Why is project management important?
When done well, project management helps every aspect of a business run more smoothly. Effective project management improves efficiency by removing obstacles, distractions, and redundancies, and helps to keep project timelines and budget under control.
Which project management software is best?
The best project management software is the one that fits the needs of your project and organization with regards to your budget, team size, and collaboration and visibility requirements, as well as your security, automation, and file storage needs.
Read Chapter 9 of this guide for a full breakdown of how to choose the right PM software tool for your business.
Will project management work in all companies?
Project management works across all companies, regardless of size or industry, because all organizations have work that needs to be done. To implement a formal project management methodology, consider your project constraints, current processes, and the flexibility of both.
You can learn more about how to identify the right PM methodology for your team in Chapter 3.
Can project management methodologies be hybrid?
Teams can deploy hybrid or blended project management, which is a combination of both traditional (Waterfall) and Agile approaches. Typically in a hybrid approach, teams use the planning methods of traditional PM but execute individual tasks according to Agile.
A hybrid approach allows teams to play to their strengths by allowing for more flexibility in some areas, while keeping in place the guardrails of traditional PM.
You can learn more about the various project management methodologies in Chapter 3.
Can project management be done remotely?
You can manage projects remotely — in fact, modern project management often requires teams to do so. To ensure effective remote collaboration, set clear expectations, develop communication norms, and invest in the right tools.
Visit our complete guide to remote project management, and find a roundup of the best remote collaboration tools.
Can project management be automated?
You can automate simple, repetitive tasks or processes with project management software. While you likely won’t want to replace every human action with automation, software can increase efficiency and allow team members to focus on more meaningful work.
Are project management courses worth it?
The choice to take a project management course depends on your career goals. While you don’t need to complete a course in order to work as a project manager, certified PMs can expect to earn more than their un-certified counterparts.
You can learn more about what it takes to become a project manager in Chapter 8.
Which project management certification is best?
The Project Management Professional (PMP®) exam is the global industry standard for project management certification. However, the PMP® exam focuses on traditional PM, so if you are looking for more Agile or modern PM training, you might consider other options.
You can learn more about the benefits and tradeoffs in our complete guide to PMP exam certification.
What are the five principles in project management?
Five of the most important aspects of project management include implementing strong communication, clearly outlining goals, defining team roles and responsibilities, managing risk, and consistently measuring and monitoring performance.
Read more project management best practices in Chapter 4.
What does a project manager do?
A project manager is responsible for organizing, planning, and overseeing the completion of work toward a pre-defined goal or set of goals. The project manager supports the project team to execute the project on time and under budget.
To learn more about the roles in project management, read Chapter 6.
What are the four main processes of project management?
While the PMI defines five phases of project management, some people combine execution and monitoring and control into one phase. Under this framework, the four project management processes are initiation, planning, implementation, and project close.
Learn more about the project management lifecycle developed by the PMI in Chapter 2.
What is the golden rule of project management?
The golden rule of project management is clarity. During planning, seek clarity on project scope, budget, timeline, team resources, and stakeholder expectations. Always communicate needs and questions clearly, and create straightforward reports and documentation.
How do you write a project charter?
During the planning phase, create your project charter by documenting project objectives, scope, business justification, as well as the deliverables, necessary resources, timeline, and potential risks. Use your charter as a high-level planning document for your project.
What are the steps in Agile?
The Agile development process includes six stages: concept (design the product), inception (begin building the product), iteration (refine the product), release (test and launch the product), maintenance (provide ongoing support and updates), and retirement (stop product use).
You can learn more about the Agile development lifecycle in our complete guide.
What are the skills of a project manager?
The top project management skills include communication, negotiation, planning, organization, scheduling, resource management, risk management, critical thinking, and subject matter expertise. Project managers have strong leadership skills to support and motivate the project team.
Learn more about the skills every project manager needs in Chapter 6.
How do you write a project schedule?
To write a project schedule, start with your final project deliverable. Then, break out key milestones and tasks. Identify your final deadline, and then work backwards to add due dates to each project task and assign team members to each task.
Learn more about product scheduling, and find free project schedule templates to get started.
What is an Agile environment in development?
An Agile environment refers to a company or department that organizes itself around the principles of the Agile methodology and supports Agile development projects. Agile teams are flexible, self-organizing, and adaptable.
Learn everything you need to know about Agile project management.