The Definitive Guide to Project Management: Every executives fast-track to delivering on time and on budget

Table of Contents:
Contents List of Figures xi Checklists xiii Cases xiii Preface xv Part I / Background information Introduction 3 Imagine ... 5 About this book 5 Projects 8 Project life cycle outline 16 Basic principles 21 Business principles 23 Management and control principles 25 People principles 30 Part II / Project management processes Project organization and team 37 What do we mean by project organization and team? 39 Project roles 39 Team management 43 Everyday basics and administration 53 What do we mean by everyday basics and administration? 55 Time recording 55 Meetings 56 Project file 59 Document version control 61 Purchasing authority 62 Planning 63 What do we mean by planning? 65 Why plan? 65 Planning tools 66 Work breakdown structure 68 Gantt/Project timeline charts 71 Network (PERT) diagrams 78 Planning process 81 Re-planning and speeding-up the project 90 Monitoring and control 97 What do we mean by monitoring and control? 99 Information gathering 99 Using the project plan 102 Problem diagnosis and resolution 108 Scope management and risk management 115 Scope management 117 Scope creep 117 The issue log 119 Scope management process 120 Risk management 122 Sources of risk 122 Risk control 124 Risk management process 126 Part III / Project life cycle stages Define 133 What is the define phase? 135 Objectives 136 Scope 137 Starting inputs 138 Deliverables 138 Responsibilities 138 Process 140 Design 155 What is the design phase? 157 Objectives 157 Scope 158 Starting inputs 158 Deliverables 158 Responsibilities 159 Process 160 Build and test 167 What is the build and test phase? 169 Objectives 169 Scope 170 Starting inputs 170 Deliverables 170 Responsibilities 171 Process 172 Implement and review 177 What is the implement phase? 179 Objectives 179 Scope 179 Starting inputs 180 Deliverables 180 Responsibilities 180 Process 182 What is the review phase? 186 Objectives 186 Scope 186 Starting inputs 187 Deliverables 187 Responsibilities 187 Process 188 Appendix A: The critical chain method 191 Understanding activity durations 191 Criticial chain and activity durations 193 Focus on critical activities 195 The project buffer as a diagnostic 198 Action summary 200 Appendix B: Classic planning and progress measurement tools 203 Critical path and PERT plans 203 Progress measurement 209 Appendix C: Managing large and complex projects 213 Appendix D: Project planning software tools 217 Tools for single projects 218 Tools for multi-project environments 219 Glossary 221 Index 224

About the Author :
Sebastian was edcucated at Birkbeck & Imperial Colleges, University of London and has an MSc in finance from the London Business School. He was trained in investment banks, the insurance industry, the IT industry and publishing. Sebastian is the author of a number of business books published by Pearson Education.