by Nicholas
Click on the pictures or diagrams to expand them.
Introduction.
All projects have many constraints. These should not be barriers for successful project execution or for effective decision making.
Every project has three main interdependent constraints:
- Time
- Cost
- Scope
This is also known as Project Management Triangle.
The Three Constraints
1 – Time
A project’s activities can either take shorter or longer amount of time to complete. Completion of tasks depends on a number of factors such as the number of people working on the project, experience, skills, etc.
Time is a crucial factor. Failure to meet the deadlines in a project can create adverse effects. The main reason for organizations to fail in terms of time is lack of resources.
2 – Cost
It’s imperative for both the project manager and the organization to have an estimated cost when undertaking a project. Budgets will ensure that project is developed or implemented below a certain cost.
Sometimes, project managers have to allocate additional resources in order to meet the deadlines with a penalty of additional project costs.
3 – Scope
Scope looks at the outcome of the project undertaken. This consists of a list of deliverables, which need to be addressed by the project team.
A successful project manager will know to manage both the scope of the project and any change in scope which impacts time and cost.
Quality
Quality is not a part of the project management triangle, but is the ultimate objective of every delivery. The project management triangle represents quality.
Many project managers are under the notion that ‘high quality comes with high cost’, which to some extent is true. By using low quality resources to accomplish project deadlines does not ensure success of the overall project.
Like scope, quality will also be an important deliverable for the project.
Six stages of Project Management.
A project undergoes six stages during its life cycles and they are noted below:
- Project Definition – defining the objectives and the factors to be considered to make the project successful.
- Project Initiation – refers to the resources as well as the planning before the project starts.
- Project Planning –Outlines the plan as to how the project should be executed. This is where project management triangle is essential. It looks at the time, cost and scope of the project.
- Project Execution –Undertaking work to deliver the outcome of the project.
- Project Monitoring & Control –Taking necessary measures, so that the operation of the project runs smoothly.
- Project Closure –Acceptance of the deliverables and discontinuing resources that were required to run the project.
Overcoming Challenges to Project Constraints.
The project manager must strike a balance between the three constraints so that quality of the project will not be compromised. A project manager needs to supervise and control the project from the beginning to the closure.
The Project Manager needs to:
- Define the project and split the tasks amongst team members.
- Obtain key resources and build teamwork.
- Set the objectives required for the project and work towards meeting these objectives.
- Keep stakeholders informed on the progress of the project.
- Asses and carefully monitor risks of the project.
In order to overcome the challenges related to project triangle and meet the project objectives, the project manager needs to have a range of skills, which includes:
- Leadership
- Managing people
- Negotiation
- Time management
- Effective communication
- Planning
- Controlling
- Conflict resolution
- Problem solving
Conclusion.
Project management is often represented by a triangle. A successful project manager needs to keep a balance between the triple constraints so that the quality of the project or outcome is not compromised.
There are many tools and techniques that are available in order to face the challenges related to the three constraints. A good project manager will use appropriate tools in order to execute the project successfully.
For more blogs please go to www.NicksDigitalSolutions.com and choose Nicks blog.
For E-Learning material, please go to www.NicksDigitalSolutions.com and choose E-Learning Shop and, in particular, the Project Management and Business Analysis option.
Nicholas (Nick Thorne) is the founder of Nicks Digital Solutions Limited a company that specialises in Education and Training; ICT Consultancy; Infopreneur; and Writing. He lives in Levin, New Zealand.