IT and Engineering Project Management

Introduction

Project is an achievement of a specific objective, which involves a series of activities and asks which consume resources. It must be completed within a set specification, having definite start and end dates. Project management is the art of directing and coordinating human and material resources throughout the life of a project by using modern management techniques to achieve predetermined objectives of scope, cost, time, quality and participant satisfaction.

IT Project Management

IT project management is a further endeavor of project management practices to deal with the special challenges of managing an IT project. One of the examples of IT project management is software project management. Software is an intellectual product as opposed to a physical product. Intellectual products are intangible and largely invisible. Both of the software and the procedures for creating the software are difficult to experience with all of our high bandwidth human senses. It is very challenging to make the products and processes of software development more visible. Software development has few routine activities and includes a significant design component which requires creativity and innovation. The greatest strength of software is its flexibility which may become its greatest liability if it is not managed carefully. It is deceptively easy to make a change to software.

Engineering Project Management

Engineering project management involves different skills from those needed for the technical engineering work and the understanding of how the project is progressing and adjust the resources available in response. Engineering is the development of cost effective solutions to practical problems through the application of scientific knowledge. It emphasizes the design of solutions, usually tangible artifacts. It also involves the systematic application of analytical techniques grounded in science and mathematics, both to analyze the problem and to guide design choices in creating a solution. Good engineering project demands a wider definition of cost-effectiveness, involving wise use of all resources and minimizing any negative impacts of a particular solution. Engineering has a wider concern with improvements to human life through technological advance. There are two key outputs from any engineering project such as the engineered artifact itself and the knowledge and experience gained in producing it.

References:

1. N.J.Smith (2002). Engineering Project Management., Library of Congress, page 1 – 15, Blackwell Science Ltd.
   Eddie Burris, http://www.bit.umkc.edu/burris/pl/project%2Dmanagement/
2. Steve Easterbrook, Bashar Nuseibeh, http://www.cs.toronto.edu/~campbell/340/05w/readings/FoRE-chapter03-v8.pdf