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Studying The Project Management Body Of Knowledge...

There are so many advantages to good Project Management. Should you consider training to get employment in this area, you'll find the work to be really thought-provoking and challenging. People who have good logic skills and a strong sense of order can do very well in this type of work. However, good communication and leadership skills are also a benefit as PM involves a great deal of interaction with other people.

...On Track, On Price!

The number of project management teams has increased over the years as commercial organisations realise their worth. Shareholders want profits and customers want value and convenience. Unless production is managed with a fine toothcomb, that's not going to happen easily!

We're all project managers to some extent, but if you learn how to use the tools and techniques for commercial productivity, you can build a very lucrative and interesting career.

Training courses in Project Management can be sought from various different companies.

Entry level courses will cover the basics of project preparation, costing, execution and completion. More advanced courses will lead onto human resource management and risk analysis etc.

Common Terms

There's a certain amount of industry jargon to understand with project management. To gain an awareness of how projects differ from standard work activities, you'll need to recognise PM terms and techniques and their applications. There are many processes in project management, but as all projects seek to achieve the same goals you'll find a good deal of cross-over in the various training approaches.

As Old As The Pyramids

Even in ancient times, project management was used as a tool for controlling resources and the workforce - though motivational techniques would have differed greatly! Until the turn of the twentieth century, large civil engineering projects would have been managed by the design architects and engineers themselves. F W Taylor was an American mechanical engineer who published 'The Principles of Scientific Management' in 1911. As an efficiency and management expert, he influenced other people's work, such as Henri Fayol's 'Fayolism' and Henry Gantt's 'Gant Chart'. Fayolism was one of the first comprehensive general management theory statements and the management functions and principles it described still have relevancy today. Fayol's principles of management refer to how people are managed to best effect.

Fast Forward To Recent Times

Fast forward to the 1950's, and we see the beginnings of Project Management as we know it today - with the systematic application in the USA of PM tools and techniques to complex projects. New methods had to be developed to deal with the complexities of building the Polaris Missile submarine programme. The PERT technique, developed by Booz-Allen & Hamilton was the answer. This mathematical model can still be used as a basis to find a critical path through various planned and interconnected tasks. Pioneering work by Hans Lang and others led to technology for estimating and managing costs, along with engineering economics.

IMPA

The International Project Management Association was formed in 1967. Professionals from thirty different counties attended its first international congress in Vienna, and now fifty national PM associations are represented. Members come from a number of business sectors, and have a broad competence in the profession.

Project Management Institute

Then in the US in 1969 the Project Management Institute (PMI) was formed. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge has been published by the PMI. It provides the fundamentals of Project Management as they apply to a great cross-section of projects. Anyone looking to get into or further their career in Project Management today would do well to have a thorough understanding of this set of guidelines and best practices. Training courses are available which cover all aspects of the PMBOK Guide.

You will be in a position at the end of such a course to take the world standard PM exams, which are known as PMP (the Project Management Professional) and CAPM ( the Certified Associate of Project Management).

PRojects IN Controlled Environments (PRINCE2)

'Projects in Controlled Environments' (now version 2) is used extensively in PM, although it was initially designed purely for the management of IT projects. The model embodies many years of 'Best Practice' in project management. Students undergoing this training will learn how to manage projects within a clearly defined framework. The adoption of PRINCE2 promotes continual learning and improvement for staff members and organisations. It's very specific, efficient and manageable.

There are various other training programmes and qualifications that can be attained through the professional associations. Essentially your training needs to cover skills and techniques that you can perfect as you build your real life experience in industry. Shop around on the internet to find the ideal training for you.