A CEO is presenting the annual report in front of 20,000 employees when suddenly the projector breaks down. A key account manager cannot pay the restaurant bill for his top client as he has lost his wallet. A newly elected mayor misses his first public speech as he is being held up in a traffic jam. All these examples taken from daily business and their negative effects, such as the loss of time, a damaged reputation and higher costs, could have been avoided with an appropriate planning beforehand.
Projects are even more critical as they are by definition unique. [...]
Although this idea seems to be consistent and companies should therefore strive to complete their projects successfully, only 32 % of all projects succeed in terms of com-pliance with time, budget and specifications. 44 % are completed late, exceeding budget, showing a deficit in features or with a combination thereof. The remaining 24 % of all projects fail, i.e., they are cancelled before completion or are finished but never used. Going back to the year 2000, this failure rate has never been higher.
A reason for this may be that the unique nature of projects also implies uncertainties. [...] the more aspects of a project are unique, the higher are the entailed uncertainties and the higher is the risk to fail.
And projects are becoming more and more demanding with an increasing pressure on companies in terms of time, budget and quality. As globalisation is rising, the need for fast and comprehensive adjustments of processes, systems and products is increasing simultaneously. [...]
To be able to bear the growing competitive pressure, companies need fast, innovative and interdisciplinary solutions, which they achieve best by applying projects. But projects lacking clear targets, specifications, communication channels, schedules and budgets are likely to fail. Hence, an appropriate project planning is vital to avoid or at least minimise all uncertainties and risks that could lead to a full or partial failure of the project.
But project planning itself does not guarantee success. It must be executed in a way that is comprehensive and efficient at the same time. [...] Finding out which planning processes are required and to which detail is crucial for performing a completely successful project.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- A. Initiation
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Aim and Approach
- 3. Annotation
- B. Fundamentals
- 4. History of Project Management
- 5. Common Definitions of Project Management Terms
- 5.1. Definition of Project
- 5.2. Definition of Project Management
- 5.3. Definition of Project Planning
- 5.4. Definition of Project Success
- 6. Standards in Project Management
- 6.1. Why Project Management Needs Standards
- 6.2. Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)
- 6.2.1. Origin of PMBOK
- 6.2.2. Concept of PMBOK
- 6.3. International Competency Baseline (ICB)
- 6.3.1. Origin of ICB
- 6.3.2. Concept of ICB
- 6.4. PRojects IN Controlled Environments 2 (PRINCE2)
- 6.4.1. Origin of PRINCE2
- 6.4.2. Concept of PRINCE2
- 6.5. Comparing the Standards
- 6.6. Standard Used for Further Investigation
- C. Project Planning According to PMBOK
- 7. Definitions of Project Management Terms According to PMBOK
- 7.1. Definition of Project According to PMBOK
- 7.2. Definition of Project Management According to PMBOK
- 7.3. Definition of Project Planning According to PMBOK
- 7.4. Definition of Project Success According to PMBOK
- 8. PMBOK Knowledge Areas and Planning Processes
- 8.1. Project Integration Management: Project Plan Development
- 8.2. Project Scope Management
- 8.2.1. Scope Planning
- 8.2.2. Scope Definition
- 8.3. Project Time Management
- 8.3.1. Activity Definition
- 8.3.2. Activity Sequencing
- 8.3.3. Activity Duration Estimating
- 8.3.4. Schedule Development
- 8.4. Project Cost Management
- 8.4.1. Resource Planning
- 8.4.2. Cost Estimating
- 8.4.3. Cost Budgeting
- 8.5. Project Quality Management: Quality Planning
- 8.6. Project Human Resource Management
- 8.6.1. Organisational Planning
- 8.6.2. Staff Acquisition
- 8.7. Project Communications Management: Communications Planning
- 8.8. Project Risk Management
- 8.8.1. Risk Management Planning
- 8.8.2. Risk Identification
- 8.8.3. Qualitative Risk Analysis
- 8.8.4. Quantitative Risk Analysis
- 8.8.5. Risk Response Planning
- 8.9. Project Procurement Management
- 8.9.1. Procurement Planning
- 8.9.2. Solicitation Planning
- 9. Practice: Planning a Project
- 9.1. Setting of the Project
- 9.2. Project Plan:“Implementation of Uniform SAP (UniSap) in Europe”
- 9.2.1. UniSap Scope Management
- 9.2.2. UniSap Time Management
- 9.2.3. UniSap Cost Management
- 9.2.4. UniSap Quality Management
- 9.2.5. UniSap Human Resource Management
- 9.2.6. UniSap Communications Management
- 9.2.7. UniSap Risk Management
- 9.2.8. UniSap Procurement Management
- 10. Evaluation of Project Planning According to PMBOK
- 10.1. Chances and Benefits of Project Planning According to PMBOK
- 10.2. Risks and Constraints of Project Planning According to PMBOK
- 11. Accomplishing Element 1: Time Adherence
- 12. Accomplishing Element 2: Cost Adherence
- 13. Accomplishing Element 3: Specification Adherence
- 14. Accomplishing Element 4: Scope Adherence
- 15. Accomplishing Element 5: Stakeholder Appreciation
- 16. Accomplishing Element 6: Benefit
- 17. Accomplishing Element 7: No or Reasonable Trade-offs with Other Company Areas
- 18. Accomplishing Element 8: Alignment with Company Culture and Strategy
- 19. Accomplishing Element 9: Compliance with Laws and Regulations
- 20. Conclusion
- 21. Outlook
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
The main objective of this thesis is to demonstrate that project planning is essential for project success. The paper also aims to guide readers on which planning processes are mandatory and which are negligible in order to achieve various components of project success. Key themes explored in the thesis include: * **Project Management Challenges:** The document examines the difficulties that companies face in managing projects effectively, particularly in a globalized and competitive environment. * **Standards and Best Practices:** The paper analyzes and compares common project management standards, including PMBOK, ICB, and PRINCE2, to understand their strengths and limitations. * **Project Planning Processes:** The thesis delves into the specific planning processes within the PMBOK framework, providing detailed descriptions of each process, including its inputs, tools, techniques, and outputs. * **Interdependencies of Project Success Elements:** The document examines how project planning can contribute to achieving various aspects of project success, including adherence to time, cost, specification, and scope, as well as stakeholder appreciation, benefit generation, alignment with company culture, and compliance with laws and regulations. * **Practical Application of Project Planning:** The thesis showcases the practical application of project planning through a simulated project plan for implementing a uniform SAP system.Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
**Part A. Initiation:** * Chapter 1 introduces the significance of project planning and highlights the high failure rate of projects without proper planning. * Chapter 2 outlines the thesis' aim and approach, which involves demonstrating the importance of project planning and identifying crucial planning processes for achieving project success. * Chapter 3 provides an annotation of the main source material used in the thesis. **Part B. Fundamentals:** * Chapter 4 briefly examines the history of project management, tracing its development from early civilizations to the modern era. * Chapter 5 defines common project management terms, including project, project management, project planning, and project success. * Chapter 6 discusses the need for standards in project management and provides an overview of widely used standards like PMBOK, ICB, and PRINCE2, concluding with the selection of PMBOK for further investigation. **Part C. Project Planning According to PMBOK:** * Chapter 7 defines project management terms according to the PMBOK framework, emphasizing the importance of a process-oriented approach and the interdependencies of different planning processes. * Chapter 8 delves into the PMBOK's knowledge areas and planning processes, providing detailed explanations of each process and its role in achieving specific project goals. * Chapter 9 presents a practical example of a project plan for implementing a uniform SAP system in Europe, demonstrating the application of PMBOK principles and the complexity of comprehensive project planning. * Chapter 10 evaluates the PMBOK framework, highlighting its advantages and limitations, such as its comprehensiveness but also its complexity for inexperienced project managers. **Part D. How Project Planning Facilitates Project Success:** * Chapters 11-19 explore how each of the nine elements of project success (time adherence, cost adherence, specification adherence, scope adherence, stakeholder appreciation, benefit generation, trade-offs with other company areas, alignment with company culture, and compliance with laws and regulations) can be facilitated through effective project planning. Each chapter provides a detailed analysis of which planning processes, inputs, tools, techniques, and outputs are particularly relevant to each element of success. **Part E. Conclusion and Outlook:** * Chapter 20 summarizes the key findings of the thesis, emphasizing the importance of project planning in minimizing uncertainties and increasing the likelihood of project success. It underscores the value of comprehensive management plans and the need for clear targets and guidelines for achieving project objectives. * Chapter 21 provides an outlook on future trends in project planning, predicting increasing complexity and the importance of social skills alongside technical expertise. It also discusses technological advancements in project planning software and the increasing use of virtual teams.Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The main keywords of this thesis are project planning, project management, PMBOK, project success, stakeholder appreciation, time adherence, cost adherence, specification adherence, scope adherence, company culture, and risk management. The thesis explores the relationship between these concepts and how they contribute to successful project outcomes.- Quote paper
- Stefanie Vater (Author), 2012, Project Planning as Key to Success in Project Management, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/192968
