The Essentials of Project Management

by Lock, Dennis

• ISBN13: 9780566077456
• ISBN10: 0566077450
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1996-06-01
• Publisher: Gower Pub Co

Author Biography

Dennis Lock is an independent consultant and lecturer specializing in project management.

Table of Contents

List of figures	p. ix
Preface	p. xiii
Acknowledgements	p. xv
Introduction	p. 1
Projects
Project management processes
Project objectives
The time / cost relationship
Balancing time, cost and quality
The Association for Project Management
Definition	p. 11
The customer's project specification
Project scope
Using checklists
The contractor's initial design specification
Specification of production methods
Construction specification
Specifications for product development projects
Developing the project specification
Projects which are difficult or impossible to define
Reference
Organization	p. 31
Effective organization and communications
Project teams versus functional group or matrix organizations
Functional matrix organizations
Variations of the matrix organization
Project team organization
Which type of organization is best?
The hybrid option
Organizations with more than one project manager
The project manager himself
Project services groups
Work breakdown and coding	p. 55
Family tree hierarchy
Work breakdown structures for large projects
Coding systems
Benefits of a logical coding system
Choosing a coding system
Cost estimating	p. 69
Cost format
Estimating accuracy
Classification of estimates according to confidence
Standard tables
Profit vulnerability
Compiling the task list
Documentation
Collecting departmental estimates
Manufacturing estimates with no drawings
Personal estimating characteristics
Estimates for material and equipment costs
Below-the-line costs
Reviewing the cost estimates
Planning	p. 91
Bar charts
Critical path networks
The different network notation systems
Critical path networks using arrow diagrams
Precedence diagrams
Case study: the gantry project
Planning the furniture project by critical path network
Level of detail in network diagrams
Should a large network be broken down into smaller networks?
Interface activities
Milestones
Is the predicted timescale too long?
Early consideration of resource constraints
Scheduling	p. 123
Resource scheduling
The role of network analysis in resource scheduling
Introducing the garage project
Garage project network planning
Float
Garage project resource scheduling
Computer reports for the garage project
Conclusions
Reference
Implementation	p. 147
Project authorization
Preliminary organization of the project
Project design standards and procedures
Choice of planning and control procedures
Physical preparations and organization
Getting work started
Detailed planning and work instructions
Drawing and purchase control schedules
Purchasing	p. 165
Listing and specifying the goods
Early ordering of long-lead items
Supplier selection
Ordering
Expediting
Goods receipt
Shortages
Procedures for assuring quality and progress
Vendors' documents
Shipping, port and customs formalities
Cost management	p. 183
A checklist of cost management factors
Cost budgets
Purchased materials, equipment and services
Milestone analysis
A simple performance analysis method for design engineering
An outline of earned value analysis
Effect of modifications on earned value analysis
The project ledger concept
Predicting profitability for a project
Post-mortem
Changes	p. 209
Classification of changes
Authorization arrangements
Registration and progressing
Formal procedures for external change requests
Formal procedure for internal change requests
Design freeze
The interchangeability rule
Emergency modifications
Managing progress	p. 225
Project progressing as a closed loop control system
Progress monitoring and schedule updating
When the news is bad
Corrective measures
Progress meetings
Project progress reports
Project closure
Select bibliography	p. 243
Index	p. 247
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