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Project definition and distinguishing characteristics

The goal of project management is to achieve defined objectives, referred to as outcomes or deliverables. Project outcomes are unique and non-repeatable, and projects are time-constrained endeavors, with a definite beginning and an ending. This chapter will discuss these aspects of projects, and the differences between projects and operations.

Limited duration
Projects have a defined beginning and end. The end occurs when the project is terminated, whether as a result of the accomplishment of the project objectives, or due to a decision to cease project work. Such decisions may be made due to a realization that the deliverables cannot be achieved or are no longer needed, or that the business case for achieving the objectives is no longer acceptable.

The time-constrained characteristic of projects does not imply that they must be of short duration. Indeed, project duration varies ranging from a few hours for simple consulting projects, to years for major construction or research projects.

A project goes through a lifecycle, or a series of phases (sometimes called stages). While descriptions of each phase are beyond the scope of this e-book, it’s important to realize that each phase has its own characteristics and duration. Each phase requires specific management actions, and typically a review (often called a gate review) is conducted at the transitions between phases to assess project performance and make determinations of whether or not transitioning to the next stage, or even continuing with the project as a whole, is advisable.

Although each project is unique and may consist of different types of phases, we provide a generic view of a project life cycle in Figure 2.1 below. Notice that

there is no distinct controlling stage during the lifecycle. Controlling is considered to span the duration of the project.

An important concept related to the time-constrained aspect of projects is known as progressive elaboration. This concept refers to the incremental nature of the development of projects and project phases. For instance, the scope of the project deliverables will develop from broad definition in the concept phase to more precise definition as the design is finalized during the design phase. The design may further be elaborated in the production phase as manufacturability requirements are further realized.

Uniqueness of project deliverables
Projects create unique, non-repeatable deliverables. Examples of project deliverables are the development of new technologies, development of customized products, and construction of a new production facility.

These deliverables are quantifiable or measurable, whether they be a physical product (such as an office building), a service (such as a consultation or legal representation), or an intellectual product (such as knowledge developed from medical research).

The presence of repetitive, or similar elements, within deliverables does not compromise the uniqueness of a product. For instance, gas turbine engines share common feature, but each is unique and a result of a distinct development project. The same can be said for many project deliverables, such as automobiles, houses, pharmaceuticals, or just about any other commercial product you can think of. It is important to realize that although many of these products are now mass-produced through operations, their initial development was achieved through project management.