Editing Project management (section)

{{short description|Practice of leading the work of a team to achieve goals and criteria at a specified time}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Distinguish|Product management}}<!--Re why distinguish: PM and PM are close enough to homophony that cognitively subject to [[catachrestic]] recall error; also, for PM or PM laypersons, it is wise to consciously contrast PM with PM, dispelling abstraction grayness in the learning process.-->
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{{Business administration}}
'''Project management''' is the process of supervising the work of a [[Project team|team]] to achieve all project goals within the given constraints.<ref>{{cite book|isbn=0072230622|page=354|title=PMP Project Management Professional Study Guide |last1=Phillips |first1=Joseph |year=2004 |publisher=McGraw-Hill/Osborne }}</ref> This information is usually described in [[project initiation documentation|project documentation]], created at the beginning of the development process. The primary constraints are [[Scope (project management)|scope]], time and [[budget]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Baratta|first=Angelo|date=2006|title=The triple constraint a triple illusion|url=https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/triple-constraint-erroneous-useless-value-8024|access-date=22 December 2022|website=PMI}}</ref> The secondary challenge is to [[operations research|optimize]] the [[Resource allocation|allocation]] of necessary inputs and apply them to meet predefined objectives.

The objective of project management is to produce a complete project which complies with the client's objectives. In many cases, the objective of project management is also to shape or reform the client's brief to feasibly address the client's objectives. Once the client's objectives are established, they should influence all decisions made by other people involved in the project– for example, project managers, designers, contractors and subcontractors. Ill-defined or too tightly prescribed project management objectives are detrimental to the decisionmaking process.

A [[project]] is a temporary and unique endeavor designed to produce a product, service or result with a defined beginning and end (usually time-constrained, often constrained by funding or staffing) undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, typically to bring about beneficial change or added value.<ref>{{cite book|isbn=9780273710974|title=The Definitive Guide to Project Management: The Fast Track to Getting the Job Done on Time and on Budget |last1=Nokes |first1=Sebastian |last2=Kelly |first2=Sean |year=2007 |publisher=Pearson Education. Prentice Hall Financial Times }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pmi.org/About-Us/About-Us-What-is-Project-Management.aspx|title=What is Project Management?|publisher=[[Project Management Institute]]|access-date=2014-06-04}}</ref> The temporary nature of projects stands in contrast with business as usual (or operations),<ref>{{cite book|isbn=0787971138|page=35|title=Right Projects Done Right: From Business Strategy to Successful Project Implementation |last1=Dinsmore |first1=Paul C. |last2=Cooke-Davies |first2=Terence J. |date=4 November 2005 |publisher=Wiley }}</ref> which are repetitive, permanent or semi-permanent functional activities to produce products or services. In practice, the [[management]] of such distinct production approaches requires the development of distinct technical skills and management strategies.<ref name="Cattani201u1">{{cite book|title=Project-Based Organizing and Strategic Management|first1=Gino |last1=Cattani|first2=Simone|last2=Ferriani|first3=Lars|last3=Frederiksen|first4=Florian|last4=Täube|publisher=Emerald|location=Leeds, England|year=2011|isbn=978-1780521930|series=Advances in Strategic Management|volume=28}}</ref>