Process Vs Project

Project Vs Process management

Many of us try to figure out the differences and similarities between “Process” and “Project” management. Sometime we tend to feel that that all Field operations are “Projects” we should be creating organization that are led by “project management” and sometimes purport that all work is a “Process” and we should be creating organizations that are led by “process management”. Quality environments are formed to support either one.

Let’s discuss some definitions before we settle this argument.

Projects:

The Project Management Institute’s Body of Knowledge defines a Project as, "A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result." Temporary means that every project has a definite beginning and a definite end date. Unique means that the product or service is different in some distinguishing way from similar products or services. By examining this definition we understand that projects are:

v  Time-bound

v  Have clear beginning and end states. Project duration can vary from several hours to several years. Longer projects may be broken down to phases and each phase becoming a project onto itself.

v  Follow a specific cycle of Initiation, Definition, Planning, Execution and Close

v  All projects are managed.

Project Management is the application of knowledge and expertise to the development of Project Scope and a Project Plan, which meets or exceeds stakeholder requirements.

Processes:

By examining this definition we understand that processes are:

v  On-going with no clearly defined beginning and end states.

v  Customer driven.

v  Repeatable.

v  All processes are continuously analyzed for improvement or re-engineering.

Process Improvement is the examination of a business process in order to better meet customer & quality requirements. Business Process Re-engineering is the fundamental re-thinking and re-designing of a business process in order to exceed customer and quality requirements.

Discussion:

As per Project management definition, Management of a project is a process. The Project management of follows a consistent series of process steps that ensures it is successfully managed and meets the project’s customer requirements. However, the Project is not subject to an improvement process. If the project management methodology (or series of process steps) is followed, it is assumed that the project will successfully meet its defined deliverables.

As per Process improvement & Business Process Re-engineering definitions, we find that all work is a process and can be improved or re-engineered in order to meet the continuously changing needs of the customers (internal or external) for whom the process has been designed.

Many of us know profoundly through our work in Quality Management and Project Management that all work is a “process”. It can be flowcharted, measured and improved. Quality driven organizations do map all the work processes. It then becomes easy to determine who does what and when they have to do it, in order to ensure customer requirements are met.

But at the same time we also know and many of us have experienced that to oversee the projects and ensuring that they are properly resourced and prioritized, we require Project Management Offices (PMOs). These PMOs also help to lead the way towards creation of a Project Management Environment within the organization.

More current approaches and albeit, there are few examples so far as it is very leading edge in it’s thinking, is to merge “Process management” with “Project management” and create a strategic “Change Management”. This would oversee all “Process management” (process improvement, re-engineering, ISO-9001, Six Sigma Initiatives, etc.) with “Project management” (timelines, scope, deliverable etc.). Because individuals are assigned to teams and these teams are either involved in some form of process management and/or project management. Change Management also oversees the link of Project and/or Process management to the organization’s strategic direction.

It becomes apparent that the correct thinking is that all work is a process and that projects fit into the framework of process management. Dr. Edwards Deming, the Quality Management Guru, to whom Japan owe their economic transformation, once said, “If you can’t describe what you are doing as a process, you don’t know what you are doing”.

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