Project Management
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Project Management
Project management is a discipline of allocating resources to accomplish a set of goals. Project management consists of the following sub-catagories:
- Time management
- Money management
- Information management
Time Management
In order to practice good time management one must create a project schedule that is realistic in its expectations while remaining ambitious. Milestones are an effective tool for tracking the progress of your project, they allow team members as well as clients to know what has been accomplished and what is next.
Money Management
All projects have a budget, before beginning your design you should make sure that the client has realistic expectations for your budget. Putting together a thorough and well researched budget at the outset of your project will help both you, and your client, in understanding the amount of money involved and what, if any, flexibility you have in purchasing needed materials. If your sponsor has a very tight budget and is worried about cost overruns this step is cruicial in building a positive relationship with them. It shows that your respect the money they are putting into your project and your thrift may pay off in a job offer at the end of the term (if your project turns out well and is under budget). For people chasing the almighty dollar saving a few bucks on any facet of a repeated operation can mean millions in savings down the road.
Information Management
Electronic documentation is important to keep a record of group progress. Documents should be brief and highlight the most important points of the project. Do not reach the extremes; too much information can be detrimental and too little information is not useful.
Knowledge Management
Knowledge management is any process which incorporates the desire to expand our range of inquiry with the need to simplify our decisions, options or actions.