The difference between project management and process management

What is the difference between project management and process management?

+6
terminology project-management process-management
source share
8 answers

The defining characteristic of a process versus a project is repeatability and uniqueness.

  • A process is a recurring collection of interrelated tasks aimed at achieving a specific goal.

  • The project is a unique undertaking with a beginning and a goal undertaken to achieve the goal.

In process management, special attention is paid to increasing the "repeatability" of tasks, efficiency (reducing time, reducing costs), improving quality (including consistency in quality).

In project management, special attention is paid to how this is done, achieving the final result. Higher efficiency is achieved more difficult, as this may require special tools and methods that can only be developed if the project has been turned into a repeating process.

Applied to software development, which makes daily build process:

  • This is a sequence of tasks aimed at the end result.

  • The sequence is repeated.

  • Tasks are known from the start, as the process repeats.

  • When managing daily assemblies, we want them to be cheap, fast and consistent with quality standards, in most cases this is best achieved by increasing automation.

Designing a new feature is a project:

  • The function is unique, once we have developed it, we will not develop it again. Maybe the second version, but it will be a different attempt.

  • At some point, we need to stop developing the function (even when it is far from perfect), and it is best if we determine in advance how we know that we have reached this point.

  • We are not so much concerned that the design is achieved, although the most efficient sequence of steps, because in the end it turns out pretty good design.

  • Consequently, the sequence of tasks that go into design will be difficult to automate, and we need to focus on maintaining boundaries, reassessing criteria, correcting newly discovered facts, and, as a rule, moving the entire object to completion.

  • We must constantly choose from an increasing number of possible tasks that arise in the light of newly discovered facts, and choose them that will bring us closer to the goal.

+19
source share

Process management will manage a process, such as a software development process (note that I did not say β€œsoftware process”). Such a process can be used in various projects. The process does not have a final product, outside of itself.

Project management will manage a project, usually using some kind of process, and the result will be a product or a new version of a product.

+1
source share

If a project is work that must be done to make an end result, be it a product or service, then the process is a description of that work. Each project follows the process, even if it is not formally defined. Trying to capture this process for each project, a template appears that uses a similar process for a specific group or type of project. It can also be shown that a particular process leads to a better end result or leads to end results faster and / or cheaper. Such a process can be adopted for use in relevant projects, which leads to increased productivity and quality of the final result. Therefore, project management is the application of a process to achieve the end result. There is no management process, just a process of development, implementation, measurement and improvement, which in themselves are projects. Chicken or egg, if you want.

+1
source share

A process is an abstraction of a project. It is used to summarize designs of variation, uniqueness, and transitional nature. To increase the efficiency, productivity, effectiveness and value of the product expected or achieved within the project, the implementation strategy or workflow mechanism for projects is analyzed using a process and / or processes. The goal of the process is service, and the goal of the project is the product. The process seeks long-term goals, but the goal of the project is short-term goals. Project needs are based on the final product, but process needs are based on the process itself.

+1
source share

A summary of one proposal is a process management that governs how projects are usually carried out and has no results other than documents explaining the process, while project management governs the project to ensure that the end results are created in the budget and on time, after that were created through process management.

0
source share

The process is mainly part of the project. a process means compliance with certain rules for the performance of a task, when a project involves the implementation of actions by applying a specific process

0
source share

Well stated above, process management defines the complete process of existing projects as documentation and provides a status report to superiors. Even, they plan accordingly for resource planning in their absence.

0
source share

The defining characteristic of a process versus a project is repeatability and uniqueness.

... the best description I've ever heard. A bad analogy may be that the process is like day work, the project is like a contract.

In laymans, a process is a set of tasks that need to be done over and over for your organization to work. These tasks can be performed manually (by people in daylight conditions) or automatically (IT).

The eTOM business process system (www.tmforum.org) says that there are three types of processes:

  • Strategy, infrastructure and product lifecycle management is a difficult way to say all the tasks that an organization must complete in order to plan and create new things.
  • Operations are all daily tasks to support work and keep customers happy.
  • Enterprise management - the rest ... As well as financial reporting, etc.

A project is a unique work with a beginning and a goal undertaken to achieve a goal.

.... guru

Laymans has many tasks that you perform only once to create, modify (or delete) the capabilities of your organizations (for example, infrastructure or products).


How are they the same

To add a little more confusion to this dynamic, project management is the process itself (see PRINCE2 www.prince2.com)

It will fit into the categories (1) Strategies, Infrastructure and Product (sorry for knocking out eTOM, there are many other frameworks like ITIL and SCOR , I am an expert at Telco, so I think that is the best.)

While each project has a start and end date, it is likely that your organization will build and change capabilities (infrastructure and products) forever. Thus, each project provides something else, but the steps or the set of tasks to be carried out to deliver the project must be the same every time (see [PRINCE2] [2]).

0
source share

All Articles