Faculty of Technology

University of Sri Jayewardenepura

FOUNDATIONAL ELEMENTS OF
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
(Lesson 01)

Dr. (Eng.) T. Manori Perera

manori@sjp.ac.lk
Faculty of Technology
University of Sri Jayewardenepura

Recommended Book
 Faculty of Technology
University of Sri Jayewardenepura

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this session, students should be able to:

• LO 1: Describe the basic components of projects, project management and its

evolution
 Faculty of Technology
University of Sri Jayewardenepura

Content
• What is a Project?
• Characteristics of a Project
• Why do Companies Execute Projects?
• Project Initiation Context
Faculty of Technology
University of Sri Jayewardenepura

What is a Project?
“A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to produce a unique
product or service”

• Temporary – Definitive beginning and end

• Unique – New undertaking, unfamiliar ground
 Faculty of Technology
University of Sri Jayewardenepura

What is a Project?
All projects have a beginning, a middle and an end

A collection of linked activities, carried out in an organised manner, with a clearly defined START
POINT and END POINT to achieve some specific results desired to satisfy the needs of the
organisation at the current time
 Faculty of Technology
University of Sri Jayewardenepura

What is a Project?
Fulfillment of project objectives may produce one or more of the
following deliverables:

• A unique product that can be either a component of another item, an enhancement

or correction to an item, or a new end item in itself
• A unique service or a capability to perform a service
• A unique result, such as an outcome or document
• A unique combination of one or more products, services, or results
 Faculty of Technology
University of Sri Jayewardenepura

What is a Project ?
Projects have a common set of characteristics which can also be defined
by what they are not:
Faculty of Technology
University of Sri Jayewardenepura

What a Project isn’t ?

 Faculty of Technology
University of Sri Jayewardenepura

Characteristics of a Project
• Specific objectives- Time, Cost & Performance
• Multi-Disciplinary – different disciplines, companies and countries
• Temporary undertakings- definite start and end date; therefore, of finite duration
• Consume and compete for scarce resources
• Produce unique and one-off outcomes
• Phases - Project has a number of phases/schedule
• Usually have own budgets
• One leader assigned overall responsibility
• Projects are subject to a lot of changes
• Subject to conflicts
 Faculty of Technology
University of Sri Jayewardenepura

Projects vs Not Projects

Project Routine, Repetitive Work

• Writing a term paper • Taking class notes

• Setting up a sales kiosk for a professional accounting
meeting
• Developing a supply-chain information system
• Writing a new piano piece
• Designing an iPod that is approximately 2 X 4 inches,
interfaces with PC, and stores 10,000 songs
• Wire-tag projects for GE and Wal-Mart
• Daily entering sales receipts into
the accounting ledger
• Responding to a supply chain
request
• Practicing scales on the piano
• Routine manufacture of an Apple
iPod
• Attaching tags on a manufactured
product
Faculty of Technology
University of Sri Jayewardenepura
Faculty of Technology
University of Sri Jayewardenepura

Project Success
Customer requirements Completed within
satisfied/exceeded allocated time frame

Completed within Accepted by the customer

allocated budget
Faculty of Technology
University of Sri Jayewardenepura

Project Failure
Scope Creep Poor Requirements
Gathering

Unrealistic planning and Lack of resources

scheduling
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University of Sri Jayewardenepura

Examples of Projects Include but are not Limited to:

• Developing a new pharmaceutical compound for market,

• Expanding a tour guide service,
• Merging two organizations,
• Improving a business process within an organization,
• Acquiring and installing a new computer hardware system for use in an organization,
• Exploring for oil in a region,
• Modifying a computer software program used in an organization,
• Conducting research to develop a new manufacturing process, and
• Constructing a building.
 Faculty of Technology
University of Sri Jayewardenepura

Examples of Project Outcomes Include:

• Pyramids of Giza
• Olympic games
• Great Wall of China
• Taj Mahal
• Publication of a children's book
• Panama Canal
• Development of commercial jet airplanes
• Polio vaccine
• Human beings landing on the moon
• Commercial software applications
• Portable devices to use the global positioning system (GPS)
• Placement of the International Space Station into Earth's orbit
 Faculty of Technology
University of Sri Jayewardenepura

Why do Companies Execute Projects?

• All the companies are having goals
• Some goals are related to their day-to-day operations and the others are
strategic goals
• In order to achieve strategic goals, the companies should have to get out
from their daily routine and put extra effort and performance other than
current status of the compan

Project execution plan helps you assign tasks and responsibilities, set clear
expectations and deliverables, and gives a way to course-correct if there is any issue
 Faculty of Technology
University of Sri Jayewardenepura

Resources use for Projects

• Human Resources
• Organizational Resources
• Financial Resources
• Time
Faculty of Technology
University of Sri Jayewardenepura

Project Initiation Context

 Faculty of Technology
University of Sri Jayewardenepura

Examples of Factors that

Lead to the Creation of a
Project
 Faculty of Technology
University of Sri Jayewardenepura

References
• Project Management Institute. (2017). A guide to the project management body of
knowledge (PMBOK guide). Project Management Institute, Inc., Newtown Square,
Pennsylvania, USA.
THANK YOU !