Project Management Demystified

Project management is a mysterious world, known only to the initiated… or is it? This book explains the many techniques which have been developed to help you manage projects successfully using very clear objectives within a commercial environment. Examples are drawn from construction, civil engineering, launching products, publishing, computer hardware and software, scientific projects, aerospace, etc., and practical guidance is given throughout on the applications of effective project management techniques.

Project Management Demystified covers the role of the project manager, project management concepts and philosophy, implementation of a project management approach, project planning, network diagrams, resource planning and site optimization, cost control, work breakdown structures, progress monitoring and control, motivation, building the project team, tools for project management and software selection criteria. It is written in an approach able and easy-to-read style and above all is highly practical, aiming to show project managers how, when and where to use these techniques.

By showing how efficient management of human, material and financial resources can be achieved, this guide will help you make major contributions to the success of your projects and become an appreciated and successful project manager.

1. Setting the stage
• Project management centres on avoiding problems
• The invisible project manager
• Project management is an emerging profession
2. Getting the words in the right order
• Introduction to project management
• What is project management?
• What is project planning?
• How do you project plan?
3. Nine steps to a successful project
4. The scope of the project and its objectives
• Defining the project
• Changes to the project
• Establishing key dates
• Evaluation of potential risks
• The cost/time/quality triangle
• The spectrum of projects
• The need for planning
5. Project planning
• The bar chart versus network analysis
• Network analysis – a primer
• Activity-on-arrow plans
• The precedence convention
• Choosing the tasks
• Drawing up the plan
  
6. A fly on the wall
7. Resource management
• Resource definition
• Resource allocation
• Resource aggregation
• Resource aggravation
• Resource levelling
  
• Resource smoothing
• Resource hierarchies
• Resource calendars
• Money management
  
8. Progress monitoring and control
• Concepts
• Cost monitoring
• Reporting
  
9. Computers and other boxes with many buttons
• PERT – a potted history
• Hardware and software
• Types of software
• Some words of advice
  
10. Advanced critical-path topics
• Work Breakdown structure and organizational breakdown structure
  
• Merging plans, boiler plating, or task processing
• Hammocks
• Calendars
• Constraint dates
• Negative floats
• Subprojects
• Claims
  
11. The people issues
• The role of the project manager
• The classification of people
• Decision making
• Motivation
  
12. Choosing project-planning software
• Hardware
• Software criteria
• Major software suppliers
  
13. Matrix management: the multiproject environment
14. Terminology
• Definitions
• Alternative definitions
  

Very boring and dull, but a good introduction to project management.