Project

A project is a targeted, one-time project, which consists of a set of coordinated, controlled activities with start and finish dates, and is performed by taking into account of constraints in terms of time, resources ( eg money or costs, production and labor conditions reach staff) and quality a goal.

Project derives from Latin proiectum, neuter to Proiectus thrown forward ', past participle of proicere, forward throw ' ( cf. projectile ). For projects with a temporal dimension is below, forward ' understood (see Scheduling ). The German word comes in the later 17th century in use in the sense of " construction project".

Project teams to implement projects often formed, which is responsible for control tasks. To make this efficient project management, special training courses are offered by consulting firms and universities.

Many recommend project management lessons that the objectives and targets of the project are formulated according to the SMART rules in advance (SMART = Specific, Measurable, Accepted, Realistic, Time- ). For research projects, but this is only partly true.

The project goal determines the strategic approach, this determines the necessary processes / activities and useful basic structure, which determine the use of resources.

Definition

From work study, which investigated human labor in organizations, the term "project " is similarly defined in a variety of sources:

" Project, which also constant of the conditions is mainly due to the uniqueness but marked in their entirety, such as target, time, money, personnel and other limitations; Differentiating it from other projects; project-specific organization. "

"A project is a temporary undertaking which is made ​​to create a unique product, service, or result. "

" A time-and cost- limited projects to realize a lot of defined results according to agreed quality standards and requirements ( fulfillment of the project) ... "

" Objective and time-limited task that is tackled in an interdisciplinary. "

A task can and should be generally regarded as a project, where the problem to be solved appears relatively complex, the approach is initially unknown, present a direction and a time frame and / or bereichs-/fachübergreifende cooperation is required.

The complexity of the problem lies, for example, that

• There are a number of solutions to their success is unknown at project start,
• The goal of closer analysis contradictory associated objectives ( goal conflicts ),
• The involved or cooperating organizations or instances of different property logics obey,
• Between the individual measures to achieve a wide range of interactions.

Mostly, all these factors interact together.

The rest of the activities associated with the successful completion of a project, open into a control circuit for controlling projects. Important are reliable start and end dates for the planning of the project and commitments for the required resources within the framework of a project plan. In the context of large investment and construction projects using engineering and project companies special project of accounts and projects oriented project accounts plans for performance-based structuring of the project plans and for the proper recording and accounting of planning and construction services.

Typically, a project entails - as opposed to regular, always similar to carried out, largely identical projects - usually at a higher risk of failure and is in a special and temporary organizational form, called project organization, handled, will be addressed within which the goal.

Typical projects include product development, ( re) organization, IT, renovation or construction projects.

Organizations that carry out similar projects regularly, should endeavor to develop these products. This will rarely be possible without restrictions. However, a standardization of the procedure, which can incorporate the learning effect from previous projects into new projects, an advantage over a constant " reinventing the wheel ". This standardization manifests itself usually in the defined processes in which new projects to be addressed, as well as in existing templates for documentation, etc. which, although necessary, adapted to each project, but included the points that - should not be forgotten - from experience.

Colloquial meaning

Not compliant in terms of the temporal limitations, but in the sense of the thematic / organizational differentiation from the "normal case ", ie with the meaning that there is " something special " is, you use the term project is also to

• Etc. to describe alternative ways of living, charities or non-profit organizations. For example: " housing project " or " unemployment project". Has often found on such in these areas, so-called project financing of the public sector for a limited, but time and again to be applied for projects this naming convention probably favored (eg for so-called independent projects of social institutions ).
• To appoint a not yet completed the process of development.
• To denote something new in the field of art. So many young bands denote (eg, The Alan Parsons Project) as the "Project" (because of a higher attention effect and the secondary meaning to drop this term, if you believe you are established ).

Language dictionaries (eg Duden ) define more projects in this general sense as planning, contracting, design, or project.

In the psycho-social care and social work ( new ) deals are often also referred to as projects, even if they are designed from the advance of a lasting or recurring, regardless of their financing.

Project teaching, that is, Project as a method of teaching that was developed as an alternative to frontal teaching beginning of the twentieth century.

Types of projects

Projects can be classified / differentiated according to the following outline criteria ( examples). The specific features in these types of projects resulted in the project organization for the development of special procedures and processing techniques.

Content / industry / sector

• Construction / investment projects
• IT projects / software development projects
• Product development projects / innovation projects
• Research and development projects
• Organization (development) projects
• Logistics projects
• Quality projects / methods ( launch, ) projects
• Marketing projects
• Cultural projects Music Projects

Occasion

• Pre-projects / planning projects
• New development or maintenance projects
• Migration projects ( removing old systems )

Participation or initiation

• Internal projects departmental projects
• Interdepartmental projects

• Customer projects
• Enterprise- wide projects

Complexity

• Small Projects
• Projects
• Major projects / programs

Level of repetition

• Pioneer projects
• Routine projects

Roles in projects

• Project owner (PAG ),
• Project decision-makers,
• Project Manager / Project Manager (PL, PM)
• Multiple decision ( circle ),
• Project leader (TPL )
• Requirements engineer
• Planning and Controlling Manager
• Usability Manager
• Project staff, their totality = "Project Team"
• Steering Committee / Project Steering Committee ( " PLA " ),
• Review Team ( ' Quality Manager ', especially in software development projects )
• Activity -based roles such as: Architect, programmers, testers,

Depending on the project situation (eg size) certain roles can be occupied in " personal union " employees may also, at the same time be active in multiple projects.