Project Management
September 13, 2025 - September 13, 2025
The primary challenge of project management is to achieve all of the project goals and objectives while honoring the preconceived project constraints. Typical constraints are scope, time, and budget. You must plan and stay in control of the plan. Whether it is a solo project or a mass production, project management takes an initial idea to the final stage with problems resolved on the way. Taking a design idea from flat paper work all the way through to producing and retail requires detail planning and contingency planning as well (plan B). Whatever the business contract may be, you need to be in control of it and be realistic in goals. This may be determined by money factor, available resources and manpower. For example you cannot agree to produce 2000 pieces of one design if your labour and equipment can only maximise to 1000 units if the given time period.
Major stages generally include:
- Initiation (thinking of the initial idea or event)
- Planning or development (making timetables so people know where to be and what to do at any given time period)
- Production or execution (producing the product)
- Monitoring and controlling (potential problems can be identified in a timely manner and corrective action can be taken)
- The end of the project. (review and feedback)
These stages can be referred to majority and a vast range of business projects. Each stage needs to be considered during the process of a project. Below is a guide by SOA development to give advice on project management.
TOP TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL: PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Here are the SOA Development top tips for successful project management:
1. Be realistic with your aims, objectives and targets
2. Read the contract and make sure that you truly understand it
3. Risk Assessment – do a thorough risk assessment (see Top Tips to Successful RiskManagement) to make sure that it worthwhile starting and you understand what the problems will be
4. Brief strategy – write a short strategy to make sure you know where and how you are going to deliver the project
5. Management Information – create an MI system from the start along with an evidence trail. It will save you a lot of time and money!
6. Review what you do but do not spend all of your time doing it
7. Good planning is the key to a smooth running project
8. If it looks too complicated – just start!
9. Report frequently – communication with your funders and stakeholders maintains a good relationship and ensures that there are no unwelcome surprises
10. Use your funders – seek their advice. They are, after all, the ones who have many of the answers
11. Don’t kid yourself that it is going well when it is not. Seek advice and help as soon as you realise that there is a problem.
It is with realistic goals, careful planning, constant monitoring, control and consistent communication that a project can run its course well from an initial idea to the end result.
