Knowledge Areas
1. Project Integration Management
2. Project Scope Management
3. Project Time Management
4. Project Cost Management
5. Project Quality Management
6. Project Human Resource Management
7. Project Communications Management
8. Project Risk Management
9. Project Procurement Management
10. Project Stakeholder Management
Process Groups
1. Initiating
2. Planning
3. Executing
4. Monitoring and Controlling
5. Closing
In order to fully grasp those concepts in the PMBOK, you have to understand the close relationships between them.
The first project management knowledge area is Project Integration Management. This knowledge area contains seven project integration processes:
1. Creating a Project Charter
2. Developing a Project Management Plan
3. Directing and managing the work
4. Managing the project knowledge
5. Monitoring and controlling the work
6. Change Control
7. and Closing the Project.
The objective of Integration Management
Each of the processes listed above are an essential part of integration management. While the processes themselves may be part of other knowledge areas and process groups, each one serves a purpose by coordinating all of the project elements during integration management.
CAPM and PMP focused training will give you the basis for integration management so that you can produce a quality plan and a quality project, on time and on budget.
Integration Management is the only knowledge area that utilizes all of the process groups listed above. By learning about integration management, first, you can apply the knowledge from those groups to the other knowledge areas throughout the project.
The Seven Processes needed for Project Integration Management
1. Creating a Project Charter:
Creating or developing a project charter is the first step. The charter is essential to identify the stakeholders, and most importantly for you, the project manager.
A project charter will include:
- The scope of the project
- The objectives and deliverables
- Project team members
- Project risks
- Benefits or returns on investment
- The budget and
- A business case, the document that explains the value or benefits your company will gain from the project.
2. Developing a Project Management Plan
The management plan takes the charter a step further by developing a more detailed plan for the project. This plan produces the project scope statement, deliverables, timeline, milestones, and metrics to evaluate success for the project.
There are a variety of steps including meeting with the stakeholders, creating a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), and creating a project schedule. This process will also produce the other plans necessary for the start of the project. The scope management plan, cost management plan, resource management plan, change management plan, stakeholder management plan, and/or risk management plan.
3. Directing and managing the work
The third process group, execution, is what is dealt with in this process. This step is where the project manager takes charge, directing the team, holding stakeholder meetings, and beginning to track the progress of the project.
4. Managing the project knowledge
This phase is used to provide the team members the information they require to deliver their tasks within the scope. Not only is gathering the information vital to the current project, but the knowledge will be noted at the actual closing of the project for future endeavors.
5. Monitoring and controlling the work
All of the steps within the project need to be monitored in order to keep it on track. This process allows the project manager and the project management team to identify changes or deviations from the plan and act accordingly.
By using preventative action, corrective action, or defect repair, the manager or team can make sure that the project meets the objectives.
6. Change Control
The change control process is in place to prevent and address scope creep. Scope creep can adversely affect the schedule, budget, and resources throughout the project.
All changes requested or required should go through an evaluation to determine the impact that they might have on the project as a whole.
7.Closing the Project
When all is said and done there is still work to do. Even after the construction has ended or when the product is delivered and accepted by the client, certain steps need to be done.
- Hold a final meeting involving all team leads to find out what was successful and what needs improvement. By documenting this information it provides background for future projects.
- Complete the project by making sure everything is signed, dated, and organized. Ensure that all contracts are paid in full, internal and external and organize the documents for future reference.
- Release your resources. If you have utilized certain individuals within the company, release them back to their respective departments formally. If you have external resources, make sure the contracts are, again, paid in full.
- Archive the documents from the project. Maintain careful, coordinated, data throughout the project to make this step easier. Not only are these archives valuable for research on other projects, they may be necessary for legal matters or marketing tools.
- Celebrate the success of the project. It may sound simple, even silly, but taking the time to celebrate with your team members on a job well done is probably the most important part of being a project manager. It means you’ve succeeded. Congratulations!
Project Integration Management is the first knowledge area. Arguably, it may be the most important one. It is the only area that encompasses the project as a whole, from inception to celebration and it is key to any project management professional.
Understanding the information in this article is an essential part of project management and a vital part of the PMP exam. Improve your project management skills or prepare for the PMP Certification exam by taking a quality online PMP exam prep course.