PROJECT MANAGEMENT

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

A Management Approach (Seventh Edition)

(Jack R. Meredith and Samuel J. Mantel, Jr.)

Okay, just like I had promised two weeks ago (sorry guys :p), I would like to review one of my university subject’s text book. It’s one of my core subjects from my Master degree. I hope you could find it useful, even though I will only review just a bit to give you slight description about this book.

Generally this book refers to PMBOK (Project Management Book of Knowledge). So, if you familiar with PMBOK, you’ll find this book a little bit similar. More like exercise book of PMBOK I think. PMBOK is one of worldwide reference for Project Management standard. For more details about PMBOK and others standards, I hope I can write it sometime. Ehehehe..

The outline of this book is based on the project phases. It is:

1. Project Initiation

In this phase you’ll find out about everything you need to initiate the project. From the management strategic, select the project, decide the project and organizational structure to how to negotiate and manage conflict inside the organization. You’ll also learn about what is the role and responsibilities of the Project Manager.

This phase is crucial before you decide to put a project in place. Without having knowledge about this place, you’ll have project without soul of the project management. There is a chance you’ll have many project changes in your way of project if you do not fully understand this phase. With those changes, it will become obstacles for your project objectives.

2. Project Planning

Some wise ever told me, if you fail to plan than you plan to fail. This metaphor describes how urgent the planning is. You can never execute best project without having mature planning.

The book has deep description of how to plan the project. It is include activity planning, budgeting and cost estimation, scheduling and resources leveling. These tools are very essential to develop good project plan. The phrase “good” is defined as well balance project plan that meet project objectives and requirements

3. Project Execution

Now we go through the execution. Without this phase, there will be no project. For this phase the book descibe about how to monitor, control, audit and terminate the project. The point is how to manage the project from the beginning of execution until the project finish (either terminated or end of the work scope). You’ll find many useful method and technique so the project can run as schedule or even to effectively crash schedule (as consequences it will increase the cost) to meet the planned schedule.

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The best thing from this book is it provides actual case that related to each chapter. You can learn from others experiences through this book. It also provides many exercises so we can understand what the chapter is about. This book is also recommended for anyone who wants to take the PMI certification.