the most informal educational path, aspiring project managers can gain hands-on experience by leading projects in their own workplace or chosen industry. This way, you can apply theoretical knowledge, develop practical skills, and learn from real-world challenges and successes.
• Feedback and self-assessment: Solicit feedback from colleagues, supervisors, team members, and stakeholders to identify strengths and areas for improvement and tailor your learning and development efforts accordingly.

No matter which path you take, commit to adopting a mindset of continuous learning and improvement by actively seeking opportunities to acquire new knowledge, skills, and experiences. This approach fosters personal and professional growth and enhances your effectiveness as a project manager.

Take the next step in your career and consider the Project Management Certificate offered by the University of San Diego’s Division of Professional and Continuing Education. This four-course, self-paced program is offered 100% online, so busy working professionals can complete it on their own schedules. Built upon the standard Project Management Institute (PMI)® methodology, the program helps project managers sharpen their existing skills and discover proven strategies for executing top-quality projects. 

For more information about this practical professional certificate program, explore the course list and learning outcomes today.

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IT Services

8 types of IT projects and their business impact

If IT is the lifeblood of your business — and it is — then IT projects play a vital role in keeping your organization healthy and thriving.

These projects can range from small localized projects (first aid) to systemwide enhancements (blood transfusions) to complete digital transformations (something akin to a heart and brain transplant all in one!).

IT projects can be proactive or reactive, small or large, quick or years-long. It’s important to understand these projects based on their business impact.

Below, you’ll learn all about IT projects — why they matter, how a program or project manager helps, and 8 of the most common IT project categories.

Why do businesses take on IT projects?  

Businesses take on IT projects for the same reason as any other project: to improve capabilities and/or gain a competitive advantage.

More specifically, businesses take on IT projects because IT is the backbone of business in the 21st century. Even your ability to read this article relies on multiple IT projects — at your business and ours. Executing IT projects is the only way to keep moving forward.

Often, when a company hits a roadblock to growth, IT is involved, either as the problem itself (an IT solution that needs fixing or upgrading) or as the solution to the problem (using technology to solve other business problems).

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What does an IT project or program manager do?  

IT project managers do what project managers do — that is, plan, schedule, manage, and otherwise oversee one or more projects, steering them toward defined goals throughout the project lifecycle — just in an information technology context. They build project plans, define project scope, set milestones, and coordinate team members. 

Depending on the organization's structure, IT project managers may also take the lead on risk management for the project. In larger companies, a risk management office will likely handle this function.

Because IT projects involve a high degree of specialization and technical language, IT project managers (and IT program managers in larger enterprise operations) must possess a level of technical ability in the types of IT projects they manage. Of course, all of this is in addition to any other project management experience or certifications the PM possesses.

That doesn’t mean an IT project manager needs to be as skilled as the people they manage, but the IT PM should be able to understand the nature of what’s happening and knowledgeably discuss it with project team members.

Writing for Harvard Business Review, Sophia Matveeva encourages organizational leaders not to fret about specific skill gaps , and the advice is good for IT program managers, too: 

“Most leaders don’t need to learn to code. Instead, they need to learn how to work with people who code. This means becoming a digital collaborator and learning how to work with developers, data scientists, user experience designers, and product managers — not completely retraining.”

IT project managers contribute to technology project success by serving as dedicated resources. With the reassurance that someone else is planning, monitoring the schedule, and looking out for bottlenecks and roadblocks, technical team members can focus on their work with greater confidence.

What are the most common types of IT projects?  

IT projects can cover a wide range of disciplines, sizes, and scopes. These are the eight most common categories of IT projects most businesses encounter.

1. Software development

First up is software development. Companies sometimes need to develop software (or to have software developed for them) for various internal and external reasons. 

This software might be designed for customers or be a company's primary product. Other software development projects are for internal tools that will never be customer-facing. 

There are unique considerations for software development project management . Traditional project management methodologies often don’t work well for these projects because software development teams typically have to work without knowing precisely what the deliverables will look like in the final form. There can also be differences in software development team structure : you may have multiple specialists whose skills may overlap significantly or hardly at all, and it’s up to the project manager to keep everyone on the right task at the right time.

Software development projects also may not have a defined length. Designing a simple internal tool might take weeks, while a complex enterprise application may take years (or even be on a perpetual iteration cycle, as would be the case for major products from Microsoft, Adobe, and the like).

Quick note: We’re using the term “software development” fairly generously here by lumping in web development (including web design workflow and app development), testing, software QA, and Software as a Service (SaaS) interfaces. While these all have unique challenges, they have more in common with software development than the following categories.

2. Infrastructure improvements

The only downside to continuous technology improvements? Your older tech looks worse and worse as it ages.

Infrastructure improvements are inevitable in IT. From the laptops and desktops employees use to get work done to the servers and network infrastructure keeping your digital assets running, everything has to be upgraded eventually.

Infrastructure improvement rollouts can take hours or months, depending on how involved the upgrades and replacements are. There’s also no set cycle unless you create it, which is why we recommend building an IT roadmap and structuring your IT budget accordingly.

3. Cyber security projects

We live in an era when data breaches and ransomware attacks are so commonplace that we've grown numb to their reports.

…At least until one hits us where it hurts.

Businesses undertake cyber security projects to improve their security posture. Sometimes these occur in response to an incident or breach, while other cyber security projects are more proactive than reactive.

Businesses should regularly audit their cyber security practices and threat readiness. Where vulnerabilities are found, it could be time for a new system (and, therefore, a new IT project). 

4. Cloud projects

Cloud projects are any IT project that is primarily about the cloud. A cloud migration is the best example here, where a business moves an application from running on on-premises servers to cloud-hosted ones. 

This is a loose category because the cloud touches practically every business, yet that doesn't make every project a cloud project. Businesses typically undertake cloud projects when a cloud service provides more business value than the current solution.

Full cloud migrations can be yearlong or even multi-year projects. On the other hand, moving a single application or function to the cloud usually means a shorter project duration.

5. Data management and analytics

Big data may be the future, but first, we have to figure out what to do with all that data.

Data management and analytics projects help companies do just that. Businesses often collect large volumes of data without knowing how to use or manage it effectively. This data needs to be processed, and processes need to be established for collecting and managing future data, so it stops piling up in unstructured databases, warehouses, lakes, and so on. Analytics projects then take processed data and turn it into digestible insights.

Businesses implement these types of projects when they desire to learn from their data or improve the way they collect it. Analytics projects can be time-limited or ongoing.

6. Enterprise resource planning (ERP)

ERP projects usually involve implementing ERP software, which helps large businesses (enterprises) run more efficiently. ERPs automate data entry and certain types of analysis and bring numerous functions under one software umbrella (including inventory, human resources, finance, and operations).

Businesses implement ERP software to gain efficiency and better understand where their resources are being spent. Implementing an ERP solution is a complex affair because it tends to span departments and take over functions that used to be spread across multiple software systems.

7. Digital transformation

Digital transformation projects involve taking a business or organization from its current state and approach to technology and methodically rebuilding it from a digital-first standpoint.

These massive projects should significantly reshape not just behaviors or technology use but the entire wiring of an organization. They span years and may have components that run continually and indefinitely.

Why might a business take on a digital transformation project? Because doing so is necessary for survival in many cases. Today’s digital landscape offers businesses an overwhelming number of technology choices. Sporadically implementing one tool or another will lead to localized improvements, but eventually, these one-off improvements will start to compete with and contradict one another. 

Digital transformation reimagines the way business gets done, including how businesses improve their processes and outcomes. 

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8. Legacy systems

Legacy systems are those systems you’ve been using for some time, have come to rely on, and don’t intend to upgrade or replace in the next cycle.

They’re a two-edged sword: on one hand, they must work well. Otherwise, you would’ve moved on from them by now. On the other hand, legacy systems can create significant challenges moving forward.

It’s not uncommon to encounter a legacy system that isn’t supported by a more modern solution. You’re ready to upgrade to a cloud-based ERP, for example, but you can’t find a way to harmonize that one legacy system with it.

Another challenge is legacy systems that the manufacturer has stopped supporting (or where the manufacturer no longer exists!). These can create security concerns over time as no one is left to patch vulnerabilities if they are discovered.

A legacy systems project is designed either to replace a legacy system or to find a way to integrate it with another new technology 

• Common considerations with IT projects

IT projects are prone to specific challenges. We’ll highlight three of those here. 

Constant change: There is no IT crystal ball. The next big thing might turn out to be the next big flop, or that game-changing new software company might get acquired and put out to pasture by a large firm with no intentions of duplicating the capabilities. Even when you do the research and pick proven solutions, IT will continue to evolve.

Unclear definition of success: Some IT projects, especially software projects, must begin before the end is defined. Iterative development is good, but at some point, the definition of success must be nailed down. If this can’t be done upfront, schedule it for the project timeline.

Clarity in communication: IT projects come with technical complexities that stakeholders may not innately understand. Plus, various key personnel on an IT project may struggle to communicate details in everyday nontechnical language, leading to confusion among team members and stakeholders alike.

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IT projects are critical for business growth. To remain competitive, your business must maintain its current IT capabilities and explore new ways of using new tools and technologies.

But every single IT project requires planning, scheduling, and efficient project management. There are so many details, steps, dependencies, and possible points of failure with any IT project. Organizations need a project management software solution that empowers them to manage and track IT projects so they can keep growing and scaling.

Teamwork.com is project management software done right. Designed for the needs of teams like yours, Teamwork.com adds project visibility and provides powerful scheduling and planning tools that keep your team informed and on track.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Why do businesses take on IT projects?
• What does an IT project or program manager do?
• What are the most common types of IT projects?
• Software development
• Infrastructure improvements
• Cyber security projects
• Cloud projects
• Data management and analytics
• Enterprise resource planning (ERP)
• Digital transformation
• Legacy systems

Ben is a Senior Content Marketing Specialist at Teamwork.com. Having held content roles at agencies and SaaS companies for the past 8 years, Ben loves writing about the latest tech trends and work hacks in the agency space.

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RAG Status in Project Management: Importance & Benefits

Key performance indicators (KPIs) provide projects with a lot of data. But to know whether those KPIs are on target requires more than just a gut feeling. You need a way to quickly and expertly evaluate whether project goals are being met. That’s what a RAG status does.

RAG status begins with understanding the acronym and how RAG status is used in project management. Then we’ll define RAG status tolerance and go into the various project professionals who use RAG status when evaluating a project. Finally, we’ll show what each of the RAG statuses means and how to respond to them to better understand a project.

What Is RAG Status in Project Management?

An RAG status is like a KPI traffic light. The RAG stands for red, amber and green. Just like a traffic light, red is an alert, amber (or yellow) signals caution and green means all’s clear. Sometimes another couple of colors are added to the RAG status. That’s blue and gray. Blue indicates that the activity has been completed and gray means there’s an information gap that prevents the status from being correctly assessed.

RAG status is a way to quickly and visually communicate the status of various aspects of a project or multiple projects. By color-coding the project data, the progress and performance of the project or portfolio are more intuitive and delivered with greater efficiency. It’s a great technique for project managers to get a quick overview of the project, but also serves stakeholders, who want to know the big picture and aren’t interested in the details.

Using a RAG status facilitates understanding quickly and, in so doing, helps managers and stakeholders to target areas that require attention according to the color that it’s assigned. The red, amber or green also makes it easy to see what is on track and where actions are needed to get the areas in red up to speed.

Project management software can incorporate the RAG status. ProjectManager is award-winning project and portfolio management software with multiple ways to get a quick overview of the project’s performance and progress. We’ll get to the RAG status later, but first let’s review the real-time project and portfolio dashboard, which makes it fast and easy to gauge project KPIs such as time, cost, workload and more. The easy-to-read color graphs and charts automatically update in real time to provide a status report whenever a manager wants one, without the long and complicated setup required by lightweight alternative tools. Get started with ProjectManager today for free.

What Is RAG Status Tolerance?

When using RAG status, it’s first important to know how to define each color so you can use it to track your projects . That is, what are the RAG status tolerance ranges? Usually, the RAG status tolerance follows this criteria.

• Green: At or above the target for the project
• Amber: With 10 percent of the target for the project
• Red: Less than 10 percent of the target for the project

This is only a guideline. Sometimes, the RAG status tolerance range needs to be adjusted to better fit the project metrics and KPIs being measured. For example, the amber status could be only five percent of the project target if the results are highly predictable or it’s critical to act quickly if the project is off track.

However, the amber status could be up to 20 percent if there’s not a lot of volume for the activity or the project manager isn’t as familiar with the activity. Just like a project plan , the RAG status tolerance is a moving target and not set in stone. Keep that in mind when coming up with the RAG status tolerance.

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Status Report Template

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Who Uses RAG Statuses to Track Project KPIs?

We’ve been referring to project managers and stakeholders as the main users of RAG statuses, but there are many people involved in the project who will want to use this technique. Those people will have some responsibility for managing the project or making decisions about the project. They are as follows.

• Project Managers
• Program Managers
• Project Portfolio Managers
• Project Management Office (PMO)
• Executives & Board of Directors
• Department Managers
• Business Decision Makers

Free Project Status Report Template

The RAG status is used when making a status or portfolio report. It’s a way to orient oneself to the details to come. Users can add it to this free status report template for Excel , which captures details about the project over a specific period. This reporting tool helps project managers and keeps stakeholders informed on the progress of the project.

The free status report template captures everything needed to get a well-rounded project overview. There’s a project summary with key accomplishments, completed and planned work, milestones, deliverables and action items. The section on the project health goes over budget, schedule, quality and scope. There’s even a risk management overview.

RAG Status Example

Let’s view a RAG status example to better understand the RAG status and how it would look on a project report . Below is a portfolio report generated from ProjectManager. At the top, is a small chart with a list of projects.

The list of projects is the first of four columns. The other three columns indicate the project time, workload and cost. For each of the projects listed in the portfolio, there’s a RAG status, both indicated in color and a percentage.

Being at the top of the report, stakeholders can glance at the RAG status and get a quick understanding of whether the projects are on track in terms of their budget and schedule. Project managers also have this quick view of all the projects’ statuses, but can scroll further down to get more detailed information.

What Does Red RAG Status Mean?

As noted, red in the RAG status is an alert that KPIs aren’t meeting the project target. It’s an alert that attention is required and must be responded to quickly or suffer going off track even worse. The issue could be that the project is over budget, is behind schedule, has scope issues or all three. In other words, the project is in trouble.

How to Respond to a Red RAG Status

Don’t panic. Red status is a good thing in that the project manager and stakeholders are now aware of a problem and can start to address and resolve it. The immediate response is to dig into the data to find out what the issue is and then find out how to fix it, if possible.

Start with priority issues and be honest with the client. Nothing is served by hiding the fact that there’s an issue that must be promptly addressed. Create a recovery plan, which might mean more funding, extending the schedule or adding resources. However, the project may be beyond repair, in which case there’s no point in throwing time and money into it. Close the project down.

What Does Amber RAG Status Mean?

Amber is a RAG status that says the project needs attention. It’s not as dire as a red but still requires the project manager and team to investigate why the project isn’t meeting its target. The project can still be delivered within the currently approved tolerances. There might be costs exceeding the budget in certain areas, but it won’t negatively impact the overall budget. Or maybe there are delays, but they won’t affect the project’s deadline.

How to Respond to an Amber RAG Status

Amber status doesn’t necessarily mean taking immediate action. It’s more of a wait-and-see approach. The project sponsor should be more involved, checking in regularly and offering help as needed. The project manager will want to keep a close eye on the project status and stay in close contact with the project team , even more than usual, to catch any issues faster. The team should work on open issues to get the project back on track.

What Does Green Mean in a RAG Status?

Green means that the project is moving forward according to the project plan. There are no concerns that the project manager needs to address. In other words, the project is under control . That means the project is meeting budget targets, is on track to deliver as scheduled and there aren’t issues that need to be resolved.

How to Respond to a Green RAG Status

All is well with the project. The project manager will have to prove this to stakeholders, of course, by showing them reports and other evidence that the initiatives are going as planned. But don’t report the project as green unless it is. Any issues mean there’s an amber status. Nothing is gained by ignoring this.

Benefits of Using RAG Status in Project Management

RAG status is an effective way to measure a project against its plan, schedule and budget, including for program and portfolio managers . One of the main benefits outside of what has been related above is that the RAG status is a way to summarize all project reports to get a picture of whether the project, program or portfolio is on track.

Senior management often uses RAG status to quickly identify those projects that are in trouble and need more support to get them out of the red and into the green. But this only works when the RAG status tolerance has been set and the project manager is honest in assigning the proper status.

How ProjectManager Helps Implement the RAG Status In Your Organization

RAG status is part of the reporting process in project management. It’s simply a way to easily and quickly understand where a project should be at any point in the project’s life cycle. Therefore, it’s facilitated by project management software as one of its features is reporting on project metrics. ProjectManager is award-winning project and portfolio management software with powerful reporting capabilities that are easy to use and measure all aspects of the project.

Make Project Status Reports With RAG Status

Two of the most important project reports are the status report for managing one project or the portfolio report when managing multiple projects. Our reports can be created with a keystroke and the results filtered to show only what the project manager or stakeholders want to see. These reports , including variance, timesheets, workload and more, can also be easily shared with stakeholders to keep them informed. RAG status is embedded in the status and portfolio reports, including a blue status, which summarizes the report and helps to quickly capture whether the project is on track or in need of support.

Manage Resource Utilization and Track Costs

One area that can show up in the RAG status is the project resources. Being able to manage those resources is going to help keep the project on track. Whether managing one or multiple projects, project managers can turn to real-time dashboards or the color-coded workload chart to make sure their resources are optimally utilized. The team page provides an overview of all projects and team members, including their tasks and the percentage complete they are. The workload chart makes it easy to see who is overallocated so the team’s workload can be balanced to keep them productive and working at capacity.

Related Project Management Content

RAG status is a small part of the larger project management reporting process. To learn more about this essential tool to monitor and control the execution of a project across any number of diverse industries, follow the links below to some of the pieces written about status reports, project performance and more.

• Project Status Reports (Example & Template Included)
• Free Project Report Templates
• Project Performance Reporting: Key Performance Reports
• How to Create a Performance Measurement Baseline
• Using Earned Value Management to Measure Project Performance

ProjectManager is online project and portfolio management software that connects teams whether they’re in the office or out in the field. They can share files, comment at the task level and update statuses on any device with our mobile app. Plus, everyone stays updated with email and in-app notifications. Get started with ProjectManager today for free.

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More From Forbes

5 highest paying skills for project managers in 2024, from research.

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To remain competitive and gain an edge as a project management professional, it helps to learn one ... [+] or more of these five critical skills this year

Within a competitive job market in which 25 million project managers are projected to be in demand over the next few years, it's critical for aspiring and existing project management professionals to stay ahead of the curve so they can secure the highest-paying roles. While the project management profession in itself is a well-remunerated industry, with U.S. median salaries jumping to as high as $120,000, that doesn't necessarily mean that you can sit back, relax, and assume you're worthy of a six-figure salary.

There are things that lie within your power, which you can do to dramatically skyrocket your earnings.

When exploring how to increase and even multiply your salary as a project manager, it's best to look into what are the highest-paying, in-demand skills within the project management industry, so that you can position yourself as best suited for a promotion, or as a star candidate when job-searching.

Highest-Paying In-Demand Skills For Project Managers

The compensation and salary data company, PayScale, compiled a list of high-paying skills which include a combination of hard, technical skills, and soft or power skills for those within the project industry.

It's worth noting that there are some industries in which the impact of these skills on your pay increase will be more visible than others. For example, considering programme/project management within the technology industry, you can expect to earn more for your skill set, as the tech industry is renowned for offering the highest salaries to project and program management professionals. As such, some of the skills listed below are more specific to the technology industry.

Best High-Yield Savings Accounts Of 2024

Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024.

However, many of these skills are equally in demand in other industries as well, so they can still be applicable and relevant to you.

These competencies include:

1. Agile Software Development

Using the agile software development approach for building and delivering software products entails prioritising flexibility responsiveness and adaptability to change as well as collaboration. Following this framework, you and your team would be working in sprints, (short iterations) which allows you to make incremental progress and quickly respond to stakeholder requirements and feedback to meet their needs.

This is the highest-paying skill for project managers, with Payscale data revealing that it can boost your earnings by 47%. Coursera and Skillsoft are two of the amazing resources that are available for you to learn this skill.

The tech industry offers the highest salaries for PMs

2. Business Analysis

Analytical thinking is listed in the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2023 as the number one skill needed by professionals over the next few years.

Business analysis, in simple terms, is when you identify business needs and research solutions for them. This skill comes handy in your PM role, as you will naturally be working with stakeholders on a regular basis to gather and analyze data on their needs and define requirements, and then propose the best solution with your program or project. This skill improves salary prospects by up to 43%.

3. Engineering Design

Next on the list is engineering design, which is of course more specifically focused on the technology industry. This involves taking the results of your business analysis, and creating detailed plans and specifications, including prototyping and testing, to ensure you deliver a high-quality product that satisfies your stakeholders' needs. This skill is more relatable to product managers, and provides a 14% uptake in salary.

4. Risk Management/Risk Control

With all the changes that are occurring to disrupt industries in 2024, it's no wonder that risk management and risk control are highly in-demand skills for project and program managers to possess. This skill also has the potential for a 14% salary boost, according to Payscale analysis.

You can learn more about how to comprehensively manage and plan for risk by undertaking courses and certifications such as those offered by the Institute of Risk Management, which are globally recognized.

5. Strategy

Strategic thinking is a trademark of leadership, and of exceptional program and project management. You need to be able to steer your project team in the right direction to achieve successful project outcomes, and this means you'll need to have a solid strategy that is clearly articulated so that everyone is on the same page. Setting clear goals and objectives, and assigning the right team members to fulfil each task according to their strengths requires some practice to get it right, but it can be achieved if you're persistent and intentional. Possessing and showcasing this skill results in a 12% salary increase.

Risk management skills helps ensure your project is prepared for worst-case scenarios and minimizes ... [+] negative outcomes, including those that could affect your job directly

By investing in yourself this year by upskilling in one or more of these five essential competencies, you can position yourself to successfully meet the evolving demands of your stakeholders and the project management industry, and unlock numerous career-building and salary-boosting opportunities.

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Honey, I Love You. Didn’t You See My Slack About It?

Some couples are using professional project-management software to maintain their relationships. Why does it bother other people?

By Erin Griffith

Ben Lang didn’t expect to get so much hate just for being organized. For the past three years, he and his wife, Karen-Lynn Amouyal, have been using Notion, a popular software tool, to optimize their household and relationship. His version of the tool, commonly used by businesses to manage complex projects, functions like a souped-up Google Doc, with sections for a grocery list, to-do lists and details of upcoming trips.

More unusual is a section Mr. Lang, a venture capital investor who previously worked at Notion, created about principles (“what’s important to us as a couple”). Another section, called “Learnings,” outlines things the couple have discovered about each other, such as their love languages and Myers-Briggs test results. There’s a list of friends they want to set up on dates. They also maintain a log of memories from their date nights. Mr. Lang, 30, was so proud of the creation that last month, he started promoting a template of the setup to others. “My wife and I use Notion religiously to manage our day-to-day life,” he wrote on X. “I turned this into a template, let me know if you’d like to see it!”

The internet responded with a venomous outrage. “People have told me my wife is cheating on me, people have told me I have a dead body in my basement, people have told me I’m autistic,” he said.

But his approach isn’t entirely unusual, especially among people who work in the tech industry and want to manage their personal lives the same way they manage their professional lives. For a class of young workers, it’s only rational to apply the tools of the corporate world to their relationships and families. Businesses have goals and systems for achieving them, the thinking goes. They get things done.

Anastasia Alt, 35, uses Kanban boards — a visual tracking system where tasks progress from left to right — in Trello, a project management tool, for “literally everything.” This includes work at Yana Sleep , her e-commerce start-up, but also planning trips and events with her partner. The two of them also have a dedicated Slack work space, named after a mash-up of their surnames with a logo created using the artificial intelligence software Midjourney. She acknowledged, in jest, that some of her systems were “a little psychopathic,” but said she’s always been an optimizer.

Ms. Alt said the Slack work space has emotional benefits for her relationship, too: freeing up their text messages and in-person conversations for the fun stuff.

“I’m glad, when the workday is over, that I don’t need to address 20 minutes’ worth of semi-urgent logistical items before diving into eating takeout food and hanging out with our dogs,” she said. “Sitting in person and hashing out a schedule together is less high-quality time than sitting in person and, you know, telling jokes.”

A #gratitude channel, where the couple posts messages of appreciation or acknowledgment of what the other person is doing, has become a repository of memories she likes to look back on, almost like a photo album, she said.

Lessons From Business

Relationships are work, but no one wants to admit it.

But this particular flavor of life hacking often causes observers to collectively recoil. It threatens to take the romance and spontaneity out of life, in their view. It feels cold.

“There is a phenomenon whereby the more you try to manage your life, the more you risk squeezing the vibrancy out of it,” said Oliver Burkeman, author of “Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals.”

And yet, the crushing overwhelm of modern life, with daily to-do lists and schedules and notifications and digital logistics can feel so never-ending that any solution offering to optimize even the tiniest task — or most meaningful relationship — looks like a lifeline worth grasping for.

Emily Oster, a parenting expert and economist, rose to popularity by promoting a data-based approach to managing pregnancy, including in her latest book “The Unexpected.” She also wrote a book in 2021 called “The Family Firm,” which advises using a “business process” to make family decisions about, for instance, extracurriculars or getting your kid a phone. Some critics have attacked her approach for the same reasons they recoil from a Notion template for married couples — it can feel detached.

Dr. Oster said the problem is not systems like hers — it’s not having difficult conversations about priorities and principles. Her spreadsheets and other tools are designed to set people up for the lives they want, she said.

“Surfacing conflict on purpose is something we don’t generally like to do,” she said. “It’s hard to do at work, also, but it’s even harder to do with someone you want go to sleep with at night.”

Dr. Oster said the lesson she takes from the business world to her personal life is to make thoughtful, deliberate decisions. “I don’t think there is a limit to how far you can take that,” she said.

She’s not alone in that thinking. Even amid the backlash to Mr. Lang’s template, more than 2,400 people liked it enough to download a copy, with an option to pay up to $25.

‘They Are Craving a Solution’

Claire Kart, 40, was among those who bought the template, in part, she said, because she was amused by all the jokes about it. But also, with two kids under the age of 3, the allure of a better, more productive, more organized way of life at home was irresistible.

Ms. Kart, a marketing executive at a cryptocurrency start-up, already has some optimization systems in place with her husband, a start-up founder. They use Google’s Keep app for a shared grocery list and Google calendars to manage their schedule. She has elaborately color-coded Google Sheets for Christmas gifts and vacation planning. (She calls herself the family’s chief creative officer, as well as chief investment officer. Her husband is the chief financial officer and chief technology officer.)

Ms. Kart said systems like hers were necessary for splitting up household management duties. One person can keep everything in their head, she said, but “dividing and co-owning that work” leads to “coordination friction.”

Like Ms. Alt, she believes the systems free up their limited in-person time for more meaningful conversations. “Using that really rare time to talk about a grocery list feels lonely,” she said.

Since her second child was born a little over a year ago, Ms. Kart and her husband have been “cutting scope,” she said, using a project management phrase for doing less. “We’re in survival mode,” she said. “Just cooking dinner feels like a win.”

Mr. Lang’s template could help, she said. The only problem so far? She’s been too busy to set it up.

A smaller subset of people have always used tech tools in their personal lives, but the practice has spread in recent years. Mei Lin Ng, the co-founder of the family tech start-up, Hearth, said that one reason past attempts to create technology for the family have failed was that consumers weren’t as open to it. Her company’s product, a 27-inch screen that families can mount in their homes to display schedules, assign chores and help kids with morning and bedtime routines that became available last year, is being adopted by digitally native millennials.

“Consumers are really, really ready for something like this,” she said. “They are craving a solution.”

After Ms. Alt told her friend and fellow optimizer, Ryan Matzner, about her couples’ Slack, he immediately started his own. It was a bit of an uphill battle to get his fiancée, Kate McKenzie, on board — she is a medical school student and preferred analog tools like a paper planner — but they’re now using Trello, Slack and a shared Google calendar to plan their wedding.

Mr. Matzner, 39, co-founder of a product development agency called Fueled, realized that he had been avoiding responding to text messages from Ms. McKenzie because their thread had turned into a to-do list full of tasks.

So they dumped all their administrative tasks into Slack, which has expanded beyond wedding planning into regular life with more than 40 channels including #house-parties, #travel and #ludwig-the-car.

Being hyper-organized and efficient is a natural outgrowth of having a very active work and social life, Mr. Matzner said. He sends calendar invites the minute he makes plans and saves new friends into his contacts with their city — searchable anytime he’s in town — as well as a note if they’d be fun to invite to a dinner party. He wishes someone would build a “personal C.R.M.” (customer relationship management, the kind of system sold by companies like Salesforce), since none of the options he’s tried are entirely satisfying.

Being the organized person in a relationship can lead to friction. Kate Reznykova, 27, a venture capital investor, used to frequently field random queries like, “How do we log into our internet?” from her partner throughout the day, which tested her patience. She recently started using Mr. Lang’s Notion template to establish a “shared source of truth” for such questions. “If I get a text, I say, ‘Go to the page, it’s all there,’” she said.

Mr. Lang was amused by the attention his template got online. There were memes about divorce rates spiking in San Francisco, about “offboarding” one’s wife and about requiring your partner to submit a “purchase order approval form” to spend money. He posted his own joke version, with quarterly objectives and annual reviews for relationships.

He and Ms. Amouyal used Notion to plan their wedding — a life event that, anecdotally, seems to turn many couples into project managers — and decided to keep it going after their honeymoon. The most hated part of his template, the date night log, was simply a way to follow all the marriage advice he kept hearing, he said. Everyone told him how important it was to keep the connection strong as life gets busier and more complicated. Why not create a journal of all the fun things they’ve done together? The outsized reaction was a surprise.

“I thought a few people would respond and think it’s cute,” he said.

Erin Griffith covers tech companies, start-ups and the culture of Silicon Valley from San Francisco. More about Erin Griffith

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