Project Management
ASAP Automation works to ensure projects are implemented properly, on-time and to the customer's satisfaction. As part of this commitment, ASAP employs project management principles and trains staff to earn certifications.
What Is Project Management?
Project management has been around for quite some time. As a necessary tool in accomplishing large, complex tasks, project management has been used throughout history—from building the transcontinental railroad to constructing Chicago skyscrapers. Project management is perhaps still in its infancy as a recognized method in the corporate world, gaining widespread exposure during the 1960s.
Today, it continues to evolve and is used in various forms but the basic idea remains: a project manager oversees the progress, communications and resources during the course of a project to ensure success.
Why Is Project Management Important to Supply Chain Projects?
For large information technology projects, such as integrating supply chain execution software, using standardized project management techniques are extremely beneficial. IT projects are much more complex than projects in traditional industries such as construction or manufacturing. As a result, companies across the globe struggle to efficiently implement complicated information systems – a task made manageable by applying proper PMI techniques at project inception.
A Framework for Project Success
The Project Management Institute (PMI) took the tenets of project management and built an entire framework for organizations to use when implementing projects. PMI defines project management as "the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements." PMI has created a standardized framework for efficient communication among team members and established best practices to help ensure successful project implementation. This framework is mapped out below. Hover your cursor over an area to learn more.
- Integration Management
- Project Integration Management: Integration Management is the most crucial area. It ensures that when one aspect of the project is impacted that the other aspects of the projects are addressed in a proactive, cost-effective manner.
- Scope Management
- Scope Management: Scope creep is the primary cause of project failure. The root cause of scope creep is a lack of structured processes to define and manage project scope and requested changes efficiently. Scope management provides a framework for consistently addressing these needs.
- Time Management
- Time Management: Time management provides best practices to ensure projects are consistently on time and provides methods for getting projects back on track.
- Cost Management
- Cost Management: By using structured best practices for estimating, planning and managing costs, projects can earn businesses higher returns.
- Quality Management
- Quality Management: To be truly successful, a project needs to be delivered on time and meet the customer's expectations. Quality management provides structured methods to validate that the customer has received what they requested at the start of the project.
- Human Resources Management
- Human Resources Management: Have you worked on a project where no one really knew what they were supposed to be doing? HR management provides structured methods for identifying, training and motivating your team by using clear roles and responsibilities best-practices framework.
- Communications Management
- Communications Management: Good communication during the course of a project drastically reduces instances of project mayhem. Yet few companies have communications standards in place or use them effectively on projects. Communications management solves this by providing best practices for communications among project team members.
- Risk Management
- Risk Management: Risk is a part of any activity or project—making this a very important area of project management. Risk management provides best practices for rapidly isolating the top risks and building response plans with the team. By eliminating major problems before they occur, organizations can realize significant savings and return on investment.
- Procurement Management
- Procurement Management: Last, but not least, procurement management provides best practices for rapidly making "build or buy" decisions and includes all of the practices from the request for proposals through contract closeout to ensure high return engagements with suppliers.
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