Project Administration: this short article explains project administration in a practical way. Next to what it is (definition), this article also highlights the meaning, the differnt forms, the phases and tips. Enjoy reading!
Project Administration: this short article explains project administration in a practical way. Next to what it is (definition), this article also highlights the meaning, the differnt forms, the phases and tips. Enjoy reading!
Not every company or team always has a formal project administration process. Whether it’s a large organization or a rapidly emerging startup, this activity may not have received the priority it deserves.
However, over time it becomes increasingly challenging to stay organized and collaborate effectively with team members.
You may wonder if project administration is really necessary and if it is only suitable for teams with dedicated project managers.
The answer to the last question is: no. Developing project administration skills can help almost all teams complete projects more efficiently.
It is relevant for every team and every company to find a method to plan, manage and execute work.
While you may not need all aspects of a traditional project administration system, your team can still benefit from some essential elements of project administration.
Project administration van be defined as the collection, maintenance and updating of all information related to projects.
When it comes to planning and task management in project administration, there is a lot of administration that needs to be kept. The job descriptions, deadlines and timelines, and even the schedule itself are all considered information related to the project.
Project administration tools ensure that this information is properly tracked.
For example, once a team member clicks “complete” on a task, the project’s overall timeline is updated so the manager can see progress at all times. Tools that are used for this are, for example, Gantt Charts or Burndown Charts.
The number of hours spent on tasks directly impacts the budget and schedule of the project, while costs must also be recorded and accounted for.
Therefore, being able to view reports and insights on performance, budget and costs helps business and project managers make better forecasts and identify potential delays.
Last but not least, many projects require billing to clients, which also entails a lot of administrative work.
Project administration is a supporting process that helps teams organize, monitor, and execute work within a project.
Think of a project as a collection of tasks that must be completed to achieve a specific goal.
By using this way of working, you can help your team efficiently plan, manage, and meet project requirements on time.
Project administration is a way to help teams keep track of all the work that needs to be done to meet project requirements.
However, within the category of project administration or project management, different methodologies and approaches exist, including:
The Agile method is a form of Lean project management popular with product development, engineering, and software development teams.
With agile, teams believe in continuous improvement, flexible responses to change, iterative processes and incremental evolution. Some well-known agile frameworks are Scrum and Kanban.
In the waterfall model, tasks are tracked linearly, with one task completed before the next begins, and so on.
The waterfall model includes six stages:
This model is best suited for projects where performance and scope are predetermined, as the waterfall model can be less flexible than some other project management methodologies.
PRINCE2 stands for PROjects IN Controlled Environments.
In the PRINCE2 project management methodology, projects are divided into seven processes:
Using a project administration tool, your team can organize all the details of the work in one central place, share feedback and progress, and ultimately collaborate more effectively.
Critical Path Method (CPM) and PERT were original project management methodologies developed in the 1950s. CPM provides an algorithm to identify the critical path on complex, interrelated tasks with set deadlines.
CPM allows teams to determine the longest trajectory of interdependent activities. PERT, on the other hand, helps teams determine the critical path when the timeline and schedule are unknown.
In PERT, project managers identify all tasks that need to be completed (not the critical path alone) to determine the minimum time required to complete the entire project.
The project administration process corresponds to the general project management process, as described above.
While every project and team is unique and may prefer different methods of collaboration, there are generally five key project phases that occur during this process:
During this phase, the project team is assembled and the scope of the project is described. Depending on the complexity and scope of the project, it may be helpful to use a project roadmap.
Planning is a crucial phase that outlines project requirements and defines what “project success” means.
In this phase, a project plan is drawn up, important milestones are established and the project costs and timeline are aligned.
This is the phase in which the team actively works towards achieving the deliverables. Task execution, time management and task management are essential to ensure the team is aligned, on track and not overworked.
Reporting takes place during and after the implementation phase. During the project, reports are used to track progress, collaborate and map the work of different departments.
After project completion, performance is reported and lessons are learned for future projects.
Once the project has been completed, it is important to have an evaluation meeting with stakeholders to record learning points.
This can be addressed as a retrospective project meeting, a project review, or a debriefing. The goal is to gain insights and identify improvements for future projects.
The articles linked to the project administration tag deal with the various methods, techniques and theories related to this discipline. Are you still missing articles on a specific related topic? Let us know in the comments or fill out the contact form.
