Project Management: A Managerial Approach: by Jack R. Meredith and Samuel J. Mantel, JR

Project Management:
A Managerial Approach
By Jack R. Meredith and Samuel J. Mantel, Jr.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Presentation prepared by RTBM WebGroup

Project Management
A Managerial Approach
Chapter 1
Projects in Contemporary
Organizations
Organizations
 Project Management has emerged
because the characteristics of our turn-of-
the-century society demands the
development of new methods of
management
 Many forces have fostered the emergence
and expansion of Project Management
Chapter 1-1
Forces Of Project
Management
 3 Paramount Forces driving Project
Management:
 1. The exponential expansion of human knowledge
 2. The growing demand for a broad range of complex,
sophisticated, customized goods and services
 3. The evolution of worldwide competitive markets for the
production and consumption of goods and services
 All 3 forces combine to mandate the use of
teams to solve problems that used to be
solvable by individuals
Chapter 1-2
Objectives of a Project
 3 Project Objectives:
 Performance
 Time
 Cost
 Expectations of clients are not an
additional target, but an inherent part of
the project specifications
Chapter 1-3
Objectives of a Project
 3 Project Objectives:
Chapter 1-4
The Professionalism of
Project Management
 Complexity of problems facing the project manager
 Growth in number of project oriented organizations
 The Project Management Institute (PMI) was established in
1969
 By 1990 it had 7,500 members
 5 years later, over 17,000 members
 And by 1998, it had exploded to over 44,000 members
 This exponential growth is indicative of the rapid growth
in the use of projects
 Also reflects the importance of PMI as a force in the
development of project management as a profession
Chapter 1-5
Project Management
Institute
Chapter 1-6
Recent Changes in
Managing Organizations
 The process of managing organizations has been
impacted by three revolutionary changes
 1. Accelerating replacement of traditional,
hierarchical management by participatory
management
 2. Currently witnessing the adoption of the “systems
approach” (sometimes called “systems engineering”)
 3. Organizations establishing projects as the
preferred way to accomplish the many specific
changes that must be made when the organization
attempts to alter its strategy
Chapter 1-7
The Definition of a
“Project”
 Must make a distinction between terms:

 Program - an exceptionally large, long-range
objective that is broken down into a set of projects
 Task - set of activities comprising a project
 Work Packages - division of tasks
 Work Units - division of work packages
 In the broadest sense, a project is a specific,
finite task to be accomplished
Chapter 1-8
Characteristics of a
Project
 Have a purpose
 Have a life cycle
 Interdependencies
 Uniqueness
 Conflict
Chapter 1-9
Why Project Management?
 Companies have experienced:
 Better control
 Better customer relations
 Shorter development times
 Lower costs
 Higher quality and reliability
 Higher profit margins
 Sharper orientation toward results
 Better interdepartmental coordination
 Higher worker morale
Chapter 1-10
Why Project Management?
 Companies have also experienced some
negatives:
 Greater organizational complexity
 Increased likelihood of organizational policy
violations
 Higher costs
 More management difficulties
 Low personnel utilization
Chapter 1-11
The Project Life Cycle
 Stages of a Conventional Project:

 Slow beginning
 Buildup of size
 Peak
 Begin a decline
 Termination
Chapter 1-12
Chapter 1-13
 Time distribution of project effort is characterized by
slow-rapid-slow
Chapter 1-14
 Other projects also exist which do not

follow the conventional project life cycle
 These projects are comprised of subunits
that have little use as a stand alone unit,
yet become useful when put together
Chapter 1-15
 Unlike the more conventional life cycle, continued inputs of effort at
the end of the project produce significant gains in returns
Chapter 1-16
 It is essential for the Project Manager to

understand the characteristics of the life
cycle curve for his project
 The distinction between the two life cycles

plays a critical role in the development of
budgets and schedules for the project
Chapter 1-17
 Risk during project life cycle

 With most projects there is some uncertainty
about the ability to meet project goals
 Uncertainty of outcome is greatest at the
start of a project
 Uncertainty decreases as the project moves
toward completion
Chapter 1-18
Risk During Project Life
Cycle
 Uncertainty decreases as the project moves toward
completion
Chapter 1-19
Textbook Structure
 Structure of the text follows the life cycle

of projects
 Text divided into 3 main sections:
 Part I - Project Initiation
 Part II - Project Implementation
 Part III - Project Termination
Chapter 1-20
Summary
 The Project Management Institute (PMI) was

founded in 1969 to foster the growth and
professionalism of project management
 Project management is now being recognized as

a valuable “career path” in many organizations,
as well as a way to gain valuable experience
within the organization
Chapter 1-21
Summary
 The three primary forces behind project

management are:
 1. The growing demand for complex,
customized goods and services
 2. The exponential expansion of human
knowledge
 3. The global production-consumption
environment
Chapter 1-22
Summary
 The three prime objectives of project
management are:
 1. To meet specified performance
 2. To do it within specified costs
 3. Complete on schedule
 Terminology follows in this order:

program, project, task, work package,
work unit
Chapter 1-23
Summary
 Projects are characterized by a singleness
of purpose, a definite life cycle, complex
interdependencies, some or all unique
elements, and an environment of conflict
 Project management, though not
problem-free, is the best way to
accomplish certain goals
Chapter 1-24
Summary
 Projects often start slow, build up speed

while using considerable resources, and
then slow down as completion nears
 This text is organized along the project
life cycle concept:
 Project Initiation (Chapters 2-6)
 Project Implementation (Chapters 7-11)
 Project Termination (Chapters 12-13)
Chapter 1-25
Organizations
Questions?
Chapter 1-26
Organizations
Picture Files
Organizations
Figure 1-1
Organizations
Figure 1-2
Organizations
Figure 1-3
Organizations
Figure 1-4
Organizations
Figure 1-5
Organizations
Figure 1-6
Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights
reserved. Reproduction or translation of this work
beyond that permitted in Section 117 of the 1976 United
States Copyright Act without the express written
permission of the copyright owner is unlawful. Request
for further information should be addressed to the
Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. The
purchaser may make back-up copies for his/her own use
only and not for distribution or resale. The Publisher
assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions, or
damages, caused by the use of these programs or from
the use of the information contained herein.

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Project Management: A Managerial Approach: by Jack R. Meredith and Samuel J. Mantel, JR

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Copyright:

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Project Management:

By Jack R. Meredith and Samuel J. Mantel, Jr.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Presentation prepared by RTBM WebGroup

 Must make a distinction between terms:

 Stages of a Conventional Project:

 Other projects also exist which do not

 It is essential for the Project Manager to

 The distinction between the two life cycles

 Risk during project life cycle

 Structure of the text follows the life cycle

 The Project Management Institute (PMI) was

 Project management is now being recognized as

 The three primary forces behind project

 Terminology follows in this order:

 Projects often start slow, build up speed

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