Why is project management important? And What are the necessary things to be done in the progress? Check out this blog to see how each step breaks down in mind maps.

Regarding the origin of project management, it is widely believed that it was born during WWII. Some say that 'In the midst of the disorder of war, the order of project management was born.' During the 1940s, the U.S. Army began to apply project management methods to plan and coordinate work in the Manhattan Project. Over time, project management started to apply to industrial manufacturing, technology, finance, and many other fields.

5 Major Steps

Project management is a series of activities carried out in the process of achieving a task. In general, there are 5 major steps in a project management process: project initiation, project planning, task execution, monitoring process, and project closure. We can use mind maps to dismantle each step and see what can we do.

1st: Project Initiation

Depending on your project requirements:

1. Understand and confirm what are you going to do: project background, and final targets;
2. Use SMART principles to dismantle objectives to be S (specific), M (Measurable), A (Achievable), R (Relevant), and T (Time-bound).
3. Understand your project scope: What are necessary and must to do and make a list of them.

   2nd: Planning

A comprehensive and detailed overall action plan needs to be developed for all phases of the project.

Your planning should include task decomposition, scheduling, communication plan, budgeting, procurement plan, and risk management.

1. Dismantle your task with MECE framework to ensure every scenario is covered;
2. Schedule your tasks with the WBS structure to identify resources for each item to facilitate task orders, crisis control, time restriction, and procedure check;
3. Ensure regular communications between teams and departments;
4. Plan your budget with a comprehensive understanding of resources used and quantity. This includes software, hardware-wise manpower, and etc.;
5. Plan your purchase, always make a list.

3rd: Execution

During the process of your project execution. Pay attention to resource allocation, team management, and communication management.

1. Make sure your resources are allocated with regard to material usage and personnel capability and based on your budget plan; also ensure your resources are in place, issued well, and utilized as they should;
2. Coordinate your teams and manage your team members emotions to avoid negative energy;
3. Cross-departmental management: make sure the requirements carried out between each department are well-understood and communicated;
4. Make a checklist plan for each phase of your tasks. Use Tree Table to checklist your delivery schedule.

4th: Monitor

Monitor your plan to identify whether the progress is deviating from the plan and if so, identify changes and control them in time.

1. Establish a reporting system for emergency adjustment to monitor execution scope and budget consumption;
2. Objectives in each phase are fulfilled and quality delivered is checked;
3. For any alteration, report correspondingly, and record assessment.

5th: Project Closure

Make sure the project has its acceptance check from every person in charge respectively; Archive your files for data purposes; and finally, review and summarize what occurred in the progress.

The above mind maps in each section are exported as individual topic with its branches. You can right-click on the topic you want to export, then select [Export Branch To].

Here's a full map.

Reference

https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/knowledge/other/smart-goal/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MECE_principle https://people.ucalgary.ca/~design/engg251/First%20Year%20Files/wbss.pdf