Making a project and working together with all the departments sounds quite complicated, Right? When all the departments work collaboratively and each department works on a project then it is likely to use their own methodology in which they are most comfortable. This all can make the project complex for all the departments, as every department has a different process and methodology. Thus it is a process where we have to focus on stakeholder’s needs and requirements. As it is essential to opt for the strategies for effective stakeholder management for a successful business.
So if you are working on a large project with the moving parts that eventually have to be aligned, then in the absence of proper alignments of parts, the project can slow. This makes it less effective and also can create complications for all the departments. Thus to create harmony among all the departments and parts of projects, the project integration management process is implied.
Project Integration Management
It is the way of making various processes work together without any issue. In other words, it is to streamline all the processes involved in project management. So we can say that project integration management ensures that all processes which are used in a project must be aligned and work with coordination to achieve higher efficiency and profitability.
However, project integration management can attain this goal by making trade-offs. Project managers find the alternatives to fulfill the expectations of stakeholders when they have competing objectives.
Several processes are included in the project integration management such as identification, defining, merging and assessing different processes and procedures that are included in the project management process. In other words, the project managers have to make choices about resource allocations and trade-offs so that they can manage the interdependencies in the project management knowledge areas.
Significance of Project Integration Management
Project management is a complex task so we have to compile all the working methodologies of different departments to execute the task effectively. The role of the project manager is wide as he has to do all the essential and required arrangements to implement a successful project. Such as:
Budgeting
Scoping
Quality Assurance
Risk Management
Dealing with Stakeholders
Cost
Changes
Tracking the interdependencies and impacts of each other can lead to implementing a project successfully. So it is essential to keep up with all the factors. The project manager has to realize how the project scope can be impactful for a cost-effective project. The whole responsibility is on the shoulders of the project manager as he has to ensure every aspect like identifying the impacts, including cost and timeline, and identify the need to hire a human resource for a couple of months if required.
You should keep in mind that the decisions you make also affect the projects and other areas of business. So we need a project manager, who is specialized in all these activities and is smart to adopt the new changes and challenges in a business.
Steps of Implementing the Project Integration Management
Project integration management is a holistic approach that is used for the planning and execution of the project. There are some prime elements of this process and these are as follows:
Create Project Charter
First, you need to create a project charter which is a short document, which provides an overview of the projects and helps in identifying the needs of stakeholders. It includes:
Scope
Objectives and deliverables
Project Team members
Budget
Risk assessment tools
It is the foundation of your project where you can plan all the essential elements related to the project.
Developing Project Management Plan
It is the next step of the process where you have to develop a project plan that specifies the scope statement, timelines and milestones. Here some steps that fall under this process are described:
Meeting with the stakeholders to identify and finalize the requirements of projects and objectives
Define the scope of the project
Creating a schedule for the project
Conducting a risk assessment plan
Setting a work breakdown structure to delegate tasks and assign the resources
using a performance measurement baseline to assess the project performance
developing additional plans for cost management, resource management, stakeholder management and risk management. Thus there is a great importance of planning in executing any project, with this you should also know the importance of planning while setting up business and its prime projects.
Directing and Managing Project
It is the next step in the execution of the process. Here the project manager takes the charge of day-to-day tasks. Like directing the team, holding stakeholder meetings and tracking projects.
Managing Project Knowledge
It refers to the attainment and management of the knowledge that is required to obtain the information to reach the project goals. For this, we need to ensure that team members must have all the information about the project and tasks.
Monitor and Controlling
To implement a project successfully it is essential to monitor its performance. For this, we have to focus on three approaches: preventive actions, corrective actions and defect repair. You have to use a common technique of performance measurement to assess the current status of the budget of the project and schedule it. if you find that the project needs the changes then make instant efforts to adapt those and update the performance report.
Performing the integrated Change Control
It probably may happen that your project needs some changes and it can be stressful. But by adopting a proper change control mechanism you can do this easily. Some companies have a change control board to review the change request related to the budget, timelines and resources. So it is important to use the change control log to include all the essential aspects like cost and resources. With this, you have to check the impact of this process on the timeline of the project. Thus the smooth change control mechanisms are essential for implementing the project successfully.
Closure of the Project
After completing the project and getting approvals from the clients, it is finally the time to close the project. This involves:
Holding the meeting of stakeholders
Review of the Project
Closing the contract
Organizing the project materials for future
Thus in this way, the project integration process is implemented and it serves as the reference for future endeavors to improve the project integration management system.
Thus every project depends upon its methodologies and the teammates therefore you should streamline the hiring process as it can influence your project and business operations both.
Final Say
The project integration management process brings all your tasks and processes together. Well, for a successful implementation of the project integration system you have to create a sound communication system between the project team and stakeholders. This will help you to identify the issues of the process and will enable you to execute the project successfully.
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