Free Essay Sample on IT Project Management

Unique Characteristics of IT Projects

IT projects have different characteristics with them. The characteristics are the elements that make a project worth to be undertaken and to be appreciated. A project is usually started with the aim of fulfilling a given need. This then explains why a project should have elements that are different from the other. This part of the article looks at some characteristics of a project.

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Change is one of the characteristics of IT projects. In explaining this, it means that projects are a form of bringing about change. Once an IT project is initiated is supposed to change how things happen. This means that there should be newer ways of doing and performing things. A good example is when a new sales website is being started (Schwalbe, 2015). This means that the website will get to change how clients will get to buy things. If an old website was slow, then the new sales website is meant to be quick so that it gets to be easy for the purchase of items. At the same time, clients expect to feel the change for any given IT project to be meaningful.

Temporary aspect is the other nature or characteristic of an IT project. This means that there should always be a start that is definite and at the same time an end that is predicted. An IT project should also come to an end once the desired products have been created. In many instances, there is the ongoing maintenance of products that take place after a given project is being undertaken. However, that is not considered as being part of a project.IT projects do not take all lifetime for them to be implemented, some schedules are typically followed, and that is why they are termed as temporary. For that matter, it is good to note that IT projects do not take all time as they are being initiated.

Cross-functional is the other characteristic that is associated with IT projects. As an IT project is being conducted, there are various people from different levels within an organization that get involved. Within the business, there are several departments. This can be in the form of a manager, supervisor and even a project coordinator (Schwalbe, 2015). All the personnel with their seniority get involved in taking care of a project as it is being undertaken. All the staff should be able to work together so that a project becomes a success. Teamwork is all that is needed for any given IT project to become a success. Once all the people get together, it becomes easy for any given project to be a success.

Uniqueness is the other characteristic of an IT project.IT projects are never the same as they share different aspects in whichever part they are being conducted. Any IT project has its attributes that are not similar to the other. A good example is explained when designing a sales website for a motor vehicle company when compared to a sales website for a clothing company. The two IT projects can never be the same, and that goes to mean that they will be different entirely. This is because the needs of a car buyer are different to the needs of a cloth buyer. At the same time, the two products are not the same as they share different characteristics. This then explains why IT projects are unique in their way.

Uncertainty is the other characteristic that is within IT projects. As a project is being undertaken, the eventual outcome is not known at all. The result of a project is not known, and that means there will always be uncertainty within any given project (Lock, 2017). A given project may also not be 100% able to work as per the desired needs. This can be explained in that when designing a website for a clothing company; the outcome may not be the best and clients may not like it. At the same time, a given website may not be able to work as it is expected.

How Project Management Contributes to the Mission

Project management is one unique thing that directs the mission of an organization. The work that is performed within an organization depends on the project management. Every single project is unique on its own self, and that goes to communicate why it useful for any project to be undertaken in the best ways possible. In many organizations, the mission is meant to strengthen what the aims of an organization are. For that matter, a project is what will determine how a mission will be attained. The initiation process is an essential phase of project management, and that is why it is required for a project to be successful.

If a project is initiated in the right ways, then it gets to be easy to make a mission stand out. However, if a project is not started in the right ways, then it becomes difficult for the mission of an organization to be launched. Communication is the other attribute that is found in project management. This is the period in which there is a lot of discussion happening for a project to be performed better and get to bear the results that are required. For that matter, it means that a project will determine a lot how an organization's mission will be attained. Any mission is meant to be well stipulated, and for that matter, it is required that a project gets to strengthen the mission of an organization.

Time is the other particular attribute that is within project management. In many missions of an organization, missions should be delivered within a specific time. That then means that there should be the duration at which a project is being conducted and completion time is known (Lock, 2017). When a project is done at the right time and gets to be concluded well, it will go to mean that the mission of an organization will be accomplished. This is because all issues will have been done on time and at the same time there will be the making sure that project management keeps to the set deadlines. For that matter, it will be easy for a mission to be well maintained and strengthened. Once there is the undertaken of a project as per the guidelines, then the mission will also be managed as there will not be an issue that can derail a mission from being attained.

Critical Functions of Project Management Within an Organization

Governance is one of the significant things that project management plays within an organization. Project management helps in giving support to sponsors of a project, the stakeholders that have been involving in an entire program. This then goes to mean that it becomes easy for a whole organization to be able to attain all the desired functions. With the way project management gets conducted within an organization helps in the decision-making process and that makes an organization to be able to fulfill all the desires that are needed and which may turn out to create an organization succeed in all aspects that it gets to do.

Performance management is the other function that is played by project management within an organization. This goes to mean that the performance management works in that there has to be some integration like reporting of all the status of a project (Turner, 2016). Project management is in charge of looking at all issues that pertain to performance, and for that matter, it goes to communicate that all the projects within an organization can be completed in the best times possible. For that matter, it is advised that an organization gets to perform all work that is required without hesitation of any kind.

Financial management is the other function that is played by project management within an organization. Tracking of how money has been spent and how it is intended to be consumed is another function that is performed by project management within an organization. For that matter, it goes to mean that project management determines all issues about financial spending. An entire fiscal process within an organization is reliant on project management. How costs are reported and even forecasted is a job that entirely lies within project management in an organization.

Mission, Goals of an Organization in the Determination of Mix, Specific types and Available Resources for Projects

The mission of the project is instrumental when it decides the mix within project management. This means that the nature of a mission is what will determine how the combination of project management will turn to be. On the other hand, the goals of an organization also identify the specific types of projects that should be undertaken within an organization. For that matter, it is advised that organizations get to set their projects as per the goals that are there (Turner, 2016). An organization cannot go for a project, and at the same time, the goal is not in line with it. On the other hand, mission and goals also determine how much should be put in a project. If the purpose of an organization seeks to have a project receive money within a specific time, then that is what should happen. In instances where there is no money or other resources, then an organization will have to stop a project from being undertaken.

References

Lock, D. (2017). The essentials of project management. Routledge.

Schwalbe, K. (2015). Information technology project management. Cengage Learning.

Turner, R. (2016). Gower handbook of project management. Routledge.