Process Management vs Project Management

Process Management and Project Management go hand-in-hand to deliver a successful project. Both are critical components of Gartner’s Application Development Management Continuum (Gartner Group, 1995). Each has a clearly delineated area of responsibility.

Process Management deals with defining and managing what is done on a project, including tasks completed, deliverables produced, roles performed, and tools used. It deals with the “scientific method” used to deliver an IT solution.

Project Management deals with tracking the process being executed, from a schedule and cost perspective. It includes functions for developing the optimal project schedule, producing a financial model of the project, scheduling and tracking of effort against plan, managing costs against budget, and reporting of status, to name a few.

I will be spending the next several posts focusing on Process Management; however, some of the Process Management tools it describes are used for both Process Management and Project Management.

Process Management Objectives

By defining and applying a scientific method to the delivery of IT solutions, Process Management has the following objectives:

� To define a repeatable process that, when executed, behaves predictably and delivers a quality product – on schedule and within budget.

� To produce higher quality IT solutions.

� To increase productivity and shorten the delivery cycle, through the application of optimized processes and the re-use of work products.

� To upgrade the skill levels of all project participants, including delivery team staff and customers.

By: The Great Sir Craig